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Monday Night Football Is Rigged

2002 Season*

*MNF's overall low average rating with 11.2 percent of all viewers - giving Disney an excuse to try riggery to up the ratings.  Even though it may or may not be successful in stopping the ratings slip, it looks like it may be slowing it down. 

The 2002 season had a few surprises.  Were all the games rigged?  Maybe not.  But the Disney "home field advantage" shows up a number of times, and a number of times when the home team doesn't win, there is an explanation for it.

Post 9/11.  The Patriots defeat the Rams in the 2001 Season Superbowl.  Monday Night Football schedules the Super Bowl Champions to kick off the next season, and here is how the season went down.

Week 1 (September 9th)
New England Patriots 30
Pittsburgh Steelers 14

We feel a little bad insinuating Disney would use its muscle to cash in on the post 9/11 hyper-patriotism that so many other networks and businesses exploited this tragedy in the name of "patriotism."  But ever since the infamous "forward motion" non-fumble the Patriots had against the Raiders in the playoffs, we've been more than a little suspicious of Disney's intentions.  Week one just adds more fuel to the fire, with the Patriots winning on the road in a Monday Night Football game.

Week 2
Philly 37
Washington 7

Looking back at the 2000 season, Washington was involved in every home field loss.  No surprise they'd do it again.

Week 3
St. Louis 14
Tampa Bay 26

Home team wins.  St. Louis is still reeling from their week 16 anti-ABC near comeback in 2000.

Week 4
Denver 23
Baltimore 34

No surprise.  Another home team victory.

Week 5
Green Bay 34
Chicago 21

"Not a home field win" you might say.  But who's field were they actually on? Uncork the bottle, because this game was played in Champaign, Ill due to renovations at Soldier Field.

Not Soldier Field.  Not their home field.  

Week 6
San Francisco 28
Seattle 21

This game may have been a rare case of the players straying from the script.  Keep an eye out how the Niners do the rest of the season.

Week 7
Indianapolis Colts 10
Pittsburgh 28

Home field win.

Week 8
NY Giants 3
Philly 17

Home field win.

Week 9
Miami 10
Green Bay 24

Home field win.

Week 10
Oakland 34
Denver 10

The Raiders go against the Disney script writers winning on the road and guess what happens in the Super Bowl?  It shouldn't be any surprise that they lost to the Bucs.

Week 11
Chicago 16
St. Louis 21

Home field win.  

Week 12
Philadelphia 38
San Francisco 17

Hmm.. the Niners win on the road.. and then lose at home.  A little revenge, perhaps, Mickey?  Check the number of calls that were challenged in this game.. it wouldn't be surprising if Disney paid the refs EXTRA just to get payback on the Niners.

Week 13
NY Jets 20
Oakland 26

Home field win.

Week 14
Chicago 9
Miami 27

Home field win.  Chicago had it in this season with Disney.  Play three times, lose three times.

Week 15
New England 7
Tennessee 24

Home field win.

Week 16
Pittsburgh 17
Tampa Bay 7

Now here is something interesting.  Tampa Bay loses at home towards the end of the season.  Obviously this is the way Disney wanted it, a nice setup for the Fairytale Super Bowl that was about to ensue in a few short weeks.  How much more storybook could it get?  Disney may think about changing the name of the show to "Snow White and the Seven Linemen."

Week 17
San Francisco 20
St. Louis 31

Home field win.

Super Bowl
Tampa Bay 48
Oakland 21

Pure storybook for the Bucs, who went from last place in 2001 to Super Bowl Champions in one season.  

Overall home field record: 10-7 = a winning percentage of .588.  

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