Actually, there are all kinds of points-shaving scandals in basketball(pro and NCAA), the gambling fiasco at BC, the Chicago Black Sox, nearly every boxing event for the past 15 years, pete Rose(not admitted)...
Conspiracies happen in sports. You don't neccesarily need the refs on your side. One looks at a major player in the NBA who suffers through a terrible shooting night even though he had wide open shots and you really have to wonder. A pitcher can throw a game by serving up meat to every batter and hope that his offense does crap. Same w/ a goalie, hockey or soccer.
Actually, I don't doubt that some soccer games are fixed. Their fans are so rabid that I don't doubt for a minute that some games have more riding on them than one would think.
I mean, in the Big East Tournament last year, Troy Bell(BC) was playing as if he had been paid to lose. He was playing terribly and the defense wasn't even all that good.
For some reason, a lot of people did not believe that baseball was filled w/ steroid abuse until the Caminiti and Canseco quotes were made national. Steroids are simply another way of cheating, on the same level as fixing the game. I think people simply don't want to accept some things about the sports they cherish.
For the record, there is no Patriots conspiracy, unless you count the one to make me miserable. This ties in w/ the Yankee conspiracy, although the Patriots can never hope to achieve the hatred of the NYY. Now, I strongly believe that there is a conspiracy by the umpires(and most definitely announcers) to help the Yankees. I don't think it can really be argued against that the popular teams get favorable calls and favorable commentary.
