The Lions Just Got Dean Blandino'd

Quotes from the Time Head of NFL Officiating Dean Blandino Was Caught Partying And Promising Favors to the Dallas Cowboys Earlier This Year

CBS - At issue is the perception of potential favoritism by other clubs, and the way these images are being perceived around the league.

“So, should I have my owner take him to a strip club when he visits us?” asked one team official, hypothetically. “Is that how it works? We like Dean a lot, but let me tell you, if that was him out with (the owner of a rival of the club this official works for), my owner would be going nuts. This just can’t happen.

“It shows a total lack of judgment, and common sense, to get on the bus in the first place. And then to get off of it in that setting? Yeah, we’ve got a big problem with that. It’s one thing to have a drink or two back in the hotel room or whatever, but this goes way beyond that. How does this not look like preferential treatment?”

“This is a league where everyone is looking for any edge they can possibly get, anything at all. And Dean is in a position where he is in communication with clubs all the time, teams are making sure officials are aware about what other teams are doing and what they should look for when they face them. I don’t care what anyone (at the league office) would try to tell you. To teams, this is definitely a big deal.”

I’ve watched football for a lot of years. What just happened to the Lions was one of the most suspicious, fishy, stinky, rigged finishes I’ve ever seen. There is just zero explanation to why that pass interference flag was picked up. I’m not saying it was 100% the right call originally. It was borderline. You could argue it either way. But what you can’t argue is that once that flag was thrown and the penalty was announced there is no way in hell it should have been picked up. The only and I mean only explanation is that Jerry Jones was on the phone with head of NFL referee’s Dean Blandino telling him that he would never be invited back on Jerry’s party bus again if he didn’t reverse this call. Literally no other explanation makes sense. You can’t just party with Jerry and not rig games when they matter. The Lions got Blandino’d plain and simple.

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PS – On that 3rd down holding call against the Lions that led to the Cowboys go ahead TD?  How about a hands to the face on Dallas?  Oh right…Blandino’d.