When most football fans hear the name Clete Blakeman, they probably think about the coin that didn’t flip at the start of overtime in the Arizona Cardinals-Green Bay Packers NFC Divisional Playoff last weekend.
But New England Patriots fans know him from something else.
Walt Anderson was the referee for the Patriots’ 45-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC Championship Game, but Blakeman was one of the alternate refs at Gillette Stadium for the birth of Deflategate.
Over a year later, Blakeman will be the referee for Super Bowl 50, according to Footballzebras.com, and with the Patriots in this season’s AFC title game, there’s a chance he might officiate another New England game, only this time on the NFL’s biggest stage.
In addition to his involvement in Deflategate and the coin toss, Blakeman also was the referee for the Patriots’ matchup with the Carolina Panthers back in 2013, which included a controversial non-call on a potential pass interference in the end zone.
Blakeman was the lead official in two New England games this year — an October win over the Dallas Cowboys and a December loss to the New York Jets.
Blakeman has been an NFL referee since 2010, and this will be his sixth postseason assignment.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
