Official fitness/Sanford Rivers/Jack Fette

[FredFan7]

Jan 22, 2014 19:04:05 GMT -5 teo said:

Didn't HL Sanford Rivers was also fired, and then rehired? (He lasted until 2005).

I remember that Spyksma was a SJ from 1999-2002, then came back in 2004 as a LJ (his original position).

The league was constantly battling Rivers about his weight. I don't know if he was fired or "suspended" but he missed a season while he was disciplined by the NFL over his weight. The NFL allowed him to return after a year off (either suspended or fired and won the job back after a grievance). At age 61 he retired to take a job in upper management with the PA lottery. The PA lottery wanted someone with high character to run the organization, and they pegged Rivers. Rivers felt working for the lottery and being a NFL official didn't mix, so he retired from the NFL.

[russ]

The thing that was unfair to Rivers is that he was actually a pretty solid Official. He worked quite a few Playoff games and even worked the 1998 Super Bowl. I understand wanting Officials to be in shape but it was unfair to fire someone who was competent. At least a majority of the 8 that were let go (besides Spitler and Moore who were both good) were inconsistent or just old. Rivers worked a Playoff game the year before he was suspended/fired. I am glad he eventually got his job back even if it was just for one more season. I have a feeling he never felt comfortable being back at a place that didn't want him and that played a factor in him taking the Gaming Commission job.

On a seperate note I am surprised we have never seen any of the fired Officials (the 8 mentioned as well as Eddy Powers and Steve Wilson)show up working College Football. In the NBA, two Officials were let go in the last 2 years and they are both now working College Basketball.

[FredFan7]

Another man I think about is Jack Fette. Fette was a fearless official and in his book, Red Cashion calls him the most consistent official he ever saw. Fette worked five Super Bowls, and was obese his entire career. He looked like he could have topped 300 pounds by the end of his career. Today, he wouldn't even get a Division III schedule let alone a sniff from the NFL.

Everyone should strive for good physical fitness, and fair or not, the NCAA and NFL want officials who look skinny/fit. I wonder if that reality has prevented another Jack Fette from being hired at a high level.

[russ]

You could also look at other sports like the MLB and guys like John McSherry, Ken Kaiser and Eric Gregg who were all very heavy but good Umpires as well. You will see the occasional guy like Joe West or Jerry Layne but if you notice none of the young guys or AAA Call-ups are heavy.

Back to the NFL, I heard a rumor on this baord from one of the modrators that Mark Baltz ranked number 1 at least once in his career but did not get the Super Bowl, I wonder if his being obese had something to do with it.

FF7, I am certainly with you in that it is good for everybody to have good physical fitness, but if someone like Sanford Rivers comes along and is good at their job they should not have to worry about their job. If being slow due to weght is causing you performance to suffer like it did with Steve Wilson, that is fine but like I said before Sanford Rivers worked a Divisional Playoff game in 2001 and was fired a few months later. Keep in mind 2001 Playoffs was ranked by position not crew meaning Rivers was probably in the top 6 at HL since he worked a second round game. I just do not feel that was fair to him and it was not fair for Baltz to miss out on a Super Bowl despite supposedly being ranked number 1 during 1 season.

[FredFan7]

The "Bob Wagner" thread got into an interesting topic about physical fitness in officials.

I thought it deserved it's own thread.

For those who don't remember Fette, LJ39, here is some footage of him in Super Bowl 22.



On this hit on Fette, he actually broke his tailbone. He was retiring after this game and he refused to come out and let an alternate come in.

[Deleted]

Jack Fette was one of the best officials to have worked in the NFL IMO. The line judge I am most impressed
with currently is Byron Boston. He seems to do his job flawlessly. He is in the right position and stays
so calm. I have never considered Mark Baltz to be obese - just somewhat overweight. I didn't see Carey's
crew much this year but before that I thought he did an outstanding job. Getting the ProBowl last year
and nothing this year suggests to me that maybe his retirement papers are prepared. How often did any of
these guys make the headlines for a bad call during their careers? Yes Fette was on Schachter's crew when
they messed up on the downs in a game way back when.

[Deleted]

Someone asked about Eddy Powers and found this about him talking about the fail mary:

www.wbir.com/video/1861300563001/39988096001/Interview-Controversial-call

Powers worked 1 playoff game in his career and I believe he was dumped based on lack of playoff games.

Of the 8 who were let go after 2002 season, Duke and Warden worked the pro bowl game, Johnson was an alternate for the SF/TB divisional game. Spitler returned in 2003 after Jury was injured and never returned and Spitler worked the 2003 pro bowl game. spyksma came back for 3 seasons in 2004-2006 with no playoff games and his most famous camera time was breaking up a fight before a MNF game in Atlanta. In fact, of those who were dumped after the 2002 season, only Anderson did nothing after that season (some got playoffs, some went to replay, some re hired).

Rivers was suspended in 2002 after weight issues but came back for 2003 season.