Many people don't really understand the concept of bias nor recognize that their bias impacts how they see things also.
As I've said before, as an umpire myself, I'm so focused on making the right call, I don't have time for bias. I know of no officials who have ever said they are going to call plays against a certain team because they don't like the coach, players, etc. And officials who try to "fix" games, once they're discovered are ejected from the officiating game.
However, umpires DO take note of certain players and coaches, their temperament, what they complain about most, etc., and try to be very particular about calls because they know someone is going to give them grief about it. But this isn't a matter of bias in as much as it's preparing for the game, anticipating certain situations and being on your "P's" and "Q's."
And, quite frankly, officials make mistakes. Just like players do, just like coaches do, just like we all do. But making mistakes doesn't mean being bias.
These officials didn't have it in for Dallas. Dallas did themselves a disservice by not being ready to play. But when you can't accept responsibility, blame it on someone else, in this case, the refs.
