ClutchPoints
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid isn’t losing sleep over it. And Travis Kelce turned a question back on the reporters. But the ridiculous narrative that the referees favor the Chiefs will blow up and favor the Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
First, there is no conspiracy. Using the word ridiculous for the alleged conspiracy is kind. It’s way more stupid than that. Why would a billion-dollar industry condone perhaps the only thing that could bring the industry to its knees? It’s beyond far-fetched.
The only thing the NFL has to protect itself from these days is making sure the games AREN’T fixed. Even the suggestion that they might be fixed puts a ding on the NFL’s wallet.
People pushing the narrative that the Chiefs get calls — especially coaches like DeMeco Ryans and Sean McDermott — are doing their league a disservice. They are planting sour grapes in the face of a historical run. They look more like whiny fans instead of upstanding NFL coaches.
However, the human nature element puts the Chiefs at risk.
At least there’s a little clarity from guys like Reid and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Reid acknowledged the referees do the best they can, according to bolavip.com.
“Everything balances out,” Reid said. “You got a human element there with the officials. These guys are trying to do the best job that they (possibly) can out there. They take a lot of heat one way or the other. Coaches dig a lot of heat one way or the other. So, I don’t pay much attention to it. I don’t care, (and) I honestly don’t get into that. I don’t use that with the guys, (and) I just want to make sure we get prepped. You don’t even have to pay attention to the other stuff.”
Goodell said the recent narrative is less than flimsy, according to espn.com.
“This sort of reminds me a little bit of the script,” Goodell said during his state of the league address Monday. “That I write a script, and I have the script for the entire season. I think 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 the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards.
“Our officials are evaluated in several ways. It’s not just the performance on the field. But it’s things that go on in their own lives. And we have a very tight control over that.”
One of the reasons the Chiefs have been scrutinized over this issue is the number of close games they’ve played. Eleven of their 16 games played with starters finished within one score. That leaves a lot of little things that can get overanalyzed. If those games had been blowouts, this conversation wouldn’t be a...
