I don’t watch sporting occasions for the gamers or the sport. Seeing unimaginable athletes accomplish phenomenal feats that I wouldn’t dream of doing in a billion years…nope, not for me. Slightly, I watch sports activities due to the officers. To be so near the motion regardless of having not one of the athletic prowess, but nonetheless have a critical influence on the end result of every recreation…properly that’s an influence journey I might actually get behind. See, the referees are the true heroes of each sports activities league’s story. I solely want extra consideration was given to them every recreation. I want they by no means needed to face any accountability for incorrect calls that value groups, followers, and gamers their seasons. I’m not the one one who thinks this both.

A number of years in the past, a complete part of an NHL recreation between the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks was crammed with followers mimicking essentially the most impactful individuals on the ice — the referees. They went completely berserk for each name. That is the kind of respect I consider all officers deserve.

In case the sarcasm all through the final two paragraphs didn’t soar off the web page at you, I haven’t been too happy with NFL officiating just lately. It feels as if yearly, extra officers make an effort to fire up drama and wreck a crew’s or particular participant’s day. Perhaps I’m wanting too deep into it although. Additionally, earlier than I get into why I’m not wanting ahead to the officiating in Tremendous Bowl LVII, I wish to make it clear, this isn’t an invite to disrespect officers at any sporting occasion. Whereas I do consider there must be some kind of accountability at larger ranges for atrocious judgments, that’s no motive to make a referee’s life hell. Okay? Glad we will agree on that. Now, with out additional ado, I can’t stand the man who’s going to go the officiating crew for the Tremendous Bowl.

Carl Cheffers has known as quite a lot of penalties

Carl Cheffers has been an NFL official since 2000. In that point, he has established himself as one of many league’s most avid flag tossers. Since 2010, Cheffers has solely as soon as been beneath the league common in penalty yards enforced per recreation (2016). In 2021, video games officiated by Cheffers noticed penalty yards enhance by over 27 in comparison with the league common. That was the best mark within the NFL. However he didn’t again down in 2022. Cheffers repeated as essentially the most penalizing ref, though that quantity did drop from 27 yards over common to simply 18. During the last two years, Cheffers and his crew have known as about two extra penalties per recreation than common.

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While these incessant flags haven’t affected the outcome of games — Cheffers only saw home teams win at a .02 percent rate above league average this year — the flags still make the game much less enjoyable for fans. There are absolutely zero people on the planet who love seeing the pace of a game come to a standstill. Whether it’s basketball players fouling their opponents constantly and then pausing for free throws, numerous icing and offsides calls in hockey, or back-to-back-to-back holding penalties in the NFL, slowing the game to a halt sucks, but I guess it should be expected for this upcoming Super Bowl.

It also appears that the officiating has leaned drastically in favor of one specific team. In his last six games officiated — and nine of his last 10 — Cheffers has called at least twice as many penalties on one team than the other. It all started on Nov. 6, 2022, during a recreation between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks gained that recreation by a remaining of 31-21. They have been penalized six instances for 34 yards. The Cardinals have been penalized 12 instances for 77 yards.

The subsequent week, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints 20-10. The Steelers suffered solely three penalties. The Saints? Ten. Now, this isn’t to say that the crew that faces extra penalties is lifeless within the water. Of these 9 situations the place one crew trudged by way of twice as many flags, three of these groups wound up successful the sport: The New England Patriots in Week 12, the Buffalo Payments in Week 16, and the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Week 15. In all equity although, the Payments and Chiefs performed the Bears and Texans respectively in these video games. It doesn’t matter what number of penalties every crew racked up in these video games, you’d anticipate them to beat the organizations with the primary two picks within the upcoming draft.

Cheffers and the Chiefs

I wish to discuss in regards to the Chiefs a bit bit extra although. This season, Cheffers refereed two of Kansas Metropolis’s video games. The Chiefs have been known as for 11 and 10 penalties in these video games, respectively. This complete season, the Chiefs have suffered 94 penalties. 21 of them got here from Cheffers throughout simply two video games. The penalty yardage is even worse. On the season, the Chiefs misplaced 923 yards to those penalties. 201 of these yards got here from Cheffers. That’s 21.78 p.c of their complete penalty yardage coming in simply two video games. In the meantime, the Chiefs’ opponents in these video games suffered solely 9 penalties for 105 yards. Chiefs’ opponents misplaced 845 yards this 12 months, which means solely 12.43 p.c of all Chiefs’ adversary penalty yards got here in these video games. It’s nonetheless larger than the place it needs to be proportionately (2/17 = 11.76 p.c), nevertheless it’s a lot nearer than the place the Chiefs fall. Oh, and do not forget that Tremendous Bowl between the Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers that noticed Patrick Mahomes get blown out 31-9? Nicely, the Chiefs had 11 penalties known as towards them in that recreation. The Bucs? Solely 4. Take a wild guess whether or not or not Cheffers was on the officiating crew for that recreation.

Cheffers and the Eagles

Cheffers did referee one Philadelphia Eagles recreation this 12 months — their Divisional Spherical matchup with the New York Giants — however the Birds solely suffered 4 penalties in that recreation. The Giants suffered eight.

Should you’re a Chiefs fan, this isn’t excellent news. Should you’re an Eagles fan, that is nice information. Should you’re an NFL fan with no allegiance to both crew, this implies we’re most likely in for a boring championship recreation. By calling so many penalties, video games that Cheffers officiates are usually very low-scoring.

Cheffers has officiated 12 playoff video games since 2010. The beneath has hit in 11 of these video games with the one exception coming in Tom Brady’s miraculous 28-3 comeback throughout Tremendous Bowl LI. It hasn’t been notably shut both. In these 12 playoff video games officiated by Cheffers, the beneath has hit by a median of virtually 13 factors.

It’s not all dangerous information for Kansas Metropolis although. The Eagles are presently favored by 1.5 factors, and it appears Cheffers has traditionally been very type to underdogs. Since 2019, they’re 42-24-2 towards the unfold in video games officiated by Cheffers. All I’m saying is that when you’ve got a possibility to parlay the beneath with the over on penalty yards towards the Chiefs…perhaps think about it. I do know I’ll.