Saints fans file lawsuit over blown call
In the legal equivalent of a Hail Mary pass, two Saints season-ticket holders asked a judge Tuesday to order the NFL commissioner to reverse the result of the NFC Championship Game that sent the Rams to the Super Bowl or schedule a do-over.
Their lawsuit, filed in state court, says commissioner Roger Goodell should implement a league rule governing “extraordinarily unfair acts.” Remedies include reversal of a game’s result or the rescheduling of a game — in its entirety or from the point when the act occurred.
At issue is the failure of officials to call interference or roughness penalties when a Rams player leveled a Saints receiver with a helmet-to-helmet hit at a crucial point in the game Sunday. The NFL hasn’t yet responded. A hearing is tentatively set for Monday — six days before the Rams meet the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
“Why is the rule there if it’s not going to be implemented?” asked attorney Frank D’Amico, who filed the suit in state Civil District Court in New Orleans on behalf of Tommy Badeaux and Candis Lambert.
Gov. John Bel Edwards sent a letter to Goodell to express the “deep disappointment” of the people of Louisiana and Saints fans.
“The very least that any fan of the Saints, or any other team, should be able to expect from any game is that the result will be decided by the players on the field,” Edwards wrote. “By missing the obvious, blatant and intentional penalty at the end of the game, the referees in Sunday’s game undermined that expectation and unfortunately were allowed to determine the winner.”
Edwards is calling on the NFL to make rule changes for next season that would allow for expanding replay reviews. He said without such adjustments, “the very integrity of the game will be called into question.”
The league’s competition committee reportedly will consider expanding replay reviews to include certain penalties, including pass interference.
Chiefs fire DC after loss to Pats
The Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, two days after his defense was unable to come up with pivotal stops against Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
The 67-year-old Sutton had been defensive coordinator since 2013, when he joined Reid’s initial staff in Kansas City. The longtime college and NFL assistant had previously spent more than a decade with the Jets, including a stint as defensive coordinator. Former Jets and Bills head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan is a name to watch as a replacement, according to ESPN.
Laser reportedly flashed at Brady
The NFL will “look into the report” from a Kansas City television station that a laser was flashed at Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the fourth quarter of the AFC title game. A photographer from KMBC shot video that showed a green dot flickering around Brady’s shoulder and face.
McFadden arrested on DWI charge
Ex-Raiders and Cowboys running back Darren McFadden, 31, was arrested on a DWI charge after falling asleep in a fast-food drive-thru.