The AFC Championship between the Chiefs and Ravens is set to determine who will advance to Super Bowl 58. While the Ravens are favored to win, some NFL fans are concerned about a possible bias toward the Chiefs.

The Chiefs have garnered more attention than any other team this season, which is understandable considering they are the defending Super Bowl champions and have Patrick Mahomes as their quarterback.

However, Kansas City’s notoriety isn’t solely due to their on-field performance. It’s also because they have Taylor Swift, a renowned celebrity, as a prominent fan this season. Swift publicly revealed her relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce early in the 2023 NFL season. Since then, she has regularly attended Kansas City’s games and has often been featured on broadcasts when she is present.

The NFL has greatly benefited from Swift’s presence as her fan base, known as “Swifties,” has taken an interest in the sport. Whether they are tuning in to catch a glimpse of Swift or have become genuine football fans remains uncertain, but overall viewership has increased.

As a result, many speculate that the NFL would prefer the Chiefs to make it to the Super Bowl because Swift’s attendance at the event could potentially make it the most-watched Super Bowl in NFL history.

This speculation has given rise to the so-called “Taylor Swift conspiracy.” The theory suggests that the NFL’s assignment of referee Shawn Smith for the AFC championship game is part of a scheme to favor the Chiefs.

Smith has been an NFL official since 2015 and was promoted to referee in 2018. He is undoubtedly a qualified official, evidenced by his selection for postseason crews, a distinction reserved for the league’s top officials.

However, Smith has consistently shown a favoritism toward the road teams in recent seasons. In the past three years, home teams have won just 40.8% of the games officiated by Smith, compared to the NFL average of 55.4%. This disparity has made him the highest-ranked official in terms of road winning percentage since his debut as a referee in 2018.

Furthermore, Smith’s crews have called the seventh-most penalties per game during the 2023 season, with a majority of those penalties being called on the home teams. This statistic has led some to believe that the Chiefs may benefit from Smith’s officiating.

However, it should be noted that Smith often officiated games where the home team had a disadvantage. The overall record of home teams in his games this season was 117-155, while road teams were 152-120.

Despite this context, the conspiracy theory continues to circulate, especially since Smith’s assignment is in contrast to the fact that Clete Blakeman, the other referee, has called fewer penalties on home teams this season.

Ultimately, this speculation remains just that – a conspiracy theory. Only if the Chiefs win or keep the game close with questionable calls involved will there be any substance to the theory. If the Ravens easily handle the Chiefs or if the officials remain largely unnoticed throughout the game, it will be evident that there was no foul play in the officiating assignment.