John Parry, who headed his crew in the epic Saints-49ers playoff game on Saturday, is headed to Indianapolis to serve as the crew chief in Super Bowl XLVI.
As we noted on Sunday, we said he “won” the weekend amongst a field of solid officiating in most of this year’s playoff games. He (and his crew) was our pick the best of the divisional playoffs, since they maintained tight control of a game that see-sawed back and forth. One questionable call could have easily affected the outcome of the game.
Here is the crew that Parry will be leading, with the regular-season crews each official belongs to:
- R — #132 John Parry (12th year, 5th as referee)*
- U — #124 Carl Paganelli (13th year, Jerome Boger)
- HL — #24 Tom Stabile (17th year, Scott Green)
- LJ — #108 Gary Arthur (15th year, Ron Winter)*
- FJ — #60 Gary Cavaletto (9th year, Tony Corrente)*
- SJ — #125 Laird Hayes (17th year, Carl Cheffers)*
- BJ — #112 Tony Steratore (12th year, Boger)
*Four officials have experience in this year’s playoffs. Assigned to games in the Wild Card round were Arthur (Steelers-Broncos), Cavaletto (Lions-Saints), and Hayes (Falcons-Giants); and Parry is the aforementioned divisional playoff game.
There are five alternate officials also assigned to the Super Bowl to enter the game in case of an injury. They include Alberto Riverón (R), Bill Schuster (U from Gene Steratore’s crew), Wayne Mackie (HL, also from Steratore’s crew), Don Carlsen (SJ from Pete Morelli’s crew), Greg Wilson (BJ from Corrente’s crew). All of the alternates had assignments in this year’s playoffs, including Riverón’s assignment to the AFC Championship.
“…he “won†the weekend amongst a field of solid officiating…”
What games were you watching? Solid? He may have “won”, but not amongst a field of “solid” officiating. There were many blown calls last weekend.
for example, it is just a technicality, but the last play of the game had an uncalled penalty. Brees took the lateral past the LOS and then threw a forward pass, which this crew ignored.
In most of the playoff games? Yes, it has been solid. The crews with Parry, Morelli, Steratore and Blakeman had great games. Cheffers’ crew was pretty good, with the exception of a replay. Winter’s game was good, as well, but it is hard to get around that botched backward pass. Corrente’s game had a few bumps in it from an administrative standpoint, but overall went well. All of the referees kept the games moving without minor penalties.
So count half of them as near perfect, plus 2 that were officiated really well: that is 6 of 8 games — most of them.
I saw that forward pass. Had the play continued, I think you would have seen a penalty flag. Since the play ended, right after that, the penalty wound up being inconsequential. I think it was the right thing to not throw a penalty on the play, as the flag was just going to be picked up and everyone heads to the locker room. If the penalty is thrown, everyone starts complaining about the refs not letting the game end which was already carrying over into the late-game timeslot.
I think I’ve seen them shut down a play when the clock is zeroed out and a lateral attempt goes forward. I don’t think that is in the rulebook, but the net result is the same, as not even the Stanford band can help at that point.
Good news, it’s not Leavy!!!
Is this a joke? Solid officiating? Remember the blown fumble call, with the quick whistle, in the Saints-49ers game? A few plays later there was another fumble that wasn’t called. These playoffs have been solidly officiated? What about Leavy’s blown replay. What about his bogus “blow to the head,” after essentially letting Eli Manning get plastered? What about the blown calls in the Detroit-NO game? These playoffs have been the worst officiating in my memory. I mean, really?