Scott Green described the conspiracy theories as ‘insulting and preposterous’ (Image: GETTY)
Scott Green, executive director of the NFL Referees’ Association, has clapped back at allegations that match officials have been favouring the .
The reigning NFL champions are hoping to become the first team to three-peat the with victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Their journey to the Super Bowl has been somewhat controversial, .
After the match, some fans made wild claims on social media that NFL referees were conspiring to get the Chiefs into the Super Bowl.
NFL referees have been accused of favouring the Chiefs ahead of the Super Bowl (Image: GETTY)
In a statement to NFL Network, Green shot down those claims in no uncertain terms by saying: “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 calls on incredible plays made by incredible athletes.
“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.”
It comes after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a similar response to the conspiracy theories, branding them ‘ridiculous’.
“It reminds me of the script [theory], that I write a script for the entire season,” he said. “It’s a ridiculous theory, for anyone who might take it seriously.
Don’t miss…
“It reflects a lot of the fans’ passion and I think it also is a reminder for us how important officiating is. I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding. I’m proud of what they do, but that doesn’t mean we’re not trying to get better.”
Goodell added that NFL referees are subjected to performance evaluations as well as having their personal lives examined to limit potential bias on the field.
“Things that go on in their own lives, and we have a very tight control over that,” he explained. “We monitor that very closely in a number of ways.
“I think we have been more transparent that when we make mistakes on the field, we say it. We’re not afraid to do that, but there’s so many times there’s confusion or [people] don’t understand the rule, and that includes people on television, too.
“I think that’s something we continue to work on to communicate better, educate better, but also to use technology.”