NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell has spent an ample amount of time dealing with the fallout of the missed call that occurred during the NFC Championship Game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints.
Aside from having to come up with a solution to future potential no-calls, Goodell and the officials involved in the game have been called in for questioning for the multiple lawsuits that have been filed against the NFL.
There have been some wild accusations regarding a sinister ploy to keep New Orleans from reaching the Super Bowl, however, they have all been dismissed up to this point.
According to Kevin McGill of the Associated Press, a federal judge has dismissed the notion that those who attended the game should be compensated for the missed call:
A judge has dismissed the last of three federal lawsuits targeting Roger Goodell and other NFL officials over officiating at January’s NFC title game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints. That leaves one state court lawsuit pending over game officials’ failure to call a blatant penalty at a crucial point, helping the Rams advance to the Super Bowl.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan’s ruling Tuesday rejected arguments that people who bought tickets to the game are entitled to damage payments. Ticket purchasers who filed the suit say the NFL broke a legal promise that the game would be played fairly.
The ruling is just the latest in what has been a strange series of lawsuits hovering against the league up to this point. All it did was further confirm that fact that it was simply a bad no-call on what should have been a pass interference by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.
Despite all the lawsuits being dismissed so far, Goodell and the three officials are not out of the woods just yet. While there is not much more to be gained from the whole ordeal, a state judge in Louisiana could still look to call them in for questioning.
Although the goal to bring about some sense of justice to the Saints always seemed a bit far-fetched, it is safe to say that their efforts fell vastly short of expectations from a personal standpoint. Fortunately, they can take solace in a new rule that would allow coaches to challenge pass interference calls.
The rule has already been put into effect during the first preseason game between the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos. Regardless, there will still be plenty of talk regarding its practicality moving forward.
