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NFL suspends two officials for unprofessional conduct toward players

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 10 outlets across the spectrum.

18 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

The NFL suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games and referee Adrian Hill for one game after separate incidents during Week 4, league officiating vice president Ramon George said. Seeman was caught on camera appearing to curse at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Arizona’s 36-24 loss to the New York Giants, after officials did not flag a play McBride contested. Hill was suspended for yelling at Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after Hill was knocked down on an unrelated play. NFLPA executive director JC Tretter publicly criticized the officials’ conduct toward players. CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala said McBride did not curse at Seeman before the confrontation.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. The NFL suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games without pay.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. The NFL suspended referee Adrian Hill for one game.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. Seeman was filmed appearing to curse at Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during the Cardinals’ 36-24 loss to the Giants.

    Reported byLeftRight

  4. Hill yelled at Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after being knocked down on the field during the Vikings-Dolphins game.

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. NFLPA executive director JC Tretter publicly called the officials’ conduct ‘unacceptable’ and demanded accountability.

    Reported byLeftRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. NFL VP of officiating Ramon George issued the suspensions, describing each as a response to ‘unprofessional conduct toward a player.’

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala said she heard McBride say ‘please’ and ‘You’re ruining the game,’ but did not hear him curse before Seeman’s outburst.

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • What McBride said or did that preceded Seeman’s reaction.

    CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, cited by the New York Post, Fox News and Breitbart, said McBride said ‘please’ while arguing for a penalty and did not curse, with his harshest comment being ‘You’re ruining the game.’ Other outlets did not address what, if anything, McBride said before Seeman’s reaction.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left-side outlets largely echo the NFL’s own phrase ‘unprofessional conduct’ in their headlines and emphasize the league’s official statement and Tretter’s criticism.

    NFL suspends line judge for swearing at Cardinals’ Trey McBride during game
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Mantle’s analysis has no note on this side yet. One of its headlines is shown.

    Referee Union Has Strong Response to NFL After 2 Officials Were Punished
    NewsweekCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    5 outlets

    Right-side outlets range from straightforward descriptions of the suspensions to a follow-up piece on the New York Post focusing on a reporter’s eyewitness account of McBride’s words.

    NFL Referees Association to Challenge Officials' Suspensions
    Breitbart NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    drew the ire of

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right7

    curse outfumeshurl profanityset off

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    curse outMore neutral: appears to swear at

    Dramatizes the alleged profanity with a colloquial, charged verb rather than a neutral description.

    NFL ref appears to curse out Cardinals star during loss to Giants as NFLPA boss fumes

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    fumesMore neutral: responds critically

    Exaggerates Tretter's reaction for dramatic effect rather than neutrally describing his statement.

    NFL ref appears to curse out Cardinals star during loss to Giants as NFLPA boss fumes

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    hurl profanityMore neutral: direct profanity

    Uses a dramatic verb to describe the alleged swearing rather than a neutral term.

    NFL reviewing incident after line judge Jeff Seeman appeared to hurl profanity at Cardinals' Trey McBride

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    set offMore neutral: that preceded

    Implies McBride’s words caused the ref’s reaction, a causal framing that is itself contested by the reporter’s own account.

    CBS sideline reporter reveals what Trey McBride said that set off angry ref in viral clip

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

Show 4 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    snapping atMore neutral: responding to

    Characterizes Hill’s reaction with an emotionally charged verb rather than a neutral description of his action.

    …the Giants at MetLife Stadium, and referee Adrian Hill was banned one game for snapping at Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after an accidental collision, per a statement…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    wild player altercationsMore neutral: player confrontations

    ‘Wild’ adds dramatic flair beyond a neutral description of the incidents.

    NFL suspends two refs for ‘unprofessional conduct’ after wild player altercations

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded verb

    drew the ire ofMore neutral: was criticized by

    Frames Tretter’s reaction with dramatic language rather than a neutral description of his statement.

    The incident drew the ire of union leader JC Tretter.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    angrily snapping backMore neutral: responding sharply

    Describes Hill’s action with an emotionally charged phrase that implies hostility beyond the documented facts.

    …at MetLife Stadium, and referee Adrian Hill was handed a one-game ban for angrily snapping back at Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after an unintentional collision.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • NFL’s official statement
  • Tretter’s comments on accountability
  • details of both suspensions

Leaves out

  • CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala’s account of what McBride said before the incident

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

2 outlets
See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • NewsweekCenter

    Referee Union Has Strong Response to NFL After 2 Officials Were Punished

    The NFL Referees Association plans to challenge a league ruling to suspend two officials for their actions during Sunday's games.

    Read at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)
  • BBC NewsCenter

    NFL suspends two officials for player incidents

    The NFL suspends officials Jeff Seeman and Adrian Hill for instances of unprofessional conduct towards a player.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the right

5 outlets

Leads with

  • details of the suspensions and disciplinary process
  • Tretter’s public criticism
  • Kinkhabwala’s sideline account of the exchange
See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    NBC News, Oct 4, 9:09 PM EDT

  • Center

    1 day 5 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 6, 2:13 AM EDT

  • Right

    24 min later

    Its first report, Oct 4, 9:33 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NBC NewsLeftOct 4, 9:09 PM EDT
  2. New York PostRightOct 4, 9:33 PM EDT
  3. Fox NewsFar RightOct 4, 9:52 PM EDT
  4. The GuardianLeftOct 4, 10:00 PM EDT
  5. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 5, 6:26 PM EDT
  6. BBC NewsCenterOct 6, 2:13 AM EDT
  7. The Western JournalFar RightOct 6, 6:00 AM EDT
  8. ABC NewsLeftOct 6, 6:43 AM EDT
  9. NewsweekCenterOct 6, 1:12 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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