NFL's Roger Goodell to answer questions in Saints-Rams blown call lawsuit: Reports
New Orleans Saints fans were outraged. A senator from Louisiana called it a “taint on the Super Bowl.”
Now, NFL officials including Commissioner Roger Goodell will have to discuss the infamous blown call that many said cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl. A New Orleans judge said Goodell and three referees from the NFC championship game will have to answer questions about the incident under oath as a lawsuit over the game continues, nola.com reported.
Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Nicole Sheppard set hearings for September after an appeals court panel upheld her decision to allow the lawsuit to proceed, according to the report.
Antonio LeMon, an attorney described as a Saints “superfan” by nola.com, filed a lawsuit earlier this year over the game. He’s seeking $75,000 in damages to be donated to charity, the Associated Press reported.
Fans said Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman should have been flagged for pass interference or roughness after he made a helmet-to-helmet hit against Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis. The Rams regained possession of the ball and tied the game with a last-second field goal. They went on to win in overtime.
Other lawsuits over the missed call have failed in federal court, according to the Associated Press. But LeMon kept the amount sought in his suit low in order to keep it out of federal court.
LeMon intends to donate any money won in the case to a charity founded by a former Saints player that helps people with neuromuscular diseases, according to the report.
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In the meantime, the NFL still has time to appeal the case to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Sheppard set another hearing for Aug. 22.
FOX Business’ Thomas Barrabi contributed to this report.