New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson made it clear that she’s not pleased with the NFL and its officiating crews.
The Saints were robbed of a spot in the Super Bowl after one of the worst blown pass interferences call in the history of the league. In fact, it might be the worst no-call that I’ve ever seen. A Saints receiver got absolutely drilled by a Rams defender, and not a single flag was thrown. Los Angeles ended up winning the game in overtime. (RELATED: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Could Intervene On The Outcome Of The Rams Vs. Saints Game)
There wasn’t a flag thrown on this play. The NFL should be embarrassed. pic.twitter.com/qL2dTyonEb
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) January 20, 2019
Benson wrote the following in part late Monday afternoon in response to the situation:
No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity yesterday. I have been in touch with the NFL regarding yesterday’s events and will aggressively pursue changes in NFL policies to ensure no team and fan base is ever put in a similar position again. It is a disservice to our coaches, players, employees and, most importantly, the fans who make our game possible. The NFL must always commit to providing the most basic of expectations – fairness and integrity.
That’s a pretty calm statement from Benson. I would have lost it if I owned the team. My statement after that blown call would have been full of profanity, and I’d feel 100 percent justified.
I just don’t understand how the hell the refs messed that up so badly. It’s not like it was a close judgement call. (RELATED: The Patriots Will Face The Rams In The Super Bowl)
Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis got mauled by the defender. He got about as close to murdered as you can get in the NFL, and apparently all the refs were blinded at the time of contact.
It should be interesting to see if the NFL makes any changes to the rules in the near future. I’m honestly not even sure what could be done.
Reviewing penalties seems insane and it could make games last forever. There’s not a great solution here, and that’s a fact.