Dean Blandino’s abrupt departure from his post as the NFL’s vice president of officiating has apparently left some people regretting some things.
According to Peter King of the MMQB, the NFL likely would not have voted to give Blandino’s position full, centralized replay power had they known he was going to depart the job. Many in the league wondered how the league didn’t have him under contract to keep this from happening, and the move came as such a surprise that some major team officials didn’t find out about it until the news broke on Friday.
Blandino brought a good public face to NFL officials, and his presence in the command center was a big reason the league voted the way it did. King notes there is no obvious replacement for Blandino, as the league not only needs someone trusted by NFL officials and teams, but someone with a good presence on television and social media.
Blandino is reportedly headed to TV, a move that will pay him more money with less scrutiny. It’s hard to blame him for making that tradeoff, though it leaves the NFL in a very tough position.
