Thirteen days out, the storylines for the Super Bowl write themselves. 

The Chiefs look to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. The Eagles seek revenge for a second-half collapse in Super Bowl LVII, to the Chiefs. Can Jalen Hurts finally prove he’s an elite quarterback? Taylor Swift. The NFL is rigged.

Hold up. Rigged?

Other than the potential three-peat, #Rigged will be the biggest storyline heading into the Super Bowl. It was the biggest story last week, and the events of the AFC Championship Game have only increased the discussion.

For context, fans on social media have accused the NFL of rigging games for Kansas City via the officials for much of the past two seasons, citing questionable late-game penalties. However, #Rigged bolted into the mainstream sports conversation last week after ESPN color commentator and NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman chastized the refs during the Chiefs-Texans playoff matchup on Jan. 18. 

Specifically, Aikman chided the calling of two personal fouls against Patrick Mahomes, both of which gave the Chiefs new life.

“Oh, come on! I mean, he’s a runner. I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit,” Troy Aikman said as the Texans were flagged for hitting Mahomes late as he was sliding to the ground.

“They’ve gotta address it in the offseason…”

Later in the week, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that NFL replay assist is expected to expand this offseason into “plays that could include the quarterback slide.” In his report, he suggested the rule change was a direct response to the penalties called in favor of just one player: Patrick Mahomes.

“For all those complaining that Patrick Mahomes gets too many calls, relief soon could be on the way,” Schefter began the report. He then posted a video of Mahomes as an example of why the NFL may tinker with the rule:

Next, Schefter posted the numbers of personal fouls against quarterbacks that were called against and in favor of the Chiefs during their playoff win streak.

“Roughing the passer: Chiefs (0) Opponents (6),” Schefter noted. “Unnecessary roughness: Chiefs (1) Opponents (4).”

Surely, fans reacted rationally to the top color commentator and NFL reporter in the country heavily implying that the refs are, in part, responsible for the Kansas City Chiefs’ ongoing dynasty.

Yeah, right.

On Sunday, the Bills led the Chiefs 22-21 with 13:01 in the 4th quarter. Buffalo was driving, had the ball at the Kansas City 41, but faced a 4th and 1. Josh Allen QB snuck the ball on the play in what seemed like initially enough for a first down. However, the officials reviewed the play and determined he was short. Kansas City then took over, marched down the field for a touchdown,  and never trailed again.

Was Allen actually short of the yard to gain? The answer is, uh, controversial, to say the least:

Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, who bet $1 million on the Bill’s money line, called the call grounds to quit watching the NFL in a post with 14 million engagements. 

“I’m quitting watching football. There is no other way to teach @nflcommish a lesson.  This is blatant cheating.  #nflrigged.”

(Calm down, big guy. We know he’s joking.)

Viewers and commentators also accused the refs of a rig-job in the first glad for calling Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s following play a “catch.”

So, should fans even bother watching the Super Bowl? Is the fix already in? Will the NFL refs make sure the Chiefs three-peat so that Taylor Swift can celebrate on the field after, no matter what?

Those are the questions to which Americans want answers.

In all seriousness, sports are not that serious. The “NFL is rigging the games for the Chiefs talk” is fun – err was fun. The fact that credible NFL voices now support the claim is quite puzzling.

No, the NFL is not actually rigged.

But why do the Chiefs get all the calls? 

They don’t. Since 2023, the Chiefs are not even top 10 in win probability added from penalties. The Vikings lead the NFL in this category. It’s not helping much.

Why does Kansas City get all the calls in big games, though?

It doesn’t. The Chiefs had more yardage penalized in the Super Bowl last year than the 49ers.

But, but, but … 

Stop.

It may seem like the refs are in the Chiefs’ pockets. The Chiefs have advanced to the Super Bowl in five out of the past six seasons, a feat never accomplished before. Kansas City has been under the microscope more than any other team this decade — the social media era.

Put simply, every questionable call that benefits Kansas City is a headline. Fans are looking for examples to affirm their suspicions. In contrast, fans chalk up penalties that help other teams (the Eagles had several on Sunday) as merely bad officiating.

And it’s true. The NFL officiating is bad. The craft is an imperfect science, and the NFL chooses not to use modern technology to improve it. 

Sure, the Chiefs have benefited, at times, from bad officiating. They’ve also suffered from it. See the missed facemask on Hollywood Brown Sunday that would have put the team in field goal range on a drive that ended in a punt.

Zebras strike again.

Let’s be honest: two cheating scandals muddied the last NFL dynasty, the Patriots dynasty: SpyGate and DeflateGate. NFL fans have grown accustomed to dismissing dominance as cheating. Hence, RefGate is so comforting.

The truth is, the trifecta of Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and Steve Spagnuolo is what’s unfair, not the refs. Spagnuolo’s clutch defensive play-calling was on display again on Sunday.

Nonetheless, #Rigged is about to expand tenfold during Super Bowl week.

And, honestly, that narrative is still better than the alternative of whatever race script the media would have pushed had Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen made the Super Bowl.