On The Road To Super Bowl LIII

We should be remembering Sunday for two exciting overtime conference championship games that set the field for Super Bowl LIII.

Instead, we are talking about the officiating.

No, we are not being complimentary.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune headline on Monday said it all about the jobbing of the Saints: Reffing unbelievable. A missed call – it could have been for pass interference or a helmet-to-helmet hit – cost the Saints the chance to put away in regulation a game that they lost 26-23 to the Los Angeles Rams in OT.

Saints owner Gayle Benson released a statement on Monday that included the following: “No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity yesterday.

I have been in touch with the NFL regarding yesterday’s events and will aggressively pursue changes in NFL policies to ensure no team and fan base is ever put in a similar position again. It is a disservice to our coaches, players, employees and, most importantly, the fans who make our game possible.

The NFL must always commit to providing the most basic of expectations – fairness and integrity.” Also on Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs, who lost 38-31 in OT to the New England Patriots, got into the act.

Coach Andy Reid took issue with a call against his team for roughing the passer and also an offside penalty, though he acknowledged his player was offside (well, if you’re going to complain, go the distance). After the much-criticized roughing call in the fourth quarter, the Patriots, rewarded with a first down, went to score a touchdown and take a 24-21 lead.

It has been painfully clear all season that the NFL has a number of officiating issues. Now they’re dominating the conversation when we should be talking about great plays made by great players.

Worse, those errors – bad calls or no calls – are changing outcomes. And that goes to Benson’s point about fairness and integrity.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman