Tom Brady shuts down Chiefs referee favoritism conspiracy - "It's all just BS"

The Kansas City Chiefs have seemingly become the most hated team in the NFL because of dubious calls that have usually helped them either score crucial first downs or deny their opponents the same. However, Tom Brady does not believe this notion.

Speaking on "Fox & Friends" on Super Bowl Friday, the seven-time Lombardi-winning quarterback-turned-analyst said (12:03 onwards):

"I think it’s just all BS, a bunch of noise. These refs have very challenging jobs to do... They got to make decisions in a split second, and they’re gonna call what they see. These guys are some of the most professional people on the field. They just want to do a good job like everyone else."

He continued:

"Sometimes the calls go your way, sometimes they don’t. In the end, over the course of a 140-play game on both sides of the ball, the players have plenty of opportunities to go out there and make an impact in the game, winning or losing. And that’s what I’m excited to see on Sunday night."

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Mike Pereira also dismisses claims of referee bias towards Chiefs

Another person who refuted the "pro-Chiefs referees" notion was Brady's Fox colleague Mike Pereira, a former NFL official and currently a rules analyst. During Super Bowl week, he concurred with league commissioner Roger Goodell and referees association head Scott Green in condemning the conspiracy theories, calling them a "myth" and expressing sadness at their proliferation:

“I think it puts more pressure on the officials on Sunday. They’re not going to officiate the game any differently, but they know they’re going into the game as part of the story, which doesn’t usually happen… I feel badly for the officials, for the game, because from our standpoint, (favoritism) just doesn’t happen.”

Meanwhile, fellow rules analyst Dean Blandino weighed in on the scrutiny that officials receive:

“I can’t think of a profession that is evaluated and critiqued more. They’re evaluated in the moment, we got replay, we got coaches, you’ve got the media and the fans. They’re evaluated internally. If an official is giving preferential treatment to a team or player, it will be kind of fleshed out and the league will understand.”

He also discussed Patrick Mahomes' "ability" to draw penalties on defenders and how officials would have to best handle it:

“When you think about the numbers, the last three or four years, Mahomes is probably middle of the road in terms of the number of calls he’s got. But he does do a good job of pushing that envelope, especially on the sideline. Officials have to be aware of it.”

Super Bowl LIX kicks off at 6:30 PM ET with all eyes on the Chiefs as they aim for an unprecedented three-peat.