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Gene Steratore on his mindset as NFL ref ahead of Super Bowl LVIII: 'Fishing for whales not minnows'

On3 imageby:Dan Morrison•02/11/24•

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Gene Steratore
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl LVIII is here and with that comes tons of excitement about what’s going to happen both on and off the field. However, one thing nobody wants is for the referees to decide the outcome of the game one way or the other, and very few people know that better than former referee and current rules expert, Gene Steratore.

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Steratore explained on The Pat McAfee Show that the mindset and the mentality of the referees is vital going into the Super Bowl.

“We’re calling the big stuff boys and we’re fishing for whales not minnows,” Gene Steratore said. “You know what I mean? Mentality. That was my regular season thing and as you’re molding your crew through the season, you’re trying to get to that space.”

“As a human, if teams are getting to the line of scrimmage and you’re thinking in your position, ‘I’m looking. If somebody does something, if he holds I’m gonna get it,’ or something like that, then you’re already prepping for something and then that little technical foul pops up, one that’s detailed, right, but because you were there already mentally, a young official will have the urge to reach real quick and kind of call something where you want them to take a breath and ‘Was it big enough, right?'”

Steratore was a well respected NFL referee, with his first game coming back in 2003. By 2009, he worked his first playoff game, as one of the league’s best referees. He was chosen as an alternate referee for Super Bowl XLIV and was an official for Super Bowl LII, which would be his last game. Since moving on from officiating, Steratore has become a rules analyst for CBS Sports.

One thing that Steratore emphasized will be important to watch is how the game is going to evolve and what unexpected events come with the game.

“So, I think it’s that and really for these, this is different. It’s the same thing the teams are doing. Right now, you’re looking at the matchups. How does this game potentially evolve from an officiating window this weekend? What are the elements I would look at here? Naturally, you’ve got Coach [Andy] Reid and [Kyle] Shanahan. There’s an unexpected element to this game where there is gonna be a play or two that happens that nobody knows… Philly special. Same kind of animal as that. Expect the unexpected.”