Both the artist and the quarterback are facing backlash after what fans are calling a ‘controversial’ game

Taylor Swift and Patrick Mahomes

The fact that the Kansas City Chiefs are the current NFL champions and have remained undefeated since the start of the season is triggering their haters more than one might expect. Critics are starting to make up reasons to undermine what they are achieving, claiming the Chiefs aren’t playing well or suggesting they are receiving help from the referees.

This last excuse gained fame after what happened in their recent game against the Broncos on Sunday.

The game itself was somewhat controversial, as fans believe there were questionable calls in favor of the Chiefs. Indeed, some peculiar things happened before and during the game.

Potential conflict of interests

One of the strangest claims is that Taylor Swift may have influenced the refereeing. ‘KSNT Sports‘ reporter Landon Reinhardt mentioned that the pop star met with the official for the game, Sarah Thomas, before it began. According to reports, Thomas was on a FaceTime call with her family while talking to Swift, and asked the family to take a screenshot of the call.

Some fans feel this could be unethical, suggesting it might influenced the official’s decision-making as a gesture of gratitude toward Swift. True or not, doubts about the referee’s impartiality are understandable.

A suspicious question to the referee

Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, is facing a harsher backlash after he was caught speaking directly to an official mid-game. A hot mic picked up Mahomes asking the referee, “Can you let me know when he’s close? Tell me, tell me.” Many assumed that the quarterback was trying to gain an advantage by asking if any defenders were approaching him.

However, former Chiefs lineman Mitchell Schwartz offered a different interpretation. Schwartz suggested that rather than seeking an alert about defenders, Mahomes was actually asking to be notified if his right tackle, Jawaan Taylor, was close to lining up incorrectly, as Taylor has a habit of doing.

“I think the announcers had it wrong… My best guess is Pat was asking them to let him know when Jawaan was close to being offsides.” Schwartz said.

Either way, Mahomes did request the referee’s assistance, and that’s a fact. Now, it’s up to fans to decide who to believe, as we’ll likely never know the truth behind those words.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambles during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

This isn’t the first time Patrick Mahomes has been involved in a situation like this, and it has reignited old accusations of the NFL playing favorites.

Fans love controversies and scandals, and this time they feel they have more than one piece of evidence to support their suspicions. But we should avoid doubting the honesty of the referees entirely, as without their impartiality, the game loses its sense of fairness.