Getty Image / Jonathan Bachman
Bill Vinovich was the NFL referee in charge of the NFC Championship game crew that blew the pass interference call against the New Orleans Saints. You know what happened next.
The Saints were forced to kick a field goal. The Rams drove the field and tied the game, then went on to win in overtime. The city of New Orleans felt like they’d been robbed of a Super Bowl appearance by the blown no-call and they very well might’ve been.
It turns out that head referee Bill Vinovich doesn’t just do football. He was officiating a college basketball game last week when students realized just who exactly he was.
The game was in Provo, Utah between BYU and St. Mary’s and upon realizing who the ref was the students started heckling. It got to the point that Bill Vinovich came over and acknowledge what was happening. He also later removed a student sign.
Bill Vinovich when asked if it was a pass interference – “I don’t wanna talk about that stuff” pic.twitter.com/1rz4IpiKMn
— Matt Moon, Ph.D (@MattMoon00) January 25, 2019
Vinovich had this sign removed from the student section after the first media timeout, according to For The Win.
Bill Vinovich is one of the refs in the St. Mary's at BYU basketball game on ESPN2. Surprise No. 1: His crew overturned a call. Surprise No. 2: He's not working the UCLA game at Pauley Pavilion. pic.twitter.com/Hvd7N3a2xv
— John E. Bialas (@johnebialas) January 25, 2019
This has to be just a tiny glimpse of the harassment he’s going to receive next time he steps foot on an NFL field if that ever even happens again. I get that people make mistakes but he cost a lot of people $$$$$ on the blown missed call and those people won’t easily forget what happened.