very interesting read...
Could go any way as of now, bu heres something to REALLY think about...
I post on a football forum and today there was a heated discussion about the NFL possibly rigging superbowls. After 9/11 the "PATRIOTS" come from nowhere to win with the help of a very controversial call (tuck rule...) against the raiders to get to the superbowl, and then somehow beat the rams who were supposed to be much better then them.
Then after jon gruden is traded to tampa bay, he ends up in a super bowl rematch with his old nemesis, Al Davis. He beats his hated old boss and then both teams fade away and havent been succesfull since.
Last year the steelers make the superbowl, jerome bettis is a huge public figure who was coaxed into coming back for another year. The superbowl is played in detroit, his hometown. He wins his ring in front of his entire family and then retires. Anyone who watched that game can tell you that the refs were very biased towards the steelers.
Now after the tragic hurricane katrina the saints end up getting one of the top prospects to come out of college in a decade. The texans GM passes on bush so that the saints can pick him, and then he quit. where is that GM now? working in the NFL office. Now the saints are poised to make the superbowl despite finishing 3-13 last year and having a new coach.
Also look at this: pats, steelers, ravens, rams, broncos, all recent superbowl champs and all recently built new stadiums. Seats have to be filled and the NFL has a revenue sharing system...Everybody wins and they all make money by promoting teams with new stadiums.
Im not saying I believe this, but it is an interesting theory to think about. Proffesional sports have proven to have been rigged before (baseball) and its not out of the realm of possibility to think that the NFL may be as well. At the same time, it would be extremely difficult to pull something like this off so I very much doubt its true.
Anyways, just thought Id share that, formulate your own opinion from these facts, I still think theres no conspiracy, but if the saints win the superbowl this year with some obvious help from the officials then i will reconsider.