Did New Orleans Saints fans suing the NFL lose their grip on reality?
Let's start with the answer to the question: YES!!! They're so far removed from what's reality, that they can't see reality!
If you've been hiding for the last few days, let me catch you up to what you missed. The Saints hosted the Los Angeles Ram last Sunday, in the NFC championship game. The winner goes to the Super Bowl. The game is tied late. The Saints are driving for what could be the winning score. They throw a pass towards the goal line. The Rams defender runs into the Saints receiver. It's clearly pass interference.
Everyone was waiting for the penalty flag to be thrown. The announcers, the fans in the stadium, the fans watching at home, the Saints and even the Rams know it pass interference. They're still waiting for the flag. It was never thrown. No penalty.
Had it been called, the Saints could have run the game clock down, kicked the game winning field goal and won the game in regulation. Because it wasn't, the Rams got the ball back one final time. They drove the field for a game tying field goal. The game goes into overtime. A few minutes later, the Rams intercepted a Saints pass, which led to the game winning field goal. The Los Angeles Rams are going to Super Bowl LII.in
The Saints and their fans think they were robbed. The Saint's coach, Sean Payton, immediately heard from the league office admitting the missed call. I guess 'we're sorry' isn't enough.
In the two days since the game ended, people have been going a little nuts. Okay...more than a little nuts. Okay...they've gone fucking crazy!
First, I've seen multiple fans, not anyone connected with the Saints or NFL, talking about how the game was fixed. The NFL and the game officials wanted and did everything possible for the Rams to win the game.
RIDICULOUS!
Yeah....Vince McMahon is really the commissioner of the NFL. Pro football is now pro wresting? PFFFFT!
Next, Saints fans started an online petition to replay the game: "Refs missed a blatant pass interference call against the Los Angeles Rams late in fourth quarter of Jan. 20 NFC Championship game, possibly costing New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl. Due to refs' inability to properly officiate at the game, we the undersigned want a rematch against L.A. on Sunday, Jan. 27. It's the only fair solution to this travesty of epic proportions."
More than 600,000 people have signed the petition. But for others, that didn't go far enough.
A lawsuit was filed against the NFL and their commissioner Roger Goodall. It states that NFL bylaws gives Goodall the power, in extraordinary circumstances, to have a game or part of a game replayed. What they want is for Goodall to bring the teams back, restart the game at the time of the missed pass interference penalty, enforce the penalty and then play out the game AGAIN from that point.
I just finished laughing. Have you? And if we're going to start the game again, why not at the 5:03 point of the fourth quarter. That's when the refs missed a face mask penalty against the Saints. That would put the ball at the Saints one yard line and give the Rams the chance to score a touchdown instead of a tying field goal. Maybe they run the clock down more before scoring and make it even more difficult for New Orleans. Maybe...hmmm...lots of maybes in all of these situations.
The suit claims, "Saints fans suffered incredible damages from the missed call, including mental anguish, emotional trauma, loss of enjoyment of life, and more — including a loss of faith in the NFL."
OY! Really? People...it's a game. Yes, I understand how important games are to some people and how emotional people get over them, myself included, but still....it's a game. Games are played by humans and officiated by humans. Mistakes are made by all parties involved. Yes, sometimes they determine the outcome but we know that's a possibility going in. You have to accept that. You have to get past that.
And oh yeah...the Saints' owner, Gayle Benson, chimed in. Her statement:
“Yesterday’s result is still difficult to accept for all of us. I am thoroughly disappointed by the events that led to the outcome of yesterday’s game. Getting to the Super Bowl is incredibly difficult to do and takes such an unbelievable commitment from a team and support from its fans. 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.”
Oh man...Gayle, did you really question the fairness of the NFL and it's game officials? Do you think that's helpful? That does nothing to diffuse the situation.
To the fans of the Saints...I feel for you. I really do. I have a few games that the results still stick with me. Some are decades old. I get your pain. So even though I never signed a petition or sued a sports league, I can give you a break. That break lasts until next Sunday...yanno, the day you are expecting the game to get replayed. At that point, you should get on with your life and move on.
Hmmm...maybe get ready to watch the big game on February 3. Super Bowl LII.
Go Rams?
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