NFL must answer for officiating debacle in Chiefs-Vikings game

While the call was indeed questionable, it was nowhere near as egregious as what happened next. Sneed wanted a penalty called against Addison for offensive pass interference and removed his helmet to argue the call.

Article 1, Section 3 of the National Football League rulebook deals with situations that would draw a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Sneed's actions are mentioned in black and white:

"Such actions specifically include...removal of his helmet by a player in the field of play...during a confrontation with a game official."

However, not only was the penalty not called, but an official was seen as telling Sneed to put his helmet back on without throwing a flag. Apparently, Sneed was given a warning that he could choose to abide by rather than getting penalized.

Since when are officials allowed to say the equivalent of, "I'm going to count to three, and if your helmet isn't back on by the time I get to three, you're getting a penalty"?

When it comes to controversy of any sort, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is notorious for either ignoring it altogether or issuing an emphatic denial. Last February, at his yearly press conference preceding the Super Bowl, Goodell defended his officials in the strongest of terms by saying, "I don't think it's ever been better."

What happened on Sunday in Minneapolis, however, can't be ignored. The league can't hide behind a standard "no comment" email sent out by public relations. Coaches and players are asked why specific decisions were made after every game. The officials should be held to the same standards. Rules can't be made up on the fly during a game. Leave that to baseball umpiring.