Bottlegate 2
2001 NFL incident
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Bottlegate 2 was an officiating controversy that took place during a game in the 2001 season of the National Football League (NFL) between the visiting St. Louis Rams and the New Orleans Saints on December 17, 2001 on Monday Night Football, that resulted in a minor fan riot. This game occurred exactly one day after the Cleveland Browns Bottlegate.[2]
Caesars Superdome , the site of the game | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | December 17, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Rams by 6 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Larry Nemmers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 70,332[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Al Michaels, Dennis Miller, Dan Fouts | ||||||||||||||||||
The incident took place after a defensive pass interference call was made against Saints player, Kevin Mathis, for holding on to Rams receiver, Torry Holt during a pass made with 9:39 left in the fourth quarter.[3]
Events
It was early in the 4th quarter of the game. The score was 28–21, the Rams ahead by 7. At the time, the Rams had first down on 15 yard line.[2] With 9:39 left, Rams quarterback, Kurt Warner, threw a pass to receiver Torry Holt, who was in close proximity to the end zone, giving the Rams a high chance to get a touchdown and gain a 13-point lead. However, after the pass, a defensive pass interference call was made against Saints player, Kevin Mathis, who was covering Holt. Mathis fell on the play, but at the same time, made contact with Holt, resulting in the flag. This call would give the Rams first down on the Saints' 1 yard line.[4]
This call caused several Saints fans inside of the Superdome to become angry and start throwing beer bottles, cups, ice, and paper onto the field, which led to a 30-minute stoppage. As the incident unfolded, the announcer inside of the stadium told fans, "Please, this is New Orleans and we are sportsmen here,".[2] Eventually, authorities stepped in and prevented the situation from escalating and causing people to get injured.[3]
Aftermath
13 fans were arrested for, "Disturbing the Peace". The game continued normally after the stoppage without further incident. It ended with the Rams defeating the Saints, 34–21.[4] Even though this game contributed to sports venues stopping the use of plastic bottles, it is often overshadowed by the Cleveland Browns Bottlegate, along with the 2004 Pacers-Pistons Brawl.[2]