The 45-man rosters for both teams are set for USA Football's "Team USA vs. The World" game, presented by Riddell. The players and coaches are now arriving in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the excitement is building.
As the clock counts down to game time, there is a third team that is just as keyed up to take the field at historic Lockhart Stadium on Jan. 30. This is the squad that will be wearing the black and white stripes, keeping the clock ticking, throwing the yellow flags and officiating the game.
USA Football Rules Editor and Officiating Consultant Bill LeMonnier worked his fourth Fiesta Bowl this year and places this assignment up there with his college bowl game experiences. He will serve as the head referee and lead the officiating crew of eight.
"All come highly recommended," LeMonnier said of the crew. "Even though all the people don't work together during the year, they've had experiences with each other. There's a real good feel for everybody. Every time everybody heard other names, there was a real positive reaction. I think we have a good mix of people, and everybody's excited to do this."
The other seven officials are umpire Bob Morales, head linesman Deon Lawrence, line judge Steve Epstein, side judge Erin Meehan, field judge Bill Dolbow, back judge Alex Barinaga and alternate Bryan Davis.
"It's more of an honor than anything else even being considered for it," Lawrence said of his selection.
Meehan echoed Lawrence's sentiments.
"It's a huge honor," Meehan said. "I think it's a great event for football, and being on the field with six other veteran officials is very exciting."
All of the enthusiasm has boiled down to rigorous preparation for the game by all, including the officiating crew. They are pouring through film and reviewing rules. LeMonnier put together a training DVD with various types of plays, and the crew will get together for a two-hour pregame Friday night before the game.
Another task for the group involves the game following NCAA rules. The international players are more used to them, but Team USA's players and coaches are more comfortable with high school rules.
"We've put together about 20 to 25 differences that the coaches, particularly the U.S. team, need to be aware of," said LeMonnier, who will try to make the rounds at practices on Thursday and Friday. "So we want to go through some of those things to make sure that the teams really understand and know the rules that we're playing by for this game."
Along with the work involved with the "Team USA vs. The World" Game, there will also be fun for everyone involved. The game was named an official NFL Pro Bowl event. AFC and NFC All-Star practices will precede the kickoff of the international competition. The Pro Bowl will take place the next evening, Jan. 31, in Miami at Dolphins Stadium.
Meehan, who joined the collegiate Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as an official in 2007, lives in Ft. Lauderdale and is a member of the Broward County (Fla.) Football Officials Association. She hopes to attend the Pro Bowl and is looking forward to an action-packed two weeks in South Florida with the Super Bowl being played in Dolphins Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 7.
"It's a great two weekends for South Florida to have the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl," Meehan said. "And this is a great honor for us to have an event like 'Team USA vs. The World.'"
Lawrence, who also officiated as part of the Broward County Football Officials Association for nine years and will be working Atlantic Coast Conference games at the college level next season, will enjoy the entertainment of the Pro Bowl from a pretty good seat.
"I will be one of the officials on the sideline at the Pro Bowl working as the chain crew," he said.
A couple of the selected officials also worked qualifiers and games for the eight-nation International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Junior World Championship this past summer. USA Football's first Junior National Team won the gold medal at the competition in Canton, Ohio. The "Team USA vs. The World" game marks USA Football's second selection of a national team and another step in the international development of America's favorite sport.
"I think it will be interesting coming off of Canton, Ohio, to see how good this international team will be in regards to matching up to the U.S. team," said LeMonnier, referring to the JWC and this weekend's game. "That type of a competition, I think, it could really be a great stepping stone toward the international game being accepted more."
Kickoff is slated for noon ET with free admission. The game can also be viewed on NFL Network, which will provide live coverage with Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders and Scott Kennedy supplying commentary. Sideline reporter Stacey Dales will contribute on-field insight.
"I think it's good in terms of exposure," Lawrence added. "Exposing players, not just in the United States but also in different countries around the world, I think it helps to grow the game."
