There is a growing conspiracy idea in the NFL community that the officials and league are manipulating games to help the Chiefs win the Super Bowl. According to this argument, the league makes more money and has greater ratings when well-known players like Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes draw large crowds.
When asked about these allegations in jest on the Pat McAfee Show on January 29, Andy Reid, the head coach of the Chiefs, publicly addressed them for the first time. McAfee, grinning mischievously, asked Reid whether he was meeting with the referees to discuss the game before to the Super Bowl.
Reid merely laughed and said, “That’s correct.”
“Listen, I try not to pay attention to any of that stuff,” he continued, smiling, dismissing the conspiracy ideas.
The New England Patriots were accused of similar things during their heyday, McAfee added, adding that it’s a well-known story. Speaking about how the loudness increases following a team’s victory, McAfee remarked, “It’s loud, coach.”
After Reid’s remark, McAfee moved on to the next subject, ending the conversation.
A study confirms that the Chiefs are the NFL’s new villain.
The Chiefs appear to be transitioning from NFL darlings to a team that many fans love to despise, in keeping with the proverb, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to become the villain.” In the views of many fans, the Chiefs, especially with the rise of Patrick Mahomes, have become the new villains after being viewed as the underdog trying to overthrow the Patriots’ dynasty.
With a rising fan movement, using the hashtag #NFLRigged, the Kansas City Chiefs are currently under the same criticism that once beset Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Some fans even formed a “Boycott the Super Bowl” movement after the AFC Championship game.
A analysis of more than 180,000 posts on X that contained these hashtags, along with fan identifiers like #BillsMafia, #RavensFlock, and others, was carried out by BetOnline.ag. According to their findings, Bills supporters were the most outspoken in their criticism of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl presence, with roughly 25,000 posts discussing boycotting the game. With more than 22,400 posts, Ravens supporters trailed closely behind, while fan bases from the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Minnesota Vikings also made substantial contributions. It’s interesting to note that the boycott list didn’t include several AFC West rivals, such as the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
NFL Rigging Claims Denied by Chiefs Beat Reporter: Bills “Failed”
Chiefs beat reporter Pete Sweeney of Arrowhead Pride responded to the prevailing conspiracy theories by refuting the notion that the NFL is biased in the Chiefs’ favor. He refuted the notion that the Bills were unjustly handicapped in the AFC Championship game on January 28 by publishing a number of facts on X.
Sweeney highlighted a number of noteworthy game statistics:
On the ground, Patrick Mahomes outscored Josh Allen 43-39, including two unexpectedly important touchdowns.
Compared to their 59% success percentage in the previous game, the Bills only converted 9 of 20 third and fourth downs (45%).
Only two NFC South teams have done so this season, and the Bills’ defense let up more than 30 points to the Chiefs.
Under pressure, Allen only made four of thirteen plays, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo created sixteen pressures.
Sweeney concluded by providing the most crucial viewpoint:
“The Bills would have taken it ten times out of ten if you had told them they would be down by three with three timeouts remaining and 3:33 remaining. They were unsuccessful.
Even with the statistical proof, there will probably be a lot of talk about the rigging theories during the Super Bowl and beyond, particularly if the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles.