Fox/Screencap
Last night during the NFC championship game between the Saints and the Rams the refs missed a huge pass interference call that ended up helping the Rams punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
https://twitter.com/BrandonSaho/status/1087122637556461568
According to Saints coach Sean Payton the NFL went to admit that the refs on the field blew the call.
"Just getting off the phone with the league office … they blew the call."
Sean Payton expressed his frustration at the missed pass interference called in his postgame presser. pic.twitter.com/S9RcBV3heP
— ESPN (@espn) January 21, 2019
Apparently the ref who missed the pass interference call is from Southern California and another ref on the crew played for the LA Rams and Saints’ rival Atlanta Falcons.
https://twitter.com/RVargasAdvocate/status/1087149338223144962
Saints fans clearly don’t think it was a coincidence that the refs who missed the call have ties to California.
🤔🤔🤔 #Nfl referee Phil McKinnely played for the Rams in 1981! #RodgerGoodell better take action on this one! pic.twitter.com/PYgKuYj5G6
— yungjr24 (@_yungjr24) January 21, 2019
One of the refs who blew the non-PI call during Rams / Saints is Phil McKinnely
McKinnely, a California native, not only played at UCLA … but also for the Los Angeles Rams in 1982!!!
BTW … His Wikipedia page has been updated pic.twitter.com/SlqKS58aTn
— 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗬 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 (@TommySledge) January 21, 2019
Phil McKinnely’s lovely new Wikipedia page pic.twitter.com/Mku4q3U0N6
— 🤸🏽 (@mphilineb) January 21, 2019
So 1 ref from last night played for the Rams and the Falcons, another 1 lives in L.A…come on @NFL were there no background checks made? Does the NFL not care about integrity & just want whoever they think is going to make them the most $ in?
We need answers @NFL & @NFLRefss pic.twitter.com/aIWlk9Ni5D
— ⚜️five-eaux-feaux⚜️ (@jhanenichol_) January 21, 2019
So one of the refs played for @RamsNFL in 81 and others from Cali…. wowwwww
— 🎙 (@seauxdopepod) January 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/LeeBayou3/status/1087321044577181697
Phil McKinnely’s Wikipedia 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/B9ZAFUrpXx
— Antonio (@MistaFrisco) January 21, 2019
This is the ref that missed that last call. Wikipedia never fails to disappoint. 😂 Also, he played for the Falcons, was part of Bountygate and happens to live in L.A. 🤷🏼♀️😉 pic.twitter.com/J5sGZL1srw
— Belle Es You (@SouthernbeLLSU) January 21, 2019
Maybe next time the NFL will do some background checks on refs before having them work big time playoff games.