Conspiracy theories and criticism towards NFL Officiating and Referees, primarily related to their rumored “bias” or intentional assistance to the Kansas City Chiefs, have continued to grow in popularity in the weeks leading up to this year’s Superbowl at the New Orleans Superdome. The labor union representing NFL Referees attacked these allegations against their members as “insulting and preposterous”, while NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called them “ridiculous”. This scandal has overshadowed much of the media fanfare related to the Superbowl between the Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, which is set to occur this Sunday. During a press conference about the game, a former Boston radio host even asked Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes who his favorite referee was and requested Tight End Travis Kelce, which “phantom roughing penalties” were his favorite. 

An edited image of an NFL Referee, showing him wearing Chiefs equipment to show their bias. (Reddit)

While criticism of the NFL is nothing new, this scandal has incensed many wealthy investors and magnates of the NFL. Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, a massive sports media conglomerate, even said the AFC Championship game this year was “rigged” and caused him to lose $1 Million on the game. Famous media figures like New Orleans native Lil Wayne have even said that the games are rigged in favor of the Chiefs, which has further increased public pressure on the NFL to investigate their referees. Some NFL fans have even refused to watch the Superbowl. In contrast, others say they will only watch the game Halftime show led by famous LA Rapper Kendrick Lamar, with guest star SZA, which could negatively affect ratings for one of the world’s most significant sporting events.

QB Patrick Mahomes speaking to Referee during the AFC Championship between them and the Buffalo Bills. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

Reactions by NFL Officials have been swift and immediate. As mentioned earlier, the NFL Referees Association and Commissioner Roger Goodell have criticized the claims as preposterous. The scandal has also caused the NFL to consider using an electronic system to determine first downs after this year’s AFC Championship scandal. Electronic systems used to determine the location of objects are already very common in most major American sports but, unusually, have not yet been introduced into the NFL, with the League opting to use slow-motion camera footage to determine the location of balls for the first downs. This consideration is almost certainly a sign that the League will begin changing to address issues relating to the ongoing cheating scandal.