NFL

NFL execs fume as head of referees parties with Jerry Jones’ son

There may be a new rule in the Jones household: If you are going to party, make sure no cameras are around.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, the son of owner Jerry, recently pulled a team bus up to the Sunset Strip for a night of partying. One small problem: TMZ’s cameras were there to capture the whole scene, which included girls from the nightclub going back on the bus. One bigger problem: One of the men on the bus appears to be the NFL’s head of officiating, Dean Blandino.

Several of the league’s executives complained to CBS Sports about the incident and the possible ramifications. According to the report, the concerns were based around competitive balance issues, given Blandino’s high ranking in the NFL.

“That’s definitely Dean,” one team official said.

Jerry and Stephen Jones before a Cowboys game last seasonGetty Images

“Is the league trying to tell you it’s not him? What is the league telling you guys about it? That looks horrible. I can’t think of another owner in the league who wouldn’t be pissed off after seeing that.”

The NFL would not comment on the issue when CBS Sports reached out, but did not deny it was Blandino.

“So, should I have my owner take him to a strip club when he visits us?” asked one team official, hypothetically. “Is that how it works? We like Dean a lot, but let me tell you, if that was him out with [the owner of a rival of the club this official works for], my owner would be going nuts. This just can’t happen.”

Jerry is under scrutiny after photos recently surfaced of him partying with two strippers.