Holding call shakes up Super Bowl

Refs call it like they see it 

Braden Bartholomew, Sports Editor

March 24, 2023

Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was an amazing game with many riveting moments, but some believe the penalty at the end tainted the game. A holding penalty at the end of the game was deemed controversial, not because it was wrong, only because it was made. I believe that it was the right call to make.

People believe that penalties should be called subjectively in some situations. Objective officiating is the only way to ensure fairness. If the penalty is an actual penalty it should be called.

The rule for defensive hold is when a player on defense prevents a player on the offense from getting the ball by either grabbing the player or the player’s jersey. The Eagles cornerback, James Bradberry, clearly pulled on his opponent’s jersey. He even came out after the game and said he did hold the Chief’s wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and he was hoping that the officials would let it slide.

People said that the officials would not call if it was the Chief’s holding. Bradberry believes that the officials would have made the call since he thought that they were very consistent throughout the whole game.

The official Carl Cheffers said it was a clear and blatant hold and there was no need to debate it. Cheffers main reason for making the call is that Bradberry grabbed Smith-Schuster’s jersey and that restricted Smith-Suchuster from releasing to the outside.

I do believe that it was an unfortunate ending to an otherwise very exciting game, but when a penalty is there it should be called.