A referee’s return to a fanbase he ruined is met with boos
The NFL’s decision to assign a controversial referee to a Saints game in Paris backfired spectacularly.
The story
New Orleans Saints fans booed referee Bill Vinovich during an NFL game in Paris, seven years after a controversial call in the 2019 NFC Championship game.
Source: brobible.com
Our reading
It’s one thing to be a referee, another to be a permanent villain. Vinovich’s return to a Saints game after seven years was met with boos so loud, it’s possible the Eiffel Tower felt the vibrations.
The NFL’s decision to assign him to the Saints game in Paris feels less like a redemption arc and more like a cruel joke. They knew the fans would come, and they knew the fans would boo. It’s like inviting a guy who once broke your heart to your wedding and hoping he’ll just blend in.
Now Vinovich has a permanent scar, not just from the 2019 game, but from the 2023 game in Paris. He’ll never be able to walk into a Saints bar without a chorus of boos waiting.
