Unbreakable with Jay Glazer – Dean Blandino

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Unbreakable with Jay Glazer – Dean Blandino"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Dan Patrick Show
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network
• Episode: Unbreakable with Jay Glazer – Dean Blandino
• Release Date: February 22, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In this compelling episode of "Unbreakable," Jay Glazer sits down with Dean Blandino, the former head of officiating for the NFL and a key figure within Fox Sports. The discussion delves deep into the intricacies of NFL officiating, the pressures officials face, and the broader implications for mental health within the high-stakes environment of professional sports.

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The Intensifying Environment Leading Up to the Super Bowl

Jay Glazer opens the conversation by highlighting the heightened pressures surrounding NFL officiating, especially during the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Key Points:

• The transition from the regular season to the playoffs sees a significant increase in attention and scrutiny on officiating.
• Dean Blandino explains the ramp-up in league office involvement during crucial games, noting that "a regular NFL game might have about 10 people from the league office, but for the Super Bowl, you've got hundreds" ([04:39]).

Notable Quote:

"When you get into the playoffs, there's more focus from the league office. The scrutiny, the pressure—everything is more intense." – Dean Blandino ([04:39])

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Preparation and Isolation of Officials

Blandino discusses the meticulous preparation that officials undergo in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, emphasizing the need for isolation from the bustling environment of major events like parties and celebrations in host cities such as New Orleans.

Key Points:

• Officials are notified immediately after divisional games, allowing for prompt preparation.
• A significant moment for officials is the Wednesday or Thursday gathering, which includes a celebratory dinner with families to honor their sacrifices and dedication ([04:50] - [05:12]).
• Detailed preparation includes practicing the coin toss, reviewing game film, and extensive walkthroughs at the stadium.

Notable Quote:

"This Thursday night dinner is one of my favorite events of the year because it's a chance to celebrate with the people who support us through all the sacrifices." – Dean Blandino ([05:12])

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Compensation and Motivation Beyond Financial Incentives

The conversation shifts to the compensation structure for officials, particularly those selected for the Super Bowl.

Key Points:

• Postseason bonuses can reach up to $30,000, with game fees varying based on seniority.
• Blandino emphasizes that reaching such levels is driven more by the honor and recognition rather than monetary gain.

Notable Quote:

"When you get to that level, it's not about the money. It's about the experience and the opportunity to say, 'I worked at the highest level.'" – Dean Blandino ([07:05])

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Mental Health Challenges Faced by NFL Officials

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the mental health struggles that officials encounter due to the high-pressure nature of their roles.

Key Points:

• Historically, mental health support for officials was minimal, but recent years have seen improvements.
• Blandino recounts instances where officials faced severe depression after controversial calls, highlighting the lack of positive reinforcement in officiating roles.
• The constant negativity and absence of "pats on the back" contribute to the mental strain officials experience.

Notable Quote:

"Officiating is interesting because it's a negative environment. Nobody pats you on the back. It's very stressful, and a lot of them need help." – Dean Blandino ([11:51])

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Personal Reflections and Career Choices

Jay Glazer and Dean Blandino share personal anecdotes about their professional journeys, shedding light on the personal sacrifices and challenges faced within the NFL's officiating hierarchy.

Key Points:

• Blandino reflects on his decision to leave the NFL in 2008, driven by the overwhelming pressure and its impact on his personal life.
• The introduction of a 24-hour cooling-off period post-Blandino's departure marked a shift in how the league manages communication between coaches and officiating staff.
• The conversation touches on the evolving relationship dynamics between officials and coaches, with anecdotes illustrating tense interactions and the necessity for emotional resilience.

Notable Quote:

"I bet on myself and took the scariest step of my life, and thankfully, it worked out." – Dean Blandino ([36:17])

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Proposals for Enhancing Officiating Standards

Blandino offers thoughtful suggestions aimed at improving the quality and perception of NFL officiating.

Key Points:

• Advocates for recruiting individuals with military backgrounds (e.g., Navy SEALs, Delta Force) who possess qualities such as discipline, physical fitness, and resilience.
• Highlights the need for better training, recruitment, and support systems for officials to handle the evolving demands of the game.

Notable Quote:

"The ability to keep calm under chaos and being physically fit are crucial. Military-trained officials could bring a new level of respect and competency to the field." – Dean Blandino ([26:52])

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Building Meaningful Relationships and Maintaining Professionalism

The episode concludes with a lighter exchange between Glazer and Blandino, showcasing their camaraderie and shared experiences within the NFL.

Key Points:

• Shared humorous anecdotes about pranks and memorable moments underscore the personal bond between the hosts.
• Blandino emphasizes the importance of maintaining professionalism and emotional boundaries to safeguard personal well-being.

Notable Quote:

"We have to provide our officials resources, mental health, mental wellness resources, because it is so stressful." – Dean Blandino ([19:15])

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Conclusion

This episode of "Unbreakable" provides an in-depth look into the world of NFL officiating through the lens of Dean Blandino. The candid discussion highlights the immense pressures officials face, the evolution of support systems for mental health, and offers insightful suggestions for enhancing the officiating framework within the NFL. Jay Glazer's engaging interview style brings forth a nuanced understanding of the challenges and triumphs that define the role of an NFL official.

Transcript

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[Jay Glazer]

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Welcome into Unbreakable Mental wealth podcast with Jay Glazer. I'm Jay Glazer. I'm proud to be joining. So super bowl is behind us, but obviously officiating is always a big, big topic. And for that I want to bring in my teammate at the NFL on Fox, former head of officiating for the NFL, Dean Blandino. How we doing, buddy?

[Dean Blandino]

I'm good, man. I'm good, dude.

[Jay Glazer]

How happy are you that you're able to come off a Super bowl and not be screamed at by coaches and fans and, you know, only by our producers, which is way better than coaches and fans.

[Dean Blandino]

Let me tell you, the, the people at Fox Sports, the producers, the executives, they, they've got nothing on NFL head coaches. Let me tell you, I love working at Fox, and one of the biggest things I love is not dealing with angry coaches.

[Jay Glazer]

Yes. Yeah. Let me ask you this. When you're leading up to a Super bowl, does everything get tighter in the league office or, you know, like, how is it lead me up to the Super Bowl? What, what happens where the league office, there's so much attention, obviously that happens in officiating in the playoffs. Is it just, that's just another week or it gets tired? How do they approach things?

[Dean Blandino]

No, it definitely ramps up. When you think about regular season, I mean, you've got 272 regular season games and they're all kind of happening on their own. The league office is monitoring everything, the different areas. But when you get into the playoffs now, there's one game at a time. There's, there's obviously more people watching and there's more focus from the league office. You think about the NFC and AFC championship games. The league really runs those two games and then obviously the Super Bowl. So a regular NFL game, regular regular season, you might have, you know, you might have 10 people from the league office. Championship game, super bowl, you've got hundreds. So, so it ramps up and obviously the scrutiny, the pressure, everything is more intense.

[Jay Glazer]

Take me through just what they do with the officials, like the week of that goes in, what you guys would do with the officials. Take me through Monday or Sunday to Sunday.

[Dean Blandino]

Sure. So, so the crew gets notified actually right, right before the divisional games. So actually right after the divisional round game. So the crew knows that, that, that Monday, that Tuesday they know so they can start preparing for, for the game. Typically the crew will get in Wednesday or Thursday of the, of the week before the game.

[Jay Glazer]

So 10 days out, you're saying no.

[Dean Blandino]

No, no, not 10 days out. So, so you try to keep it as close to regular season you for. Right? So, so they try to keep the officials kind of isolated from all. Because, you know, the super bowl, there's so much, there's events, there's parties, there's all this stuff going on. New Orleans is crazy, right? So you try to keep the officials kind of, kind of isolated from that. They'll come in Wednesday or Thursday, third. That Thursday night is probably one of my favorite events of the year because before it really starts to get down to the, you know, the meetings and the walkthrough and everything else, they have a big dinner with their families and it's a celebration because just like the players and the coaches, this, for a lot of these officials, this is a dream come true. If it's their first super bowl, this is what they've worked their entire career and sometimes their entire lives from when they were young and started officiating. So that opportunity on Thursday night to celebrate with the people, because you make so many sacrifices in this, in this industry, right? To celebrate with those people that have sacrificed so much, right? You, you miss birthdays, you miss graduations, you miss all of these things during football season. And to say thank you to those people that are closest to you, that's one of my favorite things. Then Friday, there's a walkthrough at the stadium. They practice the coin toss. People don't realize how much the freaking coin toss has to get practiced and this and that. And then they're watching film. They have an all day pre game on Saturday, going through film, talking about the two teams. And then Sunday, get there. Typically a regular season game, you're there two and a half to three hours before because it's the super bowl. And all of the security and all the extra layers, they're there about five hours before kickoff and, and just kind of preparing leading up to the start of the game.

[Jay Glazer]

How much extra do they get if they get chosen for the Super Bowl?

[Dean Blandino]

Well, they get, there's a, there's a postseason fee that, that, that is. It's really not that much more than it would be for the regular season where, where the compensation comes in. Any official that meets the performance standard, which is set before the season, any official that meets that standard gets like the teams do. They get like a postseason bonus when they go further and further in the postseason. So they get a postseason bonus and it's split amongst all the officials that qualify. So that's a pretty pretty good number. It could be up to about 30 grand. And then the game, the game fees are, you know, depending on seniority, anywhere from like maybe 7500 to 10 grand. So. But they don't do it. You know, when you get to that level, it's not about the money. It's about the experience and the opportunity to say, hey, I worked at the highest level.

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Thomas, we have a mental well podcast. I used to call it mental health. Do you have officials come to you in the past that they come to you where they just have performance anxiety and they just have an anxiety attacks before games, during game, whatever it is.

[Dean Blandino]

No question. We really, you know, when I was there, wasn't I started in, in the mid-90s. Right. So you think about just in general what we, what we did for mental health and mental wellness, nowhere near what we're. What we're doing today and more aware of what's happening and officials, I mean, I've seen officials that, that make a call and maybe it's the wrong call and it's a big game and they. Their world crumbles. I mean, you go back the official who. You go back to 1998, jets, Seahawks fourth down. Vinnie Testaverde ruled a touchdown. Jets win, Seahawks lose, Seahawks don't make the playoffs. The entire coaching staff gets fired. That official who made that call went into such a deep depression that the entire community, the officiating community, the family had to help him get out of that. And so you see that. And officiating is interesting because it's a negative environment. Nobody is. There's no pats on the back. People understand that when they get into it. But it's not like, like referees in any sport leave a game and there's a lot of people going, great job, ref. It's very negative. And that's something we've really strived in recent years to say. We have to provide our officials resources, mental health, mental wellness resources, because it is so stressful. There's so much pressure and a lot of them need help.

[Jay Glazer]

Wow. Interesting. I remember, look, you and I've been friends for a long time. So much so that, by the way, just people know, I broke the spy game video and I kind of pinned it on Dean and Mike Pereira.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, thanks, man.

[Jay Glazer]

Yeah, which. Which, you know, look, I had to leave breadcrumbs and people still think you're the one who gave it to me. So I, you know, whenever we go out drinking, I try and him and I got this on you. And then my poor Mike just crumbled. And ironically, both guys are not working with me at Fox and they're both like you, Glazer. But which I did tell the commissioner, look, I'm gonna leave so, so many breadcrumbs.

[Dean Blandino]

Can I curse on this? I can call you a. Because you are a.

[Jay Glazer]

But I even Told the commissioner, listen, please don't do a. An investigation because I'm gonna leave so many breadcrumbs to who it's not. And you guys are just gonna. There's gonna be so many people were hurt. And unfortunately, you and Ferrero, the easiest one to leave breadcrumbs on because you're in officiating. And funny because I actually led breadcrumbs about four people where you were the two that they like focused it on because Pereira just, when they brought him in, it was like the, you know, put under the light. He just fumbled and he just up. By the way, neither one of these guys gave me spice by gate. Obviously I wouldn't even bring it up here, but being friends with you over the years, the last couple years, I saw a big change in you. And what I mean is, last couple, when you were at still at the league, where I was no longer able to have a conversation with you at dinner because these coaches hit you up non stop to at you and it didn't stop. I was like, dean, be present here. You're like, I can't. Like, it doesn't stop now. And I think that more, you know, we are so much closer because of social media to you guys and the coaches and just everyone now has an opinion. Back in the day, there's three insiders, right? As me, four or five. There's me, Mort fighting, Len Pascarelli and Peter Kim, national insiders. You know, that was it. Now there's a billion, right? There's. Everybody has a voice.

[Dean Blandino]

Sure.

[Jay Glazer]

Yeah. I just saw a decided market and it's just like, I'm glad you got out of that to come to fox, which was a much better existence. But I saw a huge downturn in your mental health for those two years. And I would tell you about it. Like, dude, these guys, you got to put some boundaries up. You're like, I can't.

[Dean Blandino]

It was no question. And look, I, I'll be honest. It. Everything in my life suffered one. That was one of the biggest reasons people say, look, I don't. I love the NFL. I grew up in the NFL. It was my first real job out of college and I, and I stayed there for the most part. So I'll always be loyal to the NFL, the people, the league office. But I got to the point where that job was and I still loved it, but it was so all encompassing. Like you said, there's no, there's no time off. It's 24 7, coach. They're grinding, right? They're working 18, 19 hour days. So I've got to be available. But the problem and the thing that I think I did wrong for my mental health and really, and it affected my relationships, my marriage, you know, everything. And I always felt like if a coach texted me or a coach emailed me that I approached it, that that coach was standing at their computer or at their phone waiting for me to respond. That's, that's the sense of urgency I put on it. And I, and I, and I neglected so many other parts of my life. And it, and it, look, it, I, I was just not, I was not good on the personal side of my life because of that. And, and, and look, those are choices that you make. And one of the choices that I made was, okay, I, I want a better, a better just kind of, you know, life in terms of being able to do other things, not always being on call and the ability work in the game and be a part of Fox Sports Team. It was life changing and it really affected everything from a personal standpoint in a positive way.

[Jay Glazer]

What are they calling you about on Wednesday night though?

[Dean Blandino]

Looking at film. Hey, we're playing the Chiefs on South Sunday. They do this or they do that there. You know, it was non stop, right? You're getting calls. You know what's funny is that right after I left, so my last season was 2016. They did one more season, 2017, and I think it was 2018. They basically incorporated a 24 hour cooling off period where the coaches couldn't contact the league office officiating for 24 hours until the game was over. And I'm like, man, where was that? When I was there, I had like, I have like Sean Payton calling me at halftime. Like, you know, so it was that. It was really. Oh yeah, oh yeah. I mean, Sean's the best. We both love Sean. We worked with Sean. Sean was the one guy that want.

[Jay Glazer]

To beat his ass half the time.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, if you, if you're like, coach, no, the, the earth is round. And he's like, no, it's flat. You couldn't convince him otherwise. That was it. Nope, I'm not gonna. You're, you're wrong. I'm right. And, and so I've had a threaten.

[Jay Glazer]

Sean bodily harm on more than one occasion. He will get after you. And Rosie's had to stop me, like, dude, I will choke you out and leave you in the gutter if you ever talk me like this. And he's like, oh, you're gonna do this now? I'm like, what the did you Just say to me. And Rose is like, okay, okay, okay. Calm it down. We had. We got into it like 6am last year, and I was like, I will murder you. And he was like, oh, we're going there. And Rosie's like, okay, okay, yeah, let's stop talking.

[Dean Blandino]

But I remember you. I remember you. We won't name names, but I remember you at a Super bowl, getting mad at somebody and kicking them out of their seat because you wanted Sean Payton to sit with us. But that, that, that's a different story, if you remember that.

[Jay Glazer]

I don't remember that.

[Dean Blandino]

Okay, well, I'll. That'll be offline. I'll tell you.

[Jay Glazer]

I kicked you out of your seat.

[Dean Blandino]

No, you didn't kick me out of the seat. It was somebody else.

[Jay Glazer]

Oh, I do remember that weird air Fox dinner.

[Dean Blandino]

Yes, yes. Yeah.

[Jay Glazer]

And because him and his wife were coming, that's why.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, that's right.

[Jay Glazer]

For Sean, it was him and his wife. His dude was sitting there. He's like, no, you move. And I was like, you talking.

[Dean Blandino]

It got uncomfortable for a second.

[Jay Glazer]

Really uncomfortable. And I got loud. He should have been at the dinner. Yeah, yeah. Because he was, you know, it wasn't somebody part of the Fox family. And yes, I did. That's correct. Sean, I, like you said, you have a love hate, but keep, Keep talking about these guys.

[Dean Blandino]

But no, but that, that's it. You know, they're. They'll call, you know, Sunday night, Monday there. Because these coaches are under so much pressure and they're control freaks, right? Everything from an NFL schedule, right? Everything is down to the minute practice, you know, all of it. And, and so the one thing they can't control is, is the officiety. And so it's a constant battle in terms of trying to understand. And look, I, I worked with so many head coaches. There isn't one. People asked me who was the biggest asshole. I can, I can truly say I never dealt with any, like, real true assholes. Now, could.

[Jay Glazer]

Could.

[Dean Blandino]

Bill. Bill was the other way. Bill understood. The thing that I loved about Bill, when I dealt with him, he. He understood it. He's like, listen, I get it. He goes, I make mistakes during a game. Players make mistakes. Officials are going to make mistakes. Bill just wanted to know what was going on. Hey, how are the officials going to handle this situation? How are they calling this? He just wanted the information. And like I said, I never had, like, anybody that was like, that guy's an asshole. Now could they be an asshole in the moment, in that conversation? Absolutely. You know, Sorry.

[Jay Glazer]

He's got after your life, our guy Ba.

[Dean Blandino]

Bruce. I mean, murder you. He would just murder me. Murder me. He'd be on, I remember Thursday night, they're playing a Thursday night game. He's on the bus. Me, after the game, you know, accusing me. My first year, My first year he accused me of not knowing the rules. My second year, he accused me of cheating. My third year, he said he's never, I'm never calling, I'm never calling the office again. Like, that lasted like a week. Week, right. So there's guys, you know, every Tom Coughlin, you know, he gave, you know, it was like 45 minutes one day on a Monday, just letting me have it. And his assistant is texting me while it's happening. Hey, Dean, don't take it personally. I get this like three times a week. So it's just. But in those moments and we talk about mental health and mental wellness, I really felt like a therapist in those moments because a lot of that was, was venting. A lot of that was the coach they want. They're under so much pressure. They just wanted to get it off their chest. And I always took the approach of, I'm going to take my emotion out of it. I'm going to listen and I'm going to, I'm going to see what that person on the other end of the line needs. Does, does that person need to vent? Does that person need an explanation? What do you need? And 99% of the time we ended the call on a good note. Sometimes maybe, you know, there was a hang up and we had to have another phone call. But that's kind of the approach that I took because. And those guys are under so much pressure. Like I said, is there anybody ever.

[Jay Glazer]

Pushed you so far over the edge? You're like, hey, like I would react you.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, yeah. And I, and I, and I, I really like the guy. But one time I, I mean, Jerry Reese and I must have hung out, hung up on each other about three times in one conversation where I was just like, we're not getting anywhere. Yeah, yeah. Former Giants gm, and we're not getting anywhere, you know, and, and, and you know, he said some things and then I said some things that, that we probably both regret that that was like one of the few times. But you know that those things will happen when you're, when you're talking about the, the emotions and the pressure.

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How do they still fuck it up so much?

[Dean Blandino]

I think there's a disconnect between how we see the game on the broadcast and how the game is officiated on the field.

[Jay Glazer]

But it's just too much. Like there was a time where it's just like let's lay off and now let those times are gone.

[Dean Blandino]

Like no question, no question and and and look When I first started, and this, this goes back to, you know, Paul Tagliebu, Commissioner Taglibo. We, you know, a play happened, it was controversial and then, and then everybody moved on. The league rarely made statements. But in 1995 you could do that, right? Because it was, it was newspapers, it was, you know, it wasn't the 24 hour cycle that we have today. Like you said, everybody on social media, everybody, the Internet. So now you. So I think the league really, I don't think the league has an officiating problem. I think the league has a transparency problem. And I think that's where I think.

[Jay Glazer]

They have a fishing problem, like the problem. Because they just call too much. Like there is something on every single play you can call. Sure, right. And it was, look, when the, when the replacement refs came in, it was like, hey, don't call anything. Don't be part of the story. And they weren't. It was great. And I just think that should be the directive. Don't be part of the story.

[Dean Blandino]

There's no question that for, for people, most people watching the game, less flags is good, right? It's good. There's less stoppages, there's less let the players decide. I do think that over the years, when you go that far that way teams tend to take advantage. And now that now you have to kind of overcorrect the other way because if teams know, hey, they're not going to throw and we've had teams that just coached it and have been very successful. When you think about, you know, on the defensive side of the ball, hey, if they're not going to call holding an illegal contact, we're going to do it on every play. And maybe we get caught once out of 10, 10 times, but we win nine out of 10 times. And so that's, that's the fear with not calling anything. And it's a balance. But look, officials aren't perfect. Yeah, they make mistakes and I think the league is aware of it and they're going to try to, you know, hopefully, you know, correct some things with replay. But I still think you got to get to the root of the problem. Get good officials, get good training, get good people in the league office to, to, to, to, you know, to lead that group.

[Jay Glazer]

So here's my suggestion to Roger Goodell, straight out 10 years ago, I still think it's a great idea. I said, I think you should get X special ops guys, Deltas, Seals, Marine Recon guys who actually played football, right. Know the game, make them your officials because A, they're common chaos. B, physically they can keep up with these cats, right? And be in a better position. And see those coaches ain't gonna wear out an ABCL or Delta, right? They're not gonna be screaming at it. And I still think it's a great idea. Plus we're, you know, a lot of these guys come out of service and have a hard time finding work. And Roger's like, you're crazy. I'm like, what? We know that, but I think it's a great idea.

[Dean Blandino]

I think the concept is when you, when the, the attributes that you just mentioned, those are all things that will lead to a good, a good official, right? The common, common chaos, you know, the ability to keep, you got to be physically fit. And that has changed. Look, when I first started in 1995, you know what the officials fitness test was at their annual clinic. They had to finish a mile not, it wasn't timed. They literally had to finish. You could walk not and not die. Really. That was that the requirement. And, and, and there were some that we weren't sure we're gonna pass. But, but now, now it's gotten so far the other way where we have, you know, we have groups that come in, athletic training staff, those types of things that help these guys and these, and these girls that get, you know, make sure that because these are the best athletes in the world. Now look, you're not going to beat Saquon Barkley to the goal line, but you have to be at a standard where you can be in position to see what you need to see. And I think that's something the league is, is aware. But I, I, look, I love the idea. I don't know about. We can't have former Navy SEALs choking out coaches on the sidelines.

[Jay Glazer]

I didn't say that. They don't have to choke. That wasn't the point. The point is they're not going to be as apt, they're going to have more respect than a guy who's a part time fucking lawyer or full time lawyer or part time official. If a guy who served our country, they're going to be a little less apt to.

[Dean Blandino]

And we do have, you know, we have programs, you know, Mike Pereira has battlefields, ball fields. We've got a lot, you know, you know, with you, what, what you've done with, with, with merging and all the things that I think we do have more people that are getting involved from, from the military into sports, whether it's officiating or other, other areas. So I think That's. That's definitely something we need to explore.

[Jay Glazer]

So Dean and I, we got to tell you guys how we met. I got.

[Dean Blandino]

First off, let me tell you, Jay's. I didn't know. I didn't know Jay. I hadn't met Jay, but Jay, if you. And I just want everybody to know. Jay gives off this Persona, and look, we're both. We're both northeast guys. Jersey and New York. I'm Long island, he's Jersey, so. So he gives off that kind of Jersey, Long island, douchebag vibe sometimes. I see that in a loving way, but you are not that at all. At all. But initially I was like, who is this guy that's coming in? And he was going to do a story, but guys, you could take off from. Yeah.

[Jay Glazer]

So I was coming in. Well, I definitely. I got the Jersey, New York attitude, that dickhead attitude.

[Dean Blandino]

Of course.

[Jay Glazer]

A lovable. Right.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah.

[Jay Glazer]

With a big heart. So I think that the big heart thing, people didn't realize, but I also. Look, my mental health. I created this character so people wouldn't really know me because I didn't feel worthy of the real Jay Glazer. Like, I didn't think anybody like him. So I created the glaze. You know, this fighting joke, drinking, cursing. It's not too far from who I am. But it's also. I. I definitely inflated.

[Dean Blandino]

Sure. It's a version. It's. It's an advanced version. Yeah.

[Jay Glazer]

But I hid the heart, I say over the years, Right. And now I leave with my heart. But one of the things I always do, though, and I write my book, too. One of the biggest things I do for my darkness, my gray, is laughter. So I'm probably the biggest practical joker in the league. Right. But whether it's at Fox or even a league, like, I do the craziest shit to people. And, like, I sent out a text message to the whole league one year, and I think I even said to the commissioner, hey, dude, some shit just went down. Your name came up. My phone's about to die. Call me at this number at the hotel. And when you called it, it was a sex chat line for like 599aminute.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, that's perfect.

[Jay Glazer]

I had. I had people call for their. I never forgot Mike Tomlin. Hey, bro. I called my team phone. I said, not my problem.

[Dean Blandino]

Click.

[Jay Glazer]

Rex Ryan, too. Like, it was like all these guys straying.

[Dean Blandino]

Well, Rex may have been calling that line.

[Jay Glazer]

Yeah, he would call it anyway.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, people.

[Jay Glazer]

But some. I forget who the coach was. I think it Was Rex that he heard the music and stuff from this porn line and he thought I was in a club.

[Dean Blandino]

Oh, God.

[Jay Glazer]

Stayed on like jj. So it's racking up the minutes, you know?

[Dean Blandino]

And anyway, real, real quick on Rex. He sent me the greatest text message any coach has ever sent me. It was. He was with. I Forget it was 14 or 15. He was still with the jets week one, they lose, and they. They get called for, like, 25 fouls. And he texts me after the game. He says, hey, if we're gonna get like that again next week, let me know, and I'll bring the lube. I mean, that.

[Jay Glazer]

That.

[Dean Blandino]

And I'm reading the text, like, okay, all right, coach.

[Jay Glazer]

Yeah. I mean, that's the greatest. Greatest character. So I play a lot of jokes, and I was at CBS at the time I came in and do it since 90. What, 2001 or something. What did you.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, it was. It was early 2000s. Yeah.

[Jay Glazer]

So settle on those lives. And I come in to do A story for CBSSportsLine.com an inside story of what happens in the officiating department. So I come and I do this great story, but at first, I wrote a fake story, and I had this story about how these guys gamble and they have fantasy football league, and, you know, this. That they'll find guys. Like. And I'm. I'm quoting guys, you know, what was your quote like? Because you were in charge of fines. Like, yeah, sure. Sometimes personal feelings come into whether we find a guy. I think it was Anthony Dorset, right? Anthony Dorset.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jay Glazer]

Sometimes we'll find him, but sometimes we won't find him because we liked his.

[Dean Blandino]

Dad, because we like Tony Dorset.

[Jay Glazer]

This guy over here is a. So we'll find him 15 grand. And, you know, all these things like, oh, you have a fantasy football league, so, sure, we'll. We'll look the other way if a guy's on our team, you know, and Greg Aiello, who's the former head of PR for the league, he's in on it with me. He comes in and you tell him, right? He threw like, 10 copies at all, right. And said, what do you say? I let this guy in. And this way.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah, this is what we. Yeah, this is what. And. And people start looking at. And Jay wrote this fake story about all this stuff, and it was literally Lord of the Flies, you know, people turning on each other, like, immediately.

[Jay Glazer]

Keep going. They're like, I didn't say this.

[Dean Blandino]

I didn't say that. Yes, you did. I didn't say. And I'm just sitting back and I'm looking at Jay. I'm like, this.

[Jay Glazer]

No, I wasn't there at that point. You tell me after. Like, you were the only one.

[Dean Blandino]

Like, yeah, I was like, guys, this is not real. Like, why do you. Like, literally, they just turned on each other. And I was like, this is ridiculous.

[Jay Glazer]

Like, I heard you say this, right? They're like, no, I did, like. And Pereira almost had a heart attack that day.

[Dean Blandino]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Oh, no doubt. He crumbled like a house of cards.

[Jay Glazer]

That was my. By the way, I used to do this to a lot of coaches and GMs. I'd write fake articles. You know, it would look perfect, right? And I would send it over and just guys would. Oh, they would collapse. And. Yeah, there was. Yeah, I did this several times. And, man, I had it down to science, but not. I could figure out how to Photoshop. Yeah.

[Dean Blandino]

We've been friends ever since, you know, could have went one. Could have went one of two ways. So, you know, I'm going to ask.

[Jay Glazer]

You this question I ask all my guests. Give me the one moment in your life. Could have been anything. It's your unbreakable moment. Could have broken. You shouldn't and didn't. As a result, you came through the other side of that tunnel, stronger, forever.

[Dean Blandino]

That's a good question. So couple come to mind. But there was one. There was one time, and it was right around 2008, and I was at the. I was at the league office, and for me, you know, my background, I never officiated on the field. I didn't. I didn't come up. I'm very unique in that background. I started as an intern. I just. I was lucky enough to get an internship at the NFL. Officiating, had an opportunity, and I. And I took it. So I never officiated on the field. And I was basically told, not officially, but told, hey, listen, you'll never be the head of the department. You just. You never officiate on the field. It's a glass ceiling. You'll never do it. And I was struggling. I was struggling with it. I didn't know where my career was going to go. And sitting there. In 2008, I was married, didn't have kids yet, was struggling a little with. With my relationship and everything else. And. And it was really getting me to the point where I just was lost and in the league. Had, at that point, had offered an enhanced severance package for people that were there, you know, more than. More than 10 years. And I Was. And I was like, am I going to leave the NFL? Am I going to leave this, this company that people would bend over backwards to work for? And I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew that I was. I knew that I had the potential to run that department. And I, and I took a chance and I left. And I remember sitting in my office when this thing came across, reading this email and I was like. And I struggled with it and left, started my own company, moved to, from New York to California, had my first son and, and who's, you know, you know how that goes. Incredible. Incredible. And then the league hired me back in, in 2012 and I became the head of the department in 2013. So I, I don't know, what if I, if I didn't go down that road, where would I be today? And I always think about that. Had I just kind of succumbed and, and, and kind of said, you know what, felt sorry for myself, where would I have ended up? And I have no idea. I don't know.

[Jay Glazer]

You got on yourself. You're like, yeah, just show them what it's like without me.

[Dean Blandino]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And I just bet on myself and. But believe me, it wasn't, I wasn't a no brainer and I struggled with, I really did. And I said, you know, I could probably stay here like this and, and it would be okay. But I got to take that chance. It was, it was the scariest thing that I've ever done. Really. It really was from, from that standpoint and, and it worked out, thankfully.

[Jay Glazer]

Brother, I appreciate you man. I. Look, I apologize for playing that joke in you back then. I apologize for pinning Spygate on you and Pereira. No, I actually don't apologize for either one. But I appreciate you joining me here.

[Dean Blandino]

All right, man. Love you.

[Jay Glazer]

Love you, buddy.

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