Instant Replay: A Second Look at the Rams-Saints Lawsuit Print
Wednesday, September 18 2019

The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the NFL in the lawsuit filed over the outcome of the NFC Championship game played earlier this year.

In what angered many Saints' fans and ultimately led to the lawsuit being filed was what some deemed to be bad officiating, namely an alleged missed pass interference call by the officials. After the Saints lost the game and the chance to advance in the playoffs, angered Saints' fans filed a lawsuit, claiming gross fraud or outright corruption. A Louisiana trial court judge ordered Commissioner Roger Goodell and three game officials to testify in the lawsuit. Last week, the Louisiana Supreme Court threw the case out, ending the litigation.

“[W]e find plaintiffs’ purchase of a ticket merely granted them the right of entry and a seat at the game,” the Lousiana Supreme Court explains in its four-page ruling. “[W]e find public policy considerations weigh in favor of restricting the rights of spectators to bring actions based on the conduct of officials of professional sporting leagues. . . . While we are certainly cognizant of the passion of sports fans, and particularly those who are fans of the New Orleans Saints, the courts are not the proper forum to litigate such disputes.”

According to news reports, the NFL has adopted, at least for 2019, a system for preventing such mistakes.

Source: profootballtalk.nbcsports.com