“Yesterday’s result is still difficult to accept for all of us,” Benson said in the statement. “I am thoroughly disappointed by the events that led to the outcome of yesterday’s game. Getting to the Super Bowl is incredibly difficult to do and takes such an unbelievable commitment from a team and support from its fans. No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity yesterday.<doc-sep>It's not often that an NFL owner comes out and blasts the league, but that's exactly what happened on Monday. Less than 24 hours after watching her team lose a controversial game to the Rams, Saints owner Gayle Benson released a statement letting the league know that what happened to her team in the NFC Championship was unacceptable. "I am thoroughly disappointed by the events that led to the outcome of yesterday's game," Benson said. The Rams beat the Saints 26-23 in overtime in a game that will mostly be remembered for the fact that the officiating crew didn't throw on flag on the Rams for an obvious pass interference with just under two minutes left to play in the fourth quarter. Benson said the no-call "unfairly deprived" her team of having a chance of making it to the Super Bowl. "Getting to the Super Bowl is incredibly difficult to do and takes such an unbelievable commitment from a team and support from its fans," Benson said. "No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity yesterday." The Saints owner was so upset by the play that she immediately reached out to the league after the game was over with the hopes that the NFL will change its policies to prevent things like this from happening in the future. "I have been in touch with the NFL regarding yesterday's events and will aggressively pursue changes in NFL policies to ensure no team and fan base is ever put in a similar position again," Benson said. "It is a disservice to our coaches, players, employees and, most importantly, the fans who make our game possible." If you still haven't marked your calendar for the Super Bowl, the game will be kicking off from Atlanta on Feb. 3 and will be televised by CBS and you can stream it right here. If you're thinking about buying a new TV for the big game, CNET has you covered. They shared their best picks for every budget. Although Benson didn't specify any possible changes, there is one simple one that NFL should consider, which you can read about by clicking here. Let's get back to Benson though. The one part of her statement that really seemed to take a shot at the NFL -- and commissioner Roger Goodell in particular -- was the part she wrote about the integrity of the game. "The NFL must always commit to providing the most basic of expectations -- fairness and integrity," Benson said, insinuating her team didn't get that. If there's one thing that Goodell loves to talk about, it's the integrity of the game and how the league needs to maintain it at all costs. As a matter of fact, a big reason the NFL was slow to embrace gambling is because Goodell was worried how it might impact the integrity of the game. If the league is trying to maintain its integrity, it should release some sort of statement explaining exactly what happened and why a flag wasn't thrown on the play. However, that statement still hasn't come and a lot of Saints are feeling bitter about the fact that their team wasn't treated fairly.<doc-sep>“No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity.” Benson said she's been in touch with the NFL and "will aggressively pursue changes in NFL policies to ensure no team and fan base is ever put in a similar position again." The NFL is expected to discuss whether to make pass-interference penalties reviewable, something that is not done now, according to ESPN, citing The Washington Post, which reported such a rule change is expected to be "discussed at length along with additional fouls that coaches feel should be subject to review."<doc-sep>
Saints owner Gayle Benson isn’t just settling for issuing a statement to say the NFL screwed up. A day after the Saints had their ticket to the Super Bowl ripped up by the referees on an awful non-call late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship, Benson said she has been in contact with the league and “will aggressively pursue changes in NFL policies to ensure no team and fan base is ever put in a similar position again.” “[Sunday’s] result is still difficult to accept for all of us,” Benson said in a statement released by the team. “I am thoroughly disappointed by the events that led to the outcome of [Sunday’s] game. Getting to the Super Bowl is incredibly difficult to do and takes such an unbelievable commitment from a team and support from its fans. “No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity [Sunday].” The NFL was quick to admit its mistake, Saints coach Sean Payton said shortly after the 26-23 overtime loss to the Rams, but the fans in New Orleans are still restless. Getting the NFL to change its rules likely won’t quell their anger, but it could be a step in the right direction. “The NFL must always commit to providing the most basic of expectations — fairness and integrity,” Benson said.