What the League Wants ...

There is a lot of sports talk about the result of the New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens Monday Night Football game on Dec. 3, 2007. Most of it from sports talk tv and radio. Most of it nonsense.

One thing that I would like to address is the very common and totally ridiculous statement that sportscasters and fans often make:

"Well, that is what the league wants."

Ridiculous statement made by people who otherwise make a living with intelligent commentary on the sports world.

Let me play it out to be sure I make my point properly.

###


The New England Patriots are now 12-0 and are playing some of the greatest football in the league's history. The team is playing games against teams that all operate on their own and with highly competitive owners, coaches and PLAYERS.

Now, there are some questionable calls made in the NE vs Baltimore game.

So, what do we hear on the airwaves?

"Well, the league 'wants' the Patriots to go undefeated. (or) The league wants New England to remain undefeated so the NFL Network will have a big game when New England fces the NY Giants." (on Dec. 29th).

So, okay. Here we go... (stay with me...)

### (Screen play style...)

Picture the NFL executives all gathered around Commissioner Roger Goodell's office and Roger starts to think.. and the picture fades ... dissolves...

(The calendar on Goodell's desk is August 15, 2007)

Goodell: "Okay staff. Now, here is my idea. The NBA, MLB and NASCAR are getting too much attention these days. I want something big. Got it? We will orchestrate this whole great thing, right here from my office.

We'll have the New England Patriots go undefeated this year. Okay?

Now, we have to keep this a secret.

We can't let all the teams and players or the TV networks or the media find out about this, okay?

Otherwise, it will never work.

Now, we have about two weeks to plan this, so we better get going.

We can't allow anyone on the Patriots to get a serious injury. Otherwise, it will make it harder.

We have to get all the teams to agree to lose to them, even though their world class athletes are ultra-competitive and they train all their lives, all year long and do everything they can to win games for a living. Some of them might sell their souls to the devil or hurt their mothers/fathers just to win a game. It's in their blood, their spirit, their minds. They just hate to lose, but we'll figure out a way to get around that fact.

And, the opposing coaches, we'll get them to agree to lose too, even though they might lose their jobs over it. Some will never get a job in the NFL again, but, they'll agree.

Now, how are we going to do this?

The refs!!

We control the refs, right?

We'll get them to ref the games as best as they can. We'll televise every game and show each call at every angle. We'll even allow instant replay to be used to overturn calls, but the refs will be the way we can manipulate the games, right?

The refs will orchestrate every game, just the way Arthur Fiedler used to conduct the Boston Pops.

That will do it.

Now, when the Patriots get to 11-0 - and they'll do that, RIGHT GUYS? We'll pick one week - in the game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night in December - to get everyone wondering.

We'll have this great game -- hmmm -- what should the score be?

Goodell flunky: (Shouting from office chair) - "27-24!

Goodell: "Okay, 27-24. That's perfect."

Then, after everyone is talking about the league conspiracy theory, we'll orchestrate the next few weeks, so the Patriots will beat a great team like the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Why - on earth - did we allow the NFL schedule to be so damn hard on the Patriots this year, when we decided to do this whole thing?

The next time we want the "League" to get its way, let's plan a few years out, huh??

Goodell flunky: "Now, Commissioner, what happens when people start to talk about this whole thing? The con, con, con....

Goodell: "Conspiracy?"

Goodell flunky: "Ye, Ye, Yes. The conspiracy."

Goodell: "Well, let me think. How, about, we blame it on the NBA?"

Everyone: "Yeah.."

Goodell: "Right, the NBA. Hell, Pacman nearly killed a guy, paralyzed him for life and we blamed that on them."

We can talk about how the NBA orchestrates this atuff. The league wanted 'the big markets' in the finals...

(We won't say anything about the fact that teams like San Antonio, Utah have been in the finals a lot..)

We can bring up the Portland Trail Blazers vs Lakers game seven in 2000, when the Lakers ran-off about 15-straight points. Or that 2002 series with the Kings against the Lakers. We all know that the NBA did the same exact thing that we're doing now, when Stern gathered his staff together and planned the whole thing, right?"

Goodell: "Righht? RIGHHT???"

Staff: "Yes, Roger."

THE PICTURE FADES back to REALITY.

GOT it REALITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C'mon people. C'mon sportscasters, ESPN people.

C'mon FANS????

Give me a damn break and wake the hell up.

Think about it. You are smarter than that, right?

Please? Say right...

The NFL, the NBA, any league anywhere - CAN NOT... repeat ...CAN NOT do such a thing.

It is RIDICULOUS. It is totally IMPOSSIBLE.

Think about the ridiculous statement?

Do you think the 'conspiracy' would stay a 'secret?"

And, as has been noted in the past, when people say stupid things like this out loud in a press conference question or on TV..

It would be AGAINST the LAW and everyone, - repeat - the executives, coaches, players - everyone who took part - - would go to JAIL. (For a very long time..)

It would NEVER, EVER, EVER be possible....

So, please.. please.. do not fall into the trap, the thought which is not thought out.

Media are the key, as they are stupid enough to actually put up a stupid comment from a fan from the "internet chat box' or "email letter" and then state - on the air - "Well, I had to read it.."

Or, they say: "People are saying.."

Yeah, right.. people are saying it.

Stupid people.