Earlier this week the NFL decided to make changes to the officiating protocol, where there will be more communication between the referees and the league office. It sounds like a great idea on the surface after the many officiating meltdowns that the NFL has had just this year.
Mike Pereira, the current Fox broadcaster and former NFL head of officiating seems to be skeptical about the new rules.
“Basically, what it looks like is that the league office is making decisions on who possibly wins or loses the game. You could back to the old theory of the conspiracy of the Raiders, that the league didn’t like [former owner] Al Davis and all the stuff that went along with it.”
Pereira has been saying since September that he believes that Dean Blandino is in the ears of the officials during games. The NFL did deny those claims by Mike Pereira.
PEREIRA WENT ON TO TELL ESPN that “All of a sudden, decisions that were being made on the field or in the stadium, all of a sudden are being made in the league office. That seems to be the wave of where this is going. Things have changed so much, but this… strive for perfection isn’t attainable.”
Pereira might have a point, this change in protocol could look way worse if they have to define what a catch is for the millionth time. Whether the changes for the postseason will make much of a difference, nobody knows yet. One thing is for certain, the trust in NFL officials are low and the NFL is taking strides to restore some of that trust.
