The problem with most officiating conspiracy theories in pro sports is that the accusers have zero proof. “This game is fixed” always sounds like the desperate cry of the frustrated fanboy, and lasts just moment before dissipating into the ether.
But that was before it was proven that some games actually were fixed. On July 29, 2008 13-year veteran NBA official Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for making calls to affect the point spread in games he officiated. It was then that we got the smoking gun — and now everything is suspect.