The one thing the NFL wanted to avoid during the Super Bowl was any controversy surrounding the officials. Sunday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers was the most watched television event in American Sports history with an average audience of 123.4 million viewers.
The figure confirmed that this was a highly anticipated Super Bowl and the last thing fans wanted was for it to be decided by the officiating crew.
In a recent piece for Pro Football Talk, NFL analyst Mike Florio touched on the NFL officiating and how the league has to address the issue. Florio argued that the league needs to invest in better technology and hiring full-time officials to mitigate the problems.
The NFL avoided a potentially major officiating controversy in Super Bowl LVIII, due to a horrible spot after the first play of the final drive of the fourth quarter. https://t.co/zO0B1BQox9
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 13, 2024
Florio pointed out a particular play that could have been contentious in the fourth quarter where Travis Kelce was spotted short of the first down marker. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes proceeded to earn a first down on the next play but the poor spot could have been a pivotal talking point if it determined the outcome of the game.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about the issue during Monday’s Super Bowl press conference stating the officials “do a great job” but agreed that the league has to work to get better.
After controversial late calls in both the last two championships, fans would have been hoping to avoid a postgame focusing on the referees instead of the players. Fortunately, the public was able to avoid that this time after a well-balanced and professional night from the officiating crew.
