I knew after reading Judy Battista's analysis I need to join the discussion. So much for planning to stay away from the board until April 29.

 

First of all, Dean Blandino deserves a lot of praise for hiring a female line judge. It could not have been an easy decision for him because there are several issues - for example, he mentioned her need for a separate dressing room. Also, way too many fans still think women don't know football and don't belong on a field with about 30 guys unless they are oin the medical staff. They are wrong on both counts and Blandino obviously knows that.

 

People need to remember the NBA did it years ago, hiring two female referees the same year IIRC. I know football is different, but that means the NFL has a precedent. How did it turn out on basketball courts?

 

The stuff about how players will react to having a woman on the field reminds me of Michael Sam coming out of the closet. An issue with him was the behavior of straight guys toward an openly gay player. This is the same kind of issue and it's a real concern. But I am not worried about that in this case because if a player says something nasty to her, she can throw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, and nobody wants to lose 15 yards by talking to the line judge.

 

About being given different standards: That is baloney. She went through the same physical exam and development program everyone else did. Her resume includes high school and Conference USA games. She was scouted the same way. I have no idea what the NFL could have done differently. It is illegal to treat men and women differently in the workplace and the NFL knows that. However, Gerry Austin, her supervisor at CUSA, recommended tucking hair under her cap so she will not be too noticeable.

 

One thing nobody has mentioned yet is pregnancy. That would keep her off the field for a whole season, forcing the NFL to find a subsitute line judge. So I hope she takes birth control pills.

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