That's HILARIOUS! It's happened and been reported! Black Sox scandal, Tim Doneghy, and many many more that have been proven!
Yes, it has happened as you cited. But compare the sports and gambling worlds of the Black Sox era---even Tim Doneghy---with today's and there is no parallel. "Back in the day," influence could be more easily applied because there were fewer people involved and **far** less public scrutiny. Today, one referee/official, for example, absolutely cannot
determine the outcome of any game. Sure, if they are paid off, they could make a few calls here and there and--depending upon the flow of the game at that moment--it certainly could have an impact. But how would a corrupt official know exactly when to play that card and to what effect unless you honestly believe
everybody is on the "fix?" Then factor in social media and media coverage in general--pretty hard to keep a secret like that these days.
As others have noted, McCarthy is a horrendous coach with a track record of laughable decisions. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one. And by they way, who would have been in on "the fix" last night? McCarthy? Brad Allen? CeeDee Lamb intentionally fumbling it out of the end zone? And I've never heard any of the "rigged" crowd ever try to explain the uncomfortable notion of "competing" fixes. Which fix wins--the guys who paid off McCarthy or the ones who paid off Brad Allen?
The series of naturally occurring, random events in a game creates a cascade effect that no amount of "fixing" could undo.
