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Posted by Curtis Crabtree on May 20, 2015, 11:27 PM EDT
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...y-retiring-from-field-will-become-supervisor/
After 20 seasons, referee Bill Leavy is retiring from on-field officiating and will become a supervisor of officiating.
According to FootballZebras.com, Leavy will replace Johnny Grier as the northeastern regional supervisor of officiating.
Leavy’s replacement has not been released, though the league’s roster of referees is expected to be released later this month for the 2015 season. FootballZebras.com is also reporting that line judge John Hussey has been promoted to a referee position, though it’s unclear if he is the direct replacement for Leavy.
Leavy worked 16 playoff games and two Super Bowls during his career. He was a back judge for Super Bowl XXXIV between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans and headed up the officiating crew for Super Bowl XL between the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The latter Super Bowl was subject to much controversy regarding the quality of the officiating in the game. Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren publicly lambasted the crew in the days following the game.
“We knew it was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn’t know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well,” Holmgren said.
Leavy was not assigned to work Seahawks games for several years in the aftermath. He later apologized for some of the calls in the game in a meeting with Seattle reporters in 2010 to address rule changes for the coming season.
“It was a tough thing for me,” Leavy said. “I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I’ll go to my grave wishing that I’d been better … I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn’t good enough … When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It’s something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it’s difficult.”
As someone who was at that briefing, it was surreal to hear Leavy deliver that message, unprompted, so many years after the fact.
Leavy’s final game worked was January’s playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...y-retiring-from-field-will-become-supervisor/
After 20 seasons, referee Bill Leavy is retiring from on-field officiating and will become a supervisor of officiating.
According to FootballZebras.com, Leavy will replace Johnny Grier as the northeastern regional supervisor of officiating.
Leavy’s replacement has not been released, though the league’s roster of referees is expected to be released later this month for the 2015 season. FootballZebras.com is also reporting that line judge John Hussey has been promoted to a referee position, though it’s unclear if he is the direct replacement for Leavy.
Leavy worked 16 playoff games and two Super Bowls during his career. He was a back judge for Super Bowl XXXIV between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans and headed up the officiating crew for Super Bowl XL between the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The latter Super Bowl was subject to much controversy regarding the quality of the officiating in the game. Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren publicly lambasted the crew in the days following the game.
“We knew it was going to be tough going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn’t know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well,” Holmgren said.
Leavy was not assigned to work Seahawks games for several years in the aftermath. He later apologized for some of the calls in the game in a meeting with Seattle reporters in 2010 to address rule changes for the coming season.
“It was a tough thing for me,” Leavy said. “I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that. It left me with a lot of sleepless nights, and I think about it constantly. I’ll go to my grave wishing that I’d been better … I know that I did my best at that time, but it wasn’t good enough … When we make mistakes, you got to step up and own them. It’s something that all officials have to deal with, but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it’s difficult.”
As someone who was at that briefing, it was surreal to hear Leavy deliver that message, unprompted, so many years after the fact.
Leavy’s final game worked was January’s playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
