Gene Steratore serves as the rules analyst for CBS football broadcasts, and he’s continuing in that role for CBS and Turner’s March Madness coverage. This is a logical move, as in addition to Steratore’s decade-plus experience as an NFL referee, he also officiated men’s college basketball games, working in the Big Ten and other leagues and officiating in the NCAA tournament.
Steratore has also been a heavy presence today thanks to college basketball’s many, many replay reviews. He’s been solid overall, too, explaining things quickly and clearly, without being afraid to disagree with the in-game officials.
Some viewers tuning in for March Madness, though, apparently only knew Steratore as an NFL guy, a perhaps predictable situation that led to some amusing tweets.
What the fuck does Gene Steratore know about college basketball rules?
— Kev Himes (@kevinHimes8) March 21, 2019
Not sure Gene Steratore is an authority on basketball refereeing….
— NOLA JT (@NOLA_JT) March 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/AJCufone/status/1108931581576527872
CBS asking Gene Steratore about college basketball calls makes absolutely no sense. It’s like Steven A giving boxing advice @BarstoolBigCat @PFTCommenter @PardonMyTake
— Ben Goodwin (@BenGoodwin241) March 21, 2019
Am I tripping or is Gene Steratore a former NFL referee talking about rules for basketball? #MarchMadness2019
— Andrew Golden (@andrewcgolden) March 21, 2019
Former NFL referee Gene Steratore is doing college hoops rules analysis?
— Paul Charchian (@PaulCharchian) March 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/abt05c/status/1108818745831706626
As for his work itself, it drew mostly positive reviews from an admittedly small Twitter sampling:
Gene Steratore is the Bo Jackson of Rules Analyses #MarchMadness2019
— Michael Mykyta (@MichaelMykyta) March 22, 2019
Although the length of the day (and, again, the way college basketball’s constant reliance on replay reviews demanded his omnipresence) did seem to wear on Steratore:
https://twitter.com/DoctorGC/status/1108927144628027392
Gene Steratore is gassed
— Jimmy Williams (@FlystGuyInDaChi) March 22, 2019
Steratore better rest up as he has a long day again tomorrow ahead of a full weekend. He’ll be working across all the networks until the Final Four, when he’ll be on-site in Minneapolis to work with Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, and Bill Raftery. And if today’s games (and really, the entirety of the college basketball season) are anything to go by, we’ll be hearing a lot more of Steratore while we watch the same replays over and over again.
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.