Monday, February 2, 2015

The Dark Side of Sports Brian Tuohy

Professional sports in America: it's all about fair play and the goal of winning championships. At least that's the spin. But could it be a massive showbiz operation filled with greedy owners, crooked referees, and coddled players, all with the unstated goal of grabbing as much money as possible?With author Brian Tuohy, this episode provides a extended discussion of the corruption that has infected the storied histories of the NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, and NASCAR. On the even of Super Bowl 2015, Jim interviews the expert on the corrupt side of sports, where they discuss the Patriots and the Colts, Spygate and Deflategate. With reality obscured by a complacent and often complicit sports media, Brian Tuohy shines a light on a hidden history of clandestine arrangements between television networks and sports leagues, all against a background of drinking, drugging, and crime.

13 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the interview, BUT not one of the tangents:
    Did Fetzer really say there is not one good argument not to legalize all drugs? I mean when you tally all the arguments pro vs con in regards to legalizing drugs and conclude that legalization is the right choice that is fine, but to claim there is no arguments against it is simply silly. Coming from a philosopher, even more so because philosophers should be able to dissect the best arguments against one's position.

    You surely won't agree with the conclusion drawn in this article but you can start here to see that maybe some thoughtful people have arguments on the other side. http://www.city-journal.org/html/7_2_a1.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A simply excellent book about the legalization of drugs and other issues is IT'S NOBODY'S BUSINESS IF YOU DO. The arguments against the War on Drugs and the continuing laws against the recreational use of marijuana, for example, are all on one side. Perhaps I should have said (if you are quoting me accurately) "There are no GOOD arguments against it", because that appears to be the case. It's only "silly" if you include feeble or poorly reasoned or unsubstantiated arguments as "good arguments". But thanks for providing a link. If I find some good arguments there, I will amend my comment here.

      Delete
  2. Sounds like an interesting show. I haven't watched it yet but before I forget about it, one conspiracy idea that I got was that sports such as NFL are primarily rigged to maximize the effect of ENTERTAINMENT. :D So NFL is then actually like pro wrestling, a performance art. That would make sense both from a multi-billion dollar industry perspective and as an effective entertainment "dope" for the masses.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, hundreds on billions of dollars in black market gambling on sports. That must be one helluva pyramid scheme. Imagine that NFL in reality is at least as determined beforehand as pro wrestling, then only those at the very top of the pyramid make any serious money while the huge bulk of gamblers below get thoroughly fleeced.

    ReplyDelete
  4. In this show Jim went after Alan Colmes for speaking about the pointlessness of sports. I should add, it's not just intellectual featherweights like him who see the sham of wasting your time on sports. No less than Noam Chomsky has spoken widely about the pernicious influence of sports. See here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA5jOdPiZWI

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sports, movies, music are examples of activities that tend to draw people together because their enjoyment does not require special backgrounds, education or expertise. They are part of the social fabric and tend to bind us together. Those who treat them as trivial are missing the point: everyone can be their own expert in these domains, even if some opinions about them are better than others.

      Delete
  5. Fetzer has this stooge on who made so many claims without any data to support his ridiculous theories. List 10 plays in the NFL where the officials reversed calls that were obviously wrong. Tuohy said it happens all the time. The only egregious one I can think of was this last year in the Lions Boys game on the PI .... also he says games are fixed to keep interest, well why was the SUPER BOWL called the Stupor Bowl for so long? Bc the biggest game of the year was seldom close.

    Last year the Hawks crushed Denver, how many people were glued in the 4th qtr? On and on this drivel went with JF cackling YOU BETCHAS agreeing with his guest on speculative garbage. You think John Stockton, Barkley, GP, Kobe,Pop would throw games in the NBA finals? Yeah, right.

    People have no idea how competitive these men are, how much time and sweat they put into their craft, how much money they make and would risk. You can't give Brady 100 million to blow a game, how do you make a bet for say 150 million to get it back; Vegas doesnt handle wagers Iike that.

    Once again JF bit off more than he can digest and chew.

    MJ was protected by the NBA bc he was a whale, then thrown out, then brought back to save them again.

    Jeesh, get the narrative straight.

    I have coached against many NBA players when they were in HS and trust me, these guys are warriors and again they don't need to paltry coin of throwing a professional game.

    You think Pete Carroll or Russell Wilson aren't devastated right now? You think its all rigged?

    This show was fluff and the guest is full of sh*t.

    JF, stick to Hook and the Boston Marathon. You were out of your league here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a better source who has provided me with realms of statistics that show the pattern of one game after another being thrown when there is the right kind of money to be made. Frankly, I have no doubt about it. When I asked him to come on the show, however, he declined and recommended Brian, who has two books on the subject. Yes, it's not an area in which I regard myself as expert: does that mean it does not deserve exploration? I thought he did a good job of it and expect to return to this subject again in the not-too-distant future.

      Delete
  6. Please watch the compelling video below showing how the REFS rigged the game by blatantly pro-Seattle SeaHawk calls which supports the contention that the NFL is rigged for multi-billion dollar racket reasons:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BU7tt3yR24

    ReplyDelete
  7. The IMPORTANCE of this revelation that "American sports are RIGGED" is that just this statement can be given to the Amerosheeple to cut through their hive-mindedness and get them to STOP WASTING THEIR TIME WATCHING THESE DIVERSIONS.

    Tell EVERYONE you see, "Pro sports are rigged". Anyone who saw the recent BS Super Bowl will know what you mean: $$$$$$$$$$

    ReplyDelete
  8. The OSU-Wisconsin game was an obvious fixed game. OSU lose and they have NO representation in the FBS playoffs. No Big 10 rep means millions of dollars lost for OSU and the Big 10. Additionally, the two head coaches are good friends, so a favor done is MUCH closer to the truth than is a happenstance blowout.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The videotaping of opponents wasn't illegal until a rules change THE SEASON IN QUESTION! The greater "conspiracy" was the fact that ALL of Bill Belichick's are beholden to uphold one promise: do not take a head coaching job in the AFC East, that included Eric Mangini, who Belichick told if he retired in the next five years would become the Patriots' next head coach! What did Mangini do? He took a job with the NY Jets. When the news of the assistant coach-Belichick promise came to light, Mangini was beginning to be pilloried in the press. Suddenly, and quite obviously to get the press off his back, Mangini hinted that the Patriots filmed the Rams (ACTUALLY the first accusation NOT a Jets Pats game). Ask yourself, why would the Sopranos give a first year had coach a cameo on the finale of their show unless there was some background quid pro quo in the air????

    ReplyDelete