Lions Fans Try to Bribe NFL Referees During Loss to Vikings
When the Detroit Lions took the field on Sunday to face off with the Minnesota Vikings, the [...]
When the Detroit Lions took the field on Sunday to face off with the Minnesota Vikings, the fanbase was concerned about how the game would play out. Would the referees make more controversial calls that affected the outcome, or would they call a clean game? The answer was unknown, but some fans decided to turn the tables by offering a bribe to the officials.
In a post by the NFL Memes Instagram account, some fans of the Lions were seen holding out money for the referees during pregame warmups. Their goal was to "convince" the officials to call a fair game instead of targeting the home team. The NFL adamantly denies that there is any innate favoritism for whatever team plays the Lions each week, but the fans disagree.
"Right here," one fan yelled as the referee walked past. "70 bucks! 70 dollars."
The referees did not accept the bribe from the Lions fans, which was expected, and they also did not gain any favor from those in attendance. During this battle with the Vikings, the Lions were slapped with eight penalties, compared to Minnesota's six.
One specific infraction, which was called on cornerback Justin Coleman, negated a Detroit interception in the end zone. Instead of ending the Vikings' drive and taking control early in the game, the defense was instead forced back onto the field. Minnesota ended up scoring one play later to tie the game at 14 all.
According to Team Rankings, the Lions are the sixth most penalized team in the entire NFL, averaging 8.3 infractions per game. The Browns have been penalized the most and are followed by the Falcons, the Bills, the Cardinals, and the Jets. The Panthers and the Colts, on the other hand, have been penalized the fewest amount of times on average.
Being among the league's most-penalized does not mean that the referees are out "to get" the Lions. Although the fanbase may want to make an argument based on the Green Bay Packers being tied for the ninth-fewest penalties with the Tennessee Titans. This is the team that benefited from some controversial calls during last Monday's NFC North battle with the Lions.
If the fans hope to see fewer penalties each week, they will have to hope that the players and coaches find other ways to avoid the yellow flags. Bribery just isn't working out.
(Photo Credit: Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto/Getty)
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