While Andy Reid is primarily concerned with getting a win for the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, concerns about the way the Super Bowl will be officiated are also being brought to his attention.
Over the past several months, fans, sports commentators and social media observers have debated whether the Chiefs have benefited from favoritism from NFL referees.
Reid quickly shot down the idea, saying officials “don’t favor” the Chiefs, or any other team.
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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks to referee Shawn Hochuli during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Dec. 17, 2023. (Eric Canha/USA Today Sports)
“They don’t favor one side or the other. … That’s not how this thing goes. I don’t think the officials care about what’s said,” Reid said. “They’re doing their job, and they’re doing it to the best of their ability.”
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Reid argued the perceived favoritism creates a “good story” but is not based in “reality.”
“It’s a good story, but that’s not the reality of how it works,” he added. “You’d be insulting them to think that’s what they do. They go out, and they call it like they see it. There’s some, as a coach, I sit there and I go, ‘I don’t agree with it.’ There are some I agree with. That’s how it goes.”
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid talks to a referee during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Dec. 8, 2019. (Paul Rutherford/USA Today Sports)
During a press conference in New Orleans earlier this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell dismissed assertions that officials have given the Chiefs an advantage.
“That’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously,” Goodell said Monday. “It reflects a lot of the fans’ passion, and I think it also is a reminder for us how important officiating is. And I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding.”
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Coming back late and pulling off close wins seemed to have been a hallmark of the Chiefs’ season. In the AFC championship game victory over the Buffalo Bills, referees sparked contoversy when they ruled quarterback Josh Allen inches short of a crucial first down in the fourth quarter.
The critical measurement ignited questions about whether the NFL should adopt a form of ball-tracking technology.
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Chiefs owner Clark Hunt also shrugged off the idea that the back-to-back Super Bowl champions have gotten preferential treatment from referees, saying you “almost have to laugh at” the idea.
The NFL Referees Association described the criticism as “insulting and preposterous.”
The Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles meet in the Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
FOX’s Super Bowl coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET. Coverage can also be streamed live on Tubi for the first time.
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