Conspiracy theories in sports are nothing new. SI.com addressed the probability of some of the major ones in a column today by Michael Rosenberg, including whether the 1985 NBA Draft Lottery was rigged and whether the NBA suspended Michael Jordan for gambling. What sports conspiracies would you add to the list?
Anne V
Jessica Perez
Hall of Fame NHL Players as Coaches
NBA Playoffs Dancers and Cheerleaders
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Come on, how could you forget that the NBA rigged the draft by allowing Cleveland to draft hometown boy Lebron initially?
mike3775
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What about Buzz Aldrin testing positive for steroids after the moon landing, and NASA's subsequent cover-up?
sanonymous
Vienna , VA
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Plain and Simple. In the wake of 9/11 and the scandal of Spygate. How else do the 2001 Patriots beat the Rams in Super Bowl 36. The Rams win that game on the "up and up" 100 times out of 100. Indoors? On Turf? Goodell knew he had a MAJOR issue if he didnt casually sweep Spygate "under the rug". I mean, they filmed the Rams' red zone walkthrough!!!!
1001
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1. College basketball - Memphis State tanked the 1985 National Semifinals against Villanova
2. The Ewing draft - I still believe that one is true.
3. The 2002 Lakers/Kings game 6: several calls "seemed awful?" "Seemed?" They WERE awful, even in hindsight.
Purdue_rules
Ellicott City , MD
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I think the alleged conspiracy that we never made it to the moon in the first place would be bigger.
Moo Strength
Buckeye Living In Portland, OR
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1993 Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals - Suns vs. Sonics. Phoenix shot 64 free throws (NBA playoff record) and Sonics shot 36. NBA wanted a "Jordan vs. Barkley" matchup! Most frustrating game I have ever watched - the refs controlled it.
g_love180
Liberty Lake , WA
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How about the SEC officials ensuring the last undefeated team in the SEC wins out to almost guarantee a championship game appearance every year.
South Philly…
Maryville , TN
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I really believe that one...We will see if Auburn is undefeated when they play Bama this year
GTandBravesfan
Forsyth , GA
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That one is true
As far as the zebras deciding NBA games, I can believe it, because their is no way Tim was the only official involved and he stated so, but of course the NBA "claims" they checked into it and found no proof, just like Jordan "didn't" push that Utah Player in 1998
mike3775
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And I know this won't qualify as a conspiracy, but I am fairly convinced the Reggie Ball threw at least one game against UGA
GTandBravesfan
Forsyth , GA
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Only a fool would believe that we staged the moon landing.
However, Aldrin's landing came smack in the middle of an unprecedented era of space travel. Look at 1900-1960, nobody was able to go into space, but then beginning with 1961's Vostok 1, there was a huge spike in astronaut performance. And society wants us to chalk it up to scientific advances, but is there any doubt some of these spacemen were juiced?
It's just sad, because it takes away from the accomplishments of those like Neil Armstrong, who did it the right way but get lumped in with the bunch and are forever stigmatized.
sanonymous
Vienna , VA
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NFL officiating in the Seahawks/Steelers 2006 Super Bowl game.
John Sh
Columbia , SC
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Super Bowl III. By a mile....
krabballs
Laguna Niguel , CA
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i never understood the problem with spygate, baseball teams steal signs all the time!
adder369
Southold , NY
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i never understood the problem with spygate, baseball teams steal signs all the time!
adder369
Southold , NY
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Two words, one name: Tim Donaghy.
And to be more specific, the way the NBA handled the findings of the Feds investigation of NBA referee conduct, from gambling on other sports (which was illegal at the time, but b/c the Feds found out a large % of NBA refs do bet in casinos & on other sports, the rule on refs gambling has been severely "relaxed") to the influence refs have on games.
gatorbait2011
Titusville , FL
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This would make sense if Goodell were commissioner at the time. Tagliabue was commissioner.
TallJohn
Total Comments (10)
The Tuck Rule
The 2001 Super Bowl (and the other two Patriot SB wins too)
The 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals
Both Pittsburgh SB wins of the last decade
The BCS in general
I could do on and on and on. The shorter list might well be the legitimate sporting events of the last 10-20 years.
Starcade
Riverside , CA
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World Cup Rugby Final, Johannesburg Sth Africa, 1995. Two days before the game, the raging favourites, the New Zealand All Blacks, are having lunch in a restaurant. Ordering their meals they are getting special attention from Suzi the waitress who "recommends" the prawns(shrimp). Out of a squad of 36, 30 players succumb to food poisoning. Most of the team are still ill on game day, with some players vomiting on the sidelines after the national anthems. South Africa win in extra time with a field goal, giving the tournament and Nelson Mandela the perfect ending in the post apartheid era.
...though there was no mention of this in the Clint Eastwood film INVICTUS!
bjpsydney
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