ATLANTA (AP) – Roger Goodell’s message to New Orleans fans: I feel your pain.
But don’t get your hopes up for change.
In speaking about the missed pass-interference call that might have cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl, the commissioner said the competition committee will certainly consider changing the rules to allow recourse for a blatant non-call.
But Goodell said league decision-makers have long been opposed to having flags thrown by a replay official or someone in New York, and changing that dynamic would be a big obstacle to overcome.
“Are there solutions for this?” Goodell said. “That’s what they committee needs to focus on: What are the solutions and what are the unintended consequences?”
The commissioner said he never heeded the call from some Saints of stepping in and reversing the result of the NFC championship game.
“Absolutely not,” Goodell said.
He cited a part of the NFL rulebook that said the commissioner could not use his authority to overturn results based on routine errors and judgment calls.
There had been calls from New Orleans for Goodell to step in and overturn the result based on his power to step in when egregious mistakes have been made.
(Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)