Does anybody think the NFL is rigged?

Not rigged, massaged, yes.

Ever since I was a kid, I noticed that the refs try their damnedest to prevent blowouts. When I became an adult and learned how television advertising contracts worked, I understood why. 

Well put it this way I’m predicting Patriots win the Super Bowl , Mike Vrabel and Wil Campbell went through humiliation rituals Vrabz caught cheating with Diana and Wil the Amazon driver getting absolutely destroyed , I believe they win it this year due to the humiliation rituals 

During the 2025 season there were 53 blowouts (victory margin of 20 points or more) during the regular season.  That's 19.2% of the games.

While it wasn't an actual blowout, the 2026 Super Bowl was a 16-point victory for SEA.  I'm sure plenty of people turned off the dull 12-0 game after 3 quarters.

Do you think the advertisers were ecstatic about SF 55 - DEN 10?  Boy, those refs certainly controlled that game.  How about CHI 46 - NE 10?  Boy, those refs certainly earned their bribes.

/s

LOL

ars they gonna record our games from yesterday, so we can make a pick today

yes absolutely,

Last Year Playoffs Broncos QB Bo Nix was taken out of the AFC Championship game for a leg inj.

I watched the Broncos game prior, and he did not look hurt to me.

Pats move on to the Super Bowl, get blown out

@DogbiteWilliams

 I said "try their damnedest." You said "controlled."

They are not the same. 

@LTsCrazedDog's distinction is basically the whole thing. Trying their damnedest to keep games close is not the same as controlling who wins, and those two get blended together in every one of these threads.

The parity part is real and it isn't a secret. Salary cap, the schedule formula, rule changes that protect offense and keep comebacks alive, the league builds for competitive balance on purpose because close games hold ratings and that's where the TV money sits. Massaged, like M-M said. Fine.

Scripted outcomes are a different animal though, and that's where the market ends the argument. If results were fixed you couldn't hide it. Sharp money would pile in the right way and the closing line would drift toward the "known" result every single time. Instead lines mostly grind toward a fair number and books just try to balance the action. A rigged league would light up the betting market like a Christmas tree, and it doesn't.

@friendly_foes

 How exactly does the league office go about instructing the refs to bend,change or alter games so as to affect the score by keeping it close?

Simple.

A first down holding call essentially ends that possession.

Simple.

A questionable deep P.I. foul can be a first and goal situation when needed

It would be my guess that MOST back door covers in national televised games are scripted.

After all the crews work for the NFL and it's targeted projections.These owners of the teams did

not get their billions by playing by the rules.Come on.

Yet again no explanation of how 

@BGBJohnnyBoy