Another federal lawsuit over playoff 'no call' dismissed

The last of three federal lawsuits against NFL officials over the failure to call a blatant penalty in January's NFC title game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams has been dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge in New Orleans, leaving one state court lawsuit over the no-call still alive in Louisiana state court.

At the center of all of the suits is the failure to flag Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman for his helmet-to-helmet hit on receiver Tommylee Lewis with a pass in the air at a crucial point in the game. The Rams won and advanced to the Super Bowl.

Judge Susie Morgan's ruling came in a class-action lawsuit against the league, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, three game officials and the NFL's vice president in charge of officiating. Morgan rejected arguments that people who bought tickets to the game are entitled to damage payments under Louisiana's civil code.

Ticket purchasers who filed the suit said the NFL and game officials, in effect, broke a legal promise that the game would be played fairly and that, if an unfair act occurred, that Goodell would, under a league rule, remedy the situation, perhaps by reversing the game's result or by rescheduling all or part of the game.