A report from Adam Schefter of ESPN suggests that multiple high-ranking NFL executives spoke privately with New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, each relaying the same unified message: we’re not responsible for your team getting hosed in the NFC championship game, it’s a call that the officials should make. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also reached out to Saints owner Gayle Benson with the same company line.
The people throwing referee Bill Vinovich and his crew under the bus are the same people those officials report to: Senior Vice President of Officiating Al Riveron, Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent, Competition Committee Chairman Rick McKay, and of course, Goodell himself.