Leading up to Super Bowl LIX, a popular topic of conversation was the conspiracy theory that involved NFL referees rigging games in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs. The NFL Referees Association even addressed these claims publicly on February 4, to the surprise of fans, but the narrative didn’t hold up very well on Sunday night according to legendary NFL defensive lineman J.J. Watt.
“That ref narrative died pretty quick,” Watt posted on X midgame, as the Philadelphia Eagles were taking it to the Chiefs.
Not only that, but outside of an early offensive pass interference flag on A.J. Brown, most of the Super Bowl penalties — or lack thereof — benefitted the Eagles. Now, to be clear, that’s not to say the referees had anything to do with this result.
The Chiefs didn’t do much right on February 9, but they didn’t get a ton of calls either. For example, quarterback Patrick Mahomes took several hits that went unpenalized, including one to the face/helmet.
Having said that, the game was officiated pretty evenly, all in all. And the referee discussion quickly fell by the wayside, as Watt pointed out.
Although not everyone agreed with the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year, many did, considering the viral post blew up with over 100,000 likes and 3.8 million views in just four hours. Complaining wasn’t necessarily the purpose Watt’s post though; it was more about the double standard that he’s trying to snuff out.
Similarly, after the Chiefs were defeated by the Eagles, a veteran player pointed out that less media and fans care about the referee’s impact when KC loses a game.
Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins Questions If Media Will Criticize NFL Referees the Same Following a KC Loss
It was a newer Chief — former superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins — who brought up the referees following the result. 33rd Team NFL insider Ari Meirov shared video of the moment on X.
“You know, I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs, but obviously, [expletive] what y’all going to say now about the refs and us?” Hopkins asked with a devilish look on his face after Super Bowl 59.
“There [were] a lot of touchy calls,” he continued. Questioning: “Are y’all gonna report that? Are y’all gonna talk about the refs now?”
Hopkins has been around the NFL for a long time, so he has built up enough of a reputation to say whatever he pleases in opportunities like these.
“A loss is a loss,” Hopkins noted earlier, making no excuses for Kansas City’s performance. “It says ‘W’ or ‘L’ at the end of the day. Those guys beat us. So, man, tough loss.”
NFL Fans Push Back in Comment Section Following J.J. Watt’s Viral Super Bowl Post Defending Chiefs
As you’d expect, not everyone agreed with Watt’s post, regarding the “ref narrative” dying quickly.
“No it didn’t 😂 It 100% proved the Refs got the Chiefs to the Super Bowl,” one popular reply read. “Should’ve been the [Buffalo] Bills.”
Another said: “Amazing how awful the Chiefs look when the @NFL Refs are forced to call a clean game due to public scrutiny.”
And a third well-liked reaction wrote: “I think enough people were complaining after the AFC Championship game that it couldn’t be ignored anymore, so the refs had to back off.”
Finally, one fan went as far as to argue that “actually, I think this reinforces it.”
“All them close games where the refs drug them across the line,” the user continued. “They shouldn’t have been in this Super Bowl. Obviously.”
It appears Watt may have spoken too soon. The “ref narrative” wasn’t a focal point of Super Bowl 59, but unfortunately for the Chiefs, it seems to still be alive and well on social media.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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