NFL fans are blasting the league after they announced the Super Bowl refs with a graphic featuring Kansas City Chiefs-themed colors.
NFL Faces Backlash After Chiefs-Themed Super Bowl Refs Graphic
The Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs was full of controversy surrounding the referees as there were multiple questionable calls across the four games. That said, the game that got the brunt of this controversy was the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Houston Texans.
Many fans accused the refs of cheating for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on social media after this game, as those questionable calls seemed to heavily favored Kansas City. There was more backlash during the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens, but it didn’t compare to the response the Chiefs’ received.
However, ahead of Conference Championship Weekend, the NFL announced the Super Bowl refs on social media, using a graphic that contained Chiefs-themed colors.
The Super Bowl LIX officiating crew: pic.twitter.com/OT8rwQp685
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
This has led to a lot of backlash as they’re using the Chiefs’ colors to promote the Super Bowl when they haven’t made it yet. Miami Dolphins beat writer David Furones said, “They didn’t really put the Chiefs colors on the graphic, did they?”
They didn’t really put Chiefs colors on the graphic, did they?
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_)
One fan also added, “Chiefs colors on this graphic for a reason.”
Chiefs colors on this graphic for a reason
— Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365)
Another fan even accused the NFL of rigging this game, saying, “Oh geez. Just give it to the Chiefs already. Spare us some grief. This all looks rigged.”
Oh Geez. Just give it to Chiefs already. Spare us some grief. This all looks rigged.
— ⚡️Blue Twisted Steel⚡️ (@zed350)
Though these colors are very similar to the Chiefs’, this has been the Super Bowl theme since they announced it in Feb. 2024. This isn’t to invalidate the claims that they used the Chiefs’ colors, but it is quite a stretch. The Super Bowl logo can also be seen in the top right corner, matching the colorway of the rest of the graphic.
This response is likely just a continuation of frustration from the Divisional Round, as the calls that favored the Chiefs were very questionable. This theme has also followed Kansas City for the past few years, with them having a history of being accused of being the beneficiaries of controversial calls.
Even so, it’s important not to jump the gun as it could be as simple as being the colors for the Super Bowl. It’s easy to follow a trend and accuse people or entities of things without much basis, or without doing enough research. Regardless, the NFL certainly needs to be held accountable for poor reffing, but this connection is a bit of a stretch.