Rams continue to pay the price for Puka Nacua's brash outburst against refs

Never start a war you cannot win. That's conventional wisdom that escaped Los Angeles Rams elite wide receiver Puka Nacua. Had he realized the damage that calling out NFL officiating would cause his team, he might have held his tongue. Instead, he unloaded a barrage of public insults at referees that still stings.

Big mistake. Big. Huge.

It's not that he said anything that fans have not been thinking all season long. NFL officiating has screwed Los Angeles against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, and against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17. LA lost every game, thanks in no small part to the way the refs turned a blind eye.

But the objectivity of NFL officials has skewed markedly against the Horns since Puka Nacua's embarrassing comments. The proof is in the pudding, as per nflrefstats's recent update. They assert that LA's penalties have increased 50 percent since Nacua ranted on social media.

Unfortunately, the optics track that assertion.

Is the NFL borrowing a page from chamipionship 'rasslin?

Sports are part of the entertainment industry. But the rules that govern sports mandate that the outcome of contests is objectively dependent upon the performance of athletes who compete in the contest.

Championship Wrestling (also known as 'rasslin) circumvents that requirement by naming itself 'sports entertainment' to allow scripted competition with pre-determined outcomes.

Curiously, that hasn't dissuaded fans from filling arenas and cheering on the participants. Now the question is, will this become the future of the NFL?

Sometimes it feels that way. While controversy over calls on the field has always added drama, the current trend appears to be towards actively determining the outcome of games. That is not good for the fans nor for the NFL. Unfortunately, the perception is leaning further that way.

For LA Rams fans, the outlook is not promising. Not only must this team face the Chicago Bears on the road, and the brutal winter cold. Fans now have evidence that the officials have a bone to pick with them. That's not a winning combination for the LA Rams.

As always, thanks for reading.