Sean Payton wants the NFL to be like the UFL in one critical way

The United Football League could force the National Football League into adopting another one of its functions, and fans should be pushing for its immediate implementation. The spring league is famously transparent with its officiating, showing fans how booth review decisions were made with Dean Blandino providing live explanations during games.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton predicts that this kind of transparency is coming to the NFL soon, calling it "healthy" and "helpful" in eliminating fan distrust. Recent years have seen a boom in the vitriolic breeding of conspiracy theories online after controversial decisions are made and the league shields officials from having to explain themselves.

"Every once in a while you see something you like, and I think Dean Blandino and his crew, when we kick live right to the booth review, I think that’s healthy. And I think you’ll see that in the next two or three years in our league," he told SportsBoom's Jason La Canfora on July 8. "It’s certainly comforting for the fan when you can see how they arrive at decisions. And I think it’s fair, especially to the officials and the people doing the review, to see what we arrived at ... I think a number of people feel the same way."

NFL must embrace easy solution to eliminating controversial referee decisions

Payton is a member of the NFL's Competition Committee which proposes, debates and votes on potential rule changes in the offseason. He may be just one vote, but he's an influential vote that isn't alone in wanting to move toward increased transparency.

"You may not always agree with the decision but you're going to understand why," Blandino told Rich Eisen on his show back in April. "I think that kind of eliminates some of the angst and some of maybe the conspiracy theories and all that other stuff where it’s just people going through a process, trying to make a decision, and you’re gonna hear all of it and see everything. And I think that helps. I think the NFL could do more of that."

Sooner or later the NFL is going to realize it's in the minority in telling fans to not mind the striped men behind the curtain. We're already seeing the success of a live, open officiating process — not only in the UFL but in college football too.

The Atlantic Coast Conference lets fans actually hear the referees speak with replay booth officials as a decision is made while watching the same replay angles live on television. It's one step further than soccer leagues, like the English Premier League, go in displaying the replay angles refs are watching (and then publishing the booth audio after the fact).

There are plenty of examples the NFL can examine as it inevitably deliberates this evolution of the game. Those conversations won't be as transparent as the end goal, but the sport can only benefit from that decision being reached. Like Blandino said, the NFL isn't going to appease everyone when disagreeable calls are made, but at least arguments against them can be based in fact and refute the evidence provided by the league.

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