Saints What was your PERSONAL reaction to the “no-call” vs the Rams? (1 Viewer)

[J.T.]

I was at the game. Immediately after the pass interference and smash down of Lewis, I could not understand why he didn't stay down like he was seriously injured. Sometimes a flag comes out well after a play in circumstances like this, when it is obvious that a player got smashed and the hit was pass interference. Admittedly, this usually only happens against the Saints Defense. I was more upset at Lewis than the Refs, a player needs to sometimes be an actor and he did not sell the hit. He was 100% interfered with, but he should have stayed down like he was hurt. After it was clear that "no call" was going to be the call, I honestly thought there was a chance of a riot in the Dome and fans were going to rush the field. I sit in the Terrace, if fans had rushed the field, I would have made my way down to field level and joined in with them. Saints could have voided the Season Ticket Accounts of 20,000 fans and I would have been proud to lose my tickets over this. I watch some games other than the Saints, but my level of "NFL fandom" is at most 1/10th of what it was before. It still makes me sick to this day, but so does the "pass defense" on Vernon Davis.......that one hurts just as much because I think that 2011 team was our best ever. I was at that game also.

 

[HJBandME]

Celebrated bc PI meant first down...then I started yelling " Throw the flag!" and " Throw the $_<^$$^^%'ING FLAG!!"
After further thought, the fix is in.

 

[OutlawSaint]

Celebrated bc PI meant first down...then I started yelling " Throw the flag!" and " Throw the $_<^$$^^%'ING FLAG!!"
After further thought, the fix is in.

You could tell the fix was in cause all the extra cameras and the mics on the long poles people were holding up over the benches were all on the Rams sideline, they were ready to run from that side and follow the Rams onto the field celebrating. Now I always look to see which bench has more mics and cameras and a lot of the time its on the winning team side in a close game.

 

[Tee08]

I haven't seen yet where anyone has mentioned this possibility: The fix was on .. the Super Bowl that year was going to be in the LA Rams' brand new $billion dollar plus stadium. I have no doubt but that the NFL (Goodell included) wanted the Rams to host the Super Bowl. And that's my take. The referee intentionally did not make an obvious pi call. It made me sick to my stomach.

 

[JWDtrey3]

Hand to god I thought to myself we will never hear the end of this on SR

 

[Ichiban]

I was absolutely seeing red! But in my mind, I wondered why Lewis didn’t get up and scream bloody murder! He just ran off like “oh, well.”

Brees and the Saints should have gotten their 2nd Super Bowl that season!

Anger and disgust... yes. I had always suspected that the outcome the games were controlled to some extent but always held out hope, thinking that it just may be my imagination. That no-call left no doubt. I no longer watch any NFL games other than the Saints... that includes post-season.

 

[fahad]

It was an obvious pass interference, unless the referees are blind. some NFL games are rigged. That one was one of them.

 

[Derek_B]

I was in the dome. It was surreal. Leaving the dome was like leaving a funeral. I think that was the beginning of my apathy for the nfl. I used to watch all games that I could. Now it’s just the saints. On a plus side, I don’t get as over emotional during saints games as I used to.

I'm the opposite. Watching mainly for FF now.

 

[Blazing Saint]

Disbelief. Just complete and utter disbelief.

Being in the UK it happened around 11.30pm IIRC. I was watching the game on my own but had a few messages with my brother (not an NFL fan but he knows I'm a huge Saints fan so he was keeping an eye on it) and after the game finished I just sat on the sofa in silence for like an hour. I didn't know what to do with myself, I just felt so weak and empty.

I kept thinking back to what we could've done differently. What if MT hadn't dropped the ball when Drew audibled to a quick slant 2 plays earlier? The clock would've kept running & the Rams might not have had time for the game-tying FG. Or what if Drew had stuck with the same playcall (I'm guessing it was a run) and kept the clock running? Or if the refs had called roughing the passer when Brees got hit in the helmet on that interception in overtime? It's interesting that through this entire thread, only 1 other person mentioned it, when otherwise that would be the big talking point.

I can't remember if I avoided this site or not, but I avoided everything else NFL related until the Super Bowl, which I always watch with my mates Greg (Seahawks fan) and Al (Vikings fan) - I don't know any Saints fans over here, but they're both good guys and we also had an NFL chat group on WhatsApp. Anyway, I was rooting hard for the Patriots and when they won I held a certain digit up and swore once or twice at the Rams. I actually posted a watered down version of my reaction on here and got a warning from the mods!

But fast forward to October 2022 and I'm in London for the Saints-Vikings game with Greg & Al. I'm the "biggest" fan of the 3 of us (ie. I get the most vocal, animated etc) and while I didn't really know Al back in 2009 we've spoken about the 09 NFCCG a few times, plus of course the "miracle" in 2017, but he's been cool about stuff and I figure we're kind of even.

But late in the London game we had the phantom "hands to the face" penalty on Mathieu on 3rd down which gave the Vikings a 1st down, then there was the PI call on Lattimore a few plays later when Thielen had hold of Latt's facemask, which led to 1st & goal & a Vikings TD. I called out "bullshirt" pretty loud several times and was sure the fix was in. Again.

The next day, after seeing the highlights on TV and those 2 penalties again, I found still photos / close-ups of both penalties and posted them on our chat group just to back up my views / behaviour and that we'd been cheated again. After a few messages back and forth (OK, me moaning!), Al ended up leaving the group, making some lame excuse that he needed to save memory space on his phone or something. He didn't come to last year's Super Bowl meet up & I haven't seen him since. And sometime during this chat I brought up the No Call, to which Greg said that "there's a song in the film Frozen that can help you I think". I was absolutely livid! I decided to bite my tongue rather than alienate him too, but a few months ago we were chatting NFL stuff and I had to tell him that I was so pee'd off with what he said, and tried to explain that I just can't get over the No Call and never will.

It probably sounds over-dramatic but it feels like a small part of me died that night. For years, outside of my family and friends, the Saints were the most important thing to me. I'd watch every game live, take time off work for late night games, read every possible article online, bought jerseys & a lot of other merch etc. But I'll never get back to that stage and while I still watch most of our games live, over the past year I've missed like 5 or 6 as it just doesn't feel the same anymore. What's the point of investing so much time and energy (and money!) into something that's just going to rip your guts out?

I guess maybe I've learned not to get too caught up in stuff going forward (which is kinda difficult at the moment as my favourite "soccer" team are doing the best they've done for like 20 years!) so I try and distract myself to avoid overthinking stuff. Sometimes it works, but not always!

Oh, and while I haven't seen Al since the London game last year, we have "made up" over text so I didn't completely ruin a friendship over a game of football!

Just being curious, what's your favorite "soccer" team? I'm an Eastleigh fan. Go figure, lol.

 

[ANKOMA33]

Numb.

 

[kcirdor]

NSFW NSFW NSFW... Do not click cause it's cussin....

NSFW

 

[NeverGiveUP2]

Anger!!! How could the honest hard work of the team be nullified be the political desire of a dishonest person(s). Not only that, we would have to re-do the same hard work, next season, to have another opportunity.

I don’t think there was a conspiracy. But, I do think a “helpful push” was made to put LA Rams in the Super Bowl, to reward them for moving back to Los Angeles.

100%... I don't believe Roger sent the message to "F" the Saints..But 100% I believe the message was we would love to see LA in the Big Game (I don't call that game the SB.. it wasn;t)... and NOLA is not worth our time... So the officials knew anything close (and of course this was not) goes to the Rams.....

 

[guillermo]

Ever since that play I lost all trust of the NFL. And it’s Not getting better.

I keep watching saints game, but not with the same intensity. I am questioning if my love of football is dying, not a priority in my life anymore.

 

[Paul]

I’m still in the slammer.

 

[NewOrleansBoy]

Same way I felt when the Minneapolis Miracle happened.

I really can't believe it. I told my friend, "this shirt cannot be happening. Again."

I no longer am passionate about making sure I watch every game