Are NFL refreees favoring the Kansas City Chiefs? This study thinks so.
A research study conducted by the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), a public research university, suggests what we are feeling and thinking isn’t an anomaly or coincidence. Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs are receiving favorable calls in their biggest games.
A database that spans more than 13,000 penalty calls from 2015 through 2023, researchers found that “postseason officiating has disproportionally favored Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, coinciding with their rise as one of the NFL’s most marketable franchises.”
The theory, developed by the lead author of the study, assistant professor of finance at UTEP Spencer Barnes, Ph.D., considers essential moments such as playoffs and nationally televised games.
The study states that when “the league’s financial health is at stake, rule enforcement may subtly shift to protect market appeal.”
According to the study, the Chiefs have an advantage in the most critical moments of games during the playoffs.
“The fact that postseason penalties consistently favored one franchise, while similar dynasties showed no such pattern, points to the powerful role of financial incentives in shaping supposedly neutral decisions,” Barnes said.
The study comes to fruition days after the Chiefs’ 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions in which they had zero penalties called on them.
