Louisiana Gov. Edwards releases letter from Goodell

BATON ROUGE, LA.» NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has told Louisiana’s governor there was an error in the officiating that helped the Rams go to the Super Bowl instead of the Saints, but there’s nothing he can do about it.

Goodell wrote to Gov. John Bel Edwards saying a penalty should have been called. But reiterating earlier comments, Goodell said he’s not authorized to overturn game results because of an officiating error, and clubs haven’t supported replays to review penalty calls or non-calls.

Edwards released a copy of the letter Monday.

Goodell said the league will consider whether rule or procedure changes could prevent similar problems going forward.

Edwards says that’s cold comfort to Saints fans, but he applauds Goodell’s willingness to review the error.

Edwards wrote to Goodell Jan. 22. Goodell said it apparently arrived while he was away at the Super Bowl. Goodell’s reply was dated Feb. 6.

Former official Cashion dies at 87.

B RYA N , TEX A S »

Former NFL referee Red Cashion, known for his vociferous calls of “FIRST DOWN,” has died. He was 87.

Cashion died Sunday, according to Calloway-Jones Life & Legacy funeral home.

Cashion retired from the NFL in 1997 after officiating for 25 years, 21 one of them as a referee. He worked two Super Bowls.

NFL Referees Association executive director Scott Green called Cashion “the kind of man everyone wanted to emulate both on and off the field, and he gave so much of his time to all of us.”

Born Mason L. “Red” Cashion was born Nov. 10, 1931 in College Station, Texas. He ran track and played football, basketball and baseball at A&M Consolidated High School, then attended Texas A&M on a baseball scholarship, graduating in 1953. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

He began his officiating career while finishing his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M.

Raiders’ Single-

The Bengals hired Jemal Singleton from the Raiders to serve as their running backs coach, part of their latest moves to fill out Zac Taylor’s staff.

They also added Joey Boese as strength and conditioning coach, and hired high school coach Doug Rosfeld as director of coaching operations.

Boese spent the last three seasons as strength and conditioning coach at Illinois. Rosfeld was the head football coach at Cincinnati’s Moeller High School last season.

The Bengals also made their first player move under Taylor, claiming quarterback Brad Kaaya off waivers from the Colts. Kaaya missed last season with a back injury. He was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round in 2017 from Miami. He also spent time with the Panthers.

Reid re-ups with Panthers.

The Panthers resigned safety Eric Reid to a threeyear contract that runs through the 2021 season.

Reid joined the Panthers in Week 4 of last season after spending five seasons with the 49ers. He started all 13 games played and had 73 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception and a sack.

The Panthers made news when they signed Reid to a one-year deal last October. He was an unrestricted free agent and didn’t attend training camp last summer — something Reid believes was a direct response by NFL owners to his decision to kneel for the national anthem alongside former teammate Colin Kaepernick in protest of social and racial injustice.

Reid has an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL owners for colluding to keep him out of the league.