With officiating a big talking point ahead of Super Bowl 59, the NFL referee union blasted conspiracy theories as ‘insulting’
In the weeks leading up to Super Bowl LIX, NFL officiating has been a major storyline.
As the Kansas City Chiefs won the AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in the Super Bowl by winning their 17th-consecutive one-score game, fans around the league called into question their streak of success and pointed to calls that went their way. Once such call was the spot on a fourth-down play involving Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the AFC Championship Game, as the Buffalo QB was ruled short on a quarterback sneak that ended a Bills’ drive.
During his annual “State of the League” press conference on Monday ahead of Super Bowl LIX NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell blasted the theories about officiating as “ridiculous.” On Tuesday Scott Green, the Executive Director of the NFL Referees Association — the union representing NFL referees — went a step further, blasting such theories as “insulting and preposterous.”
“Commissioner Goodell’s comments that it is ‘ridiculous’ to presume that NFL Officials are not doing everything possible to make the right call on every play is spot on,” began Green in a statement.
“Officiating crews do not work the same team more than twice each regular season. It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team.”
“There are many things that fans can worry about over a 17-game season, such as coaching decisions, player injuries, the weather and, yes, even close called on incredible plays made by incredible athletes,” added Green. “But you can rest assured that on every single down, NFL Officials, both on the field and in the replay booth, are doing everything humanly possible to officiate every play correctly.”
Ron Torbert is the referee for Super Bowl LIX, and this will be his second Super Bowl. His first came a few years ago in Super Bowl LVI, between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. Torbert is an attorney, and this will be his first Chiefs game this season.
He was also part of the crew that worked the AFC Championship Game two years ago between the Bengals and the Chiefs, when Cincinnati defender Joseph Ossai was flagged for a late hit on Patrick Mahomes in the closing seconds.
Mike Morton will be the umpire on this crew, and he will become the first NFL official to be part of a Super Bowl after playing in one himself, as Morton was a reserve linebacker for the 1999 Super Bowl XXXIV champion St. Louis Rams.