Legendary Chiefs announcer calls out Dan Orlovsky and media for pushing false narrative amid officiating controversy

Kansas City Chiefs' legendary play-by-play announcer Mitch Holthus is unhappy with misleading narratives about NFL officiating when it comes to the Chiefs. On January 29, in a fiery tweet, Holthus directly called out former NFL QB, Dan Orlovsky and Fox Sports' Senior National Writer, Peter Schrager.

The "Voice of the Chiefs" cited hard data to dispel misconceptions.

"We can stay with false narratives or discuss this: KC was 17th in the percentage of scoring drives that were aided by a penalty for a first down in the regular season. Number 1? Wait for it…Buffalo. 33% of scoring drives were aided by a penalty for a first down on 86 scoring drives."

Going by the tweet, he clearly explained how the Chiefs ranked 17th in the percentage of scoring drives aided by penalties for a first down during the regular season. Whereas, Buffalo Bills led the league with 33% of their scoring drives benefitting from such penalties.

At the end, he tagged Matt McMullen, Kansas City's Senior Team Reporter.

Dan Orlovsky has raised his voice throughout the 2024 season about the NFL's officiating issues. More recently, he has criticized the officials for being biased in favor of the back-to-back defending champs after the AFC championship game.

Taking to X, he tweeted that an incorrect call and subsequent review were "absolutely horrible" and that the ball was clearly past the first-down marker.

Mitch Holthus has been associated with Kansas City for three decades.

Officiating controversy in Chiefs vs. Bills on Sunday

Kansas City's recent win over Buffalo made headlines over controversial calls by the referees.

One of them happened during a fourth-down play in the fourth quarter. Bills QB Josh Allen was ruled short of the first-down marker on a crucial play. It happened in spite of the fact that many believed he had gained enough yardage. The call was upheld even after a review in the booth.

Another controversial call involved a pass by QB Patrick Mahomes which Bills safety Cole Bishop appeared to intercept. However, wide receiver Xavier Worthy got a hand on the ball and possession was awarded to Kansas City. It was criticized because many fans felt it should have been an interception.

To sum it all up, it was not just the Chiefs vs Bills AFC Championship Game. Patrick Mahomes' team has faced criticism throughout the 2024 season due to several controversial officiating decisions.

With all that being said, Kansas City will be facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl LIX on February 9.