The entire Saints fan base is still in collective mourning over the NOLA No Call and the Saints loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship.
It was one of the worst moments in league history -- on-field officials making the worst officiating mistake ever seen on a football field while robbing the New Orleans Saints a chance at playing in the franchise’s second Super Bowl. It’s not hyperbole to say lives and legacies were changed forever in that singular moment of total incompetence.
There’s still been no formal response from the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell, nor Al Riverson, the league’s VP of Officiating. It’s a cowardly stance from people who’ve somehow made a career out of cowardly decisions. Admitting the egregious mistake by the officials in that game wouldn’t fix what happened, but would be a small first step at healing the open wounds from that moment. The world remains waiting for the league to do the right thing.
People are mad. They should be mad. While at the essence of professional football is its value as a form of entertainment, that doesn’t lessen the pain of what happened to anybody involved, or any fans who had invested themselves heavily in this Saints season. Countless people inside and outside the organization will lose money, and lots of it, because of the blunder.
Anger is justified, and can be therapeutic. Super Bowl boycotts won’t harm anybody except the league who was culpable for the No Call, along with their advertising and media partners. Downward pressure on television ratings can be an effective tool to nudge the NFL towards action. Boycott away!
Then there’s the many petitions, proclamations, and lawsuits moving forward in the wake of the disastrous missed call. Anybody taking part in those needs a serious reality check. Using our courts of law to litigate the results of a football game won’t be productive in getting the desired result. Using government resources to issue proclamations about the game won’t change anything. Petitions or billboards are fun sideshows without any real substance.
What all of those things will do extremely well is make everybody involved look extravagantly petty.
Whatever stage of grief you’re stuck in, that nonsense isn’t a productive answer. If you want to make real change then boycott the Super Bowl, or contact the NFL directly. If you’re looking for a release then throw every party or parade imaginable, as we’re better at doing those things here than anywhere else in the world -- it is Mardi Gras season, after all. Certainly Krewes du Vieux and d’Etat will have a lot to say about that game.
Let’s leave the pettiness to other fan bases. We’re better than that here.