SIFL Announces 2009 Officials and Procedures To Insure Credibility
March 19, 2009 - Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL) News Release
LAFAYETTE, La. (March 18, 2009) - Striving to providing the best officiating both on and off the field, Southern Indoor Football League commissioner Dan J. Blum has announced the four officiating crews for the 2009 season and administrative procedures to assure objectivity.
The SIFL office will rotate the crews among the five charter franchise sites as well as handling compensation, a radical departure from other indoor leagues where individual teams were responsible for payment of officials that stayed in one geographical area.
``My goal is to ensure that SIFL games are the best officiated in all of football,'' Blum said. ``Of all the leagues I've been associated, I know that this goal is finally possible with this league.''
Austin Turfcats coach Chris Duliban appreciates the league's efforts to provide the highest quality of officiating and the implementation.
``What Commissioner Blum is doing really helps out with the professionalism of the league and legitimizes the desire for the SIFL to be unbias,'' Duliban said. ``It is good you don't have hometown refs .. the Austin area refs like this because they'll see other arenas. This makes it fair for all teams in the SIFL and it cuts down on the poor perception of `homer refs.'"
Blum hosted the 22 officials for a day-long symposium last weekend in Lafayette, highlighted by a presentation by Greg Gautreaux, who served as Field Judge for Super Bowl XLIII. Eighteen of the SIFL's inaugural crew have at least one season of indoor experience.
``I think they're the best indoor football has to offer,'' Blum said. ``The football official in me is excited about what they're going to do for the SIFL in 2009."
The 2009 SIFL officiating crews are as follows.
Referee - Michael Bell, Bell City, Louisiana
Umpire - Frank Wittenberg, Lafayette, Louisiana
Head Linesman - Jessie Moore, Lafayette, Louisiana
Line Judge - Bryan Borill, Crowley, Louisiana
Back Judge - Scotty Melancon, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Referee - Brian Ernest, Pflugerville, Texas
Umpire - Darren McDaniel, Cedar Park, Texas
Head Linesman - Brad Morrow, New Braunfels, Texas
Line Judge - Wayne Elliott, Austin, Texas
Back Judge - Brian Burkhart, Georgetown, Texas
Alternate - Wade Wagner, Hutto, Texas
Referee - Tommy Garrett, Rayne, Louisiana
Umpire - Troy Savage, Metairie, Louisiana
Head Linesman - Daniel Gautreaux, Broussard, Louisiana
Line Judge - Tony Meyer, Kenner, Louisiana
Back Judge - Jesse Dupuy, New Iberia, Louisiana
Referee - Mike Young, Humble, Texas
Umpire - Rodney Norton, Cypress, Texas
Head Linesman - Jimmy Salinas, Houston, Texas
Line Judge - Glen Branch, Friendswood, Texas
Back Judge - Marv LeBlanc, Friendswood, Texas
Alternate - Jorge Zapata, Friendswood, Texas
Southern Indoor Football League Stories from March 19, 2009
- Turfcats All over Austin on Saturday - Austin Turfcats
- I-Phone Edition Of SIFL Website Launches - SIFL
- SIFL Announces 2009 Officials and Procedures To Insure Credibility - SIFL
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