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The NFL Is Trying Their Hardest To Eliminate The Patriots Prior To The AFC Championship

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There is obviously still bad blood between the league office and the New England Patriots. Ever since the Deflategate accusations came out many moons ago, Tom Brady and the Patriots have done nothing but make them look foolish. The Patriots have won 2 Superbowl’s during that time and have gone to 4 consecutive AFC Championships since crushing the Colts in the AFC Championship back in 2015. The league has a few other reasons to do all they can to prevent the Patriots from returning to their fourth Superbowl appearance in their last 5 years. They would love to market Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the way they had wished to market Payton Manning before Tom Brady came in and ruined it for them.

Enter the secret weapon. The league office appointed Clete Blakeman and his crew to the AFC Championship game. If you are unfamiliar with Blakeman, numerous questionable instances have gone against the Patriots in games he has officiated. The Patriots have not had much success with Blakeman as a referee.

Blakeman has called eight Patriots games since 2010; New England is only 3-5 in those games. The Patriots are 124-32 in all other games during that span.

If you were going to send a referee to help Tom Brady out Blakeman does not exactly have a great history with Brady. Clete is probably the only referee that Brady has a losing record to. Blakeman has notoriously crushed the Patriots hopes with multiple bad calls in the past, so it could be said he is purposely being sent to Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday with the hopes of preventing the Patriots from reaching another Superbowl.



If that isn’t enough Blakeman has been at the heart of some of the Patriots biggest losses in recent memory. They are far and few between but he always seems to surface when he is around. Blakeman was already well-known to Patriots fans as the center of a well-remembered blown call against the Patriots in the final seconds of a Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers in 2013. Blakeman picked up a flag that was thrown in the end zone after Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly interfered with Rob Gronkowski but he said there was no foul on the play. This ultimately cost the Patriots home field advantage and they lost to the Broncos in the AFC Championship in Denver that season 26-16. We could possibly be talking about another Patriots Super Bowl had the call gone correctly.



Blakeman was just getting started. Clete Blakeman after all is the guy that tested the balls after the Deflategate fiasco that sent ESPN and the national media off into a witch hunt. According to PFT two sets of measurements were made, by alternate game officials Dyrol Prioleau and Clete Blakeman. The measurements involved only 11 Patriots footballs, with the ball that had been intercepted by Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson during the second quarter not included.

Prioleau’s measurements were, in PSI: (1) 11.8; (2) 11.2; (3) 11.5; (4) 11.0; (5) 11.45; (6) 11.95; (7) 12.3; (8) 11.55; (9) 11.35; (10) 10.9; and (11) 11.35.
Blakeman’s measurements were, also in PSI: (1) 11.5; (2) 10.85; (3) 11.15; (4) 10.7; (5) 11.1; (6) 11.6; (7) 11.85; (8) 11.1; (9) 10.95; (10) 10.5; and (11) 10.9.

Blakeman was also the referee during the infamous botched coin toss game against the New York Jets, as well as the game where Richard Sherman’s “Are You Mad Bro?” comment was made famous after the Seahawks defeated the Patriots.

The Patriots pulled off a rare win with Blakeman serving as the referee for the AFC title game in Foxboro. That didn’t prevent any controversy though. The internet exploded with rage when Blakeman went over to congratulate Tom Brady after the game. That was the same day when the internet accused members of the officiating crew of laughing and celebrating with the Patriots after a touchdown, though it was proven that he had just broken up a “fight” between two celebrating teammates.



Now I am not saying Clete Blakeman is purposely trying to screw over the Patriots but if there is one referee that the Patriots have had big troubles with it is him. Referees blow calls in every game if you want to nitpick and they are not perfect. What others may see as an referees plot to help that Patriots win is nothing more than a congratulatory pat on the back for finally winning an important game with Blakeman as the ref. Blakeman was clearly acknowledging greatness that day.
But of course conspiracy theorists will always be out there.