NFL: Interview with ex-Referee boss: “Football can learn from the NFL”

Dean Blandino was the top referee boss in the NFL for years before switching to television and now working as an expert at FOX.

In the SPOX interview, Blandino talks about his remarkable career, scary moments in New York and the history of video replay in the NFL. In addition, the Juve fan discusses the VAR in football with SPOX.

SPOX: Dean, before we talk about video replay in the NFL and the VAR in football, we need to talk about your remarkable career. What were you doing at the New York Comedy Club, please?

Dean Blandino: (laughs) I was a stand-up comedian. It really was. When I started working for the NFL as an intern, I had gigs on the side and tried to make people laugh. It was incredibly fun. And it really helped me a lot in my later career because I learned to speak in public in front of people. But honestly, it was also the most terrifying thing I have ever done in my life. When you stand in front of a group of strangers for the first time, have a microphone in your hand and crack jokes without knowing how people react, your knees shake. But it was a great challenge, it was cool.

SPOX: How did you get your internship at the NFL in the first place?

Blandino: I had played football all my life myself, as a tight end in high school, followed by a degree in communications, and then I wanted to get a foot in the door of the NFL. At the NFL an internship in the Officiating area was advertised. That didn’t interest me at all, but in the end I didn’t care about the department, as long as I was in the NFL. As befits an intern, I had to do all sorts of things. The best thing was that I had the chance to deal intensively with the rules and learn them. At that time everything was still analogue, I was constantly looking at tapes, preparing them and learning so much. 20 years later, I was to slip into the role of Senior Vice President of Officiating, which I had not dreamed of at the time.

SPOX: Maybe as a short insert: At the time you were an intern, there was no video replay in the NFL.

Blandino: Right. After its introduction in 1986, Video Replay was abolished in 1991 before it made its comeback in 1999. It shows the evolution very well. That there are a few teething troubles in football in the early years is therefore completely normal for me.

SPOX: When Video Replay was re-introduced in the NFL in 1999, you played a crucial role.

Blandino: For me it was the perfect field of activity because on the one hand I had a technological background and on the other hand I had learned the game about the referee aspect. It just fitted. So I took my chance and worked for some years as a Replay Official before I grew into higher tasks.

SPOX: In between, you haven’t been with the NFL for a few years.

Blandino: Yes, in 2009 I left the NFL and started my own business in California called “Under the Hood”. But also there it was again about the topic Video Replay. We trained referees for it and offered trainings. I also worked a lot with College Football Conferences during that time, which broadened my horizons a lot.

SPOX: That’s how you became the top referee boss in 2013, even though you yourself never stood on a field as an official. Wasn’t that a problem?

Blandino: In the beginning there were definitely these critical tones. But through my work as Replay Official I had earned some respect. I always knew that I had to prove myself in this area, so I learned the NFL rules like no other. I knew every rule by heart.

SPOX: And the NFL rulebook is complex.

Blandino: Very complex. This know-how helped me, but in my opinion the most important qualification for the job is somewhere else. Above all, you must be a good communicator and be able to deal with people. With people who are mad at you because they think you made a completely wrong decision. In a way, my time as a stand-up comedian also helped, because I always tried to bring a little humour into the situation. So I managed to loosen up the conversation a bit and bring it back to a more objective level.

SPOX: In your job you were hated by fans, attacked by coaches and GMs and criticized by the media.

Blandino: If I may hook in for a moment: I am still being addressed today about the Dez Bryant Call from the 2014 playoffs, which everyone can certainly remember.

SPOX: Of course, especially the cowboy fans. How did you deal with being a whipping boy at times?

Blandino: In general, I have to say that referees have never been as passionate about all sports as they are today. Social media has changed a lot, everyone is able to express their opinion immediately. And the demand is always perfection. But that’s not doable. I have always concentrated on making decisions to the best of my knowledge and belief. But of course it’s not easy. As coach or player you win or lose, as referee you never win. There’s no such thing as that. So I can only try to do my job as best I can and as fair as I can. It has also always been important to me that the health of the players is at the forefront of all my decisions and that they are not exposed to unnecessary risks. But of course mistakes happen. Several times during the week I suddenly got a call from a team official praising the crew at the last game. At times like these, I always knew it was worth the trouble.

SPOX: You were twice the Replay Official at the Super Bowl and in your time as Referee Chief probably after Commissioner Roger Goodell the person of the NFL who was most in the public. Was the stress at the end the reason to switch to the TV business?

Blandino: Of course you know at the Super Bowl that now over 100 million people are following what you’re deciding here, but even if it’s a phrase: I approached the Super Bowl the same way I approached a preseason game. Yes, the pre-game hype is gigantic, but after the kickoff I looked at it like any other game. I wouldn’t say my personal life suffered in that time either. Of course you get insulted, but that’s part of the job. I always knew that the step to television would be possible and very attractive, it only opened up a possibility for me faster than I thought. But it’s true, my current job is certainly less stressful and I enjoy that I can spend more time with my children now.

Page 1: Blandino about stand-up comedy and the NFL in front of the video replay

Page 2: Blandino on football, proposals for the Bundesliga and the VAR