Maddux Sports Blog

The ending of the Pittsburgh - San Diego game has all sorts of bettors crying foul. The total was 40.5, so the under was secure as the score was 11-10 with seconds left. What wasn’t determined, though, was the spread. Pittsburgh was favored by 4.5, and about two-thirds of the money was bet on them. Needless to say, the sportsbooks would have much preferred a San Diego cover. Hence the conspiracy theories.

As the clock expired, Troy Polamalu got in the way of a lateral as San Diego tried desperately to score the winning touchdown. Instead, Polamalu ran it into the endzone. That made the score 17-10, and the Steelers had covered. The things got crazy. The teams were leaving the field, but then were called back for the extra point. Before that could be kicked, the replay official called for a replay. The replay was watched, and the play was upheld. It should have been - the play was pretty clear.

But then things got strange. Before the extra point could be kicked, the officials huddled again. They decided eventually to overturn the replay and not count the TD. The game ended at 11-10, and San Diego had covered. Books breathed a sigh of relief and counted their profits. After the game, the head official admitted that they had made the wrong call, and that they had done so because they were confused about which one of the two laterals that happened they were talking about. That means that the score should have been 17-10, or 18-10, and Pittsburgh should have covered. Two-thirds of bettors feel robbed, and they probably are justified in feeling so.

To add to the feelings of a sham, the Steelers were assessed with 115 penalty yards, and the Chargers were only given five. When the NBA officiating woes were in the public awareness, we learned that one easy way to influence a game was to penalize one team far more than the other.

Let me first say that I don’t actually think that this game was fixed. It sure doesn’t smell right, though. It was subjected to absolutely brutal officiating, but that isn’t unique to this game. The bigger issue, though, is that it doesn’t matter whether it was fixed or not. The outcome stinks, and people know it. If people become frustrated by the league’s officiating and the impact it is having on games, or if they don’t trust the officials, then the league has a serious problem. Given the number of problems that there have been this year with officials, it seems clear that they league needs to take real action in the offseason to improve the perception of those who can control the outcome of games.

I don’t know about you, but I am itching for the football season to get here. Aching, really. NFL training camps get under way right away, so America’s favorite sport has been on my mind a lot lately. We’ll obviously spend a lot of time talking about the league in the weeks and months to come, but before we get into any specifics I just wanted to reflect on some of the general thoughts that are bouncing through my mind at this point.

Jacksonville - I like this team. A lot. Their division is a bit softer than it has been. Their offense is solid. Their defense is significantly upgraded. Every year there are a couple of teams that I either make or lose a fortune on. I strongly suspect that Jacksonville is one of those teams. They aren’t going to surprise anyone, and the public is going to be aware of them, but I still thin that they will play well enough to make some money.

Seattle - At 10/11, the Seahawks are favored to win the NFC West. This is a sad statement on the state of that division. I guess I don’t dislike Seattle. How can you, really? There is just nothing to like about them, either. They are the vanilla ice cream of the NFL. If they were to fold right before the season started it would take six weeks before anyone would notice. I just wish I had enough faith in the Cardinals (2/1) to believe that they can finally realize their potential and win this division.

New England - The Patriots aren’t going to be as good as they were last year. Perhaps not even close. That being said, I will be more surprised than I have ever been by anything in my life ever (and I am a Michigan fan who was expecting to beat Appalachian State by 30) if the Pats don’t win their division this year. Easily. Incredibly easily. I’m not the only one to hold this bold opinion - the team is 1/10 to win the division.

San Diego - The Chargers might not even have to work as hard as the Pats will to win their division. There isn’t another team there that stands even a chance of being elite in my mind. Not even close

Minnesota - As a general rule I try to avoid hype whenever possible. The problem here, though, is that I am not sure I can. Minnesota has a ton of talent, I don’t respect their division or their conference, and they have a decent schedule. I don’t think that Minnesota is the best team in the conference, but I find it hard to convince myself that they aren’t among the elite.

San Francisco - The last two years at this time of year I have touted the Niners. It worked fabulously for me two years ago. It didn’t last year. I’m not going to do that again this year. I wish I could - they have some things to like. They just can’t get their act together. This team is dead to me.

Oakland - Some people say that the Raiders could be significantly improved this year. Some people also say that Elvis is still alive. I don’t think either is true. Maybe they will win a game or two more, but they still have a long way to go before they are respectable.

Tennessee - Here’s a prediction for you - this is the last year that Vince Young will be a full time starter in the NFL. No single reason, just a collection of little feelings.

Cincinnati - Marvin Lewis deserves to still be the coach of this team just as much as Roger Clemens deserves the benefit of the doubt - not even slightly. The Bungles have been a mess for a couple of years now, and they are going to be a mess again. The offensive talent that Lewis has wasted is almost criminal.

Kansas City - The Chiefs are going to be the worst team in the league. I feel pretty good about the chances of that. What do I like about this team? Pretty much nothing. Maybe Larry Johnson, but he’s fragile, and I really don’t like his chances of holding up without a line to protect him or a quarterback to provide other options to distract the opposing defenses.