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Saints owner Gayle Benson thinks New Orleans handled the missed pass interference in the NFC Championship Game better than most places would have.

Speaking at a commencement on Saturday, Benson thanked Saints fans for their reaction, which included giving the Super Bowl its lowest local rating of any American television market.

“Had this happened in another city, it is likely there would have been riots in the streets,” said Benson. “As bitterly disappointed as our fans were, our response was the opposite. Rather than riot, our protests turned into another cause: for parties. ‘Boycott Bowls’ sprang up throughout the city on Super Bowl Sunday. And our fans’ displeasure with the obviously terrible no-call was expressed to the NFL by tuning out at a historic rate, delivering the lowest Super Bowl rating in the country.”

Some of Benson’s fellow owners may not appreciate her praising fans for boycotting the Super Bowl, but the Saints are in no mood to placate the NFL. Benson, like Saints fans, is still not over that missed call four months ago.