Cowboys’ blowout loss led to hilarious mistake by FEMA

Oct 16, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Dallas Cowboys helmet sits on the field prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Dallas won 30-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys’ Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints was so bad, it prompted a federal government agency to accidentally declare a major disaster.

The Saints blasted the Cowboys 44-19 in Dallas on Sunday in a shocking result that apparently reverberated all the way to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA confirmed Thursday that it accidentally sent out a press release declaring a “major disaster” for the state of Texas following the Dallas loss.

The press release, titled “President Daniel Largues Declares Major Disaster After Saints Beat Cowboys in Dallas,” was sent out to media members on Thursday morning. The text stated that “federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Texas to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 15, 2024.”

A second email shortly after asked the media to disregard the previous message, and FEMA later confirmed that the press release was sent in error as part of a training exercise.

“Today, the FEMA Press Office inadvertently sent an email to be used for training purposes only,” the release said, via Patrick Magee of NOLA.com. “We apologize for any inconvenience. Please direct any questions to the FEMA Press Office.”

There is another moment in Saints history that their fans probably wish the government had intervened in instead. Regardless, this wound up being a pretty funny gaffe, albeit an embarrassing one for the Cowboys.