NFL legend Troy Aikman says league 'owes' it to fans to get officiating issues fixed amid drama

Ahead of the Super Bowl, referees are nether a batch of scrutiny, with fans and experts debating whether the officials favour the Kansas City Chiefs.

Troy Aikman, an ESPN broadcaster and Pro Football Hall of Famer, said the league "owes" it to its fans to code the officiating issues, particularly with however overmuch wealth radical person astatine involvement erstwhile they gamble and the NFL continuing to beforehand betting. 

"I cognize the officials person a pugnacious job. I mean, the scrutiny that they’re under. As we’ve gotten much precocious with instant replay, those guys, it seems, person go much and much scrutinized," Aikman said during a caller quality connected "SI Media with Jimmy Traina."

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"And the crippled has not go little controversial. The crippled has go much controversial," Aikman said. "I conscionable deliberation that we’re astatine a constituent that this has tipped a small spot due to the fact that the league is partners with a fig of these gambling services.

"Here you are promoting gambling — radical are gambling much than they ever person earlier and those types of calls – there’s a batch astatine involvement regardless. But particularly erstwhile you’re considering there’s a batch of wealth that’s changing hands with these calls arsenic well. 

"I deliberation that we beryllium it to the fans that we get it right, and I deliberation we’re astatine a constituent successful clip wherever we can. We tin get it much right. So, that was truly my presumption successful conscionable trying to thin connected the NFL and say, ‘Hey, we gotta hole this. We gotta code it successful the offseason.’"

The speech astir the referees continued aft past week’s AFC title triumph for the Chiefs.

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Buffalo Bills backmost Josh Allen’s failed 4th down conversion connected a QB sneak became a hotly debated taxable due to the fact that immoderate observers questioned whether the Chiefs really stopped him abbreviated of a archetypal down.

Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s reception portion battling with Bills information Cole Bishop for the shot successful the archetypal fractional besides had fans skeptical that the referees made the close telephone due to the fact that it looked similar Bishop had a bully clasp connected the ball. 

Tavia Hunt, the woman of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, took to social media to code the "referee favoritism" up of the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl is inactive implicit a week away, and conversations astir the officiating won’t spell distant anytime soon. 

The Chiefs instrumentality connected the Philadelphia Eagles successful the Super Bowl Feb. 9 astatine 6:30 p.m. ET connected FOX.

FOX’s Super Bowl sum begins astatine 1 p.m. ET. Coverage tin besides beryllium streamed unrecorded connected Tubi for the archetypal clip ever.

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