The 2024 Awful Announcing NFL/CFB rules analyst rankings

4. Terry McAulay, CFB on NBC/Peacock, NFL on NBC/Amazon: 2.76

NBC Sports rules analyst Terry McAulay.(Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversal.)

Most common grade: B (31.2 percent)
Percentage of A/B/C/ votes: 86.5 percent

McAulay represents a notable jump up in the rankings from Austin and LeMonnier at 2.47 and 2.43 respectively, but continues on with Austin in getting more B votes than anything else. However, his grade is much higher thanks to his number of A votes (110, not far back of his B total of 120) and his low number of Fs (24). Indeed, that was the second-lowest F total of any official ranked here, behind only our winner.

As with most of the rules analysts discussed here, the comments on McAulay were a mixed bag. Some had high praise for him, with lines like “As McAulay has reffed for 3 Super Bowls, I respect his opinion. He’s a very good communicator” and ” “Possibly the most forthright of the rules analysts, particularly on college games.” Indeed, that willingness to opine was noted by many, mostly in a positive light with lines like “he’s never afraid to call out mistakes or disagree with the calls,” “Speaks freely when he thinks there’s a bad decision,” and “The best. Calls it like he sees it.” And that fits with what we’ve seen, even sometimes in his comments on social media on games he’s not working (such as that Pitt-Clemson one).

But, continuing the pattern of the same thing being bad or good depending on the eye of the beholder, others disliked McAulay’s willingness to challenge calls. That came with lines like “condescending towards other officials.” And some didn’t even think he challenged calls often, especially on the NFL, saying he “seems like a yuppie spokesman for the Shield.” So it’s interesting to see those multiple perspectives on him.

3. Dean Blandino, NFL/CFB on Fox: 2.96

Dean Blandino in 2017 during his work with the NFL. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports.)

Most common grade: A (36.7 percent)
Percentage of A/B/C votes: 87.8 percent

There’s another notable jump here from McAulay to Blandino. Blandino has been at Fox since 2017 after finishing a long career in the NFL officiating department, and he’s found quite a few fans along the way. He’s the first of our ranked analysts to get more A votes than anything else, and he got almost as many B votes (141 versus 145).

Some of the criticisms of Blandino in the comments revolved around him not locking in on an opinion, at least not quickly. That was seen in lines like “He stalls and hedge[s]. Better off asking your dog for opnion [sic]” and “He never sounds confident in his answers.” Others thought he did get to opinions, but “Mostly just agrees with the original call” or “seems to defend refs too much.” And one respondent said Blandino’s “not qualified to comment” because he worked in that officiating department rather than as an on-field official, while another said he “always seems to get the calls incorrect and then changed his reasoning after the call comes in” and is “the worst and it’s not even close.”

But others said Blandino has “really improved” over the years. And someone noted his “involvement in current officiating sets him above the others” (Blandino is the head of officiating for the UFL after previously holding that role for its component XFL). Others called him “solid” and the “2nd goat.” It is interesting, however, that response to Blandino was more positive in the numerical ratings than in the comments; perhaps those who dislike him really dislike him, but they’re not in the majority of our respondents.

2. Gene Steratore, NFL/CFB on CBS: 3.19

Most common grade: A (53.8 percent)
Percentage of A/B/C votes: 89.2 percent

Steratore’s the first of our graded rules analysts to finish above a 3.0 (so above a B), and he does so thanks to his remarkable number of A votes (214, second-most). He also got the second-most votes (398) of anyone but drew just 13 Ds (lowest). However, his 30 Fs were tied for fourth-highest, so he has his critics as well.

Speaking of those critics, many argued that Steratore is too inclined to agree with on-field calls, using lines like “Seems to look out for his friends the officials,” “Webster’s definition of bootlicking,” and “Bends over backwards to make excuses for the ref decisions. Acts like he is still an NFL employee and it is the week before his performance review that will determine his annual merit increase.” A notable comment there came from one viewer who said Steratore was his “favorite referee,” but “As a rules analyst all he does is tell us why the officials made the right call, even if it is blatantly clear.”

There are a lot of people who love Steratore’s work, though. He drew praise for his versatility in working college football and NFL games as well as college basketball games, and for his personality coming through in his contributions. That included descriptions of him as a “strong and authoritative rules man, who just about gives enough seasoning from his personality to make his input worth more than just the technical” and “Gene is the only one of these guys that really appears comfortable and adds anything to the broadcast.” And three people called him “the best,” with another calling him “the gold standard.”

1. Mike Pereira, NFL/CFB on Fox: 3.35

Most common grade: A (57.6 percent)
Percentage of A/B/C votes: 92.7 percent

The originator, and still champion! The whole idea of a “broadcast rules analyst” began with Pereira joining the NFL on Fox in 2010, and 14 seasons later, he’s still getting top marks. Pereira received the most A votes (230), but what’s maybe even more interesting is that he got by far the fewest Fs (14; the next-lowest was 24) despite receiving the most votes of any analyst (399).

There were some criticisms of Pereira in the comments, from “arrogant” to “full of himself.”  Others suggested he’s “lost a step or two” and is “clearly getting older and sounding like it,” and some said he’s less suited to college game commentary than NFL games. And multiple people said Pereira sides with the game officials too frequently.

But the overall comments on Pereira were positive. There were lots of mentions of “GOAT,” “best,” and “standard bearer.” One respondent noted, “He’s a very good communicator and explains the rule without using too much jargon.” And our respondents certainly seem to like his work significantly more than any of the other rules analysts who have followed in his wake.

Thanks to everyone who voted! Again, we’ll have one more of these before the end of the year, a chance to rank the NFL TV announcers beginning on Dec. 27.