Phil McKinnely
Philip Byron "Phil" McKinnely is a former American football offensive tackle who played seven seasons in the National Football League, mainly for the Atlanta Falcons, and then in the United States Football League for the Memphis Showboats and Birmingham Stallions. After retiring as a player, McKinnely became an American football official, working in college football's Southeastern Conference and NFL Europe before joining the NFL in 2002 as a head linesman. As an official, he wears uniform number 110 and was on the 2018 NFL officiating crew headed by referee Bill Vinovich that is famously known for a blatant non-call that would alter the course of the NFC Championship game, although he was replaced before the start of the game by Patrick Turner. McKinnely was not present in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when the play happened. The missed pass interference call and helmet to helmet hit has called into question the league office’s integrity and stemming the wave of violent helmet hits to the head.
He was accused by Samari Rolle of calling him "boy" on December 3, 2007, during a game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. The alleged exchange occurred late in the game when the Patriots retook the lead with 44 seconds remaining. Several penalties occurred in the closing minutes, including an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when Raven Linebacker Bart Scott picked up a penalty flag and threw it into the stands in frustration of hearing the banter of Rolle and McKinnely. After the game, Rolle vented in the locker room to the reporters, "The refs called me a boy. No. 110 called me a boy, I will be calling my agent in the morning and sending my complaint. I have a wife and three kids. Don't call me a boy. Don't call me a boy on the field during a game because I said, 'You've never played football before." The NFL investigated the accusation.
