Dean Blandino | |
|---|---|
 Blandino in 2019 | |
| Born | September 13, 1971 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Hofstra University [1] |
| Occupation(s) | UFL Head of Officiating Fox Sports NFL Rules Analyst |
| Known for | NFL Vice President of Officiating (2013–2017) |
Dean Blandino (born September 13, 1971) is a rules analyst for Fox Sports. He also serves as the head of officiating for the UFL. He previously served as the NFL's Vice President of Officiating from 2013 to 2017.
Blandino grew up in Bellmore, New York, where he played tight end on the high school football team at Wellington C. Mepham High School. [1] He majored in communications at Hofstra University, [1] graduating in 1993. [2]
Blandino was hired by Jerry Seeman, starting as an intern in the NFL's officiating department, [1] and became a full-time employee after the 1994 season. [2] Seeman assigned Blandino to organize instant replay when it was introduced in the NFL in 1999; Blandino managed the program for six years, and served as replay official for two Super Bowls. [1] Blandino left the NFL in 2009, and started a business in California to train and evaluate replay officials. [1]
Blandino returned to the NFL in 2012 as director of officiating, and in February 2013 was named Vice President of Officiating, succeeding Carl Johnson, who had held the position for three seasons as successor to Mike Pereira. [2] In August 2014, Blandino was criticized for being seen on a "party bus" with Dallas Cowboys executives in a video released by TMZ. [3] [4] Blandino left the NFL in May 2017. [5] [6]
Blandino joined Fox Sports in June 2017 as a rules analyst for the network's NFL and college football coverage. [7] In May 2018, Blandino took on an additional role, as director of instant replay for NCAA football; the role has an offseason focus, to allow him to continue broadcasting. [8] Blandino was also an officiating consultant for the Alliance of American Football, [9] and is a contributor to The Athletic . [10] He was the executive producer of Her Turf, a 2018 documentary about three female football referees. [11] [12]
On January 6, 2020, Blandino was hired by the XFL to be the league’s head of officiating. [13]
Blandino is divorced, [14] with two children. [1] [15] At some point around 2005, he did stand-up comedy in several comedy clubs in New York City. [1]
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser or analyst. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the main commentator is not describing the action. The color commentator provides expert analysis and background information, such as statistics, strategy, and injury reports on the teams and athletes, and occasionally anecdotes or light humor. Color commentators are often former athletes or coaches of the sport being broadcast.
Daryl Peter "Moose" Johnston is an American former professional football player who is currently the executive vice president of football operations for the UFL. He played college football at Syracuse University. He was the general manager of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019, the director of player personnel for the Dallas Renegades in 2020, and served as the executive vice president of football operations for the revived incarnation of the USFL for its inaugural season.
In gridiron football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The season culminated with Super Bowl XXXIII, with the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. The Broncos had won their first thirteen games, the best start since the undefeated 1972 Dolphins, and were tipped by some to have a realistic chance at winning all nineteen games. The Minnesota Vikings became the first team since the 1968 Baltimore Colts to win all but one of their regular season games and not win the Super Bowl. After no team had won 14 regular season games since the 1992 49ers, three teams went 14–2 or better for the only time in a 16-game season.
Jeff Triplette is a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from the 1996 season through the 2017 season. He wore uniform number 42.
Pete Morelli is a retired American football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2018. He wore uniform number 135.
Charles Evans Bresnahan is an American football coach and former player. He was the defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders on two occasions and the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) as well as the Florida Tuskers and Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (UFL). He also served as defensive coordinator in the college ranks at the University of Central Florida, University of South Florida and University of Maine. Bresnahan also served as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts of the NFL and the United States Naval Academy (Navy) and the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college ranks. Bresnahan also assisted in the Officiating Department of the NFL for 3 seasons. He is the son of Tom Bresnahan, a long time NFL assistant and Offensive Coordinator who coached 4 Super Bowls under Marv Levy (HOF-2001) with the Buffalo Bills.
Terry McAulay is a former American football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) for the 1998 through 2017 seasons. He was the referee for seven conference championship games and three Super Bowls. He was the Coordinator of Football Officials for college football's Big East and subsequently the American Athletic Conference from 2008 to 2017.
Eugene Joseph Steratore is a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL) from 2003 until his retirement from the NFL in June 2018. He also worked as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball referee from 1997 to 2018. Since the fall of 2018, Steratore has served as a rules analyst for CBS Sports, including the NFL on CBS, SEC on CBS, College Basketball on CBS, and CBS/Turner NCAA March Madness.
Mike Pereira is a former American football official and later vice president of officiating for the National Football League (NFL) and currently the head of officiating for the United States Football League (USFL). Since 2010, he has served as a rules analyst for Fox Sports, for which he has gained the nickname "Mikey Rule Books".
Arthur Ignatius McNally was an American football executive who was director of officiating for the National Football League (NFL) from 1968 to 1991. Before becoming director of officiating—succeeding Mark Duncan, who had held the position from 1964 to 1968—McNally served as a field judge and referee in the NFL for nine years from 1959 to 1967. During a 22-year span, he officiated over 3,000 football, baseball, and basketball games, which included one year in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2022, McNally became the first NFL game official to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Thursday Night Football is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time.
National television broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games first aired on ABC from 1948 to 1951. Between 1970 and 2005, Monday Night Football aired exclusively on ABC. In 2006, ESPN took over as the exclusive rights holder to Monday Night Football, and the ABC Sports division was merged into ESPN Inc. by parent company Disney. Afterward, ABC did not broadcast any game from the NFL, whether exclusive or a simulcast from ESPN, until they simulcasted an NFL Wild Card playoff game in 2016. ABC would then return to Monday Night Football in 2020, when they aired three games as simulcasts from ESPN.
Alberto Riveron is a Cuban-American former American football official and was the senior vice president of officiating of the National Football League (NFL) from 2017 to 2021.
The 2017 NFL season was the 98th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 52nd of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion New England Patriots in the NFL Kickoff Game. The season concluded with Super Bowl LII, in which the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to win their first Super Bowl title, and fourth NFL championship, in franchise history, and making the NFC East the first and currently only division where every team has won a Super Bowl.
The XFL was a professional American football minor league consisting of eight teams located across the United States in mid-sized to major markets. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the United States Football League (USFL). The league headquarters were in Arlington, Texas.
The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league. The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan areas with at least one major professional sports franchise.
The 2020 XFL season was the first season in the reboot of the XFL, and the second in the history of the XFL brand created and owned by professional wrestling magnate Vince McMahon, coming 19 years after the 2001 XFL season.
On January 11, 2015, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers played an NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The game gained notoriety after a play in which Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant attempted to catch a pass from quarterback Tony Romo in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter. The pass was initially ruled a catch before controversially being overturned after officials determined Bryant did not complete the process of a catch while he was lunging towards the end zone. The Packers would get the ball on the turnover on downs and run out the clock. They won by a score of 26–21 and moved on to the NFC Championship game. In the proceeding years, the National Football League (NFL) changed the rules regarding catching a pass while falling to the ground. The new rules would have given Bryant a completed catch. This game has gone by such names as "Dez Caught It" or the "No-Catch Game".
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football minor league that began play on April 16, 2022. It is now one of the two-component conferences of the United Football League (UFL), along with the XFL.