NFL: Re-do of NFC title game would cost more than $100M
Redoing ODVW ZHHNHQG¶V FRQWURYHUVLDO NFC title game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints would mean a SULFH\ GHOD\ RI WKH XSFRPLQJ 6XSHU %RZO WKH 1)/ VDLG Friday.
,Q D OHJDO ¿OLQJ 1)/ FKLHI ILQDQFLDO RIILFHU -RVHSK 6LFODUH VDLG UHSOD\LQJ HYHQ a few minutes of the NFC FKDPSLRQVKLS JDPH EHFDXVH RI D PLVVHG SDVVHG LQWHUIHUence call would force a delay for an event that demands an investment of “more WKDQ PLOOLRQ ´ WKH 1HZ 2UOHDQV $GYRFDWH UHSRUWHG
6LFODUH¶V VZRUQ DI¿GDYLW was submitted by the NFL to JHW RQH RI WZR SHQGLQJ ODZVXLWV RYHU RI¿FLDWLQJ PRYHG from state civil court to New Orleans federal court.
7KH ILOLQJ PDUNV WKH OHDJXH¶V ¿UVW IRUPDO UHVSRQVH WR D ODZVXLW E\ D SDLU RI WLFNHW holders over the infamous “no call” that ended the Saints’ 6XSHU %RZO UXQ ODVW 6XQGD\
The league cited a federal law that allows a defendant to automatically remove a state class-action lawsuit to federal court when the SDUWLHV DUH IURP GLIIHUHQW states and the amount of the damages sought by the SODLQWLIIV H[FHHGV PLOOLRQ
According to Siclare, a GHPDQG E\ WKH SODLQWLIIV for the league to issue full UHIXQGV WR WLFNHW KROGHUV ZHOO H[FHHGV WKDW EHQFKPDUN RQ LWV RZQ DV WKH DYHUDJH WLFNHW SULFH IRU WKH JDPH KRYHUHG DURXQG 7KDW DGGV XS WR PRUH WKDQ
PLOOLRQ LQ WLFNHW SURFHHGV But the far bigger cost, Siclare suggested, would be LI WKH )HE 6XSHU %RZO LV delayed by a court in order to UHZLQG WKH FORFN DQG UHSOD\ DOO RU D SRUWLRQ RI WKH 1)& WLWOH JDPH ² D UHVXOW XUJHG E\ WKH SODLQWLIIV DQG PXFK of “Who Dat Nation,” which LV DOVR OLVWHG DV D SODLQWLII
³7KH 6XSHU %RZO WKH 1)/¶V SUHPLHUH HYHQW LV D FDUHIXOO\ SODQQHG DQG HQRUPRXVO\ H[SHQVLYH XQGHUWDNLQJ ZLWK SUHSDUDWLRQV FDUHIXOO\ VHTXHQFHG ´ IURP ORJLVWLFV WR SURGXFLQJ D ³IXOO EORZQ music concert at halftime,” Siclare wrote.
While the NFL has UHPDLQHG SXEOLFO\ VLOHQW about the controversial nocall, the league said Friday LW KDG ¿QHG 5DPV GHIHQVLYH EDFN 1LFNHOO 5REH\ &ROHPDQ $26,739 for his helmet-tohelmet hit on Saints receiver 7RPP\OHH /HZLV ² D VHFond infraction that went XQÀDJJHG RQ WKH VDPH SOD\
Saints head coach Sean Payton has said a league official admitted to him immediately after the game WKDW ERWK SHQDOWLHV VKRXOG KDYH EHHQ FDOOHG RQ WKH SOD\
Meanwhile, a hearing VRXJKW E\ WKH WZR SODLQWLIIV LQ WKH ODZVXLW 7RPP\ %DGHX[ and Candis Lambert, that was scheduled for Monday was GHFODUHG PRRW E\ )ULGD\¶V ¿OLQJ
,W¶V QR VXUSULVH WKDW WKH 1)/ ZRXOG VHHN WR WDNH WKH case out of the hands of a local New Orleans judge in favor of a federal jurist, said local attorney Glenn McGovern.
³7KHUH¶V D SHUFHSWLRQ E\ VRPH SHRSOH WKDW IHGHUDO court is fairer than state court,” McGovern said.