Bill Vinovich should never touch a field when the New Orleans Saints are playing a game. He was the leader of the crew that officiated the No Call in the 2019 NFC Championship Game, and in the years since, he hasn’t been an official in any contest featuring the Saints. The NFL is breaking that drought by sending him to Paris for the matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It may seem unreasonable to request an official stay away from a specific team, but the fact the league did it for the last seven years shows it’s more than possible and obviously intentional. There’s a lot of games each week to pick from, so it isn’t hard to do in the regular season. It’s hard to even imagine Vinovich doing any playoff game where the Saints’ season is on the line.
Earlier this season, Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos played a game with Vinovich as a referee. Because it was just Payton and not the Broncos fan base that experienced the No Call, it was a relative non-story. That won’t be the case for the Saints.
It’s no coincidence the NFL put Bill Vinovich on a Saints game in Paris
There is just no way Vinovich could have done a Saints game in New Orleans. The backlash and animosity he would have faced in the city and in that stadium would have been unreal. Saints fans would have made Vinovich’s mere presence a distraction early in the game and don’t let him make a bad call against the Saints.
The league was calculated in their decision to have Vinovich’s first game against the Saints overseas. The hope is there won’t be as many Saints fans present. International games are known for having a mixed bag of fans in the crowd.
The Saints will obviously be well represented, but it should pale in comparison to even a road game. That dip in numbers will be felt in the reactions from fans.
It's unfortunate to see Vinovich make his return in this game in particular. This showdown in Paris is a major event for the franchise so having Vinovich even be a part of that moment feels wrong. It's not like his reputation with fans could get any worse, but it's hard to say he should get any more chances to officiate a game after that, whether it's in Paris or in the states.
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