Letters to Sports: Readers suspect the Chiefs get help from officials

After watching the Chiefs-Bills game, I am convinced the NFL believes the Chiefs are their Cinderella team, because based on calls the officials, they protect Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. I read two articles questioning the officiating of the Chiefs games. I’m not a big NFL fan but I do know football and this is embarrassing the NFL.

Bob Martinez
Glendale

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I have watched pro football in person and on TV for decades. In today’s era of television reshowing controversial plays from different angles and follow-up checks by the officials, it is difficult to fool the public. The two calls of controversy in the Chiefs-Bills game were in error.

Whether the refs are biased or under other influences or just negligent, I don’t know, but their actions should be reviewed and adjudicated by professional football, and perhaps the government.

I will add that the widespread legalized gambling in pro sports does not help the picture. It might have nothing to do with Sunday’s game but eventually it will explode and make such referee rulings the subject of investigation.

Michael H. Miller
Pasadena

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I am watching the Eagles play the Commanders when I should be at SoFi Stadium seeing the Rams and Commanders play. The difference was two blind NFL officials who didn’t see holding on Saquon Barkley’s long run. Look at the run and you will see holding on the defensive end and tackle, that is why the hole was so big. Which makes you think the NFL wants to see Barkley vs Mahomes.

Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills

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It does seem that the stars in all sports get calls that rookies and “regular” players don’t. Michael Jordan frequently traveled. Greg Maddux got the benefit of the doubt on pitches on the black. Tom Brady sure seemed “protected” by the refs, but he was also a world-class whiner. Yet I think it has more to do with the inconsistency of refs and umps than favoritism or clumsily trying to rig a game.

Today’s high-resolution replays from multiple angles in all sports and baseball’s digitally-imposed strike zone clearly show how good — and bad — some officials really are.

John Meryman
Redondo Beach

Mick Cronin is a complainer. His acerbic sideline rants and berating of players are one thing. But, now he’s whining about the disproportionate travel his Big Ten team faces. “And then we gotta go back [to Indianapolis] for the Big Ten tournament!” You “gotta go?” How about you get to go. It’s a privilege to compete. The writing’s on the wall; college basketball as it’s currently constructed is not the right job for that man.

David Griffin
Westwood

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Re: “Travel calls starting to wear on the Bruins,” by Ben Bolch

Jeopardy! answer: College sports has sold its soul to television.

Jeopardy! question: How does UCLA afford Mick Cronin’s six-year, $24-million contract?

Dave Sanderson
La Cañada

How can UCLA, a state-funded academic institution, be allowed to run a deficit of $219.5 million in its athletic department over the last six years? Whenever a coach is hired at multiple millions per year, we are told that the athletic department is self-sufficient and in fact provides income for the rest of the school. The article admits that the university has covered all of these deficits — but at what cost to the rest of the students, and potential students, looking for an education?

The article continues to describe the increased costs of all the benefits being provided to the athletes, but omits saying how these will benefit the other students. The athletes are already pampered with scholarships, special accommodations, special meals, etc. Now that the athletes are being paid through NIL and other means, it’s time to end the charade and divest the athletics from the academics.

John Schiermeier
Valencia

How can the Lakers beat an excellent team like the Boston Celtics, then lose badly to a lowly team like the Philadelphia 76ers? This year the Lakers are a total enigma. Some sort of course correction is absolutely necessary.

Kim Sturmer
San Diego

Pete Carroll has taken on the challenge of uprighting the ship with the struggling Las Vegas Raiders by accepting a three-year deal as head coach. Carroll has clearly been in this position before and has produced success. He took over at USC, which went 5-7 in 2000, and in 2003 the Trojans won the AP national championship. When Carroll became the Seattle coach in 2010, the Seahawks were coming off two seasons with a total of nine victories. By 2013, Seattle won a Super Bowl title. Las Vegas, you might be in with Lady Luck!

Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos

Bill Plaschke is right that Kobe Bryant had “so much ahead of him” when he died. But, Kobe had a very full life in the 41 years he was here. He was married almost 19 years and had four daughters, in addition to all of his amazing accomplishments both on, and off, the court. He achieved more in four decades than most people would in four lifetimes.

But, if anyone had “so much ahead of them,” it was Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester. Unlike Kobe, the trio of 13-year-old girls never got to attend, or graduate, high school. Or college. None of them were ever old enough to: Go on a “real” date, get a driver’s license, vote in an election, gamble in Las Vegas, graduate college, get married, raise kids, become a grandparent and retire. Their combined age was less than Kobe’s age.

I know the focus of his column was on Kobe, but bypassing the three teenage girls in terms of who had “so much ahead of them” was wrong.

Erik Schuman
Fountain Valley

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Isn’t it interesting how so many people have chosen to forget all about Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault charge?

Darlene Moses Olympius
Yorba Linda

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Loved Bill Plaschke’s column on what would have happened with Kobe. One question: Why wouldn’t Gianna Bryant have gone to UCLA or USC?

Steve Horn
Glendale

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