Is it no longer the No Fun League?
Officiating VP Riveron up to task, says communication key
NFL relaxes rules on elaborate celebrations
In liberalizing its rule on celebrations, the NFL has suddenly collected some “cool” points.
No longer is it a foul for a player to use the football as a prop or for players to engage in a group demonstration. I’m guessing it’s also legal now to grab a cheerleader’s pom-pom, throw popcorn on oneself or jump into the Salvation Army kettle while celebrating a touchdown.
Some fans have called for this relaxation for years, and undoubtedly there are players eager to challenge their creative limits.
So there. Can’t call it the No Fun League anymore.
“‘No Fun’ has been around since the ’80s,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday during a midday break at the one-day owners meeting at a downtown hotel. “I was an intern when I first heard that term. So that’s been an issue we’ve always tried to balance.”
No doubt, this is an NFL version of a Michael Jackson moonwalk. The league has gone against the grain in ways that NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith can only hope
will surface at the bargaining table when they get to talking about a labor deal.
Troy Vincent, the commissioner’s right-hand man as executive vice president of football operations, said he sensed that owners were pleased that the relaxed rule was the result of input from a wide range of stakeholders that included players, officials and fans.
But wait. There’s always gray area. Officials will still have discretion for throwing flags when celebrations cross the line, most notably if they are sexually suggestive (hello, Antonio Brown’s twerking) or mimic the use of a weapon (Brandin Cooks, that bow-and-arrow celebration is still taboo).
“I actually think it makes it easier for them,” said Alberto Riveron, the NFL’s new senior vice president for officiating, promoted to replace departed Dean Blandino. “Because now we’ve said there’s certain things we will allow.”
Yeah, but to borrow from the hilarious Key and Peele skit: Was that one pelvis pump or two pumps?
“Are some things going to be subject to interpretation? No doubt about it,” Riveron said. “That’s where we have to keep the lines of communication open with the players and with the clubs, and see where we go from there.”
Riveron joined Goodell, Vincent and competition committee chairman Rich McKay for a 17minute briefing with reporters to talk about celebrations. That was significant, as it marked the new officiating director’s first group session in his new position.
If you don’t know Riveron from Adam right now, no worry. It won’t be long before Riveron, 57, will be in the line of fire as the frontman to explain controversial rulings by the officials. He also will be the one fielding calls from irate owners and coaches.
How Riveron — the NFL’s first Hispanic referee who had a stellar career on the field and was a key supervisor in the officiating department for several years — handles the noise within such an image-conscious environment will be essential in determining whether he’s viewed as a success.
See, it’s perception — even if he makes all the calls precisely by the book.
Replacing Blandino comes at a critical time given the league’s decision to centralize instant replay from NFL headquarters in Manhattan and two other vice president positions were created under Riveron to seemingly divide some of the key duties. Russell Yurk was promoted to oversee instant replay, and Wayne Mackie heads evaluation and development.
Riveron, though, is ultimately responsible for the department, and he will be the face of the men and women in stripes. How he comes off in explaining the calls — part of the communica- tion he mentioned — will either bolster or hurt his credibility. Fair or not.
Blandino handled it with aplomb, which is one reason he’s headed for a network television job. Although he never worked on the field as a game official, his background included a stint as a stand-up comedian, which says something about being comfortable in front of an audience.
As officiating chief, Blandino did a wonderful job in explaining the rules and calls on a variety of platforms, including weekly hits on the NFL Network, in instructional videotapes, in news conferences and even on social media. His predecessor, Carl Johnson, was highly respected for his work as a game official but hardly earned critical acclaim as Explainer In Chief. Before Johnson, Mike Pereira brought a flair and personality that added layers to his credibility ... and led to his current gig with Fox.
Now Riveron assumes one of the most visible roles in the NFL.
“He has to have the secondtoughest skin in the league,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “The toughest skin still has to belong to Roger, but that head officiating job is the most critically scrutinized job that I know of. There’s so much at stake and so much second-guessing.”
One ride aboard the Cowboys luxury bus — which caused a stir with Blandino — might be just the ticket to fuel secondguessing.
Then again, Riveron’s shared media appearance Tuesday went well. He looked all business in a gray suit and demonstrated a certain presence with a smooth, rich voice. He spoke in an easy, measured tone. One esteemed reporter in the room compared his delivery to an opera singer.
Come September, there might be different types of comparisons. And when I asked if he’s looking forward to explaining controversial calls each week, Riveron chuckled.
“I haven’t lost any sleep over it yet, but I’m sure I will,” he said. “(But) yes. Again, we have to keep communicating. It’s a process. We have to keep listening. We have to keep communicating.”
After all, presence is essential.