NFL Referee Throws Penalty Flag Just for the Hell of It

By Clay Beyersdorfer

NEW YORK — NFL officials confirmed Tuesday that referee Bill Harkins casually tossed his penalty flag during Monday night’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers “just because he felt like it,” marking the latest absurdity in what’s shaping up to be the NFL’s most penalty-heavy season since 2018.

“Sometimes, you just feel that flag's weight in your pocket, and it’s like, why not? It’s practically begging to be thrown,” said Harkins, who reportedly unleashed his flag during the second quarter when, by all accounts, no visible infraction occurred. “I could’ve let it slide, sure. But what’s the point of being out there if you won’t have some fun with it?”

Fans and analysts alike have been scratching their heads over the spike in penalties this season, which has averaged 6.49 calls per game — the highest since the league’s notorious 6.73 penalty-per-game peak in 2018. Sunday's Chiefs-Bucs matchup alone racked up 15 penalties, 4 of which officials later admitted were for “general vibes that didn’t feel right.”

“Vibes were just off, bro,” said one official who wished to remain anonymous.

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid, who received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for “questioning the flag’s existence,” described Harkins' performance as “some of the most creative officiating” he’s ever seen. 

“At this point, these guys are throwing flags for ‘having too much fun in the huddle’ and ‘breathing the wrong direction,’” Reid said. “Harkins threw one just because Patrick [Mahomes] blinked in a way he didn’t like. Where is the line?”

NFL insiders reveal that while the league is “looking into” the high penalty numbers, there’s a growing rumor that referees have started competing to see who can rack up the most flags in a single game. One source close to officiating crews tells End of the Bench a recent post-game conversation between refs, with Harkins reportedly bragging, “If I don’t get at least eight flags per game, am I even doing my job?”

As for fans? Most have resigned themselves to the reality that they’re watching a penalty-filled circus. 

“I tuned in to see Mahomes and Baker do their thing, but instead, I got 20 minutes of yellow flags and refs finding new reasons to call ‘excessive celebration of a fair catch,’” said longtime Chiefs fan Todd McMillan. “At this point, I’m surprised they didn’t flag me for calling him a dumbshit fucking loser.’”

For his part, Harkins seemed unfazed by the backlash, saying, “We could just let ‘em play — but then how would they know who’s in charge?”

End of the Bench will have more on this story after we pick up our flag.

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