The tight victory of the Chiefs over the Bills by 32-29, which meant their third consecutive title in the American Conference and led them back to the Super Bowl in search of a historic mark in the NFL, did not leave everyone happy. Instead of praising Patrick Mahomes and his team, there were many criticisms of two mistakes by the referees that tilted the balance in favor of Kansas City.
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The most talked-about criticism came from sports influencer and owner of the site Barstool Sports, Dave Portnoy, who even went so far as to suggest that the Chiefs' victory was rigged.
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What was Portnoy accused of?
David Portnoy is an entrepreneur and content creator, best known for founding Barstool Sports, a website that combines sports, pop culture, and entertainment with an irreverent and humorous style. According to his own account, his net worth is over 100 million dollars.
The 47-year-old influencer questioned the controversial decision by officials that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen did not reach the first down during a fourth and 1-yard play in the final stage of the game with the score 22-21 in favor of Buffalo.
On social media platform X, Portnoy wrote: “How the hell is the ref staring at Josh Allen’s back the one who over rules the ref staring at the ball and who had the right spot?”. Additionally, he added the hashtag #NFLrigged, suggesting that the Chiefs’ victory received deliberate favor from the referees.
In another play in which he also ensured that the referees ruled against Buffalo, he said, “I quit watching football.”
What was the Chiefs' reaction to Portnoy's accusation?
After the game ended, the reaction came from Drue Tranquill, linebacker for the Chiefs, who also responded on social media.
“Should have taken your $1M from #TrumpCoin and taken a nice vacation. He didn’t get it and you know it. #GoChiefs”, wrote directly to Portnoy, referring to the recent revelation about a cryptocurrency transaction related to President Donald Trump.
But Tranquill didn’t stop there and spoke to all those who have questioned the validity of the Chiefs’ victory: “Shoutout to the @BuffaloBills, heck of a battle. The rest of y’all can take all that ref talk & kick rocks. We stand on business”.
Why are the Chiefs being accused of receiving help from the referees?
Controversies about the refereeing decisions were also present in the Chiefs' victory over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Therefore, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had to address the controversies and prior to the AFC final against the Bills in a conversation with 96.5 The Fan, he said, "I have learned that, no matter what happens during the game, something will always come out if you win and keep winning, so I don't pay attention to it."
In Sunday’s final against the Bills, there was another clear referee error in favor of the Chiefs, when they ruled a pass complete that clearly hit the ground. The play ended in a touchdown for Kansas City.