What things do you think were fixed/rigged/shenanigans went on/bribes were accepted?

IvaBigWun

My only TV guilty pleasure (honest!), America's Got Talent, concluded this week with a winner that made no sense.

Matt Franco

won the competition despite being extremely mediocre.

Now this isnt "sour grapes because my favourite act didnt win", this is "hang on a second, something is going on here!", and maybe it has been with this kind of shows for years?

Some Googe'ling found some articles to back this up

http://realitytv.about.com/od/realitytvnewsgossip/a/Reality-Show-Rigging.htm

http://www.forumforpages.com/facebook/prince-poppycock-official/agt-rigged-according-to-former-nbc-employee/2892264570/0


There's also:

"The Scottish vote was rigged"

I dont think these videos prove a thing but the first one has gone viral

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRWWilODlsc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BEZjBXN4fo

Others:

Was George W Bush's election win rigged?

Bribes changing hands in order to secure Qatar the 2022 World Cup

http://www.ibtimes.com/fifa-bribery-scandal-qatar-2022-issues-casting-shadow-over-brazil-2014-1596296

And one that was proven to be fixing his games/losing on purpose; Snooker player Stephen Lee

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/oct/12/stephen-lee-snooker-suspended-betting



What things in history do you think were fixed/rigged/shenanigans went on/bribes were accepted?

Birneybau

Qatar World Cup, blatant.

Also, America's Got Talent? Jesus wept.

beano345

The Lisbon treaty

DEFTLEFTHAND

I suppose a famous one is JFK's 1960 election and rumours that Sam Giancana (an old bootlegging colleague of Joe) and the 'Chicago Outfit' secured Illinois for them.

It's feasible as they did have a lot political influence at the time but it's something that will never be proven, anyone involved is long dead..

Tail Docker

Everything. The world revolves around backhanders, bribes and sweeteners. If you don't think it does, you're an innocent. Or Danish.

cloud493

X factor is definitely rigged so.

Valetta

The Cutty Sark was definitely rigged.

I'm sure of it.

IvaBigWun

Tail Docker wrote: »

Everything. The world revolves around backhanders, bribes and sweeteners.

Link?

Balmed Out

A couple of planning decisions whereby access is directly onto Corks ring road and also some of the excessive development around mahon without adequate parking or road links.
Villages outside the city where loads of houses were built but no schools or other services.
Estates on the edge of towns etc without foot paths to the town.
Pretty sure Dublin and most other areas of the country have similar examples.

The Backwards Man

Foxy Boxing.

Karl Stein

WWII was staged.

KungPao

FIFA doing their utmost to get Japan and South Korea as far as possible in 2002 WC.

The Italy v South Korea match was the most obvious one - Italy had a perfectly good goal disallowed and Totti sent off for being fouled in the box!

endacl

Wrestlemania VII

DEFFO!

KungPao

cloud493 wrote: »

X factor is definitely rigged so.

I honestly think it is used to promote already discovered acts by A&R folks for Cowell's label, while having a bonus of a freak show as a nice balance.

Genius concept for making a lot of money and getting your new acts incredible exposure - I can't believe people think it is a pure talent contest open to all.

DEFTLEFTHAND

endacl wrote: »

Wrestlemania VII

DEFFO!

I wonder how much Sgt Slaughter received to take a dive.

Tail Docker

IvaBigWun wrote: »

Link?

I'll give you a link if you pay for my holiday.

IvaBigWun

KungPao wrote: »

I honestly think it is used to promote already discovered acts by A&R folks for Cowell's label, while having a bonus of a freak show as a nice balance.

Genius concept for making a lot of money and getting your new acts incredible exposure - I can't believe people think it is a pure talent contest open to all.

Oh I dont think any of the reality shows dont have plenty of audience manipulation, putting who they want out first and who they want to win on last etc. It definitely goes on.

What I meant in my initial post was that I believe the counting of the votes on AGT this year was rigged. And if Americans are charged for texts to the show when voting (and Im sure they must be) then shenanigans must be called.

As that is, legally, fraud.

bnt

The 1919 World Series.

The One Doctor

Any 'reality' show, obviously.

lazybones32

The Rose of Tralee...

PizzamanIRL

The fruit machine in the pub is rigged

Banjo String

Dennis OBrien, mobile licensing contract .

Dennis OBrien water meter installation contract.

Coincidental to say the least.

For Forks Sake

I'm sure that Russia were awarded the 2018 World Cup purely on the basis of their excellent infrastructure, sporting heritage and superb human rights record </sarc>

The_Valeyard

OP ...... Do a poll so I can claim it is rigged

Banjo String

The_Valeyard wrote: »

OP ...... Do a poll so I can claim it is rigged

What would having sex with a person from Poland prove

The_Valeyard

Banjo String wrote: »

What would having sex with a person from Poland prove

I see what you did there ...... I approve.

4zn76tysfajdxp

bnt wrote: »

The 1919 World Series.

Say it ain't so.

Senna

I could recite hundreds of examples from Donegal.

A councillor buying a petrol station and then the county council buying the rival petrol station next door a couple of months later, as part of a "property purchase" for a new road that hasn't got funding and won't be built for 10-15 years.

Ex-FF campaign manager buys a field for far too much in the good time, property market takes a dive and field is worth about 25% of its purchase price, Department of Education comes to the rescue and pushes through purchase of land in the last few days of the FF government, they pay more in 2009 than it was worth in 2006.

ErnieBert

Not everything is as free and easy as the Larry Gogan's 'Just A Minute Quiz' on 2FM.

IvaBigWun

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar

DEFTLEFTHAND

Ali, Liston is another one in 1964, the first time he became heavyweight world champion. The freedom of information Act revealed that the FBI investigated the fight and suspected that Irving 'Ash' Resnick a Vegas sports promoter with connections organised the result. Allegedly Liston was paid 200,000 and Ali was never told anything.

Remember Ali was 22 years of age and 7 and 1, very much the underdog, so there was good odds to be made. Boxing was right under the thumb of organised crime in those days.

Davarus Walrus

Egg and Spoon race. 1989. A Primary School in East Galway.

Rumours still abound that Frosties and Refresher Bars were exchanged in return for deliberately hampering the favourite to win the race.

Friendships died that day.

Bafucin

Everything I don't win.

foggy_lad

Anything that Bertie ahern was involved in or showed interest is is tainted!

Bafucin

Davarus Walrus wrote: »

Egg and Spoon race. 1989. A Primary School in East Galway.

Rumours still abound that Frosties and Refresher Bars were exchanged in return for deliberately hampering the favourite to win the race.

Friendships died that day.

The C*NTS !

IvaBigWun

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Ali, Liston is another one in 1964, the first time he became heavyweight world champion. The freedom of information Act revealed that the FBI investigated the fight and suspected that Irving 'Ash' Resnick a Vegas sports promoter with connections organised the result. Allegedly Liston was paid 200,000 and Ali was never told anything.

Remember Ali was 22 years of age and 7 and 1, very much the underdog, so there was good odds to be made. Boxing was right under the thumb of organised crime in those days.

There' also

In 1947, Jake LaMotta was a great boxer on the rise, but he was looking for a greater rise, and favor with the mob.

The mob controlled boxing, and wanted LaMotta to take a dive against Billy Fox for an extra $20,000 and a guaranteed title shot against Frenchman Marcel Cerdan.

LaMotta tried to hit him, and Fox's knees went weak. LaMotta carried him in what increasingly became an obvious fix.

By Round 4, the fix was obvious, and LaMotta lay against the ropes to allow the light-hitting Fox to pounce on him. Fox was awarded the fourth-round TKO.

LaMotta was awarded his promised 20 grand and title shot, as well as an investigation from the FBI years later.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/965780-13-most-shocking-scandals-in-boxing-history/page/10


Boxing seems to be the most rigged sport of all. Any sport involving just two people would be the easiest to rig the outcome of.

joe swanson

Not illegal as such but at past elections, certain candidates rounded up eastern Europeans, registered them and brought them to polling station to vote for someone/something they haven't a clue about.

razorblunt

Cork Airport, councillor bought it off a farmer and sold it on for huge profit a fee years later.

IvaBigWun

joe swanson wrote: »

Not illegal as such but at past elections ...

Irish elections?

IvaBigWun

foggy_lad wrote: »

Anything that Bertie ahern was involved in or showed interest is is tainted!

Ive a feeling that when everything eventually comes out about him, maybe not till after he passes away, he will make Haughey look like a choirboy.

Sunnyisland

The Eurovision ?

Little CuChulainn

Everything to do with the M50

Riddle101

Not really rigged or fixed, but I call shenanigans on Maradona's hand of god in world cup 86 and Thierry Henry's hand of god against Republic of Ireland in 2010. There is no way that those goals should have been allowed. Blatant cheating should not be tolerated.

IvaBigWun

All this talk of Conor McGregor today has reminded me of the rumours that MMA is as scripted and fixed as anything produced by WWE wrestling.

Ruu

Everything that Sepp Blatter is involved in, his fat fingers in many, many pies.

adocholiday

IvaBigWun wrote: »

All this talk of Conor McGregor today has reminded me of the rumours that MMA is as scripted and fixed as anything produced by WWE wrestling.

Can you elaborate on that? I'm not questioning your point but what's the story here?

osarusan

Cork City 0-1 Limerick back in....1992-3 season.

Back then the league was split into two mini-leagues after half a season. Limerick needed 3 points to overtake St. Pats for the final spot.

Cork missed unmissable chances during the game and we sneaked a winner. A couple of weeks later, they came to Limerick and beat us 1-0, when we missed plenty of great chances ourselves.

donegaLroad

joe swanson wrote: »

Not illegal as such but at past elections, certain candidates rounded up eastern Europeans, registered them and brought them to polling station to vote for someone/something they haven't a clue about.

manys the bus-load from our local psychiatric hospital were driven to the local polling station, and advised to place an X in a certain box.

whiskeyman

1992 Calor Housewife of the Year, Dublin regional final.
Won by Mrs. Deirdre Ryan, but everyone knows well she shouldn't have won it.
FIX!!!

Barely There

50% of GAA matches are 'engineered draws'.

It BeeMee

Why is there a toll booth at Portlaoise?