As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59, the water coolers of America should be abuzz with the discussion of the on-field product. After all, there are two superstar quarterbacks flanked by overwhelmingly talented rosters with household names on both sides of the ball for each team.
Somehow, no one seems to be nearly as interested in talking about the actual game as much as they are the officials involved.
The rhetoric around the NFL these days is largely centered upon the subject of its referees and any potential collusion to make it easier for the Kansas City Chiefs to win games. Such is life for the rare teams able to elevate themselves to "dynasty" status—just ask the New England Patriots a thing or two about being the villains.
(Side note: The Patriots certainly did not help themselves by deflating balls and spying on other teams but that's for another time.)
Instead of talking about Patrick Mahomes' legacy and his incredible talents, many fans are focused on conspiracy theories about his ability to earn penalties that favor the Chiefs' chances toward a historic three-peat. And for every person who says it's ridiculous (thanks, Nick Wright), someone else is adding fuel to the fire (shame on you, Terrell).
As for the NFL itself, its officials have come out with a statement on Tuesday debunking the idea that the officials are favoring any team.
Statement from NFL Referees Association executive director Scott Green, who says: “It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team.” pic.twitter.com/jwPVqYkFWD
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 4, 2025
"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. 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," said Scott Green of the NFLRA (NFL Referees Association).
Such a press release isn't likely to move the needle for anyone actually believing these things. "Fake news" is the currency of such people and there's no pleasing them. Fortunately they're not in charge of whether or not the Chiefs will receive their rings with another Super Bowl win. As a certain Chiefs fan has taught us, "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate."