When it comes down to the Super Bowl, you’ll take every advantage you can get; it’s not easy to win a championship, even when everything does go right.
For the Denver Broncos, if their “Mile High Magic” isn’t enough to seal the deal, then maybe this will help: According to FootballZebras.com, Clete Blakeman will be the referee for Super Bowl 50 in just over a week.
Blakeman has been an NFL referee for just five years, but in that time, the Denver Broncos are 5-0 in games that he has officiated; the Panthers are 2-2.
That said, Blakeman is not a stranger to controversial calls. In fact, he’s been at the forefront of two of the most controversial coin tosses in recent NFL history.
Just two weeks ago, during the NFC Wild Card round, it was Blakeman behind the “no-flip” coin flip.
In an already unreal game, @packers vs. @AZCardinals, madness ensued in OT w/ the coin-flip. Watch tonight, 9p ET/PThttps://t.co/cmuZ6VUbS8
— Inside the NFL (@insidetheNFL) January 20, 2016
Only a few weeks earlier, he was the official residing over the Jets-Patriots overtime coin flip that stirred controversy after the Patriots’ Matthew Slater said they would rather kickoff than receive the ball.
And that’s not all. Blakeman was behind a major no call that actually gifted the Carolina Panthers a game over the New England Patriots a few years back.
After a flag was originally thrown on the Panthers’ Luke Kuechly for a pass interference in the end zone as time expired, Blakeman announced that the flag would be picked up, igniting an explosive response from Tom Brady.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51UhTM2Wiyw
According to BroncosWire.com, Blakeman’s officiating crew called roughly 14 penalties a game, which is about league average, but there’s no question that his games have had a propensity for drama.
So buckle in, Broncos Country. This one could get interesting.