NFL execs upset after Head of Officiating seen on Cowboys' party bus

[tk13]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/...-execs-say-yes

"That's definitely Dean," said an official with one club upon viewing the video, in which a man looking very much like Blandino, in jeans and a blue t-shirt, steps off the bus along with Stephen Jones, son of Jerry Jones, who serves as the Cowboys COO, EVP and director of player personnel, and who is a member of the highly influential competition committee. "Is the league trying to tell you it's not him? What is the league telling you guys about it? That looks horrible. I can't think of another owner in the league who wouldn't be pissed off after seeing that."

Well, frankly the league is saying nothing. After receiving no response from the NFL on Tuesday as to whether Blandino -- who routinely makes rounds visiting with officials and clubs during the preseason -- was in the video, I made a second round of inquiries into the matter Thursday. Two spokesmen declined to say anything for the record. But no one came close to denying it was Blandino in the video, and the league could point out that with Jones on the competition committee, it's not unusual for him to spend considerable time with competition committee members.

But it would beyond disingenuous, to the point of insulting the public and other NFL member clubs, for anyone from the NFL to have the gall to claim this was anything close to resembling official business. At one point in the video there are a host of young girls assembled on the bus, and the bus is pulled right up in front of a club on the Sunset Strip.

Blandino has done an excellent job in his position, and is engaged and dynamic. Coaches and GMs enjoy dealing with him, he is always available and accessible, works tirelessly, and provides cogent explanations and recommendations to teams and media alike. Everyone I spoke to about the video raved about Blandino as a person and an official, but those same people were flabbergasted by the idea of someone in his position out partying on a team bus with an owner.

At issue is the perception of potential favoritism by other clubs, and the way these images are being perceived around the league.

"So, should I have my owner take him to a strip club when he visits us?" asked one team official, hypothetically. "Is that how it works? We like Dean a lot, but let me tell you, if that was him out with (the owner of a rival of the club this official works for), my owner would be going nuts. This just can't happen.

---

An official from another club said: "It's total hypocrisy. This is a league where some people are above the law, but if you are a coach or a player or a low-level team employee, look out -- they'll throw the book at you. They take away your pension. I'll give Stephen credit, at least they took a bus. (Colts owner Jim) Irsay should have got a bus a long time ago. Have they gotten around to disciplining him yet?"

Another longtime team official: "Whether or not this would in any way affect Dean's ability to be impartial with the Cowboys is really not the issue. This gives the appearance of impropriety. If I am a fan of a team facing the Cowboys, or I work for a team that's facing the Cowboys, I'm upset by this. There shouldn't be any situation like this going on that could cloud his judgment. How is this protecting the shield? The league loves to throw that term around when it applies to players. So how is this not an issue now?"

Another veteran NFL official: "If I were another team owner, how could I not be irate? It gives the appearance of impropriety, and looks like a particularly cozy relationship between a team and the officiating department at a time when instant replay is being taken over more and more by the league office. You're damn right I'd be irate."

[Deberg_1990]

Blandino says PI should have been called.


Sorry LionFan....,

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-afterm...ideos_blandino

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Do you mean, on the field transgressions, or the ruggish thuggish off-field activity??

I doubt they wear helmets when they are out drinking.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I doubt they wear helmets when they are out drinking.

Touche, my 'n-word'...Tou-****in'-che.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by BWillie

How on EARTH was that pass interference? The ball hit the DB in the back, once it hit him in the back both defenders fell down from incidental contact. I don't get it at all. You CAN face guard in the NFL.

It was PI - on the offense.

The part that isn't shown in that .gif is Pettigrew pushing off.

Anyway you slice it, Detroit got robbed.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

You can't find it if you aren't trying to see it.

Well, it's like Hali being held 400 times per game or the 500 bad spots every Chiefs game or thinking the teams with the best QBs get all the calls.... if you try hard enough to see it, I'm sure you can convince yourself it's there.

I just don't see why the NFL would care so much in most cases.... Cowboys had won one playoff game in like 17 years, but now they care? Peyton is the NFL's love child, but not enough to actually win much of anything outside of playing Rex Grossman?

I could see them swaying outcomes by emphasizing rules before/during games and stuff like that, but I just don't see the huge benefit of making sure the Cowboys win over the Lions in that case. Hell, I'd be more willing to accept the Patriots/Ravens being rigged for Brady/Manning or Brady/Luck. The risk/reward of rigging games and it eventually being leaked is just not there. Well, except that time the Saints won the SB... that was super weird, right?

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Well, it's like Hali being held 400 times per game or the 500 bad spots every Chiefs game or thinking the teams with the best QBs get all the calls.... if you try hard enough to see it, I'm sure you can convince yourself it's there.

I just don't see why the NFL would care so much in most cases.... Cowboys had won one playoff game in like 17 years, but now they care? Peyton is the NFL's love child, but not enough to actually win much of anything outside of playing Rex Grossman?

I could see them swaying outcomes by emphasizing rules before/during games and stuff like that, but I just don't see the huge benefit of making sure the Cowboys win over the Lions in that case. Hell, I'd be more willing to accept the Patriots/Ravens being rigged for Brady/Manning or Brady/Luck. The risk/reward of rigging games and it eventually being leaked is just not there. Well, except that time the Saints won the SB... that was super weird, right?

If you're saying that "by the letter of the rules" (as written or as understood) that our two DEs aren't held A LOT, you're crazy! If they applied the same ticky-tack mindset to the O-line holding as they do in 99.999937615% of DBs "DPIing" a QB's WR, life would be awesome for the three weeks where the NFL's total scoring (across the league) is like 100 points.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Well, it's like Hali being held 400 times per game or the 500 bad spots every Chiefs game or thinking the teams with the best QBs get all the calls.... if you try hard enough to see it, I'm sure you can convince yourself it's there.

I just don't see why the NFL would care so much in most cases.... Cowboys had won one playoff game in like 17 years, but now they care? Peyton is the NFL's love child, but not enough to actually win much of anything outside of playing Rex Grossman?

I could see them swaying outcomes by emphasizing rules before/during games and stuff like that, but I just don't see the huge benefit of making sure the Cowboys win over the Lions in that case. Hell, I'd be more willing to accept the Patriots/Ravens being rigged for Brady/Manning or Brady/Luck. The risk/reward of rigging games and it eventually being leaked is just not there. Well, except that time the Saints won the SB... that was super weird, right?

And there is the key.

The NFL as a whole is filthy stinking rich, they don't need to rig anything for rating etc...they will still be just fine.

We had the Rams and Titans in a SB for **** sake. 2 towns nobody gives a shit about in the football world except their own fans.
The Ravens and the Panthers? Same.

I would also love to be in the room where the decide who they are going to favor and how they are going to go about it. They cant get personal conduct penalties right and consistent but they are fixing games with no problems.

Yea right.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

If you're saying that "by the letter of the rules" (as written or as understood) that our two DEs aren't held A LOT, you're crazy! If they applied the same ticky-tack mindset to the O-line holding as they do in 99.999937615% of DBs "DPIing" a QB's WR, life would be awesome for the three weeks where the NFL's total scoring (across the league) is like 100 points.

I'm saying it's not significantly better/worse for anyone similar to Hali (obviously, if you suck at DE, you're not going to get held as much). People don't watch for how many times their own linemen get away with holding or pay attention nearly as much when their team isn't playing.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I'm saying it's not significantly better/worse for anyone similar to Hali (obviously, if you suck at DE, you're not going to get held as much). People don't watch for how many times their own linemen get away with holding or pay attention nearly as much when their team isn't playing.

I'd be fine with our O-line getting flagged for holding too.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

I'd be fine with our O-line getting flagged for holding too.

Hell, that would mean that they would be getting in defender's lanes, and...you know...trying to stop them.

That would be a refreshing change, ideally.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

The problem with the rules is this...When you have the head of officials on TV saying they "could" have called Dez for a 15 yarder based on the interepertation, but he's ok that they didn't. That leads to serious issues when they do call it. Same with Detroit getting called for two drive extending penalties shortly after the no call on Pettigrew. It's either a damn penalty every time or it isn't.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

The problem with the rules is this...When you have the head of officials on TV saying they "could" have called Dez for a 15 yarder based on the interepertation, but he's ok that they didn't. That leads to serious issues when they do call it. Same with Detroit getting called for two drive extending penalties shortly after the no call on Pettigrew. It's either a damn penalty every time or it isn't.

Yup. What is and what isn't pass interference has to be simplified so a man watching without the aid of instant replay can make the call accurately 75% of the time. What is and what isn't offensive holding has to be simplified such that it can be called accurately 95% of the time.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Yup. What is and what isn't pass interference has to be simplified so a man watching without the aid of instant replay can make the call accurately 75% of the time. What is and what isn't offensive holding has to be simplified such that it can be called accurately 95% of the time.

It also pissed me off hearing during a game Sunday the emphasis on only overturning calls with overwhelming evidence to confirm...only for KC to get ****ed half a dozen times down the stretch on overturns that weren't even close.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

Straight from the NFL Rulebook:

(a) Contact by a defender who is not playing the ball and such contact restricts the receiver’s opportunity to make the catch.

Pretty clear to me

In addition to defensive holding
In addition to Dez Bryant not getting flagged for having his helmet off while arguing the call

Dallas got away with highway robbery here

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Baghdad Blandino only made things worse. The rules are written so poorly that any call can be defended by the league as correct due to interpretation.