If you did not see the game last night between the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, skip ahead in this video to 3:07 to see what I am writing about.
The game followed a pattern seen throughout this NFL season of late-game comebacks and nail-biting finishes. In this game the Bills were down 13-0 when they scored in the 4th quarter, but missed the extra point! That’s the first time this year for their very reliable kicker, Matt Prater. They then got the ball back with very little time left, and scored again! They only needed to kick an extra point to tie the game and send it into overtime, which I view as the natural coaching decision. Instead they opted to go for a two-point conversion. OK, many things can justify that decision. On the two-point conversion, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen has a man not just open, but wide open so that he only need loft the ball to complete a pass and win the game. Instead, he muffs the throw, hitting the turf three yards ahead of the runner. It was not natural, and he’s too seasoned to have blown it.
Allen in the aftermath is shown mouthing the f-bomb and tossing his helmet in disgust. I can understand that, as he did as ordered, but did not like following that order. I think that part of was genuine.
Jake the Awake will have fun with this one. This link is to his list of ten obviously scripted plays in week 16 of the NFL schedule. Week 17 will be along soon. Stay tuned to Jake, not POM. He’s probably laughing as I write this, so obvious is the Allen failed pass.
Years ago the New England Patriots were caught filming their opponent’s sideline for the purpose of stealing signs. That’s not illegal, but the NFL does not allow it, and levied a hefty fine on the Patriots. Maybe it was real. A New York Jets season ticket holder was disgruntled, and sued the NFL for theft of his entertainment purchase, or something like that, a legal challenge to the league’s authority to cheat on game outcomes. The judge ruled that the season ticket entitled the fan to a seat in the stadium, and nothing else. There is no right to a fair contest.
There is no problem with the league scripting outcomes. It is entertainment. As long as individual players are not bribed, it is legal. They are just doing what they are paid to do. Josh Allen, no doubt, knows this, and in the wake of the muffed pass, was unhappy about what the job demanded.
A few weeks back the Denver Broncos played the Las Vegas Raiders, and in the 4th quarter with no time left were behind 24-14. The Raiders were driving, but the drive petered, and they were down to fourth down – time to run one play, maybe get a Hail Mary touchdown. Instead, they opted to kick a field goal! Time ran out, and the final score was 24-17. The Broncos were favored by 8-1/2 points. The field goal, useless and unnecessary, cost bettors millions.
We’ve covered it before. Professional sports are rigged, as are, no doubt, college sports, now more professional than ever. Now that gambling is legal in most states, bettors are wagering on the most arcane matters, in baseball what the next pitch will be, in football, whether it is run or pass, thrown for a completion or not. It’s very easy to rig games in all sports, as players are so skilled that they can deliberately muff shots or miss passes and yet look like they are trying. What Allen did was not common, to deliberately miss by so much. Maybe it was silent protest. Usually they are not so obvious about it. In baseball, hitters are so good that if they know what type pitch is coming, they can usually make solid contact. This leads to exciting finishes in World Series games, late home runs and the like.
Last Thanksgiving we sat around the dinner table and were asked to list the things were are thankful for. I hate that sort of thing, being a curmudgeon at heart. When it came my turn I made note that I am thankful for good health, that I take no drugs of any kind, legal or otherwise, that I am unvaccinated, and that I do not drink or gamble. After I said that I realized that this made me the most boring man on the planet.
Such a boring man who writes on a blog and expects that people will read it! Good Lord, the ego. What insulated un-self-aware ignorance!
Piece of Mindful 