Referee for Super Bowl 59 should quiet any Chiefs conspiracy talk

Better offer more money, Chiefs.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's Super Bowl Press Conference
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's Super Bowl Press Conference | Chris Graythen/GettyImages

While the Kansas City Chiefs are on the verge of adding to their dynastic resume and trying to be the first team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat, all the haters can talk about is how the Chiefs get all of the calls and that's why they are where they are. It's a load of garbage, of course. It might seem like the Chiefs "get all of the calls" because they're on primetime television more so those outside of Kansas City see them play more often.

Well, the "Chiefs are paying the refs" crowd might have to find a new argument for Super Bowl LIX, as Ron Torbert is the head referee for this Sunday's game and K.C. hasn't fared as well with him running their games as the Eagles have.

According to Rick Gosselin on X, "KC is 5-5 all-time with Torbert & the Eagles 9-4 with a current 5-game winning streak (2-0 in 2024). KC is 2-0 with Torbert in the playoffs."

Time for Chiefs haters to find a new argument in Super Bowl LIX

Any time a team is having success in any kind of league, it's going to lead anyone who's not a fan of that team to say they get every call. It's not true but this is what happens to the successful teams who are on more primetime games than some of the lesser relevant squads. We saw this happen with the Patriots during their dynastic run that stemmed two decades and now it's happening with the Chiefs.

Do the Chiefs maybe get calls that a team like, say the Titans, wouldn't? Sure, one could say that. Are those calls what decide games for the Chiefs? No, they are not.

We can point to the AFC Championship Game as an example of this, as people felt that the Bills' turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter should have been ruled as a first down. Well, guess what? There was still a lot of time left in that game and the Bills ended up getting the ball back with three and a half minutes left and couldn't get it done.

Eagles fans in particular will be psyched to have an official who looks to be "on their side" going into this one considering what went down in Super Bowl LVII. James Bradberry was flagged for holding, giving K.C. a fresh set of downs and the ability to run the clock down to eight seconds before Harrison Butker kicked what ended up being the game-winning field goal. Never mind that Bradberry later admitted he was guilty of that hold, nope, it had to be that the Chiefs paid the refs.

Focusing on Super Bowl LIX, the hope is that the Chiefs can win, of course, but it'd be nice if they could finally blow a team out so that there is no possible question of the refs rigging this game for them. It'd be nice if we could have one Chiefs win without controversy, wouldn't it?

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