The Kansas City Chiefs smashed the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona to win their second Super Bowl in the past four seasons but the latest win came with one major controversy.
When the game was tied at 35, with 1:54 left, the referee blew the whistle on Philadelphia cornerback James Bradberry for a controversial holding penalty. Kansas City got an automatic first down, and the Chiefs did not miss the opportunity. They used the chance to turn it into a 27-yard field goal from kicker Harrison Butker to win it for their side.
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The circumstances at the end in which the Chiefs pulled the victory was a controversial one, drawing reactions from the football world as well as the sports industry in general. Lakers forward LeBron James also weighed in on the controversy with a tweet that said, “Sorry I don’t like that call! Not for the Super Bowl man!” with a facepalm emoji. James has recently cemented his position as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the NBA.
Sorry but I don’t like that call! Not for the Super Bowl man! 🤦🏾♂️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 13, 2023
In another tweet, James wrote, “His hand on his back had no effect on his route! This game was too damn good for that call to dictate the outcome at the end. Damn! By the way I have no horse in the race. Just my professional opinion.”
His hand on his back had no effect on his route! This game was too damn good for that call to dictate the outcome at the end. Damn! By the way I have no horse in the race. Just my professional opinion
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 13, 2023
Eagles’ Bradberry said in the locker room that he held JuJu Smith–Schuster: “It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide,” he said, according to NFL reporter Ari Meirov. In a press conference after the game, Smith-Schuster said the holding call on Bradberry was “One hundred percent” right call.
Juju Smith Schuster says the holding call on James Bradberry was the right call
“One hundred percent”pic.twitter.com/jJDvWv3y7h
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) February 13, 2023
There were mixed reactions from NFL fans regarding the holding penalty. Here are a few of the reactions:
James Bradberry clearly grabbed the jersey. How tf everyone is saying this wasn’t a holding call? #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/VhhC4suGJZ
— ⚜ WHO DAT Cool Breesy ⚜ (@Steve2duhO) February 13, 2023
This holding call here against the Eagles is proof that the NFL is #rigged
pic.twitter.com/OrSQX2hVvm— Michael Ball (@Michael44004861) February 13, 2023
If that one holding call at the end was the wrong call, this no-call was also the wrong call. Chiefs won this game. pic.twitter.com/dNcSIRe6zw
— Jake Lee (@JakeLeei) February 13, 2023
An extremely weak and soft holding call has now decided two straight all-time great Super Bowls. That’s a damn shame! pic.twitter.com/Pn7z638rKh
— Sam Block (@theblockspot) February 13, 2023
I gotta keep it G and I’m a wide out to ❤️ I have to admit that wasn’t a holding call.. under 5yds as well… that call for sure dictate the outcome of the game…
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) February 13, 2023
The Chiefs also won the Super Bowl in 2020 and reached the title game in 2021. “It was just all heart. We knew we didn’t play our best in the first half,” tight end Travis Kelce said. “And we were just able to regroup at halftime and figure it out. In that second half, we were just flying around.”
