This past week former National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue knocked on the Pennsylvania door of Art McNally to inform him that he will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2022. It was a surprise to McNally, who was the supervisor of NFL game officials for 23 years (1967-1990). McNally was a game official when he was selected by the NFL in 1959. He served in that role until NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle moved him into the league office. He was my boss for all the years he served in that role.
I joined the NFL as a game official in 1960 and worked one game with McNally as the referee in the early ’60s. It was easy to see in that one game that McNally had the leadership qualities not only as a game official but beyond. I had three different game supervisors before McNally moved into the league office. When he did, he quickly established himself as a man with leadership capabilities but also with the integrity needed in that role.
What does one look for and expect in a leader? One of the first and foremost characteristics is integrity — is he honest when dealing with others? McNally was the epitome of that trait! In fact, and I’ve said this many times: “I would play poker over the phone with Art McNally.”
That was his manner in working with every game official. He was also that way with angry and excitable coaches who called him every Monday morning. With most of the NFL games on Sunday, early Monday morning had to be McNally’s worst nightmare. He would take the train from his Pennsylvania home early Monday morning to the NFL office on Park Avenue in New York City. As he walked into the office, the phone was ringing with a coach who thought he got screwed by an official’s “bad” call. McNally’s demeanor was calm.
The next phone call came from McNally to said game official. (I had many over my 31 years.) McNally would never mention which coach had called, he just wanted to know what that official saw on that particular play. He expected an honest answer. Then he would call that coach back. While he supported the official, he was also honest with that coach — even admitting, if that be the case, that the call was wrong. He treated it as a learning lesson for the officials. McNally was always a teacher and a good one!
Will you treat mistakes as learning lessons for the future?
