“I Cannot Tell Anybody That It’s Rigged”: Ex-NFL Officiating Head Says His Own Family Believes He’s Hiding the Truth About NFL Fixing Games

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jan 31, 2025, 01:50 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

Dean Blandino, a Fox Sports rules analyst, revealed that his brother believes the NFL fixes games, especially to favor the Kansas City Chiefs with a Taylor Swift agenda. Blandino denies these claims, stating that officiating mistakes are just part of the game and not part of any conspiracy. Keeping such a secret would be nearly impossible.

“I Cannot Tell Anybody That It’s Rigged”: Ex-NFL Officiating Head Says His Own Family Believes He’s Hiding the Truth About NFL Fixing Games

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Former NFL senior vice president of officiating Dean Blandino is no stranger to wild conspiracy theories about the league being rigged. But what’s surprising? Even his own brother believes the NFL is fixing games—especially for the Kansas City Chiefs and their supposed Taylor Swift-fueled agenda.

Blandino’s Brother Thinks He’s Hiding the Truth

Blandino, now a Fox Sports rules analyst, joined Damon Amendolara and Mike Babchick on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio and shared a bizarre revelation:
“My brother, who is convinced that the league is rigged, that is convinced that I signed an NDA when I left the league office that I cannot tell anybody that it is rigged because I was head of officiating.”

According to Blandino, his brother is deep in the conspiracy rabbit hole, fully believing that the NFL orchestrates game outcomes. The main theory? That the league wants Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl and is giving the Chiefs favorable calls to make it happen.

Blandino Shuts Down the Rigging Claims

Despite acknowledging that the Chiefs have benefitted from certain calls, Blandino insists that officiating mistakes are just part of the game—not some master plan by the league.
“There’s no conspiracy. The officials, there’s too many variables, there’s too much going on,” he explained. “It’s the hardest sport to rig when you think about football with seven different officials.”
Blandino also emphasized that if there was a grand plan to fix games, keeping it a secret would be nearly impossible.

Why the Chiefs Conspiracy Won’t Die

The debate over officiating has been at an all-time high, with controversial calls in Chiefs games fueling fan suspicions. Sports personalities like Skip Bayless have also publicly suggested that the NFL has a vested interest in seeing Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl.
While Blandino’s professional opinion is that the NFL is not rigged, it’s telling that even his own brother isn’t convinced. You’d think having a family member as a former head of officiating would clear up any doubts—but apparently, that’s not the case.
Also read - Ravens Kicker Justin Tucker Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Allegedly Brushing Women with Exposed Genitals from Five Massage Therapists

About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article