Okay, let’s be real: Other than Beyoncé and Bruno Mars absolutely killing it (because, duh), last night’s Super Bowl was not exactly one for the record books. But luckily, fans watching the relatively boring game had something else to keep their eyes occupied.
The true contender for MVP of Super Bowl 50 was none other than Clete Blakeman—the super hot ref.
With a game pretty much lacking in tweetable moments, fans focused their social media attention on the tall, ripped referee, quickly sparking the hashtag #HotRef and even giving rise to a parody Twitter account @hotreferee.
But who is this call-making Adonis and where did he come from? According to the Today show, when he’s not competing with Queen Bey to steal the show, Blakeman is actually a 51-year-old lawyer (*swoon*) and former football player (double *swoon*) from Omaha, Nebraska.
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Blakeman has been a ref in the NFL since 2008, but this was his first year as lead official at the Super Bowl.
Being the final word for all the calls in a high stakes game is a huge responsibility, but Blakeman managed to handle the pressure in stellar fashion. We’re guessing his huge guns helped him carry the burden.
Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist who writes about women and power. She covers women’s equality through the lenses of sports, wellness, and the gender gap across industries and is the author of MONEY, POWER, RESPECT: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism. Mac was most recently a Senior Editor at Glamour where she directed all health and wellness coverage. Her work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, SELF, Bustle, Marie Claire, Allure, Women's Health, and Forbes among other publications.
