The officiating crew from Week 5's Chiefs-Vikings game is about to get a whole lot more blowback.
On Saturday, the NFL announced it was fining Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed for unsportsmanlike conduct in last week's game against Minnesota. Late in the fourth quarter with the Vikings down by one score, Sneed removed his helmet to argue a pass interference flag. In the replay videos, Sneed clearly took off his helmet and walked toward the referees, who then instructed him to put his helmet back on.
The NFL fined him $13,659 for the action, one listed as illegal in the NFL rulebook: "Removal of his helmet by a player in the field of play or the end zone during a celebration or demonstration, or during a confrontation with a game official or any other player" is categorized under unsportsmanlike conduct.
The league correctly disciplined Sneed. The referees on the field did not.
With the NFL's latest ruling, the Vikings have all the more reason to complain -- though that won't turn back the clock.
Vikings get ammo from league on controversial Chiefs' L'Jarius Sneed no-call in Week 5
Even if Sneed's helmet removal penalty had been called, the Vikings wouldn't have received a fresh set of downs. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are assessed after the play, so the Chiefs would have been backed up even further into their own territory at the start of their ensuing drive (at the 12-and-a-half-yard line).
Still, as many fuming Vikings fans will angrily yell into the void, it's about the principle of the thing. Sneed committed a blatant foul in a critical moment. The referees chose to shrug it off and give him a warning rather than penalize him.
Because of the officiating crew's mistake, Kansas City's 27-20 win over Minnesota will continue to be shrouded with controversy. In the modern era of football, it's starting to feel like no team can win fair and square anymore.
