As Super Bowl LIX approaches, opinions are sharply divided. On one side are those convinced that the NFL and its officials are colluding to secure another championship for the Kansas City Chiefs, while the other side dismisses such claims as outrageous conspiracy theories.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg passionately addressed this debate on Thursday, criticizing the notion of a rigged game. “No, it’s not rigged. No, it’s not fixed,” he asserted on his show Greeny. “No, [NFL commissioner] Roger Goodell is not telling the refs what to do. Officials are human and often give the benefit of the doubt to the greats by instinct. The idea that this is rigged or scripted is simply false.”
He further emphasized that Goodell oversees a $20 billion industry that would thrive with or without the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. “If it ever came out that the commissioner or anyone else was fixing games with the refs, it would be the only way that $20 billion would vanish,” Greenberg stated. Addressing the frequent conspiracy mentions involving Taylor Swift, he added, “Do you think they’re risking $20 billion just to see Taylor Swift in a skybox at the Super Bowl, which won’t affect the ratings at all?”
ICYMI: @Espngreeny went OFF on people who think the NFL is rigged in favor of the @Chiefs:
“You think they’re risking $20 billion because they have a hankering to see Taylor Swift in a skybox at the Super Bowl, which will not influence the rating one bit?!” 😳 pic.twitter.com/JMdXMx2vQl
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 29, 2025
Greenberg continued, “The Chiefs are not the first great team, nor is Patrick Mahomes the first superstar, to receive preferential treatment from officials. Anyone with real insight knows these games are not rigged.” The Chiefs have certainly faced questionable calls this season on their way to a potential third consecutive Super Bowl victory, and the discussions surrounding officiating have been prevalent. SiriusXM host Adam Schein criticized the officiating in the AFC Championship game, particularly a controversial fourth-down call involving Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who seemed to gain a first down but was ruled short. “The first ref says first down. The second comes in and says, ‘Hold on, Taylor Swift gets to go to the Super Bowl. Let’s take a breath,’” Schein remarked.
The intensity of the conspiracy discussions has led to criticism even for ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, who was called out for suggesting potential changes to the league’s replay system might alleviate grievances about Mahomes receiving too many favorable calls. Meanwhile, former NFL referee Dean Blandino acknowledged that even his brother believes in the conspiracy, stating, “My brother’s like, ‘They want Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl!’”
Greenberg is not alone in his efforts to debunk these theories; FS1’s Nick Wright also took a stand, saying the media should not let social media dynamics dictate the narrative. “Everyone has had their brain rotted by an algorithm,” Wright asserted on The Dan Patrick Show. As the Super Bowl draws near, expect the conspiracy discourse to continue gaining momentum.
