# Sports Conspiracy Theories **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 5, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094 "2014-06-05T04:41:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Raskolnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Raskolnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raskolnikov)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/141 "2015-03-23T15:43:42Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Fun topic. > > —As it relates to Sacramento Kings fan’s frustration, disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy claims that during one of their WC finals with the Lakers,\*\* the league called in the ref crew before a game and showed them examples of where they were calling too many fouls on the Lakers in previous games in the series, and he took it as a message from the brass to swing things the Lakers way. \*\* > Consider the source, but Donaghy continues to push these fixing accusations at the NBA:[Tim Donaghy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Donaghy) > > —I saw a post about the All-Blacks allegedly getting poisoned; there was an uproar amongst Tottenham fans in 2006 over this food-poisoning scandal which they claim cost Spurs a chance at Champions League glory: > > [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10804881/2006-remembered-The-food-poisoning-bug-that-cost-Tottenham-Hotspur-their-Champions-League-dream.html](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10804881/2006-remembered-The-food-poisoning-bug-that-cost-Tottenham-Hotspur-their-Champions-League-dream.html) > > I even heard stories of police investigations into the cook, not sure if that is real or not though. > > —I saw the Maury Wills story; it is well known in Philadelphia that the crew at Connie Mack Stadium raised the third(?) base line slightly in the 50s to allow Richie Ashburn’s dribblers to fall fair, increasing his batting average. Today, there is a section of Citizens Bank Park named after this piece of real estate called “Ashburn’s Alley”. this is exactly how it happens in both the NBA and NHL, and probably other leagues. The league does not fix the game or series per se, but they can and do cajole the results with temporary re-interpretations of the rules, i.e. crackdowns of certain types of fouls, enforcement of certain rules. these leagues also keep very good track of their referees and their tendencies. In the NHL for instance, some refs are known to call more stick infractions, some more obstruction, some let the physical play go more often. Trust me, the league knows who is who and there are differences in how the rules are interpreted by the referees. The leagues don’t make referee assignments more than a few games in advance to keep their advantage. Plus, in the NHL these referees walk on the plane after their games with a DVD of the game they just reffed. Each team has the right to talk to league reps at the game or at the NHL office and put video evidence (with today’s technology) to address any concern they may have over an opponent. if Team A thinks Team B is holding too often, or a certain player is obstructing, or really anything else they have all means and avenues to discuss this with the league. Conversely, the league itself watches what goes on and has the same conversations with its officials. In this way the league has an influence on the outcomes of both regular season and playoff games. it’s certainly not an overt “fix” type situation but the league can move the markers a bit and certainly has certain teams and situations it prefers over others (which changes from time to time) there’s is simply too much MONEY involved for this not to occur. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/142 "2015-03-23T15:59:35Z")
The officiating in the 2002 World Cup bizarrely favored South Korea, one of the host nations. Taiwan won so many Little League championships (17 titles) in a relatively short span that there were accusations of recruiting-procedure violations. There’s a great deal of corruption accusations about Qatar getting the 2022 World Cup. Officiating has bizarrely favored the Pittsburgh Steelers on many occasions. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/143 "2015-03-23T16:03:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > To go further, I think he threw the Super Bowl against Denver so Elway could get a ring before he retired. Is there \*\*\*any \*\*\*player in professional sports that generous/selfless?? “I could get 2 SB rings, but I’ll settle for just 1 so an opponent can have one too?” ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/144 "2015-03-23T17:55:53Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > **You see this in hockey too.** Far too many playoff series go something like this: A clearly dominant team pulls ahead 3 games to 0 in the (best of 7) finals. At this point, the sucky team suddenly comes alive and wins the next 2 or 3 games before finally being knocked out by the better team. Yes, outcomes like this do happen, but they seem to be suspiciously common. I dunno. For me the NBA is by FAR the worst. I just don’t feel that hockey and baseball are as easy for the officials to manipulate the results of as basketball is. I might be wrong about that, but that’s my feeling on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/145 "2015-03-23T21:29:33Z")
2002 World Cup had some very questionable refs and linesman particularly when South Korea were playing…how they got that far I will never know. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/146 "2015-03-23T22:17:32Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > And when Connie Mack, U.S. Senator from Florida (and grandson of the legendary owner) threatened MLB’s antitrust exempt status…voila, Florida is awarded the expansion Marlins. I don’t think this example (and **Elvis’s** example before it) are really “conspiracies” in the sense of the OP, but more of an example of how DC works - you would see the same if it were a company that needed an exemption on the Clean Air Act and would “decide” to place a few branches in the districts of key congressmen. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/147 "2015-03-23T22:50:25Z")
2002 Indianapolis 500: In the closing stages of the race Paul Tracy is catching up to leader Helio Castroneves who is low on fuel compared to Tracy. Tracy appears to pass Castroneves but almost at the same time a crash occurs on another part of the race track bringing out the yellow flag, under which the race finishes. After an initial bit of confusion with Tracy being scored in P1, the scoring is adjusted to show that Tracy did not pass Castroneves before the yellow came out, thus giving Helio his 2nd 500 win in a row. Politics/politics/politics. This was during the bitterest part of the CART/IRL split era where major CART teams started showing up at Indy only. In 2001, CART teams finished in the first 6 places, with the best IRL guy finishing a lap down in 7th. However, between 2001 and 2002 Castroneves’ owner, Roger Penske jumped from CART to the IRL. Tracy’s team was still a CART team in 2002. Anyhow, Tracy insisted he passed Helio prior to the yellow, Castroneves insisted otherwise. An appeal was filed. Tracy’s owner insisted they had clear video evidence that the pass was made prior to the yellow and that they’d present it at the appeal hearing. The appeal was denied by the IRL on the grounds that the race day decision was a judgment call that wasn’t appeal-able (not on any evidence). The Penske “home team” kept the victory, surprise, surprise over the CART interlopers. If there ever was any video evidence it never saw the light of day and by 2003 Tracy’s team had left CART for the IRL anyhow (Tracy changed teams to stay in CART and didn’t go back to Indy until after the 2008 open wheel merger on the downside of his driving career.) All in all, pretty much a microcosm of the CART/IRL bullshit that went from 1996 into the mid 2000’s, in which turned out to be a futile pissing match between a bunch of rich men over a steadily declining fanbase (no thanks to said pissing match). ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/148 "2015-03-23T23:33:53Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > The earlier poster may have been including preseason games (the 49ers and Raiders, for example, played an annual preseason game that predates the merger). > > Of course, we all know how well preseason success translates to Super Bowl rings… Thanks. That was my recollection as well. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/149 "2015-03-23T23:37:48Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > Not really famous, but made the rounds against my Nebraska Cornhuskers: > > In the mid-90s, Nebraska was pretty much dominating college football. We went 60-3 from 1993-1997 and won three national titles. People were left wondering how an agricultural state college that wasn’t a recruiting hotbed could do so well. So, “they” came up with some story that Nebraska used “country scholarships”. What this meant was NU could give one person per Nebraska county a scholarship, and it wouldn’t count against the NCAA limit. A few flaws: > > 1. NU’s recruiting classes were never stellar; 5-star WRs and QBs don’t play option. > 2. There are maybe 2-3 urban counties, so not a lot to draw from. > 3. Even if I take off my rose-colored glasses and admit “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying”, would the NCAA be fooled by such a transparent gimmick? I’d of thought any CTs w.r.t. the Huskers would have been with the use of PEDs in the weight room or the 1984 Orange Bowl. Nebraska was famed for it’s weight program and the strength of its players. Back in the 80’s the use of steroids, IIRC, was frowned upon but not illegal. That the great 1983 Nebraska team somehow lost to the 'Canes in that bowl game has to have been the subject of dark rumors over the years. Probably related to going for two instead of the PAT. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/150 "2015-03-24T11:33:02Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > The earlier poster may have been including preseason games (the 49ers and Raiders, for example, played an annual preseason game that predates the merger). > > Of course, we all know how well preseason success translates to Super Bowl rings… > [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > Thanks. That was my recollection as well. And _preseason_ games (which were referred to as exhibition games at the time) do not count in the standings or record books, which is why I contend the only inter-league game that season was the Superbowl. It counted, the exhibtion games did not. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/151 "2015-03-24T22:08:17Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (I predict a long, healthy posting career for our new friend here.) and then he was banned after the very next post! gee how convenient LOL! wake up sheeple! it’s obvious that the mods have rigged the board, and if you can’t see how you are just too simple minded. ---
**Author:** ![russian\_heel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f05b48/32.png) [@russian\_heel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/russian_heel)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/152 "2015-03-25T02:17:13Z")
Wow. And I thought I was a dick! ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/153 "2015-03-25T09:55:10Z")
I read it in the L.A. Times either during or just after the 1984 Olympics: a major star intended to come out of the closet following the Games, but his shoe company ponied up $1-million for him not to. (IIRC, article did specify gender.) The paper did not say the outcome (it was still in play), but nobody came out, of course. My guess would be that it was Carl Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/154 "2015-03-25T10:13:02Z")
Harking back to the 1985 NBA Draft Lottery, here’s the proverbial [Zupruder tape](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX1kMlG8c7Y). Note that the fourth envelope is thrown against the side of the drum, different from the others. Stern pulls the #1 envelope out from the bottom of a pile and it does appear to have a bent edge. That said, it doesn’t look like the envelope was thrown with enough force to damage it. Also, just by turning the drum could have impacted the quality of the envelopes and likely more so than how they were tossed into the drum. But I heard the envelope was frozen anyway, so Stern could tell by feeling. Although it doesn’t look like he’s feeling around for a certain envelope. All the above said, I found it too coincidental that **Anthony Davis** wound up with the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans) when the league – which had been stuck with it for a couple years – had just sold the team to the owner of the New Orleans Saints. Maybe something to sweeten the deal? I wouldn’t rule it out. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/155 "2015-03-25T12:44:20Z")
There was a pretty obvious conspiracy to give the Gold Medal for boxing in 1988 to a member of the host nation, South Korea, denying [Roy Jones Jr.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Jones,_Jr.#Amateur_career) a victory he clearly won. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/156 "2015-03-25T16:49:03Z")
A recent one is that the Seahawks’ pass call at the end of the last Super Bowl was intended to make golden boy Russell Wilson, not the churlish Marshawn Lynch, the MVP. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/157 "2015-03-25T19:34:31Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > There was a pretty obvious conspiracy to give the Gold Medal for boxing in 1988 to a member of the host nation, South Korea, denying [Roy Jones Jr.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Jones,_Jr.#Amateur_career) a victory he clearly won. Actually, this was part of an ongoing conspiracy in boxing to give the home country boxers “the benefit of the doubt.” Of the three USA boxers out of 12 that did not win gold medals in Los Angeles in 1984, one (Michael Shannon) was knocked out in an early bout, one (Evander Holyfield) was disqualified under controversial circumstances (although the call was correct - he did hit his opponent well after the first command to stop), and only one (Virgil Hill) lost a decision (in his gold medal bout, no less). Note that the USA never was successful - assuming USA Boxing or the USOC even bothered trying - in getting Jones awarded a gold medal after the fact. Then again, if they were to do it now, almost certainly it would be seen as “NBC buying a gold medal that the Americans couldn’t win the normal way.” Speaking of conspiracy theories and 1984 Olympic boxing, there’s a lesser-known one; AIBA gave the Val Barker Trophy (outstanding boxer of the Olympics) to Paul Gonzalez instead of Pernell Whittaker not because Gonzalez was a better boxer, but because Whittaker “showboated” too much. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/158 "2015-03-26T02:04:56Z")
The 4th test in 1972 between England and Australia was a set-up by the home side. Basically, the Poms knew that Australia was probably going to win the series (1-1 at that point), because Australia had the better batting line-up (Chappells and Stackpole), and the better fast bowlers (Lillee and Massie). The only area the poms had an advantage in was spinning - they had a genius called Derek Underwood who could destroy any team - provided the pitch was in poor condition (he hadn’t played a test that summer, because he wasn’t much good on standard pitches). Well, lo and behold, pitch preparations for the Headingley Test were disrupted by an outbreak (never seen before or since on a cricket pitch) of [_Fungus Fusarium_](http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/underwood-proves-deadly-in-ldquo-the-fusarium-test-rdquo-29396). The grass dies, the pitch is ruined and the final product is a very dodgy track. Surprisingly, the _Fusarium_ outbreak didn’t extend off the pitch to the outfield. How about that, hey? Result - Underwood is unplayable, Australia get thrashed, Australia go on to win the last test match (on good pitch) - series drawn 2-2, with England retaining the Ashes. 43 years - still not bitter, at all. Not me. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/159 "2015-03-26T02:11:34Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > A recent one is that the Seahawks’ pass call at the end of the last Super Bowl was intended to make golden boy Russell Wilson, not the churlish Marshawn Lynch, the MVP. Someone would \*really \*have to have their priorities mixed up for that sort of decision-making. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094/160 "2015-03-26T10:54:40Z")
> [@Moonchild](#): > > I read it in the L.A. Times either during or just after the 1984 Olympics: a major star intended to come out of the closet following the Games, but his shoe company ponied up $1-million for him not to. (IIRC, article did specify gender.) The paper did not say the outcome (it was still in play), but nobody came out, of course. > > My guess would be that it was Carl Lewis. Curmudgeonly New York sportswriter Dick Young wrote the same thing in 1984, and stated openly that it was Carl Lewis. I don’t know for certain that he was right, but Lewis never bothered to object. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-conspiracy-theories/690094.md?page=9)