With the Kansas City Chiefs set to play for their third straight championship, the state of NFL officiating is under the microscope ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl.
So much that commissioner Roger Goodell fielded multiple questions about the integrity of officiating during his annual Super Bowl conference on Monday. There, Goodell called fan theories that the NFL and its officials favor the Chiefs "ridiculous."
The NFL Referees Association weighed in Tuesday with a statement from executive director Scott Green, who ran with Goodell's comments from Monday.
"Commissioner Goodell’s comments that it is ‘ridiculous' to presume that NFL officials are not doing everything possible to make the right call on every play is spot on,” Green said, via a statement provided by the NFLRA. “Officiating crews do not work the same team more than twice each regular season.
“It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team."
Officiating in the NFL is never not under the spotlight. But the reign of the Chiefs dynasty has only intensified it.
The Chiefs have played in multiple high-profile games on national television this season, and they've certainly had their share of favorable calls in a season full of close games that produced a 15-2 record. Add in that non-Chiefs fans are generally sick of all of this Chiefs winning, and theories abound that the league and its officials are colluding to keep Kansas City on top.
Never mind that there's no rational motivation for the league to risk its integrity and its bottom line by illegally fixing games for one specific team. The NFL is going to make its money regardless of who wins the Super Bowl. But sports fandom is generally an emotional endeavor, not a rational one. And fans aren't wrong that officiating needs improvement.
Here's what Goodell had to say about said theories Monday:
“That’s a ridiculous theory, for anyone who might take it seriously,” Goodell said. “It reflects a lot of the fans’ passion, and I think it also is a reminder for us how important officiating is. And I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding.”
Green added to that with his statement Tuesday.
"There are many things that fans can worry about over a 17-game season, such as coaching decisions, player injuries, the weather and, yes, even close calls on incredible plays made by incredible athletes,” Green’s statement continued. “But you can rest assured that on every single down, NFL officials, both on the field and in the replay booth, are doing everything humanly possible to officiate every play correctly."
Referee Ron Torbert's officiating crew will be under the brightest spotlight yet on Sunday when the Chiefs play in their fifth Super Bowl in the past six seasons. And if there's a close call that favors Kansas City in a Chiefs win, rest assured that outrage and fan theories will only intensify.
