It’s one thing when Joe Public watches questionable calls repeatedly favor the Kansas City Chiefs and thinks something’s up. But when Dean Blandino’s own family member is convinced the NFL is rigged, you’ve got something.
And the NFL has something:
A problem.
Mar 28, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL senior vice president of officiating Dean Blandino during the NFL Annual Meetings at the Biltmore Resort. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Blandino’s Brother Says NFL Rigged
Blandino is a Fox Sports rules analyst who served as the NFL’s vice president of officiating from 2013 to 2017. So the guy who served as the replay official in two Super Bowls and was head of all the league’s officials for five seasons is intimately involved in NFL officiating.
And his brother is certain – convinced! – NFL officials rig games.
“Look, the Chiefs have gotten the benefit of calls, right, but good teams make their own breaks – you think about the Patriots,” Blandino said on the DA Show on Sirius. “My brother, who is convinced the league is rigged, that is convinced that I signed an NDA [Non-Disclosure Agreement] when I left the league office that I cannot tell anybody that it’s rigged because I was head of officiating. We grew up in the same household, by the way.”
So has Blandino tried to talk his brother off the tinfoil hat ledge?
Yes. But to no avail.
“I said, ‘Listen, there’s no conspiracy,’ ” Blandino said. “The officials — there’s too many variables, there’s too much going on. To me, it’s the hardest sport. When you think about football, with seven different officials, to say, ‘OK, I’m going to rig this game’ or ‘The game is rigged from the league office down.’ The officials are just trying to get it right, and you can’t tell me the Chiefs have made seven straight AFC Championship games, they’re going to play for the three-peat, they’re going to play in four Super Bowls in six years, that it’s just because of the officiating.”
Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) meets with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) after a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Blandino Believes Chiefs Have Gotten Calls
Blandino insists the Chiefs are good because they’re good. This despite the complaints from the Houston Texans – in that quarterback C.J. Stroud said there are things he questions about the officiating and coach DeMeco Ryans suggested teams play the Chiefs at a disadvantage.
And there were some strange hijinks in the AFC Championship game on Sunday between the Chiefs and the Bills as well.
“They’re a good team, and they make their own breaks,” Blandino insisted. “Yes, have they gotten the benefit of calls? Sure. Other teams get benefit of calls. I just think right now the narrative is so out there that any time any close call goes for the Chiefs it’s, ‘Oh, here we go again, here we go again.’
“And I’m sure Super Bowl Sunday, we’re going to hear it for the next two weeks.”
But Dean, that’s fine for the ordinary fan to believe. But, again, your brother?
Seriously?
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Blandino Bro: NFL Wants Swift At Super Bowl
“Well, you don’t know my brother,” Blandino said. “The league is rigged, and I can’t say anything about it. And I say, ‘Listen, hey, I think if there was a script I think the head of officiating would be pretty important in that process and no one ever invited me in the room.’
“My brother’s like, ‘They want Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl.’ And I’m like, ‘150 million people are going to watch the Super Bowl regardless of Taylor Swift being there.’ Enough. Stop.”
It won’t stop.
Just wait until the first questionable call that benefits Kansas City in the Super Bowl.
