The New England Patriots have a solid record under the NFL’s new officiating leadership team, but the league’s new department head unsurprisingly has ties to Deflategate.
Alberto Riveron, who was named the NFL’s new senior vice president of officiating Wednesday, ordered the Patriots’ footballs to be tested at halftime in the AFC Championship Game two years ago, setting off Deflategate, as extensively detailed by CBS Boston’s Michael Hurley. Riveron also organized the process by which the footballs were tested in the officials’ locker room.
Of course, since the footballs had just been brought inside off of a cold, damp field, they hadn’t yet readjusted to the warmth of the officials’ locker room by the time they were tested, triggering a lower reading.
Riveron is one of three NFL officials who will have final say over all replay reviews in 2017.
Thumbnail photo via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
