Super Bowl XLIV referee Rob Vernatchi spoke to KHTK about how Sean Payton and the Saints told his crew before the game to expect an onside kick at some point during the game. ?There was an onside kick obviously and I?ll tell you a little story about this kick," said Vernatchi. "Prior to the game, I and my partner (a line judge), were going to the home team to get information regarding captains and any plays that they?ll run. The other two guys across from us - the side judge and the other head linesman went in to the New Orleans locker room before the game, and they warned us they were going to run an onside kick. Prior to the game they told us this. We want to know if anything?s going to be a surprise. It?s to our benefit, especially on onside kicks. Onside kicks are bizarre. The ball bounces funny. So we knew about it. And we also knew it was going to be around the third or fourth kickoff, if they did kickoff that many times. And also it was right footed kicker and he would kick across his body. So we all knew this. So we came back out, and you know what?we had all the information in the world but we were still surprised. The guy kicks off and the ball comes towards me and it hits [Hank] Baskett in the helmet or the hands, and it rolled over to the New Orleans guy and it comes in between his legs. So I dove in. Somebody?s got to go in there and secure the ball because once that ball goes down there, it?s going back and forth. Anybody will come out with it. And sure enough, that thing went back and forth and I was the unlucky one down at the bottom of that pile and finally the New Orleans guy came out. It was just survival of the fittest, that?s how we ruled on it. Quite frankly, that ball was bouncing around down there and there?s no way you can secure it and none of us are strong enough to pry it from any of those guys.?