"Those people in New Orleans are nuts" - Bill Vinovich's father (article from USA Today) (1 Viewer)

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He can't publicly comment on the improbable turn of events since officials are off limits to the news media. But his father, Billy Vinovich Jr., and others chimed in with how the backlash has affected Vinovich.

"It was a scary situation," his dad said of the immediate backlash last year. "They had them sneak him out of the hotel and put him in another hotel and change their flights and get them out of town by 6 in the morning.

“The cops stayed with them all night. Those people in New Orleans are nuts."

To be clear, there was no admission of a mistake by Vinovich after the NFC championship game.

“He just kind of said, ‘It was a tough situation’ and he mentioned it to me just in chatting that it was a tough year for him,” Shovlin said. “Obviously he’s a human being and it affected him. But he was able to fight through it, and a lot of people came to his aid and to his support.’’

When asked why no penalty flag was thrown on the key play, he told a pool reporter that it “was a judgment call by the covering official. I personally have not seen the play.’’ He also explained that the play was not reviewable.

Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints, later said he got an apology from NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron. Neither Vinovich nor any other member of the seven-man officiating crew was publicly singled out.

Billy Vinovich and others say his son was wrongly blamed for the non-call because the referee is positioned behind the line of scrimmage and tasked with focusing on the quarterback, not downfield. That fell on deaf ears in New Orleans.

“They crucified him,’’ Billy Vinovich said.

Read the full article here:
 
I understand his dad's feelings and his reasons for feeling that way.
Vinovich was the head official, but was not the flakes who make the bad judgment on that call.

The blame was misdirected.
 
I don't blame Vinovich for the situation. I blame Al Riveron the competition committee and the NFL (owners and commissioner) for not having the guts to make changes that would make this impossible to happen.

I don't care about the rules, Riveron should have contact the referee and tell him to throw the flag. Plain and simple.
 
Remind me, as the white hat, did he bring the crew together to discuss what all of them did see or didn’t see from different angles....NO, then it is his fault! He should hv been demoted to a side judge/back judge/clock operator. But no!! He gets the fricken Super Bowl the very next year. NOPE, not getting over it!
 
Billy Vinovich and others say his son was wrongly blamed for the non-call because the referee is positioned behind the line of scrimmage and tasked with focusing on the quarterback, not downfield. That fell on deaf ears in New Orleans.

Translation: Listen guys, my dad’s only job was to ignore any roughing calls on Drew Brees that would have decided the game, or to call a phantom holding or hands to the face call if the Saints got in scoring position.
 
Boo hoo. He gets to be a ref in the superbowl a year later so I'm sure he can cry himself to sleep in all the extra money he pulls in.

Dude, we KNOW your son wasn't the one right at the point of friction when the play happened but he was the head ref and has a responsibility to OWN it. Stop acting like a victim and take responsibility instead of crying to your dad about how the people in New Orleans hurt your fee-fees because you're incompetent.

Another thing that bothers me too is this characterization that the people in New Orleans were going to be violent towards him. I was at that game and I was in New Orleans walking out of the Superdome once the game ended. There was no violence. It was just quiet disbelief. No one was rioting in the streets or looking to kill a referee.
 
He can't publicly comment on the improbable turn of events since officials are off limits to the news media. But his father, Billy Vinovich Jr., and others chimed in with how the backlash has affected Vinovich.

"It was a scary situation," his dad said of the immediate backlash last year. "They had them sneak him out of the hotel and put him in another hotel and change their flights and get them out of town by 6 in the morning.

“The cops stayed with them all night. Those people in New Orleans are nuts."

To be clear, there was no admission of a mistake by Vinovich after the NFC championship game.

“He just kind of said, ‘It was a tough situation’ and he mentioned it to me just in chatting that it was a tough year for him,” Shovlin said. “Obviously he’s a human being and it affected him. But he was able to fight through it, and a lot of people came to his aid and to his support.’’

When asked why no penalty flag was thrown on the key play, he told a pool reporter that it “was a judgment call by the covering official. I personally have not seen the play.’’ He also explained that the play was not reviewable.

Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints, later said he got an apology from NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron. Neither Vinovich nor any other member of the seven-man officiating crew was publicly singled out.

Billy Vinovich and others say his son was wrongly blamed for the non-call because the referee is positioned behind the line of scrimmage and tasked with focusing on the quarterback, not downfield. That fell on deaf ears in New Orleans.

“They crucified him,’’ Billy Vinovich said.

Read the full article here:
I’ll give him and his son some nuts! If he thinks we are crazy imagine if this happened in Philly, I mean come on they booed Santa Claus lol.
 

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