Price: NFL ref who was connected to Deflate Gate, will officiate the preseason game tomorrow

[Soul_Survivor88]

The NFL needs to stop trolling the Pats

http://itiswhatitis.weei.com/sports...ish-will-work-patriots-preseason-game-friday/

By Christopher Price

Clete Blakeman will work Friday’s Patriots-Panthers game. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Clete Blakeman will work as the referee for Friday’s Patriots-Panthers preseason game in Charlotte, according to Footballzebras.com.

Blakeman has a bit of a past with New England, to put it mildly. He was the alternate official for the 2014 AFC title game between the Patriots and Colts, and is mentioned prominently in the Wells Report as the official who took the air pressure measurements in the footballs before the game.

In addition, he was the referee on a disputed non-call in a November 2013 contest between the Patriots and Carolina in Charlotte. On the play — which was really the jurisdiction of the back judge and the umpire — Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly grabbed tight end Rob Gronkowski in the end zone on a pass attempt, a play that should have been whistled for defensive holding, or simply pass interference. Back judge Terrence Miles threw a flag, but it was waved off by Blakeman. The no-call fundamentally ended the contest — a 24-20 win for the Panthers — and as Blakeman ran off the field, Tom Brady cursed out the official. (For a complete breakdown of the play,click through to this explainer.)

For more on Blakeman’s record as an official, check out his page at Pro Football Reference. For the complete list of officiating assignments this week,click through to to our friends at Football Zebras. And for more Patriots news, check out weei.com/patriots.

 

[TommyD4207]

Well, I think actual trolling will be when Walt Anderson's the ref opening night.

Of course, the joke's on them, Anderson's actually a pretty good ref.

 

[shmessy]

Eh.

They have to cycle through the refs each week. He was going to land on a Pats game at some point. It is a PRE-season game tomorrow night, btw.

Cue the overreaction button by Chris Price, who is usually a great reporter. Eventually, Walt Anderson will be on a Pats game and we'll see more predictable wailing. There's enough of a reason for a victim-complex about Deflategate than complaining when a ref gets a Patriots rotation assignment.

People forget that the refs actually were locked out 3 years ago. They aren't sending Goodell any Christmas cards.

 

[ViperGTS]

This is a great "smoking gun" video off of the NFLs website. It shows Blandino explaining the play with the replay on TV as he's explaining. Clearly, there was contact well before the ball was "touched". The video shows it, yet he tells viewers the opposite of what you are seeing on video.

It's the Gronk penalty/non penalty Carolina game. It's obvious proof of the NFLs agenda.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap20...-addresses-patriotspanthers-final-play-on-mnf

 

[TommyD4207]

Eh.

They have to cycle through the refs each week. He was going to land on a Pats game at some point. It is a PRE-season game tomorrow night, btw.

Cue the overreaction button by Chris Price, who is usually a great reporter. Eventually, Walt Anderson will be on a Pats game and we'll see more predictable wailing. There's enough of a reason for a victim-complex about Deflategate than complaining when a ref gets a Patriots rotation assignment.

People forget that the refs actually were locked out 3 years ago. They aren't sending Goodell any Christmas cards.

Agreed. And I don't get all the angst toward the referees involved anyway. They did what they were asked to do, and somehow Anderson, despite saying "No, I used this gauge" three different times, and then his "Anything's possible, I guess" was used to launch the witch hunt by Ted Wells - is somehow being painted as some sort of villain here.

Walt Anderson wanted no part of any of this, I'd wager. It's not his fault Ted Wells is a slimeball - or that his employers are a bunch of jealous douchebags.