Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas believes the referees called excessive penalties against his team Monday night to keep the Washington Redskins from getting blown out. The Pro Bowler indicated the referees wanted the game close for better ratings, according to USA Today Sports.
The Seahawks were called for 13 penalties, include three that negated touchdowns by receiver Percy Harvin. The penalties, in Thomas's estimation, were how the referees tried to keep the game interesting by helping out the Redskins with calls.
"I just think it's Monday Night Football, you know the fans are watching, and everybody wants to see a good game, so they're gonna try to make it as close as possible," Thomas told USA Today Sports. "It's a business."
Thomas also joked about how the penalties made Harvin upset because of the lost points in fantasy football.
"The reason why we're so up and down, sometimes the refs kind of get into it, and it kind of makes the game kinda feel weird," said Thomas. "Percy Harvin - my little brother, I know he's pissed off because we were going at it in a fantasy league. I had Russell Wilson, and he had Percy Harvin, and they called all the touchdowns back, so I know he's pretty upset."
Harvin, who finished the game with 34 yards, seemed to shrug it off.
"We got the bad side today. That is what it is," he said. "The first one, I was cool, I was like, 'OK.' And when the second one happened, I was like, 'Wow.' And then when the third one happened, I just flipped my hands down, I couldn't believe it. But at the same time, penalties are part of football. We would definitely like to have them back. (Monday), the penalties kind of got the best of us."
The NBA has been similarly accused of calling fouls to keep a game close, or to help secure a marquee matchup in the playoffs.
