The NFL Referees Association expressed its displeasure with the conspiracy theories that have dominated the headlines involving game officials and the perception they’ve been favoring the Chiefs during the playoffs.
The accusations have been denied up and down by Chiefs players and team staff, while NFL commissioner Roger Goodell even called the ideas “ridiculous.”
The union that represents the NFL’s officiating crews had its say on Tuesday in a statement from executive director Scott Green, praising Goodell’s defense of the league’s officials while trying to assure football fans that the refs are “doing everything humanly possible to officiate every play correctly.”
“Commissioner Goodell’s comments that it is ‘ridiculous’ to presume that NFL officials are not doing everything possible to make the right calls on every play is spot on,” Green said. “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.”
The press release from the NFLRA noted that league referees are graded weekly on every play of each game.
That helps determine which officials receive playoff assignments.
While accusations of favoritism are nothing new in professional sports, the ones against the Chiefs have taken on a different level of discourse throughout Kansas City’s playoff run.
Calls during the divisional round that impacted the Texans became a major talking point, and the chatter didn’t die down when a controversial spot on a fourth down in the AFC Championship Game that resulted in the Bills turning over the ball on downs and eliminating a late push to mount a comeback.
But the referees’ union insisted that no improprieties had been taking place and fans should feel secure that everyone is doing their best.
“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 said. “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.”
The conversation isn’t likely to die down anytime soon and it has clearly had enough of an impact that the refs’ union felt the need to speak out on Tuesday.
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