Perceptions - Perceptions - Perceptions

[TXMike]

http://www.si.com/nfl/2014/08/07/nfl-official-dean-blandino-jerry-jones-party-bus

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2014/08/nfl_execs_angry_to_see_video_of_leagues_head_of_officiating_leaving_cowboys_party_bus.html

Unfortunately perceptions often overshadow reality, but that is the way it is...

[Rulesman]

Even money says the NFL will have a position to fill in the not-too-distant future. If they don't, credibility will zoom to an all-time low.

[HLinNC]

My only issue is the code of conduct also says "owners".  Jim Irsay is driving around with pills, $29k cash, and impaired and the NFL hasn't said boo.  The media says poor Jim has a disease and needs help.

I'm not condoning Blandino but geez, Irsay could have actually killed somebody.

Does Blandino have any officiating experience?

[TXMike]

From the NFL

"Dean Blandino, a member of the NFL’s Officiating Department for 15 years and the director of the league’s instant replay program, has been named NFL vice president of officiating.....
A native of Bellmore, New York, Blandino has spent his entire professional career in football officiating. After graduating in 1993 from Hofstra University, Blandino joined the NFL for the 1994 season as an officiating intern. Following the 1994 season, he was hired full-time as an officiating video assistant and then was promoted to special projects coordinator.   Blandino was an NFL instant replay official from 1999-2003 and was selected to work as the replay official for two Super Bowls and two conference championship games. He managed the NFL instant replay program from 2003-2009, including oversight of the system’s upgrade to high definition in 2007. From 2007-2009, he was director of officiating and the number-two person in the department, supervising day-to-day operations, including managing the support staff and the game officials’ schedule, under Mike Pereira.

Blandino formed his own company in 2009 called “Under the Hood,” which provided training and evaluation for replay officials. His clients included the NFL plus the Big Ten, Mid-American, Pac 12, Big 12, and Mountain West college football conferences. He directed instant replay clinics for the NFL and NCAA and served as a liaison to the NFL Competition Committee.

In 2012, Blandino returned to the NFL as a director of officiating, focusing on all aspects of supervising the instant replay program. He continued to work with the Competition Committee and also served as a liaison to NFL clubs in answering questions about officiating, prepared weekly officiating training tapes, managed other key projects such as editing the official rulebook, provided training for on-field officials, and participated in communication initiatives, including presenting the NFL Network’s weekly “Official Review” to clarify rules and officiating calls for NFL fans."

Referee also has an article on his background:

https://www.arbitersports.com/myrefereeapp/Print.aspx?mod=PrintArticle&pid=114855

[Rulesman]

The opening sentence of the Referee article: "He’s never officiated a down of football in his life." Hmmm...

[AlUpstateNY]

So once again, when SI has nothing relevant to report, they go searching through the weeds to try and dig some muck to make a big deal out of.  Do I have this straight, an NFL administrative executive, albeit an executive related to league officiating, apparently stopped by and visited some sort of celebration activity sponsored by one of the league team owners.

As a follow up, perhaps this dufus can investigate if NFL executives ever have lunch, or God forbid even dinner, meetings with various owners.  There may even be times when NFL ecexutives and owners show up at the same charity, business or even personal meetings to play golf, tennis or eevn just eat, drink and share ideas.  What evil might be going on at any of those sessions?

Just based on the NFL bio, of Mr. Blandiono, provided above, a wild guess might be that he is in the job he's in because of his expertise in the technology of "instant replay", rather than personal on-field officiating experience, for which he has considerable expertise available to him from a number of respected sources.

[TXMike]

You make a good point because one wonders how much attention would have been paid to an exec from another team getting off the bus instead of this fellow. Or if someone else in the League office had  been getting off the bus.    What possible "influence" could this guy have in any Cowboy game?  If someone believes he could direct an officiating crew to make calls in the Cowboy's favor (Lord knows they need them), then that person is so far removed from reality there is little help for him.  But is still a "perception" issue and I can't believe the NFL has not quickly addressed it and moved on instead of letting it linger and fester.

[goodgrr]

I agree Mike and I do hope that they leave Dean in place.

Despite never having officiated on the field he knows his stuff and he is very good at explaining it all.

[goodgrr]

Good to see some comments in favour: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/08/11/blandinos-visit-to-cowboys-bus-was-a-short-one/

I hope the fuss over nothing blows away very soon.