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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 10, 2011 11:57:10 GMT -5
Richard Lister, author of The Third Team has graciously agreed to join this site and answer your questions about the book he's written. Ask him about the people he talked to, how he went about writing the book, or whatever else you wish to ask him about the world of officiating. I hope you will take advantage of this unique opportunity to talk to Mr. Lister! Submit your questions to him in this thread, and he will reply in this thread. Ask away! thethirdteam.com/ |
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 10, 2011 12:05:55 GMT -5
Did you have to ask special permission to talk to current NFL Officials? How many current officials did you ask to interview? Were current officials reluctant to talk to you?
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 10, 2011 12:07:06 GMT -5
Is there one official that you wished you could get but didn't due to schedule conflicts, reluctance to talk to you, etc.?
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Post by zcr57 on Feb 10, 2011 12:13:46 GMT -5
Are there any subjects that current officials couldn't talk about?
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 10, 2011 12:17:32 GMT -5
Is the Bergman family has fun in person as they come across in the Book?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2011 12:16:45 GMT -5
Did you have to ask special permission to talk to current NFL Officials? How many current officials did you ask to interview? Were current officials reluctant to talk to you? The NFLRA's collective bargaining agreement with the NFL specifically requires the league's permission for any currently-working official to give an interview. An initial plan had been to try to get access to a specific crew to chronicle a typical week. With assistance from Bill Carollo, I tried to pursue this route. My inquiry was referred to the NFL's PR Dept, where it languished. After a prolonged period, the league declined. This caused me to turn my focus more heavily toward the retired officials, who had also been in my original plans. Ironically, my research with the retired men actually opened access to current officials. It led me to Mike Pereira while he was still the officiating VP, bypassing the PR Dept. Jeff and Jerry Bergman, both current officials, obtained permission to speak with me. I had started a series of interviews with Carollo while he was still with the league, though we knew it was likely the book would not be in print until after he retired. I also interviewed Mark Baltz, who has been in the league longer than anyone. In the course of my work, I met three other current officials. But the encounters came unexpectedly, so they did not have permission to speak with me. Nonetheless, they were able to provide valuable background information. Most of the retired men with whom I spoke still work for the NFL, either as trainers, scouts, or replay officials. While they are not bound by the CBA restrictions on interviews, one might expect that they might not be open to sharing the full measure of their reflections and insights . But their willingness to speak as openly as they did was wonderful and I believe enhanced the book. Two officials then working on the field--one has since retired--declined my request for an interview. But each man with whom I spoke was candid and generous in speaking with me. They appreciated that someone form the outside was interested in presenting an even, third-person perspective on their work. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2011 12:30:27 GMT -5
Is there one official that you wished you could get but didn't due to schedule conflicts, reluctance to talk to you, etc.? I would have loved the chance--impractical though it is--to have spoken with hundreds more subjects. Everyone who is currently officiating in the NFL and everyone who has worked in the league has a compelling story. From a practical standpoint, the number of people who could contribute to a book has to be limited. But from a human interest perspective, I could spend endless hours listening to these guys' stories about their lives on and off the field. Every one of them has not only achieved remarkable heights in officiating, but has a compelling life story to tell as well. Though the book is completed, I expect to meet more NFL officials down the road and look forward to meeting them and hearing what they have to say. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2011 12:41:04 GMT -5
Are there any subjects that current officials couldn't talk about? Yes. the current officials were told that they couldn't comment on specific plays. They were also very circumspect in that they did not talk about coaches or players by name--though Jeff and Jerry Bergman spoke well of Bill Parcells in the book. Since the coach was then retired from the field, and unlikely to return to it, they felt it to be okay to talk about him. The retired officials who now work in the replay booth had to be careful to avoid commenting on recent plays. But on the historical front, it is, of course, easier for the retired officials to talk about plays that have long since been fully dissected by the press. Those recollections added a great deal to their stories. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2011 12:50:14 GMT -5
Is the Bergman family has fun in person as they come across in the Book? Absolutely. Each of the three of them has a different personality. But all are very engaging and incredibly passionate about the work on the field, reflected by the enthusiasm with which they speak about it. Each also has a great sense of humor. And some of the best stories are those told by some of the old-timers referring to Jerry Bergman, Senior about his days on the field and those shared by his sons, as they describe his ongoing critiques of their work. |
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 11, 2011 22:11:07 GMT -5
Thank you for joining us here at BTFS!
One of the hardest things for an official at any level is to look themselves in the mirror and determine that they must retire. The last game they work is very emotional. Sadly, some officials are approached by the league office and are strongly encouraged to retire with dignity.
Did you think about writing about this aspect of the game to help readers know how emotional an official's last game/season is? Or was that part of the book that had to be cut?
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 12, 2011 10:02:22 GMT -5
What was the most surprising thing you learned about NFL officiating?
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 12, 2011 10:03:00 GMT -5
Has this book inspired you to take up officiating?!
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 12, 2011 10:05:58 GMT -5
Baseball umpires allowed "all access" to author Lee Gutkind in the mid-1970s to write a book about their season. "The Best Seat in the House" was a tell-all and the umpire crew felt burned by Gutkind. Were any of the NFL officials you initially approached to do the book suspicious of your intentions?
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Post by FredFan7 on Feb 12, 2011 10:09:27 GMT -5
Would it be fair to say that without Bill Carollo's interest, information, and ability to provide access to material you needed, there would be no book?
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Post by zcr57 on Feb 12, 2011 11:50:30 GMT -5
Did any of the officials say that they made it to the NFL because of "who they knew" and not "what they knew?"
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