Dean Blandino says Nothing Replaces Experience

You can't make this stuff up. I know it's been reported and I condensed for clarity, but tell me if these two paragraphs, surrounding one about his intern duties, don't say that it is essential for a ref to have experience, but for the head of refs, only experience playing pick up basketball with Jets players is necessary.

The 42-year-old Blandino has never officiated a game. A 1994 graduate of Hofstra University on Long Island, he used to play pickup basketball with Jets players whose training base was at the school. He joined the NFL's officiating department in 1994 as an intern, working under Jerry Seeman, the longtime head of officials...

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Blandino emphasizes the importance of experience for all officiating positions.

"You need a certain level of experience before you can officiate in the NFL," he says. "Nothing replaces it, starting at an entry point and moving through the ranks."

Those entry points often are at the high school level, then on to college before being placed in the NFL's officiating pool.

"We look at a combination of experience, ability and presence," he says. "We think that is a good mix."

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Dean Blandino, NFL's officiating chief

Nothing is doing a ****ty job thus far this year.

Clonamery said:

Nothing is doing a ****ty job thus far this year.

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Well, Blandino is advising them based on his experience playing pickup basketball with Jets players.

I can't find it, but I've read accusations this clown never played football at any level. Can anyone confirm?

Oh my this is so funny. The boss of all officials that was never an official says you need to have experience to be an official.

Goodel and his really would have made great communist leaders back in the early to mid 1900's.

You know, we're all equal but some are more equal than others.

Apparently the NFL's second choice after Blandino was this guy...

RelocatedPatFan said:

Goodel and his really would have made great communist leaders back in the early to mid 1900's. You know, we're all equal but some are more equal than others.

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Well, yes, and this is also the traditional corporate model, so they don't really need to look very far for a model to follow.

It's reasonable to hire politically-gifted, strong managerial and operational leaders that aren't born from the industry because they get **** done.

Blandino has given no indication of being of the sort.

robertweathers said:

It's reasonable to hire politically-gifted, strong managerial and operational leaders that aren't born from the industry because they get **** done.

Blandino has given no indication of being of the sort.

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I agree, though it's often a detriment. This guy is no managerial wizard, though He's a professional ass kisser like his mentor Goodell. He got his job from playing pickup basketball games with Jets players.

I pointed out this same absurdity several weeks ago. Roger Goodell, Mr. "Integrity Of The Game," has hired as his head of officials, the very dude deciding whether to overturn replay multiple times on game days, a man who has NEVER set foot on an NFL game field carrying a flag.

Next time you hear Blandino say one word about how difficult an NFL ref's job is, about how we can't appreciate trying to decipher action in real time with huge fast bodies flying all over, ask yourself (or better yet, ask Roger) one reasonable question - how the f*#k would he know?

RayClay said:

I agree, though it's often a detriment. This guy is no managerial wizard, though He's a professional ass kisser like his mentor Goodell. He got his job from playing pickup basketball games with Jets players.

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I know the type. Blandino "manages up" very well.

He may not have experience as an official, but he used to be a stand-up comedian, so that's like the same thing, right?

Dean Blandino says Nothing Replaces Experience

I agree. In Dean Blandino's case, yes nothing replaces experience.

Somebody should get this to Florio. He'll have fun with this one.

Ross12 said:

He may not have experience as an official, but he used to be a stand-up comedian, so that's like the same thing, right?

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With the current management, it could prove invaluable. I wonder if he can tap dance?

Everything about Goodell's regime stinks with PR "image" and politics and is the opposite of a meritocracy. He hires a guy who has never officiated a game to be the head of officiating in Blandino, which makes no sense. Then he appoints former player and Walter Payton "Good Guy" award winner Troy Vincent to be VP of football operations. Goodell then uses his golden pawn to rubber stamp the Tom Brady and anti-Patriots Smear campaign. This regime is sickening.

Goodell just hires his Jet buddies. The league office is like a live version of the gang green forum. They sit around the office smelling each other's farts.