TFG Pod: Dean Blandino on the State of Officiating

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This week, Melissa welcomes former NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino, who is an executive producer on ‘Her Turf,’ a documentary that follows the journeys of female referees Annice Canady, Mary Podesta and Tangela Mitchell .  Blandino explains the importance of the film’s messages of humanize refs and letting young girls know that officiating is a viable profession.

The robust conversation continues with Blandino on elevating Sarah Thomas under his watch and the backlash from others that she was “fast-tracked.” The discussion then turns to the present with Blandino sharing his strong opinions on the new pass interference and his vision for a more optimal use doling out of coaches challenges.

On this week’s Three Minute Drill, Melissa explains the overtime rule and why it hasn’t been further tweaked.

The Rundown

13:16: Dean Blandino Joins

14:58: Dean on the importance of illuminating the stories of three female refs

34:08: Dean names the female officials to know in the NFL’s pipeline

38:07: Dean is not a fan of the NFL’s new pass interference rule.

40:49: Dean on how NFL officiating may evolve in the next five years

46:41: Dean reminiscences on his stint as a stand-up comic in New York.

50:03: Three Minute Drill