Are Referees Killing the Integrity of the NFL?

By Rachel Walker 

The NFL’s officiating has upset fans due to its inconsistency. Consistency in the NFL has been going down for years, but has more recently sparked an uproar with fans. One thing is for certain: game changing calls are made towards the end of the game, at the most crucial point. Many calls that were made this season, in fact, changed the outcome of the game. Some argue it’s for love over certain franchises and players such as Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes other argue the calls are made to choose a set outcome. Whether the calls are intentional or not, the result of games have drastically changed due to such calls. Most recently  a controversial call was made in the Super Bowl that favored the Chiefs. Throughout the whole game, only nine penalties occurred, three of which were called  in the final quarter, all against the Eagles. The final flag thrown allowed Kansas City to win the game. Although DB James Bradberry said himself it was pass interference, that call changed the outcome of the game. The outcomes of games have constantly changed because of inconsistent calling. Another famous example is Tom Brady’s tuck rule. The tuck rule is when the quarterback tucks the ball to start running. However, in the case of Brady, he came forward to throw the ball but motioned to tucked, causing him to drop the ball. The call should have been ruled a fumble, but the call was in favor of Brady. Tom Brady himself admitted the call should have been ruled a fumble, which would have sent the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl, however the officials ruled in favor of Tom, even though only five penalties occurred in that game. Many fans agree the inconsistency of calls needs to be changed. The call doesn’t always end in favor of your team, but officials should not only strive for accuracy but being consistent, a quality the NFL needs to work on.