A Super Bowl Weekend Conversation. Old Patriots vs Young Rams. Place Your Bets

There’s this guy I’ve known for a long time. He believes in such things as the Deep State. So take his opinion on this for what it is worth coming from him.

He asked me if I ever watched professional wrestling. Yes, I admitted, “on TV when I just did not want to do or think of anything but zombie out.”

He asked me if I thought it was on the level. I laughed and said the matches were obviously scripted. He asked why I thought that. I said “they’re all somewhat predictable. The good guy wins in the end.”  He asked, “how do they decide who is the good guy?” I responded “I’d guess it is based on who draws the best crowd, you know, who has the best following.”  

“So why do you say it’s scripted?” he said. I explained how the professional wrestling matches almost always  follow the same plot. The good guy starts off pretty well fending off his opponent, the opponent seems to be totally at the mercy of the good guy, then out of the blue the opponent comes alive and starts to prove himself the equal of the good guy, then he gains the upper hand, and then he manages to make it look like the good guy is just about to meet his maker and that there is no chance for him when suddenly at the last-minute the good  guy miraculously reverses things, does some great moves and quickly gains the upper hand and thoroughly thrashes  the opponent.

He said, “What do you think when you see that?” I said I told him, it’s staged. He said, “yes, that’s true, but didn’t you think if the good guy could suddenly come back like that he should have used his great moves earlier to do it.” I agreed but suggested they need the tension. The fans need to think that the good guy is going to go down.

He asked if that script reminded me of any other sports event. I said I couldn’t think of it. He said: “You don’t recognize the same script happens in the NFL games. Take the Patriots, they’re always down near the end but then miraculously win.” I said that seems to be the case. He said, “Isn’t it obvious to you that if they could do it at the end they could have done it throughout the game?” I admitted that I did wonder about that.

He then asked me if I noticed that the owners of professional wrestling who controlled all these matches were the same as the owners of the NFL. I said I never thought of that but doubted it. He said “I don’t mean the same people but of the same mentality. They wouldn’t think two seconds before working a match if it put more money in their pocket. They were against gambling on their games until they could make money off of it” I said, “If you’re suggesting the NFL games aren’t on the level, I don’t believe that for one second.”

Being an old friend he took a liberty and said: “You’re stupider than I thought.” I let it pass. He said “don’t you think it unusual the Patriots are in the Super Bowl almost every year and happen to attract the best audience in the NFL?” I said I thought that was Dallas or Green Bay. He laughed. He picked up a paper and read: “Based on the average total impressions of Tweets surrounding each game telecast, the New England Patriots were the most dominant team in the NFL from a social standpoint.” 

He went on: “That’s where the money is, social media.”

I asked if he was saying all games were arranged. He said not all, but those that counted were. He then said “The owners wouldn’t admit they’re arranged, they’d say they are just set up to provide the most thrilling entertainment experience.”  I said, “that’s the same thing.”

“Listen,” he said, “Tom Brady age 41  is the Hulk Hogan of the NFL. He’s loved and hated by millions. Guaranteed to draw record crowds given the right set up. Then there’s sixty–six-year-old Bill Belichick’s an old guy but the best coach ever but who also is the consummate bad guy who seems to work around the edges. Who do you want competing against them if you want the biggest audience?

You want newcomers! You want the new vs the old. The clean vs the muddied. The new 33-year-old kid coach vs the old 66-year-old coach. The fresh young quarterback vs the stale old-timer. The future vs the past.

Where would you find that? Not in the New Orleans Saints. A 55-year-old coach and 40-year-old Drew Brees as quarterback. What about the Los Angeles Rams with the 33-year-old coach and 24-year-old quarterback”

“Nonsense,” I said. “They wouldn’t dare arrange a championship game like that to bring about an outcome that would produce the biggest audience..”

He said, “I told you that you were stupid. You saw the NFC championship game?  Did you see the most obvious pass interference in the world where the Saint’s player was pounded into the ground while the ball was in the air?  Do you really believe all those officials missed it?  If you buy that how would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?”