Damning revelation about Super Bowl’s biggest controversy

LeBron James and everyone else can relax about the most controversial moment of the Super Bowl after this huge admission.

James Bradberry admitted to holding on this play.

The man at the centre of the Super Bowl’s biggest controversy has emphatically ended any debate about whether the Philadelphia Eagles were robbed.

With just under two minutes left, the Kansas City Chiefs got an automatic first down after a defensive holding call against James Bradberry on 3rd and 8.

Instead of the Philadelphia Eagles getting the ball with about 1:50 to go and a time-out, the Chiefs wasted more clock and kicked the Super Bowl-winning field goal with eight seconds left.

The defensive holding call drew lots of criticism on social media, given the timing of the penalty in which probably could have been no-called.

Former NFL punter and podcast host Pat McAfee said the refs should have eaten the whistle.

“That ref making that holding call at that time at that stage at that game? Super Bowl? Huh? Huh?!…” he said. “Hey refs – can’t f---ing call that there. Okay? It’s not about you. Now was there a hold? I guess. If you stop and go frame by frame, he had his hands on him, but nonetheless, at that stage? Come on! we were robbed of a potential overtime game in the Super Bowl!”

James Bradberry is called for holding against JuJu Smith-Schuster. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty)

LeBron James wrote: “His hand on his back had no effect on his route! This game was too damn good for that call to dictate the outcome at the end. Damn! By the way I have no horse in the race. Just my professional opinion.”

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons wrote: “Of course. Of course the season was gonna be decided on a shit call. Of course. Of course. Of course.”

Fox Sports’ Skip Bayless added: “I hate it that such a great game was decided by such a cheap bad ticky-tack call. let the players decide a game like this. just sickening.”

Canadian professor Emmett Macfarlane wrote: “Pathetic holding call to decide the game there, NFL.”

James Bradberry fessed up. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Despite negative reactions on Twitter, though, the Eagles cornerback admitted the refs made the right call.

“It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide,” he said after Super Bowl LVII.

Head coach Nick Sirianni said there were way too many other variables throughout the game to blame the loss on one call.

“It always appears to be one call. … That is not what it is. So many teams contribute to the result of the game. Today they were better,” he said.

The Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in franchise history, and their second since the 2019 season, with a final score of 38-35.

— with Fox News

Originally published as Damning revelation about Super Bowl’s biggest controversy