In a vast Internet and with gambling as common as first downs, conspiracy theories have only grown that the NFL is rigging games to create the matchups it wants, especially when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs. With a Hall of Fame head coach, quarterback, tight end, and Taylor Swift, the Internet has run rampant with speculation about the league intentionally giving teams like Kansas City an in-game advantage. In a rare response, the NFL Referees Association released a lengthy statement denying all claims.
“You can rest assured that on every single down, NFL officials, both on the field and in the replay booth, are doing everything humanely possible to officiate every play correctly,” executive director Scott Green wrote as shared by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
In his annual pre-Super Bowl press conference that serves as a de facto NFL State of the Union held Monday, commissioner Roger Goodell called the notion of games being rigged “ridiculous” and pushed back on the belief.
Much of the discussion centers on the Chiefs and their attempt to become the first three-peat Super Bowl champion in history. QB Patrick Mahomes has repeatedly gotten favorable roughing-the-passer calls at the end of slides where defenders have little chance to avoid making contact.
In 19 games this season, the Chiefs have been the more penalized team just six times. One of those instances came against the Pittsburgh Steelers, nine to four, though the Chiefs still won in comfortable fashion. They finished the year as the fourth-least penalized team with 94 across the regular season.
Kansas City has also won a remarkable 17-straight one-possession games, seemingly always finding a break in the final moments.
The prolific nature of gambling has only fueled the conspiracy theories and perceived incentive for backroom deals to get made. The NBA dealt with this two decades ago when referee Tim Donaghy worked with bookies and the mob to fix scoring margins and outcomes. More recently, the MLB fired umpire Pat Hoberg, considered one of the game’s best, for sharing a betting account with a friend.
The NFL has strict anti-gambling policies for all players, coaches, and league employees. For decades, it has touted keeping the sanctity of the game intact and unquestioned as core to the health of the league. While there’s no actual evidence of a conspiracy and zero facts to support it, the league has gotten into bed with all the major gambling companies and leaned into the “we have a script” joke that’s become far more serious in recent years.
Now, they’re paying the price and there’s little they can say or do to convince those steadfast in their belief the NFL has its thumb on the scale. Perhaps the Chiefs losing in Sunday’s Super Bowl is the best way to calm the conspiracy theories.
