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."

[blaise]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Yes.

And yet, grown, free-thinking adults somehow convince themselves that the NFL isn't rigged.

Lol.

You're an idiot.

[BigChiefFan]

Originally Posted by teedubya

Was the head of officiating for this playoff game, the same dude that was on the bus back in August?

Is that what I'm seeing here?

Wow. What was a gray area, now seems very black and white. That call was absurd.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

ramjackson just sent a load to orbit

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by blaise

You're an idiot.

At least I don't call people names on the internet.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

What? No he wasn't. Here is the complete officiating crew for that game. Morelli was the crew chief.

R: Pete Morelli
U: Roy Ellison
HL: Jerry Bergman
LJ: Mike Spanier
FJ: Barry Anderson
SJ: Allen Baynes
BJ: Lee Dyer
Replay official: Bob McGrath

http://www.footballzebras.com/2014/12/31/12208/

Not for this game.

The head of officiating for the entire NFL.

Morelli is just a referee. He's not the head of anything.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Not for this game.

The head of officiating for the entire NFL.

Morelli is just a referee. He's not the head of anything.

So, your contention is that Dean Blandino somehow instructed Morelli to pickup the flag?

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by BigChiefFan

Wow. What was a gray area, now seems very black and white. That call was absurd.

Shit is rigged, yo.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

So, your contention is that Dean Blandino somehow instructed Morelli to pickup the flag?

I don't know; did he??

All kinds of plausible deniability up in here.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

I don't know; did he??

All kinds of plausible deniability up in here.

So you confirm that you are just throwing shit on the wall?

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

So you confirm that you are just throwing shit on the wall?

Nope. I will neither confirm nor deny any fecal throwing.

I'm just claiming plausible deniability.

I mean...you DID see how Detroit got royally screwed over, right?? Not just on the picking up the flag nonsense (which I agree with; Pettigrew pushed off as well - if anything, they should have offset and played the down over), but when #88 for the Cowboys walks onto the field from the sideline WITHOUT A HELMET and begins harassing the officials...

Well, that no-call was the most blatant part of the operation.

Tell me again how it's not rigged. Please. I dare you.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Nope. I will neither confirm nor deny any fecal throwing.

I'm just claiming plausible deniability.

I mean...you DID see how Detroit got royally screwed over, right?? Not just on the picking up the flag nonsense (which I agree with; Pettigrew pushed off as well - if anything, they should have offset and played the down over), but when #88 for the Cowboys walks onto the field from the sideline WITHOUT A HELMET and begins harassing the officials...

Well, that no-call was the most blatant part of the operation.

Tell me again how it's not rigged. Please. I dare you.

Shitty officiating does not = Rigged

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Shitty officiating does not = Rigged

Whatever you have to tell yourself to believe the lie.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Whatever you have to tell yourself to believe the lie.

I'm still waiting for concrete evidence. You have none.

[rabblerouser]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

I'm still waiting for concrete evidence. You have none.

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

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by rabblerouser

Nope. I will neither confirm nor deny any fecal throwing.

I'm just claiming plausible deniability.

I mean...you DID see how Detroit got royally screwed over, right?? Not just on the picking up the flag nonsense (which I agree with; Pettigrew pushed off as well - if anything, they should have offset and played the down over), but when #88 for the Cowboys walks onto the field from the sideline WITHOUT A HELMET and begins harassing the officials...

Well, that no-call was the most blatant part of the operation.

Tell me again how it's not rigged. Please. I dare you.

Nope, I saw a crew that didn't call face-guarding (because it's not an NFL rule), I saw a ball hit the DB in the back, I saw a lot contact both ways in the "hand-fighting" catagory, I saw a WR grab a DB's face mask, and that's about it.

Now, if your point is that in the current NFL that set of circumstances usually results in the offense being awarded a bullshit DPI penalty, then I'll agree that those bullshit calls are made WAAAAAY too often and we all know that's part of what's killing football as a sport.

If this is a dawn of a new era where defense is once again not illegal, than I'd say "FINALLY"!!!! And if they can, somehow, add two more officials to the field to ONLY watch the O-line for holding, then I'd say the NFL is taking steps in the right direction.

But to focus on the both-ways hand fighting and mutual contact that didn't result in a DPI getting called (ultimately), well that's just a little short-sighted...