“Let’s bring in our rule’s analyst, Gene Steratore, Gene what did you see on that play?”
If you’ve been watching CBS/TNT/TBS/TRU coverage of the NCAA Tournament, you’ve undoubtedly heard that question asked. Steratore has been providing rules analysis for the network for both the NCAA and the NFL. He’s sort of a unicorn when it comes to having the knowledge and first-hand experience both on the field and on the court.
Oh yeah, and he possesses the ability to actually relate the information to the audience.
This role has become a major part of broadcasts now. These ‘experts’ help the viewer to understand rulings and why certain calls should or should not have been made.
BEFORE TELEVISION
If you think Steratore is busy these days, he was even busier before he decided to retire. Steratore spent 15 years as an on-field NFL game official, 13 of those seasons as a referee. He entered the NFL as a field judge in 2003, was promoted to referee in 2006, and worked 14 playoff games. He finished his career as the referee in Super Bowl LII. That was the Eagles’ 41-33 win over the Patriots on the Philly Special. Steratore also worked two conference title games, as well as serving as the alternate referee for Super Bowl XLIV.
Steratore started officiating NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball in 1997 and worked numerous Conference Tournament games in the Big Ten, ACC, Big East, Atlantic 10, Mid-American, Colonial, Horizon, Metro-Atlantic, Summit and Northeast. He also worked 12 NCAA Tournament games, including a pair in the Sweet 16s.
He finished his basketball career as a Big Ten primary official. Steratore also spent time as a Midwest ‘observer’ of officials. He would be at a game, take notes on how the officials did their jobs, and then go over it, nearly play by play after the game ended.
CONTROVERSIES ON THE FIELD
Steratore’s NFL career had a couple of notable controversies, well one controversy and one oddity, I guess.
On September 12, 2010, the Detroit Lions faced the Chicago Bears in the season opener at Soldier Field. The Lions were trailing 19-14 late in the fourth quarter but were driving against the Bears’ defense. With 24-seconds left, quarterback Shaun Hill found receiver Calvin Johnson in the corner of the end zone. Touchdown Lions. Not so fast. The play was under review, for a phrase that is now commonplace in the NFL, ‘completing the process of a catch’.
After the review, Steratore ruled it an incomplete catch. He stated after the game to an NFL pool reporter, “In order for the catch to be completed he has got to maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire process of the catch.” Replays showed the ball leaving Johnson’s right hand the moment the ball touched the ground. The Lions failed to score on their final two plays, and the Bears held on to win.
That play started a debate about what is actually a catch and what is not. The controversy elicited a new rule named for Johnson. That particular entry into the rule book outlined what exactly a catch was: control of the ball, two feet or another body part down on the ground and a “football act or move” such as reaching for the goal line or tucking the ball away.
Steratore was affected by the rule again, and this time the stakes were high. He was the referee during the NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Cowboys and Packers on January 11, 2015. That’s where a fourth-quarter, fourth-down catch by Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was overturned using the “Calvin Johnson rule”. The Packers challenged the call and after review, it was determined that the ball touched the ground before Bryant completed the catch.
Now for the oddity. In a game on December 17, 2017, between the Cowboys and Raiders. Steratore took the controversial step of using an index card normally used for recording penalties to assist him in determining whether the Cowboys had made the line to gain for a first down. His ruling that they had done so allowed Dallas to kick a late field goal in their 20–17 victory.
“The ball was touching the pole,” Steratore said. “I put the card in there and as soon as it touched, it was nothing more than a reaffirmation. The decision was made based on my visual from the top looking down and the ball touching the front of the pole.”
EVOLUTION
Mike Pereira pioneered the rules analyst role on Fox in 2010 and since, each network has followed suit. Fox also added Dean Blandino. ESPN has used Gerry Austin, Jeff Triplette and now John Parry. NBC employs Terry McCauly.
CBS hired former referee Mike Carey in the 2014 season. That didn’t work out too well, after most of his predictions on which way replays would go, were not correct. He was let go following the 2015 season. Now the job belongs to Steratore.
The NHL is now in the business of rules analysis, with the hiring of Don Koharski on TNT.
WHAT MAKES STERATORE GOOD?
There’s a calmness and authoritative way about him. Steratore seemingly commands respect when he opens up his mic to comment on a play, giving his opinion. That opinion is based on the years of actual on-field experience or in the case of the NCAA Tournament, on-court work. There isn’t much time to waste when it comes to his analysis. He has to offer his thoughts in a clear and understandable manner, then allow the broadcasters to perhaps ask a follow-up question.
Being understandable is probably the most important part, because as a viewer, I don’t want a bunch of referee jargon thrown at me. Was the call correct or incorrect? Tell me why. What should have been ruled? That’s the reason he is employed by a network, prove your worth. He does.
During the NCAA Tournament Steratore is sometimes not on-site until the Final Four. He’s watching a number of games on television screens. There are producers and others watching games to keep him updated and if he’s needed, they brief him quickly and he goes on the air. Kind of daunting in some ways. He also spoke a couple of years ago about the 4-5 second delay between the studio and the stadium, which is not easy to navigate.
One of the biggest issues facing a former referee is agreeing with or not agreeing with current officials. In Steratore’s case, it’s both NFL and NCAA referees that he either goes along with or points out a mistake.
He spoke to the Athletic in 2020 on this very topic. “Officials never get upset if you are objectively honest with what’s going on.” said Steratore. “When officials miss plays, they’re OK if you call them out for missing that play. But if I started seeking every little nuance, I can see that they’ve done, it demeans the profession and it’s an unfair observation, even if you’re right on the technical issues.”
Take, for example, the case of Illinois freshman RJ Melendez, who was assessed a technical foul for hanging on the rim after a dunk. Replays showed that Melendez needed to hang on to avoid an injury to himself. Much like the one Paul George suffered several years ago in an NBA game.
Steratore commented on the play during the telecast and then took to Twitter.
Steratore is honest that’s for sure. Now look, I get that some criticize him for playing both sides of the fence, but some calls are not black and white, there are grey areas within the rules. He has to point it all out for the sake of credibility.
He is empathetic to the cause of the on-field official, having been there himself one or two hundred times before. During a game between the Bengals and Raiders in January, the old ‘inadvertent whistle’ came into play. Here’s how he explained things on Twitter.
I think Steratore also realizes that he has one thing the on-field folks don’t, and that is time to review the situation and express his thoughts. His reasonings, right or wrong, in the moment, will not change a call that’s been made and will not affect the outcome of a game. Steratore can afford to get a little more in depth with his reasoning, while the game continues.
There is one main goal Steratore and all the other rule’s analysts want to accomplish. He wants to help casual viewers better understand the game and its rules. “You hope you can add value to the broadcast,” he explained to the Athletic. “But if I can explain something that is a little complicated and that the casual viewer gains interest to watch this game, then it makes it more relevant.”
I think he can check that box, without any further review.
DID YOU KNOW?
Steratore is the co-owner of Steratore Supply, Inc., a full line paper/janitorial supply business, with his brother, Tony, who also works as an NFL back judge. The siblings know how to get under each other’s skin, even to this day.
Gene explains, “There are times Tony and I are working together in our business and he’s not in a good mood,” Steratore said to the Athletic. “I tell him I’m the media and he’s an NFL official, he’s not allowed to talk to me. I use that. It helps the little family feuds.”
Gene and his older brother Tony were on the same crew in 2006. Gene had been elevated to referee and Tony was the back judge. That lasted 3 years. Gene overturned Tony’s calls 3 times in the first year which led to some tense moments on the field. Gene recalled one such time to the Athletic.
“Brett Favre thought we were going to fight one day in Miami when I overturned him on a play. He said ‘Are you guys going to fight?’ I said ‘We might.’ He said ‘Can I watch?’ I said, ‘Heck, yeah you can watch.'”
Andy Masur is a columnist for BSM and works for WGN Radio as an anchor and play-by-play announcer. He also teaches broadcasting at the Illinois Media School. During his career he has called games for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He can be found on Twitter @Andy_Masur1 or you can reach him by email at Andy@Andy-Masur.com.
