Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict was ejected from Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans for making contact with an official. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the linebacker won't be suspended for his actions.
That is news bit one of a two-fold news story, as there have been murmurs out of the team's camp that Vontaze Burfict is actually being targeted by National Football League officials. According to Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, calm down on that specific conspiracy theory.
“Officials have a job to do, and I’ve explained this to Vontaze, and he understands that,” Lewis said. “They have a job to do and they are going to separate players, and players are in a situation where they are there. That’s not what this is about, where the NFL should be. So, get back to the huddle and get going, and that’s the most important thing. We don’t need to jaw with anyone after the play, any of the players, so that’s important. It would shock me if those things occur. I know on occasions supposedly they have, but again, that would shock me.”
Adam Schefter of ESPN has reported that an unnamed Bengals player believes officials have provoked Burfict at least three times in recent weeks. That is obviously an incredibly hard thing to prove.
Also worth noting is that Burfict has been a repeat offender as far as playing dirty is concerned. Maybe he's less being targeted and more just a guy who keeps getting caught doing dirty stuff because he remains doing dirty things on a football field.
Call me old fashioned, but if he weren't committing penalties each weekend, he wouldn't have to worry about such things like this conspiracy theory.
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