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A Virginia antheral named Mack Donahue has started a petition connected Change.org, calling for shot fans to boycott the NFL implicit recent officiating.
Donahue is calling for the league to present "rigorous referee grooming and accountability mechanisms" successful effect to suspected favoritism by referees toward the Kansas City Chiefs, which has go a blistery talking constituent for fans this season.
"A increasing interest implicit the inconsistent refereeing, peculiarly evident portion observing games involving the Kansas City Chiefs, is tarnishing this beauteous sport's spirit. The aggravation has reached a constituent wherever galore of america are contemplating boycotting not conscionable the Super Bowl, but each aboriginal games until determination is important change," Donahue wrote successful the petition's description.
"It's clip we took a basal against unjust refereeing and telephone connected the NFL to present rigorous referee grooming and accountability mechanisms that volition warrant just game-play for each teams. By signing this petition, you are agreeing to articulation the boycott and enactment towards restoring the joyousness and integrity of NFL games that we truthful dearly love."
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The petition launched implicit the play had little than 200 signatures astatine the clip of publication. Many of those who person signed person expressed their enactment for the petition's origin successful the comments.
"This [is an] important origin for democracy," 1 signer wrote.
"So galore plays were intelligibly not the close telephone that adjacent the announcer was confused," different wrote. This remark whitethorn person been referring to a infinitesimal successful the Chiefs' 32-29 triumph implicit the Buffalo Bills erstwhile officials ruled that Bills backmost Josh Allen was stopped abbreviated of a archetypal down successful the 4th quarter. CBS rules expert Gene Steratore said during the broadcast helium believed Allen got the archetypal down.
That telephone prompted wide backlash from NFL fans connected societal media, but it was not the lone one.
During the 2nd quarter, officials ruled Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy made a drawback contempt video replay showing the shot touching the ground.
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Referees came nether akin scrutiny during the Chiefs' divisional circular playoff triumph against the Houston Texans 1 week earlier erstwhile a brace of roughing the passer penalties were called against the Texans for hits connected Chiefs backmost Patrick Mahomes.
Houston borderline rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer connected a 3rd down successful the archetypal quarter. Anderson appeared to propulsion Mahomes successful the thorax aft helium had thrown the shot incomplete to choky extremity Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
The 2nd punishment came during a Mahomes scramble successful the 3rd quarter. He had 2 blockers connected a tally and 3 defenders bearing down connected him. He moved to his close and past backmost to his near erstwhile helium decided to slide.
ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman criticized the punishment and said it's thing the league has to code successful the offseason.
Texans players and caput manager DeMeco Ryans suggested aft the crippled the referees were against them arsenic well.
Mahomes addressed the contented erstwhile asked by reporters past Wednesday if helium believed referees were giving him preferential treatment.
"I don't consciousness that way,'' Mahomes answered. "At the extremity of the day, the referees are doing their champion to telephone the crippled arsenic just and arsenic due arsenic they perchance can. And each you tin bash is spell retired determination and play the crippled that you emotion arsenic hard arsenic you tin and unrecorded with the results. ... I deliberation that's what we preach present successful Kansas City.
"You get caller referees each year, you get caller circumstances and you ne'er tin truly archer due to the fact that each play's different. And that's what makes the NFL truthful special. I consciousness similar I've conscionable continued to play the game, and I conscionable effort to win. And immoderate happens benignant of happens.'"
Chiefs prima choky extremity Travis Kelce refused to code the contented erstwhile asked by his member Jason Kelce astir the officiating during an occurrence of their "New Heights" podcast past week.
"I'd similar to plead the Fifth," the choky extremity said, jokingly referring to his law close to stay silent, erstwhile Jason brought up the issue.
Now the Chiefs get a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. When the 2 teams past met successful the Super Bowl 2 years ago, that crippled was determined by a arguable punishment called precocious successful the crippled against Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, which acceptable up the Chiefs for a 38-35 win.
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