Alright, so you wanna know about this Clete Blakeman fella, huh? Okay, okay, I’ll tell ya what I know. He’s one of them football referees, you know, the guys in the stripes who run around blowin’ whistles and throwin’ flags. Seems like a big deal in the football world, this Blakeman guy.
Now, they say he started way back in 2008. 2008! That’s a long time ago, even for an old lady like me. He wasn’t a head referee at first, just one of them side judges, runnin’ up and down the field, lookin’ for who’s holdin’ who or somethin’. Then, in 2010, they made him the boss man, the head referee. That’s a big jump, I tell ya, from just watchin’ to makin’ all the big calls.
From what I hear, this fella, he played football himself back in the day. College ball, they say. Up in Nebraska, playin’ quarterback. That’s the guy who throws the ball, right? Yeah, so he knows a thing or two about the game, I guess. Makes sense he’d end up ref-in’.
- He started in 2008 as a field judge.
- Became a head referee in 2010.
- Played college football at the University of Nebraska.
They say he’s been in a bunch of important games, playoff games, even championship games. That’s a lot of pressure, you know? All them folks watchin’ you, yellin’ at you, probably cussin’ you out when you make a call they don’t like. He must be pretty good to keep doin’ it for so long.
Now, here’s somethin’ interesting. This Blakeman, he ain’t just a football ref. He’s a lawyer too! Imagine that! A lawyer and a ref. Seems like he’s got two jobs, keeps himself busy, I guess. Makes a pretty penny too, from what I hear. They say he pulls in about $200,000 a year just from ref-in’! And then another $100,000 from his lawyerin’ business. That’s a whole lotta money! He must be livin’ high on the hog, that’s for sure.
And get this, he’s got his own law firm, somethin’ called Carlson Blakeman LLP, over in Omaha. Omaha, that’s out in the middle of the country, ain’t it? So, he’s a big shot lawyer and a big shot ref. Guess he’s pretty smart, this Blakeman guy.
Folks talk about him bein’ calm, makin’ good decisions. Well, I guess you gotta be calm if you’re a ref, what with all the yelling and screamin’. And makin’ good decisions, that’s what they pay ya for, right? Especially in them big games. One bad call and everybody’s mad at ya.
I’ve heard some folks, especially them Detroit Lions fans, they ain’t too happy about him ref-in’ their games. Seems like they think he’s made some bad calls against them. But hey, you can’t please everybody, especially when it comes to football. Half the folks are gonna be mad at you no matter what you do.
So, that’s the story on Clete Blakeman, as far as I know it. He’s a football ref, a lawyer, and a pretty important fella in the football world. Been doin’ it for a long time, seen a lot of games, and made a lot of calls. Good ones, bad ones, who knows? But he’s still out there, blowin’ that whistle and throwin’ them flags. Guess he’s doin’ somethin’ right.
Overall, sounds like this Clete Blakeman is a busy fella, a smart fella, and a fella who’s right in the middle of things when it comes to football. Whether folks like him or not, he’s been around for a while and ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon, I reckon.
Tags: [Clete Blakeman, NFL referee, football official, Big 12 Conference, Carlson Blakeman LLP, Omaha, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Shawn Smith, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, AFC Wild Card, NFC Championship, wealthiest referees]
