The New Orleans Saints should probably be in Super Bowl LIII. While we don’t know what would have happened in the aftermath, the officials missed a blatant pass interference while the Saints were trying to kill the clock in the waning minutes of the NFC Championship Game. However, the referees didn’t call it, regulation came to an end with the teams tied, and following a Drew Brees pick to start overtime, the Los Angeles Rams were able to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
While the Rams have used the last few weeks to get ready to take on the New England Patriots, everyone from Saints head coach Sean Payton to one of Louisiana’s senators have expressed their discontent over how things ended up occurring. Now, on the day of the game, fans in New Orleans have decided to rally against the league one last time. (Ok, it won’t be the last time, but it is the last time they can do it before the season reaches its conclusion.)
Saints fans gathered in their city to protest the Super Bowl in a wonderful display of unity. Fans gathered in the streets of New Orleans to literally march against how things ended for their team.
https://twitter.com/michaeldemocker/status/1092163540251750401?s=21
Balcony video of @Saints fans second-lining down Decatur street in downtown New Orleans ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/BfsrP7CTrh
— Caroline Gonzalez (@carolinegonzo34) February 3, 2019
The shots from The Big Easy were kind of stunning, showing a city that rallied behind their team and simultaneously really did not like the NFL.
https://twitter.com/michaeldemocker/status/1092143041270501376
One New Orleans bar decided to really lean into it, busting out a referee piñata, while one dude decided to bust out the “referees are blind” trope.
It’s understandable that Saints fans are still upset over this — if that gets called, it’s quite possible the Saints would have bled the rest of the clock and made it to the Super Bowl. Some will argue that it literally cost them their second Lombardi Trophy, and while we’ll never know for sure, that could have come to fruition.
The good news is New Orleans is, well, really good at football, and they have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl next year. But as always, the waiting is the hardest part.
