NFL Conference Championship Officials

[edman42]

New Orleans/Chicago
Mcaulay
Hall
Payne
Spanier
Gautreaux
Carlsen
Steed
ALT-Green
ALT-Defelice
Replay-Hill

New England/Indianapolis
Carollo
Michalek
Slaughter
Boston
Vernatchi
Rose
Helverson
ALT-Winter
ALT-Dawson
Replay-Boylston

[BktBallRef]

Who does that leave the SB? Have we seen Hoculi yet?

[ljudge]

Are these crews? I met James Coleman last year at a camp near Philadelphia and I know he's on Corollo's crew. Or, is there some kind of minimum requirement of years before you can work a playoff game. James is in his second year and I know he's very well thought of by Mr. Periera.

Since Corrente worked last weekend does that mean he's out for the SB? I thought for sure he would get it this year since he was an alt last season.

[IAUMP]

The NFL used established crews through last weekend. Now they are using "All-star" crews that were determined by their rankings in each position. So the 2nd and 3rd ranked in each position are working the games this weekend and the top ranked at each spot works the Super Bowl.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by ljudge

Are these crews? I met James Coleman last year at a camp near Philadelphia and I know he's on Corollo's crew. Or, is there some kind of minimum requirement of years before you can work a playoff game. James is in his second year and I know he's very well thought of by Mr. Periera.

Since Corrente worked last weekend does that mean he's out for the SB? I thought for sure he would get it this year since he was an alt last season.

Yes, there is a minimum number of years of experience. Seems like it's 2 before you can work playoffs. I'm sure someone will enlighten us if I'm wrong.

In the past, the SB referee has come from either WC or a Divisional game, so who knows at this point. Being the ALT the previous year doesn't have anything to do with it.

[cmathews]

He was working last week wasn't he? Could it finally be his year? I have always liked the job he did, but it always seemed that there was 1 game a year which didn't go well and it seemed to keep him from the big one....

[Bob M.]

REPLY: The rules always were (may still be) 2 years before being eligible for the playoffs; 5 years before being eligible for the Super Bowl, except that the Super Bowl R had to have 5 years at position before he was eligible.

Always used to be accepted that the SB officials would work either a wild-card or divisional game in order to remain sharp. However in recent years, that's not always been the case. For example, the SJ in last year's Super Bowl (Tom Hill) did not work in either a WC or divisional game--SB was his only playoff assignment last season.

And ljudge...I believe Corrente will do just fine.

[tnzebra]

Originally Posted by cmathews

He was working last week wasn't he? Could it finally be his year? I have always liked the job he did, but it always seemed that there was 1 game a year which didn't go well and it seemed to keep him from the big one....

Corrente is fine and will do a great job but...... why is Mike Carey getting overlooked? It seems that he and Ed are the "face" of NFL R's. JMO.....

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by edman42

New Orleans/Chicago
Mcaulay
Hall
Payne
Spanier
Gautreaux
Carlsen
Steed
ALT-Green
ALT-Defelice
Replay-Hill

I'm certainly not an expert, however, these boys get two thumbs up from me today!

[Trap]

After watching Corrente butcher roughing the passer calls all year, I'm amazed they would put him in such a high profile game,( everyone makes a mistake, but he seemed to do it often) and risk another PR issue. He seems to do well other that he doesn't have good judgement on roughing the passer. I'm sorry, I just don't see him as a top ten referee, let alone doing the Super bowl. TMO

Maybe this is the year the NFL wants Manning to get his championship?

Total arbitrary ranking of NFL officials. Take it for what its worth. But I found it interesting.

Season Zebra Crew Rankings as of Divisional Week
Official 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WC D C SB Total
Bill Vinovich 5 1 - 1 1 1 11 - 6 2 6 3 1 1 5 4 1 1 - - - 1
Jeff Triplette 10 11 2 9 - 2 1 1 - 1 10 1 4 12 1 3 2 2 - - - 2
Ed Hochuli 3 3 1 6 6 5 - 2 3 12 - 6 7 9 8 2 11 - - - - 3
Bill Leavy 4 7 9 7 3 - 12 4 5 10 3 8 11 6 - 9 5 - 1 - - 4
Gene Steratore 9 5 7 10 11 8 3 - 10 4 4 5 - 13 4 1 3 - - - - 5
Jerome Boger 6 6 8 3 - 9 8 9 8 7 7 12 3 3 7 - 6 - - - - 6
Pete Morelli 7 9 11 - 4 12 2 10 1 11 1 - 6 2 3 6 12 4 - - - 7
Scott Green - 4 13 4 - 11 7 7 2 13 8 7 12 10 2 5 4 - - - - 8
Bill Carollo 1 16 12 - 7 10 10 - 9 15 5 9 8 4 9 7 14 - - - - 9
Ron Winter 2 8 4 12 9 - 13 6 13 16 15 4 9 5 15 14 - - - - - 10
Tony Corrente 8 15 5 - 13 7 6 5 - 5 11 16 15 11 10 13 15 - 2 - - 11
Terry McAulay 15 14 3 5 8 6 - 3 12 3 9 11 5 16 11 8 8 - - - - 12
Walt Coleman 13 10 - 14 2 4 - 8 7 14 13 14 16 14 14 16 13 - - - - 13
Larry Nemmers 14 13 - 8 10 3 9 13 - 6 14 10 10 8 6 12 16 - - - - 14
Mike Carey 11 2 6 2 5 13 - 14 11 8 2 15 2 - 12 10 7 - 3 - - 15
Walt Anderson 16 12 10 11 12 - 4 12 4 - 12 2 14 7 13 15 10 3 - - - 16
Gerald Austin 12 - 14 13 14 - 5 11 14 9 16 13 13 15 16 11 9 - 4 - - 17

[cmathews]

Originally Posted by Trap

Maybe this is the year the NFL wants Manning to get his championship?

Please tell me you are kidding....please please pleaaaaaase.....

[AndrewMcCarthy]

Originally Posted by Trap

Total arbitrary ranking of NFL officials. Take it for what its worth.

...

Nothing.

[rulesmaven]

The NFL is continuing what it did last year -- after a 3 year haitus from all star crews, it switched to them last year for the championship round and the superbowl and it's doing that again this year.

Word is that Hochuli deferred to get priority for the superbowl next year in his hometown. It's strange that he didn't ref a single game, though, this year. Maybe he's the ALT again for the Superbowl, as he was, I believe, for 39.

I think that the crews have been superb for all 10 games so far, with Vinovich's crew standing out as the cream of the crop in his first playoff game.

[ljudge]

Originally Posted by rulesmaven

Word is that Hochuli deferred to get priority for the superbowl next year in his hometown. It's strange that he didn't ref a single game, though, this year. Maybe he's the ALT again for the Superbowl, as he was, I believe, for 39.

You're correct, he was the alt for 39. It's funny how he's well-liked by NFL fans. He was walking down the endline in one of the endzones about an hour or so prior to the game. He literally got a standing O from the fans in the lower endzone seating area as he walked by. He acknowledged with a quick wave.

I don't understand how he would get "priority" though as they use all-star crews as rulesmaven states. He still has to be the best out of the 16 or 17 referees they have.

[MJT]

Originally Posted by Trap

After watching Corrente butcher roughing the passer calls all year, I'm amazed they would put him in such a high profile game,( everyone makes a mistake, but he seemed to do it often) and risk another PR issue. He seems to do well other that he doesn't have good judgement on roughing the passer. I'm sorry, I just don't see him as a top ten referee, let alone doing the Super bowl. TMO

Maybe this is the year the NFL wants Manning to get his championship?

Total arbitrary ranking of NFL officials. Take it for what its worth. But I found it interesting.

Season Zebra Crew Rankings as of Divisional Week
Official 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WC D C SB Total
Bill Vinovich 5 1 - 1 1 1 11 - 6 2 6 3 1 1 5 4 1 1 - - - 1
Jeff Triplette 10 11 2 9 - 2 1 1 - 1 10 1 4 12 1 3 2 2 - - - 2
Ed Hochuli 3 3 1 6 6 5 - 2 3 12 - 6 7 9 8 2 11 - - - - 3
Bill Leavy 4 7 9 7 3 - 12 4 5 10 3 8 11 6 - 9 5 - 1 - - 4
Gene Steratore 9 5 7 10 11 8 3 - 10 4 4 5 - 13 4 1 3 - - - - 5
Jerome Boger 6 6 8 3 - 9 8 9 8 7 7 12 3 3 7 - 6 - - - - 6
Pete Morelli 7 9 11 - 4 12 2 10 1 11 1 - 6 2 3 6 12 4 - - - 7
Scott Green - 4 13 4 - 11 7 7 2 13 8 7 12 10 2 5 4 - - - - 8
Bill Carollo 1 16 12 - 7 10 10 - 9 15 5 9 8 4 9 7 14 - - - - 9
Ron Winter 2 8 4 12 9 - 13 6 13 16 15 4 9 5 15 14 - - - - - 10
Tony Corrente 8 15 5 - 13 7 6 5 - 5 11 16 15 11 10 13 15 - 2 - - 11
Terry McAulay 15 14 3 5 8 6 - 3 12 3 9 11 5 16 11 8 8 - - - - 12
Walt Coleman 13 10 - 14 2 4 - 8 7 14 13 14 16 14 14 16 13 - - - - 13
Larry Nemmers 14 13 - 8 10 3 9 13 - 6 14 10 10 8 6 12 16 - - - - 14
Mike Carey 11 2 6 2 5 13 - 14 11 8 2 15 2 - 12 10 7 - 3 - - 15
Walt Anderson 16 12 10 11 12 - 4 12 4 - 12 2 14 7 13 15 10 3 - - - 16
Gerald Austin 12 - 14 13 14 - 5 11 14 9 16 13 13 15 16 11 9 - 4 - - 17

Who came up with these rankings? To do so, they would have had to watch every game, KNOW the NFL rules (not like the announcers or fans), and compare them against each other.