It’s no secret that NFL referees are supposed to be unbiased officials with no rooting interest or fan leanings. But that was apparently not exactly the case in Sunday afternoon’s game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a referee could be seen getting an autograph from Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans after the game.
In a video filmed by Panthers beat reporter Sheena Quick, referees Jeff Lamberth and Tripp Sutter can be seen meeting Evans in the tunnel with Lamberth handing something to Evans, appearing to ask for his autograph.
Understandably video absolutely shocked the NFL world and has since gone totally viral. Fans across the country took to Twitter to express their surprise and blast the refs for their antics.
https://twitter.com/FunnyMaine/status/1584270962689990656?s=20&t=_ZOz13E8PBWmjgmo7gkBmw
While it’s certainly not a good look for a referee – who is supposed to be an unbiased and objective party – to be seeking autographs from star players, it clearly didn’t impact the game all that much as Evans and the Buccaneers suffered a stunning loss to the Carolina Panthers despite entering the game as 14-point favorites.
Still, this is something the NFL referees will likely want to address to make sure it doesn’t happen in the futur.
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