Bill Vinovich served as the head referee for Sunday’s NFL game in Paris. Fans of the New Orleans Saints were not happy to see him.
The veteran official was met by a chorus of merciless boos.
This unusual rivalry between an NFL referee and the fans dates back to 2019. He is not well liked in the Big Easy!
Bill Vinovich was the referee during the NFC Championship game.
The New Orleans Saints were tied with the Los Angeles Rams late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game on Jan. 20, 2019. They had the ball on offense at the 13-yard-line. Drew Brees threw a pass to Tommylee Lewis that would’ve resulted in a first down inside the 10. Defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman slammed into the receiver early, before the ball arrived, and made helmet-to-helmet contact.
No flag was thrown. The pass interference penalty was not called.
The officiating decision forced the Saints to kick a field goal instead of running down the clock to score a game-winning touchdown. The game eventually went to overtime and the Rams won.
Vinovich served as the head referee during that NFC Championship game. He gave less-than-satisfactory answers for the lack of pass interference penalty in the days, weeks and months that followed.
New Orleans Saints fans traveled to Paris to boo.
It has been 7 years, 9 months, and 5 days since January 20, 2019. Bill Vinovich did not officiate a New Orleans Saints game at any point during that almost eight-year stretch. The NFL kept him away from the fanbase that still feels robbed of a Super Bowl appearance. The league assigned him to the other 31 teams instead.
That changed on Sunday.
Vinovich served as the head referee for the international game between New Orleans and Pittsburgh in Paris. It was the first time that he officiated a Saints game since the NFC Championship.
The fans did not forget. Those who traveled to the Parc des Princes booed his introduction.
It was not a smattering of subtle boos.
Maybe the NFL let Vinovich back on a Saints game in Paris to mitigate the damage. That did not stop him from getting booed. He will never be able to escape the NFC Championship. It will be with him forever.