Dean Blandino Dean Blandino on the Awful Announcing Podcast

Host Brandon Contes interviews Fox NFL rules analyst Dean Blandino. Brandon and Dean discuss a wide range of topics including Dean’s thoughts on the Brotherly Shove, being on Jerry Jones’ party bus, being Fox’s rules analyst, and more.

Here’s the full breakdown:

  • :42: What Dean misses most about Long Island
  • 1:39: What Dean misses most about being NFL VP of Officiating
  • 2:35: Is refereeing a “thankless job?”
  • 4:00: Being a replay official
  • 4:51: Goals from having internship in NFL officiating department
  • 5:25: How do referees get to the NFL?
  • 6:29: Officials looking down on Dean because Dean wasn’t an on-field ref
  • 7:31: Could Dean have been an on-field ref?
  • 7:51: Calls from coaches as VP of Officiating
  • 8:25: Coaches Dean dreaded talking to?
  • 9:26: Players who were more difficult to deal with?
  • 10:20: Going from VP of Officiating to an on-air rules analyst for Fox
  • 11:35: Communicating with Mike Pereira
  • 12:00: Does Dean have issues with saying something was a bad call on air?
  • 13:42: Working with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman
  • 14:20: Does Dean prefer the booth or the command center?
  • 15:06: Does Dean have more to offer as an analyst?
  • 16:33: Working with Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen
  • 17:16: Prospect of working with Tom Brady
  • 17:50: Has Brady reached out about anything rules or broadcasting related?
  • 18:13: Aaron Rodgers’ comments about networks stealing the best referees to be rules analysts
  • 19:18: Should NFL referees be full-time?
  • 21:06: What does an official do during the week?
  • 22:21: What does Dean do during the week?
  • 23:04: Sports betting and refereeing
  • 24:23: NFL officials being approached to manipulate games for betting reasons?
  • 25:28: NFL impacting scores in terms of adjusting how many flags are thrown from week to week?
  • 27:05: Favorite rule change
  • 27:41: Should there be more reviewable plays?
  • 28:55: Working with the XFL
  • 29:43: Brotherly Shove
  • 31:43: Future of the NFL in terms of player safety
  • 33:06: Rules protecting the quarterback
  • 34:05: Does Dean receive more complaints when working at the league office or as a rules analyst?
  • 34:50: Working the Super Bowl
  • 35:51: Dean’s most controversial decision as a replay official
  • 36:44: Being on Jerry Jones’ party bus
  • 38:16: Was the NFL bothered by that?
  • 39:13: Stand up comedy

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About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @phillipbupp