National Football League

Side judge yanked for Saints loyalty

Published Sep. 16, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Replacement officials are one thing, but having a fan on the field making calls in a game featuring the team he roots for is a recipe for trouble.

That situation was avoided Sunday, as the NFL pulled side judge Brian Stropolo from the New Orleans Saints-Carolina Panthers game Sunday.

The league made the move after finding out from ESPN that Stropolo had made it clear he is a Saints fan on his Facebook profile, according to the network.

A recent post he made after working the Cowboys-Giants opener drew scores of comments from his friends, many urging him to take it easy on the Saints when he worked the upcoming game.