- The NFL and its referees have been accused of bias towards the Kansas City Chiefs on their quest for a historic Super Bowl three-peat.
- Roger Goodell has dismissed such claims, stating they are, “ridiculous”.
- The NFL Referees Association has also responded, calling the claims, “insulting”.
There is a theory throughout the NFL this season that the league, and its referees, are biased towards the Kansas City Chiefs.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL Referees Association have both publicly stated that it is not the case. The NFLRA have gone so far to say it is “insulting”.
Goodell Speaks During Super Bowl Week, Refs Follow Suit
Goodell made his comments on Monday to kick off Super Bowl week.
The commissioner did say that the NFL is continually working to improve the officiating, including reviewing plays. But the NFLRA put out a stronger statement on Tuesday. NFLRA executive director Scott Green stated:
"It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team. NFL officials are graded every week, on every single play of each game. These grades are the determining factor as to who receives postseason assignments. The NFLRA commends its members, who all strive to do exactly what all 32 NFL teams do, which is to excel at their jobs so that they are working the last game of the season — the Super Bowl."
Several Chiefs, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have also spoken out on the idea that they’re favored by the referees. The Philadelphia Eagles are staying out of the discourse. But that isn’t going to stop it.
Will This Change the Public’s Perception of Bias?
While it was good that the commissioner and the referees spoke on the issue, this isn’t going to change the public perception of Kansas City bias. This is especially true of those betting on Super Bowl 59 odds and anything else around the big game. While there have been some plays that have gone the Chiefs’ way, there have been plays that haven’t, and you can say the same thing about every single game in the NFL every week.
This is something that Patriots’ fans had to deal with during their dynasty, and it happens in all sports when there is a team that wins all the time. This isn’t new, and it will intensify in this day and age of betting at online sportsbooks. When someone loses money on a team, one of their first arguments is that, “the game is rigged”.
Sports leagues are working hard to minimize anything that could be misconstrued as rigging the game. But this is a conversation that will continue, and you can expect to hear about it as you’re talking about Super Bowl props with your friends, and printing out Super Bowl prop sheets.
