NFL legend Troy Aikman says league ‘owes’ it to fans to get officiating issues fixed amid drama

Ahead of the Super Bowl, referees are under a lot of scrutiny, with fans and experts debating whether the officials favor the Kansas City Chiefs.

Troy Aikman, an ESPN broadcaster and Pro Football Hall of Famer, said the league “owes” it to its fans to address the officiating issues, especially with how much money people have at stake when they gamble and the NFL continuing to promote betting. 

“I know the officials have a tough job. I mean, the scrutiny that they’re under. As we’ve gotten more advanced with instant replay, those guys, it seems, have become more and more scrutinized,” Aikman said during a recent appearance on “SI Media with Jimmy Traina.”

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Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman before a game Nov. 6, 2023, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.  (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“And the game has not become less controversial. The game has become more controversial,” Aikman said. “I just think that we’re at a point that this has tipped a little bit because the league is partners with a number of these gambling services.

“Here you are promoting gambling — people are gambling more than they ever have before and those types of calls – there’s a lot at stake regardless. But especially when you’re considering there’s a lot of money that’s changing hands with these calls as well. 

“I think that we owe it to the fans that we get it right, and I think we’re at a point in time where we can. We can get it more right. So, that was really my position in just trying to lean on the NFL and say, ‘Hey, we gotta fix this. We gotta address it in the offseason.’”

The conversation about the referees continued after last week’s AFC championship win for the Chiefs.

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TV commentator Troy Aikman before a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals Dec. 4, 2023, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s failed fourth down conversion on a QB sneak became a hotly debated topic because some observers questioned whether the Chiefs actually stopped him short of a first down.

Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s reception while battling with Bills safety Cole Bishop for the ball in the first half also had fans skeptical that the referees made the right call because it looked like Bishop had a good hold on the ball. 

Tavia Hunt, the wife of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, took to social media to address the “referee favoritism” ahead of the Super Bowl.

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The Super Bowl is still over a week away, and conversations about the officiating won’t go away anytime soon. 

The Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

FOX’s Super Bowl coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET. Coverage can also be streamed live on Tubi for the first time ever.

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