Dean Blandino is not a referee, but is a comedian

[T-RO]

Good work, Percy.

 

[nathanlt]

If the player catches the ball and gets both feet down, then contact by a defender sends him to the ground, he doesn't have to maintain possession after hitting the ground. That's how it was called on the field.

The rule that Blandino has everybody talking about applies to a different kind of play -- one where the receiver is going to the ground to make the catch. This play from the 2013 regular season is the kind of play where that rule would apply.

The rule says Dez has to be going to the ground on his own, like Johnson was in the video. Blandino can't talk about the call on the field without acknowledging the contact by the defender that sent Dez to the ground. He'd have to explain what he saw in the replay that proves the contact wasn't what caused Dez to fall. "Football moves" and "completing the catch process" would not matter.

That's why Blandino talks so much about the rule instead, where those things do matter. But we're only looking at the rule because he wants us to. It's a rule that doesn't even apply to the Dez play.

I wish there's was a like button that sent your post directly to the NFL offices. Ya know, the office that can fire the VP of officiating.

 

[Everson24]

You are not familiar with what is unofficially called the Calvin Johnson rule? It was repeated and rehashed ad nauseum on CZ as well as the entire country for weeks - "catches that are made while going to the ground requires continuous possession". I agree that this was a catch as well, and that Dez had 3 feet down, an elbow, AND possession but this rule allows officials to interpret catches differently (which I am completely against) if going to the ground.

BUT even using this rule, Dez still made a football move. I completely disagree that an off field call could be reversed due to subjective interpretation of what characterizes not a football move, but "enough of a football move". It's a horrible rule.

As for the other refs who supported the reversal, google is your friend.

The football move negates the Calvin Johnson rule. Dez had control, both feet down then was tripped by the defender and then tried to lunge for the endzone. The ball came out and was down by contact. This is not the Calvin Johnson rule that should never have overturned his catch either.

 

[percyhoward]

I wish there's was a like button that sent your post directly to the NFL offices. Ya know, the office that can fire the VP of officiating.

At the end of the interview in Arizona they asked Blandino what advice he had for Dez. He said, "It's instinctual to try to do more and try to...but I think the first thing is, just secure possession of the football. Just hold onto the ball, uh...and then...and then go from there."

"It's instinctual to try to do more and try to...what?" And try to score, of course. Blandino didn't finish this sentence because he realized what he'd just stepped in.

He says Dez's instincts led him to try to do more than just secure possession of the football. Most honest thing he said. What did Dez instinctively try to do? He tried to reach for the goal line with the football, but Blandino couldn't say that, because he'd already said that the reach has to be "more obvious." So he ends up contradicting himself, saying that the reach has to be more obvious than something that made him think Dez was trying to score.

 

[nathanlt]

At the end of the interview in Arizona they asked Blandino what advice he had for Dez. He said, "It's instinctual to try to do more and try to...but I think the first thing is, just secure possession of the football. Just hold onto the ball, uh...and then...and then go from there."

"It's instinctual to try to do more and try to...what?" And try to score, of course. Blandino didn't finish this sentence because he realized what he'd just stepped in.

He says Dez's instincts led him to try to do more than just secure possession of the football. Most honest thing he said. What did Dez instinctively try to do? He tried to reach for the goal line with the football, but Blandino couldn't say that, because he'd already said that the reach has to be "more obvious." So he ends up contradicting himself, saying that the reach has to be more obvious than something that made him think Dez was trying to score.

Maybe, given that he's a non-referee trying to give advice to officials, that he should embark on his next career as a receivers coach who has never played receiver.

 

[percyhoward]

Maybe, given that he's a non-referee trying to give advice to officials, that he should embark on his next career as a receivers coach who has never played receiver.

It's hilarious that he didn't just go ahead and say what he was obviously about to say.

 

[III]

At the end of the interview in Arizona they asked Blandino what advice he had for Dez. He said, "It's instinctual to try to do more and try to...but I think the first thing is, just secure possession of the football. Just hold onto the ball, uh...and then...and then go from there."

"It's instinctual to try to do more and try to...what?" And try to score, of course. Blandino didn't finish this sentence because he realized what he'd just stepped in.

He says Dez's instincts led him to try to do more than just secure possession of the football. Most honest thing he said. What did Dez instinctively try to do? He tried to reach for the goal line with the football, but Blandino couldn't say that, because he'd already said that the reach has to be "more obvious." So he ends up contradicting himself, saying that the reach has to be more obvious than something that made him think Dez was trying to score.

Well that is one man's take. The writer of that article that is. Probably a Cowboy fan - just guessing. But of course Blandino was exactly right. That is at least the second time taking a hand off the ball has cost Dez - the other being the pinky out of bounds against the Giants.

For those of you who want to see an almost identical play where Dez actually does become a runner, check out game 7 against the Giants. It's virtually the same play except this time Dez takes two steps in complete balance, has completed the act of the catch thereby securing possession, has established himself as a ball carrier, THEN falls and dives ... and when the ball pops out in the end zone it doesn't matter because he was a runner at that point which he was not against Green Bay. People want to interpret the Green Bay play in this way but you can't if you follow the rule since he starts going to the ground no later than between the first and second step meaning he was still in the process of making of a catch as he started to go to the ground. That's when the leg entanglement/contact occurred right? ... between the first and second steps before the catch was completed. And don't forget that the rule explicitly states "with or without contact."

I don't write the rules - I just interpret them correctly with my logic.

By the way - thank you for the honor of starting a conversation with a Commanders fan.

I can't promise if I will reply anymore since this takes a lot of my time and I know I'm right on this one. But again -thank you.

PS - The ability to change your mind is not a sign of weakness ... it is a sign of strength.

 

[percyhoward]

Well that is one man's take. The writer of that article that is. Probably a Cowboy fan - just guessing.

PS - The ability to change your mind is not a sign of weakness ... it is a sign of strength.

That wasn't some writer's interpretation from an article. It's transcribed from the audio of this radio interview. Go to the last few minutes of the podcast and you'll see that it's word for word.

Consider the soundness of someone's argument before you consider what motivated it.

 

[nathanlt]

Well that is one man's take. The writer of that article that is. Probably a Cowboy fan - just guessing. But of course Blandino was exactly right. That is at least the second time taking a hand off the ball has cost Dez - the other being the pinky out of bounds against the Giants.

For those of you who want to see an almost identical play where Dez actually does become a runner, check out game 7 against the Giants. It's virtually the same play except this time Dez takes two steps in complete balance, has completed the act of the catch thereby securing possession, has established himself as a ball carrier, THEN falls and dives ... and when the ball pops out in the end zone it doesn't matter because he was a runner at that point which he was not against Green Bay. People want to interpret the Green Bay play in this way but you can't if you follow the rule since he starts going to the ground no later than between the first and second step meaning he was still in the process of making of a catch as he started to go to the ground. That's when the leg entanglement/contact occurred right? ... between the first and second steps before the catch was completed. And don't forget that the rule explicitly states "with or without contact."

I don't write the rules - I just interpret them correctly with my logic.

By the way - thank you for the honor of starting a conversation with a Commanders fan.

I can't promise if I will reply anymore since this takes a lot of my time and I know I'm right on this one. But again -thank you.

PS - The ability to change your mind is not a sign of weakness ... it is a sign of strength.

Dez absolutely was a runner, he took one step before contact, and 2 after.

Six football moves.
1 securing the football with both hands on his right shoulder.
2 transferring the ball, without wobble to his left hand.
3 rotating his body over 90 degrees throughout his 5 yards.
4 lunging with his left foot
5 bracing with his right hand
6 reaching for the pylon with his left hand.
BONUS... getting BOTH ELBOWS DOWN WITHOUT THE BALL WOBBLING AT ALL.
Result... Process of a catch was completed.

Dean Blandino needs to be removed as VP of officiating. 1-212-450-2000, HE IS NOT QUALIFIED WHATSOEVER.

 

[Derinyar]

Its about order of operations. Lets pretend that Shields never tripped Dez. To complete a catch you need to get two feet down with possession. That was done, no one including the NFL denies that. They then have to preform a football move. And they all basically defended themselves by saying 'I didn't see enough of a football move." The Calvin Johnson rule only comes in because of that statement. The more I think about this one the more it feels like a fix/makeup call.

If Shields tripped Dez, which happens without a doubt, then the second anything of Dez's hits other then the bottom of his feet on his hands its over. Completion.

 

[DogFace]

Well that is one man's take. The writer of that article that is. Probably a Cowboy fan - just guessing. But of course Blandino was exactly right. That is at least the second time taking a hand off the ball has cost Dez - the other being the pinky out of bounds against the Giants.

For those of you who want to see an almost identical play where Dez actually does become a runner, check out game 7 against the Giants. It's virtually the same play except this time Dez takes two steps in complete balance, has completed the act of the catch thereby securing possession, has established himself as a ball carrier, THEN falls and dives ... and when the ball pops out in the end zone it doesn't matter because he was a runner at that point which he was not against Green Bay. People want to interpret the Green Bay play in this way but you can't if you follow the rule since he starts going to the ground no later than between the first and second step meaning he was still in the process of making of a catch as he started to go to the ground. That's when the leg entanglement/contact occurred right? ... between the first and second steps before the catch was completed. And don't forget that the rule explicitly states "with or without contact."

I don't write the rules - I just interpret them correctly with my logic.

By the way - thank you for the honor of starting a conversation with a Commanders fan.

I can't promise if I will reply anymore since this takes a lot of my time and I know I'm right on this one. But again -thank you.

PS - The ability to change your mind is not a sign of weakness ... it is a sign of strength.

You know you're right but you assume wrongly this was some article written by a Cowboys fan?
Judging by that and your insistence that you're right makes me sure you're wrong often.