If you think the officiating has been particular bad in the NFL this season, you haven’t been paying attention in years past. That’s how Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett feels, at least.
In a lengthy interview that will appear in the Dec. 21 issue of Sports Illustrated, Bennett was asked about the performance of the NFL’s officials. He was not kind.
“Referees are terrible, always been terrible,” Bennett said, according to a transcription from Complex Sports. “One referee told me that 98 percent of the time they make the right call. I asked him, ‘Are you God?’ He’s like, ‘No.’ Then you don’t make the right call 98 percent of the time. You make the right call 50 percent of the time. At best.”
For me, this argument goes both ways. While I do think there have been a lot of inexcusable errors — like this game clock mishap — from officials this season, there have also been times when referees get blasted for making the wrong call only after we have seen 47 replay angles of the play and slowed down the footage. People tend to forget that officials don’t have that luxury on all plays.
For example, look at the facemask penalty that was called against the Lions that allowed the Packers to pull off a miraculous win. While it appears the wrong call was made, it was very easy to see how the official thought Aaron Rodgers’ facemask was grabbed in real time. Referees are humans, after all.
As for Bennett, there are very few players in the NFL who enjoy stirring the pot more than him. His take on NFL officiating is right in line with that.
