OK article, would have been better if he included affirmative action...
By Victor Thorn
The American landscape is littered with crooked politicians, corrupt judges, corporate conmen, sleazy televangelists and stolen elections. Could the manipulation of professional sports, including the National Football League (NFL), also be added to this list? Oh, say it ain't so, Joe.
During a July 21 interview, Brian Tuohy, author of The Fix Is In, told this writer: "In a May 20 NFL court case concerning the New England Patriots ‘Spygate' scandal, Sr. U.S. Circuit Judge Robert E. Cowen ruled that, at best, tickets to a football game don't come with the promise that the contest will be a fair one. Fans only have the legal right to see a game, and nothing more. The league doesn't have to follow any certain rules or laws regarding the outcome of these games."Â
This decision arose because the NFL is a self-contained entity that exists without any meaningful oversight from any outside body looking over its shoulder.
The NFL is a not-for-profit corporation, a 501(c)6 business "league,"Â that pulls in nearly $8 billion annually and pays its head, who is called a "commissioner,"Â $11 million a year.
Since television networks and advertisers funnel millions of dollars into sporting events, each league is acutely aware that they have to keep their "show business product"Â filled with intrigue to boost ratings.
Tuohy concedes that the vast majority of games are legitimate, but if a good storyline develops, similar to a soap opera or professional wrestling, the league will help this drama along.
One way to shave points or alter an outcome is via the referees. Tuohy notes that since these officials are employees of each league, it's not considered bribery, or even an illegality, if a referee does or doesn't make a certain call. They're nothing more than paid company men following a script.
To prevent whistleblowers, the NFL instituted a profit-sharing program where every team in the league, even the worst ones, benefits as more money is generated.
They're all in the same boat, and no one wants to poison the message by saying specific games are fixed. In addition, Tuohy points out that many NFL team owners have organized-crime backgrounds and direct connections to gambling outfits.
With huge amounts of money at stake, the situation becomes political. Similar to congressmen who've been compromised, players with gambling problems, drug arrests or other legal entanglements become much more vulnerable to the pressures of throwing a game. If a quarterback is faced with prison time, losing millions in endorsements or being banished by the league for illegal steroid use, tossing a few deliberate interceptions is a small price to pay.
To bolster his argument, Tuohy provides examples. After Super Bowl III where Joe Namath became a superstar, Colts lineman Bubba Smith snapped, "The game was set up for the Jets to win."Â
Tuohy cites other sports venues, too Racecar driver Tony Stewart admitted in 2007: "It's like playing God. [NASCAR] can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it. . . . I don't know that they've run a fair race all year."Â
Then there's NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who provided inside information to gamblers, allowing them an 80 percent accuracy rate in predicting the outcome of games. Like dishonest Wall Street investment bankers, Donaghy naturally received financial compensation for his secretive revelations.
One other parallel to the corporate-political world exists. Akin to a docile White House press corps, Tuohy asserts that the sports media is afraid to expose offending players or coaches because the reporters would be blackballed by the league. It's well known that one of the largest sports networks, ESPN, doesn't engage in investigative journalism because the network would potentially lose millions in revenue if spectators sensed that the Super Bowl and World Series were rigged.
The longer this writer spoke with Tuohy, the clearer it became that the realm of political conspiracies and fixed sporting events were closely related. Whereas Fox News or NBC won't reveal the truth about 9-11, Tuohy is thwarted by corrupt owners and monolithic sports departments, who all circle their wagons to keep their secrets secret.
And don't forget Council on Foreign Relations man George Mitchell appearing out of nowhere more than once in recent years to investigate steroid use in professional sports. That is a rather curious shifting of gears from the CFRâ€"the premier private outlet for directing U.S. foreign policy and supplying key personnel for government policy-making jobsâ€"to professional sports.
When asked if he faced any repercussions regarding his book, Tuohy explained: "I think I'm being censored by the sports media. After interviewing me, ESPN refused to publish any articles about sports conspiracies. Plus, they've banned me from their big radio networks and sports talk shows."Â
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/pro_sports_rigged_232.htmlEdited by: Rise
By Victor Thorn
The American landscape is littered with crooked politicians, corrupt judges, corporate conmen, sleazy televangelists and stolen elections. Could the manipulation of professional sports, including the National Football League (NFL), also be added to this list? Oh, say it ain't so, Joe.
During a July 21 interview, Brian Tuohy, author of The Fix Is In, told this writer: "In a May 20 NFL court case concerning the New England Patriots ‘Spygate' scandal, Sr. U.S. Circuit Judge Robert E. Cowen ruled that, at best, tickets to a football game don't come with the promise that the contest will be a fair one. Fans only have the legal right to see a game, and nothing more. The league doesn't have to follow any certain rules or laws regarding the outcome of these games."Â
This decision arose because the NFL is a self-contained entity that exists without any meaningful oversight from any outside body looking over its shoulder.
The NFL is a not-for-profit corporation, a 501(c)6 business "league,"Â that pulls in nearly $8 billion annually and pays its head, who is called a "commissioner,"Â $11 million a year.
Since television networks and advertisers funnel millions of dollars into sporting events, each league is acutely aware that they have to keep their "show business product"Â filled with intrigue to boost ratings.
Tuohy concedes that the vast majority of games are legitimate, but if a good storyline develops, similar to a soap opera or professional wrestling, the league will help this drama along.
One way to shave points or alter an outcome is via the referees. Tuohy notes that since these officials are employees of each league, it's not considered bribery, or even an illegality, if a referee does or doesn't make a certain call. They're nothing more than paid company men following a script.
To prevent whistleblowers, the NFL instituted a profit-sharing program where every team in the league, even the worst ones, benefits as more money is generated.
They're all in the same boat, and no one wants to poison the message by saying specific games are fixed. In addition, Tuohy points out that many NFL team owners have organized-crime backgrounds and direct connections to gambling outfits.
With huge amounts of money at stake, the situation becomes political. Similar to congressmen who've been compromised, players with gambling problems, drug arrests or other legal entanglements become much more vulnerable to the pressures of throwing a game. If a quarterback is faced with prison time, losing millions in endorsements or being banished by the league for illegal steroid use, tossing a few deliberate interceptions is a small price to pay.
To bolster his argument, Tuohy provides examples. After Super Bowl III where Joe Namath became a superstar, Colts lineman Bubba Smith snapped, "The game was set up for the Jets to win."Â
Tuohy cites other sports venues, too Racecar driver Tony Stewart admitted in 2007: "It's like playing God. [NASCAR] can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it. . . . I don't know that they've run a fair race all year."Â
Then there's NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who provided inside information to gamblers, allowing them an 80 percent accuracy rate in predicting the outcome of games. Like dishonest Wall Street investment bankers, Donaghy naturally received financial compensation for his secretive revelations.
One other parallel to the corporate-political world exists. Akin to a docile White House press corps, Tuohy asserts that the sports media is afraid to expose offending players or coaches because the reporters would be blackballed by the league. It's well known that one of the largest sports networks, ESPN, doesn't engage in investigative journalism because the network would potentially lose millions in revenue if spectators sensed that the Super Bowl and World Series were rigged.
The longer this writer spoke with Tuohy, the clearer it became that the realm of political conspiracies and fixed sporting events were closely related. Whereas Fox News or NBC won't reveal the truth about 9-11, Tuohy is thwarted by corrupt owners and monolithic sports departments, who all circle their wagons to keep their secrets secret.
And don't forget Council on Foreign Relations man George Mitchell appearing out of nowhere more than once in recent years to investigate steroid use in professional sports. That is a rather curious shifting of gears from the CFRâ€"the premier private outlet for directing U.S. foreign policy and supplying key personnel for government policy-making jobsâ€"to professional sports.
When asked if he faced any repercussions regarding his book, Tuohy explained: "I think I'm being censored by the sports media. After interviewing me, ESPN refused to publish any articles about sports conspiracies. Plus, they've banned me from their big radio networks and sports talk shows."Â
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/pro_sports_rigged_232.htmlEdited by: Rise
