View image | gettyimages.com Referee overcomes life threatening illness and long layoff You might excuse Bill Vinovich if he feels a little extra emotional on Sunday. Eight years ago, the thought of working a Super Bowl was the last thing on the referee’s mind. In April 2007, Vinovich’s goal was to survive for 48 hours.…
We remember with heavy hearts a life well lived, and well loved.
“When you die, it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.” — Stuart Scott
Referee Tony Corrente sustained a hit in Baltimore in 2011 that lead to a far more serious diagnosis.
At least three have worked the Final Four Several officials work multiple sports from Pop Warner to the pros. There is quite a history of NFL officials working major college basketball. Currently, Gene Steratore (pictured) and Bill Vinovich work major college basketball. But they are just the current in a long line of pro football officials…
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you … If—, Rudyard Kipling Kipling was never a professional or amateur football official, but just about every sports official claims that famous poem as a motto. Each week, football officials…
How does the NFL get their new officials up to speed? Larry Upson knows what it is like to be hired into the NFL. Upson was an NFL official from 1993-98 before moving into the front office to become Mike Pereira’s assistant. Upson then became supervisor of the now defunct United Football League. Upson has…
Ron Phares completes first season of retirement For 43 years Ron Phares chased football players on fields all over the country. This past season Phares, 69, enjoyed watching football games instead of officiating the contests. Phares, along with Tom Barnes, retired just before the start of the 2012 season. Phares (who wore uniform number 10) …
Tom Barnes was a NFL line judge for 26 seasons This past fall was the first one in 44 seasons that Tom Barnes wasn’t enforcing football rules. The 69-year old Barnes (who wore uniform number 55) retired after a 26 year career as a NFL official. The Saint Paul, Minn., native worked 513 NFL games,…
NFC Divisional Playoff We will be live blogging the calls and rules interpretations from the Packers-49ers game. (If you see continue reading below, click it to see the entire feed.) If you have any questions or comments, use the comments section of this post, or tweet us @footballzebras. Today’s crew is headed by Jerome Boger.…
Officials used to worry about job security around playoffs When the regular season is over, the NFL officials wait to see whether they pack their gear away after Week 17 or if they will be awarded a playoff assignment. The NFL officiating department has several criteria on how they grade officials and the top performers…