Pursuing their third straight Super Bowl victory on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs got manhandled by the Philidelphia Eagles, putting that dream to bed. The final score of 40-22 does not reflect the complete domination the Eagles showed on the biggest stage.
But stats like the Eagles scoring 34 points before the Chiefs scored once, only allowing the Chiefs one first down in the first half, and forcing Patrick Mahomes to commit three turnovers (including back-to-back interceptions) do tell the story.
After the game, however, one member of the Chiefs wanted to talk about something else.
Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins had the gall to question Super Bowl officiating
It's no secret that the referees seem to do what they can to help the Chiefs win the game. It's hard to watch one of their games and think the refs are not on their side. It seems every game there is a call or two that helps to push the Chiefs over the finish line. It's become such a hot topic that even Roger Goodell has denied those accusations.
That didn't happen in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. The Chiefs did not have the referees on their side and were subject to those 'ticky-tacky' calls we often see go their way. At least that's what DeAndre Hopkins thought.
“It’s my first year being with the Chiefs, and I saw a lot of things in the media about the refs, but . . . what y’all gonna say now about the refs and us when there was a lot of touchy calls? Are y’all gonna report that? Are y’all gonna talk about the refs now?” Hopkins asked rhetorically.
The Chiefs racked up 79 yards compared to the Eagles' 59 in penalty yardage.
I'm sure most non-Chiefs fans have the same reaction to Hopkins' comments. One: "Now you know how we feel!" And, "Why can't you acknowledge you guys were not the best team on the field?"
Regardless, it's quite a tough (or at least interesting) look for one of the Chiefs' stars to come out immediately after the officiating controversy that has surrounded this team and question the refs following a loss. In terms of reading the room (or in this case, the temperature of NFL fans), this is exactly what you wouldn't want a player to do in this situation.