Dean Blandino keeps refs in check
— -- IN A RARE SHOW of compassion, Bill Belichick once opined on how hard it must be to be the man in charge of the NFL's referees. It was at the funeral wake for New York Giants owner Wellington Mara in 2005. Belichick scanned the room and saw Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president for officiating at the time. Pereira looked worn out. He recalled that as they left the service, Belichick caught up with him and said, "You look like s---."
"I'm looking at you," Belichick told Pereira, "and I'm realizing one thing. You never win, do you? You have 16 losers every week, don't you? I was just looking at you and thinking about how as a coach, losses are devastating. But victories are euphoric. And I'm looking across to you and I realize you never get that sense, do you?"
Belichick went on to tell Pereira that someday, even if the Patriots lost, he was going to call him and tell him he's doing a good job. Because Pereira never gets those calls.
Belichick never called.
PEREIRA SAYS THE JOB generally has a shelf life of no more than 10 years. It's too consuming to do much more with a shred of sanity. The head of NFL officials must know the rulebook, to the letter, so that he can immediately recite pages and sections to a disgruntled coach or general manager. He must remain calm and composed at all times, because arguing with a coach is unproductive.
