This thread is destined to be droned out by the " hawks had plenty of chances, Hawks penalties etc.) crowd. This crowd is the same who believes positive thinking means something. It doesn't. Trust me. It doesn't. The NFL got what they wanted for what ever reason. Same as last week. Same as 2005 in the SB. The Hawks and us fans were the beneficiary of questionable calls last year but the Hawks / our time is up. I find it funny how so many new fans find this weird. This is what it really like being a hawk fan. The NFL dictates games as much as they can, the team has to be head and shoulders above the other team to overcome the BS calls. Hard to do when you have several starters out with injury's. The NFL is about drama, and they do everything they can to create it. This isn't a sport, it's entertainment. At least that's how it's portrayed to congress, hence the antitrust laws protecting the NFL. Nothing new here except the noobies that haven't seen it in action. The local niners fans have seen it for the last couple of years. The NFL has a huge influence on who wins and loses. Cant wait for that guy to come out and pop the bubble.
I am about as positive as can be, I think. That said, i believe you are 100% correct. NBA has been the best at this and the NFL is following suit. If games are close you get to charge more for advertising. If their is parity that keeps more fans engaged and hoping it is there year. I remember someone looked into the officiating a few years back in the NBA and they found calls would switch dramatically against the team that was winning. The thought was, "You cant make Jordan make that last second shot, but you can put him in a position to try."
Frustrating for sure.