AI_Efficiency wrote:Iverson Armband wrote:Black Mage wrote:
Oh come on; it's well documented how the league deploys Foster in playoff series when they want it extended.  You really think the head of officiating can't give a code word or indication to refs before a game how to call it?  
Literally, look back at Magic Johnson AND Walton slipping up and admitting they were told their pick wasn't going to fall outside of its protected range days or weeks before the lottery.
Hell, the Sixers ticket office was telling people, including me, that the Sixers were going to have the 1st overall pick the day of the Ben Simmons Lottery and even Dikembe slipped up and congratulated the team on winning the lottery hours ahead of schedule.  
Or how about our former owner admitting David Stern forced him to join the ownership group so the league would have someone they "owned" involved in ownership?
There's tons of pubic instances of the league rigging things and never once has it been investigated.
Honest question, not trying to be funny, why do you even bother watching then if you question the integrity of the game?  Believing that would totally kill it for me, but to each their own.
 
If you think all this stuff is fixed you can just go to Vegas and get rich. For example, you brought up the lottery with the number 1 pick. If you think it’s fixed like that, you can literally go to Vegas, bet your life savings on it, and profit. The line tonight was Milwaukee 3.5. If you knew we would be punished, just bet it all on the Bucks. I feel like you won’t be convinced by this though and just want someone to blame which probably feels better. Believe what you want I guess.
 
One, you can rig things here and there to send messages (no calls b/c of Joel thing; Sixers getting 1st overall pick in return for Hinkie getting ousted, ensuring Lakers have path to staying relevant by not losing its pick).
Second, I don't think; I know it happened.  I literally was called and told the SIxers would give all new season tix holders a signed basketball from the 1st overall pick.  I specifically asked if they just meant the Sixers 1st rnd pick or that the SIxers would have the 1st overall pick.  The Sales rep put me on hold to check with their supervisor and came back and confirmed it was the latter.  So yeah, someone in Sixers HQ knew the lottery was going to fall in favor of Sixers.  I bought my tix and now have a worthless basketball signed by Ben.  
How about looking at another sport, the NFL.  It's well documented that Goodell's investigators found a room filled with taped practices.  Goodell rather than let all of it come to light had the tapes destroyed immediately.  Some people care; but ultimately not a single thing was done to investigate Goodell or the NFL.
The point is, as long as a league doesn't outright rig everything; they'll be allowed to get away with affecting outcomes here and there.