I'm not the biggest nerd here on football and I mostly watch the 49ers games but even I can see some questionable calls in games that favor the Chiefs. I really want another team to win the big game this year. That is a bias for sure. I'm still thinking about it though. I think it might be complicated.
Obviously the Chiefs and their QB are great for the league. Not to mention Taylor Swift dating a player. This pumps ratings which is money! So, could it be that there isn't some grand conspiracy but refs know that these are the golden boys and give them the calls more often than any other team? I suspect this happens in the NBA with James and I believe it did with Jordan.
The NFL tried to protect Brady when he was at the top. Its not crazy to think that plays a part right?
What do you think?
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this can happen even without an explicit mandate for rigging.
But it works out of people's incentives towards self preservation, avoiding drama, and avoiding complaints. You're gonna get in a lot more trouble, face a lot more scrutiny, if the face of the league complains about a call than if a rando does. Thus, out of a sense of wanting to avoid drama, you'll give preferential treatment to stars. Happens in all sorts of environments, not just sports.
That's what I lean toward. I think that's close to what you are saying.
The only slight nuance I'd add to that would be that it could actually be conscious, just not borne out of an explicit mandate or desire to rig.
It's kinda like in an office meeting, there are some people you're more willing to disagree with and others you tiptoe around, because of their personalities or situations within the company. And you're consciously aware that you're treating people differently, but you do it anyway because it's rational.
I'm just speculating, obviously, i dunno what goes on in refs' heads...
Yep, I can see that as well.
This is similar to many of my views on politics and government "conspiracies". I think its rare that its something overt and more often just how the incentives work in conjunction with human nature and desires. When you think about it, it would be much easier to address if it were actual conspiracies. Systems are much harder to change than to arrest a few bad apples.
I think this is likely. The league can communicate their "points of emphasis" in a way that the officials understand the assignment.
I'll be very surprised if there's a memo that goes out to the officials that says "Chiefs by 4", for instance.
Yeah, that would be incredibly dumb. A single ref might get that from some bookie rigging a game but not the league.
They clearly understand, though, that the QB protection rules are meant to protect Mahomes (and he understands that as well), because defenders are perfectly free to hammer Allen, Burrow, Daniels, and any other QB in the league.
Yep. And winners don't cry about it. They deal with it and try to win anyway. Crying doesn't work. Just ask some of the guys that have in the past and don't play any more.
League memo: Taylor Swift has a lot of fans who hate football but will watch Chiefs
100%. This level of bias cannot be inadvertent. Every year huge calls and non calls go in the Chiefs favour and allow them to win games and advance in the playoffs. I firmly believe they would only have 1 Super Bowl win instead of 4 if all playoff games were called evenly.
You're already counting 2025? That's fair.
Haha guess so.
the simultaneous interception that should have been called incomplete
Chiefs stopping Bills on 4th and short when the ref who actually saw the ball and had the better angle called first down and was overruled by the other ref on the other side who could not see the ball
I think they clearly have their thumbs on the scale.
There are just too many cases of Chiefs getting calls, getting generous reviews, having flags be picked up without explanation, their opponents getting screwed with late flags, and getting away with penalties.
It's well beyond trying to protect the star QB, although that's getting ridiculous in its own right. Pretty much any chance for something to go either way, it goes the Chiefs way.
Someone on nostr told me that, if anything, it was the Bills getting the calls. I laughed at him and asked for examples. I'm still waiting.
What calls did they get? There were at least two calls that KC got that impacted either their ability to score or the Bills.
I recall one missed face mask penalty, but it wasn't in a high leverage situation. The Chiefs were moving the ball, with or without the call.
The Chiefs are an incredible team. I think they are the better team. It just sucks to see the calls go in one direction
That's basically what I said in Blok's post about the game.
bahahahaha