TAMPA, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 07: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers speaks with umpire Fred Bryan #11 and referee Carl Cheffers #51 during the second quarter in Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium on February 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

It’s been a rough stretch for referees these last few days, though they’re currently under no threat of any sort of punishment for making the wrong calls.

The NBA has been in the news for their officials’ egregious non-call following a foul on LeBron James by Jayson Tatum on a potential game-winner on Saturday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers ended up losing that game to the Boston Celtics, with LeBron throwing a historic tantrum while his teammate Pat Beverley was ejected for actually bringing a camera to one of the referees to show LBJ had indeed gotten fouled.

The NFL had its turn on Sunday, with fans setting social media alight with claims of the league being “rigged” during the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals had a lot of calls go against them during the game, nearly all of them controversial. The NFC affair wasn’t devoid of such incidents as Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith made a superhuman effort to complete a one-handed catch against the San Francisco 49ers, which was ruled a reception before replays showed the ball hit the ground.

Officiating has become the subject of many debates ahead of the Super Bowl. And Brady shared his thoughts on the issue during the most recent episode of the Let’s Go! Podcast, advising that refs should only throw flags when infractions are clear and obvious.

It’s just the way sports are, you know, it’s just another thing for us to get emotional about. The refs got a tough job. Are they going to get every call right? I mean, is anyone a hundred percent in their job? It’s a hard job to do. They’re making decisions in a millisecond.

This is what I believe . . . there were three terms they used . . . it was clear, it was obvious and . . . it was prolonged. At the end of the day that would be my barometer for throwing flags.

That would be my barometer for taunting. Was it clear? Was it obvious? And was it prolonged? If it meets those criteria, penalty.

While this is sound advice, clear and obvious will always be subjective. What appears clear and obvious to viewers might not be the same for the refs while they’re in the heat of the moment, and vice versa.

In any case, it would be great if the Super Bowl is less controversial than the two games which preceded it.