Tanking on purpose?

[racepug]

What to make of the allegations that the Dolphins and Browns offered incentives to their head coach for losing. At the very least I think it's an extremely bad look for the league (or at the very least for those franchises). What say you?

[Brian wolf]

Doesnt surprise me at all ... I love the history of this league but ever since the death of Bert Bell, the League has whored itself to the networks and organized gambling. Hopefully, more brave coaches and former coaches will come out with their stories of collusion and ownership, management shenanigans. I have said ever since the St louis settlement from the owners that they could turn around and give the Lombardi Triohy to an owner that left a good, city fanbase and committed money to a stadium in Los Angeles to appease the networks. Hopefully the Bengals will prove me wrong but who would have thought that this young a team would upset #1, #2 and #4 seeds to possibly do it ?

[RichardBak]

Doesnt surprise me at all ... I love the history of this league but ever since the death of Bert Bell, the League has whored itself to the networks and organized gambling.

Amen.

[Brian wolf]

Maybe whored is too strong a word, since the league needed television but once the CBS network invaded player locker rooms in 1964, everything seemed to change to where the game itself turned into "entertainment". Once a Jet fan lost his lawsuit against the NE Patriots and the NFL over the Spygate allegations in 2010, where the courts basically declared that once people bought their tickets or watched on television, that they were watching a Presentation Of The National Football League, it made it even harder for the general public to sue over any type of supposed fixing of a game or a team, teams, coaches or players colluding to point shave, alter or undermine any games presented.

[Mark]

I have not listened to a full interview with Brian Flores yet but I did listen one with Hue Jackson and what he actually said didn't seem to match the headlines. He didn't say he was paid to lose or to throw games in the classic sense of intentionally throwing a game. Rather he seemed to be saying the club avoided fielding the best team they could in order to get better draft picks. In other words they'd rather go 1-15 a couple of years and get top picks than putting out money to get good free agents and go 6-10. It seemed to me his real issue wasn't so much the strategy but rather he was the fall guy for their bad record. Once they started getting the better players he was then fired so he looks bad and his future employment prospects are hurt because of the team's strategy. Feel free to disagree with my interpretation, I only listened to one interview and only once so maybe I am not understanding the situation.

[Brian wolf]

While losing, he also got a contract extension and didnt coach up the talent that the team did obtain because some of those players helped other teams win once they left the Browns. I always thought David Shula, Rich Kotite with the Jets, Bill Peterson, Frank Kush were some of the worst HC's in NFL History but Jackson takes the cake.

[vikingsfan1963]

I agree that Jakson is awful. Just watch a couple of those hard knocks episodes to see for yourself. Grambling State will drop off the map with him in charge!!!

[conace21]

Players and coaches don't tank. In addition to their competitive spirit, rhey have little incentive to do so.. The #1 draft pick the team is able to pick is going to replace one of those players. Organizations don't officially tank, but they will openly commit to fielding a "young" team where the focus is on developing young players, and freeing up salary cap space.

[Brian wolf]

I felt the Jaguars truly tanked last year, though they wont admit it. They even sat down QB Gardner Minshew even when he was healthy enough to play. I am very suspicious of the 2011 Colts as well, who finished 2-14 and cost Caldwell his job. When they got Luck, the talent on the team decided to play football again, going 11-5 for new coach Pagano in 2012 ...

[racepug]

I am very suspicious of the 2011 Colts as well, who finished 2-14

Wow - that's better than I thought. I generally respect Tony Dungy but I heard him talkin' 'bout Jim Caldwell like he deserved another chance at a head coaching position but after that horrible Colts season I wouldn't touch Jim Caldwell with a 100-ft. pole.