Carl Cheffers has been confirmed as the head official for Super Bowl LI. Cheffers officiated the Divisional Round game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Football Zebras. He’s the official who threw the controversial flag on Eric Fisher for holding.
Super Bowl 51 will be officiated by ref Travis Kelce said shouldn’t work ‘at ‘f***ing Foot Locker’
The ref who threw the controversial flag in Steelers vs. Chiefs is the head official for Super Bowl 51.
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
The flag negated a successful two-point conversion by the Chiefs that would have tied the game against the Steelers. Pittsburgh won, 18-16, and advances to the AFC Championship to face the New England Patriots.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was angry and vocal about the call following the loss.
“Ref No. 51 shouldn’t even be able to wear a zebra jersey ever again,” Kelce said. “He shouldn’t even be able to work at fucking Foot Locker.”
This will be Cheffers’ first time officiating a Super Bowl. In addition to Sunday’s divisional game in Kansas City, Cheffers has officiated two wild card games.
Head coach Andy Reid also disagreed with the call.
In the divisional matchup between the Chiefs and Steelers, Cheffers was joined by four other members of the Super Bowl crew, which is unusual. Football Zebras notes that typically no more than three members of the Super Bowl officiating group are assigned to the same divisional game.
The other officials confirmed for Super Bowl LI are Dan Farrell, Kent Payne, Jeff Seeman, Doug Rosenbaum, Dyrol Prioleau and Todd Prukop. Payne, Seeman and Rosenbaum all have prior Super Bowl officiating experience.
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