Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman had some pointed criticism of the officiating in the NFL postseason, but Shannon Sharpe feels that the Hall of Famer’s comments were out of line.
FRISCO — Seemingly every NFL Postseason has its controversial moments that become greater stories than the results of the games played. teams. Falling into line, this year’s playoffs have done the same.
The bulk of the controversy has stemmed out of yet another Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl run. Namely, the Chiefs’ AFC Championship win over the Buffalo Bills where a questionable fourth down stop played a major factor in the Chiefs’ victory.
But the gripes originated from the week prior where Kansas City benefitted from a number of calls in their favor against the Houston Texans. Those awarded for dicey roughing the passer calls on Patrick Mahomes drew the most ire out of the NFL audience.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current color analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football Troy Aikman has voiced his opinion on those calls, criticizing the officials for poor judgement in these situations.
That made Shannon Sharpe sound off on Aikman in a defense of the officials.
Troy wants the refs to be perfect,” Sharpe said. “…Since he’s away from the game — make the refs be perfect. Troy, were they perfect when you played… we gonna get every call right?”
“But if we think for one second that every official in every sport is going to get every call right, you’re delusional,” Sharpe continued.
While some of the memorable moments involving the Chiefs stirred some controversy and headlines, nothing about this current run has proven egregious. In fact, the nature of their unchecked success the last few seasons exacerbates these feelings even more.
Sharpe’s and Aikman’s sides represent the greater debate going on at the public at-large about NFL officiating. To Aikman’s point, referees should be held accountable and expecting to make the right call on each play. As Sharpe mentions though, that is nearly an impossible task.