Following the Chiefs’ close and exciting 26-25 win against the Bengals in Week 2, the ref calls ended up taking center stage. Fans once again pointed to questionable calls made by the officials during the game which may have favored Kansas City.
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On The Pat McAfee Show, the former NFL star turned analyst dived right into the allegations–calling out the Chiefs’ haters.
As McAfee frustratedly called out Chiefs haters, he detailed all the wild theories they’ve come up with. Last year, the popular theory going around was that the romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce was a scripted affair. And that the Chiefs won games because the NFL wanted to use the pop icon’s star power and her presence on the sidelines to boost its marketing.
McAfee found himself annoyed with these theories, including the one where Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is allegedly celebrated as the NFL’s “golden boy” and receives special treatment from the league’s referees.
Dismissing all the conspiracy theories of the Chiefs being favored, McAfee pointed out a particular sequence in the Chiefs vs Bengals game that he felt critics had overlooked– proof that Chiefs certainly don’t get biased treatment from the NFL referees.
He referenced a missed “hands to the face” penalty that occurred just before a crucial pass interference call on a fourth-and-16 play. The Chiefs originally converted a fourth-and-six when Mahomes connected with Rashee Rice for a 21-yard gain.
However, the play was nullified due to a hands-to-the-face penalty. McAfee’s visible frustration came through when he asked, “Why do you think this is the case?”
An angry McAfee slammed the conspiracy theory enthusiasts for overlooking the penalties that the Chiefs were served with.
McAfee peacefully concluded that the criticisms were driven more by resentment towards the Chiefs’ success rather than a fair analysis of the game’s events, saying, “People just throw rocks at things that shine. People just hate the Chiefs because they’re the Chiefs?”
The NFL’s alleged favoritism for the Chiefs is a narrative that has been going on for a while now. But the fact of the matter is, the Mahomes-led unit knows how to win.
Picking up the discussion where McAfee left, fellow NFL Analyst first addressed the heightened scrutiny over the Chiefs games where even the slightest questionable call is thoroughly scrutinized by the public eye.
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As the conversation continued, Butler then steered the discussion towards the tendency of the public to resent successful teams.
“People hate greatness,” he stated confidently and elaborated that although numerous fans actively support their teams during their wins, there are invariably fans who spew hatred—especially when it involves a team that continually wins.
In an interesting comparison, he likened the Chiefs‘ golden era to the back-to-back success enjoyed by the New England Patriots under the reign of Tom Brady and ex-head coach, Bill Belichick.
“We heard all of the same things for two decades when it was the Patriots, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick. Nothing new,” he noted, recalling how the relentless scrutiny and criticism followed the team’s every move.
Just as the Patriots did not lose track, kept their chin up amid all the close scrutiny, and went on to win six Super Bowls, it would be exciting to watch if the Chiefs can turn their winning streak into consecutive championship titles.
