Coincidence? Maybe. Hilarious? You bet.
Clete Blakeman will serve as the referee for Friday night’s preseason game between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium, according to FootballZebras.com.
Why is this funny? Well, you see, Blakeman has an interesting history with the Patriots that’s related to both Deflategate and New England’s controversial game against Carolina in November 2013.
Blakeman is mentioned prominently in the Ted Wells Report. He was one of two alternate officials — the other being Dyrol Prioleau — who tested the air pressure in the footballs at halftime of the 2014 AFC Championship Game.