Football Zebras exclusive
Football Zebras has confirmed that Tony Corrente and Walt Anderson will be the referees for the conference championship games. Corrente will have the NFC game between the Packers and Seahawks; Anderson will be heading the crew for the AFC title match between the Colts and the Patriots.
NFC Championship Game: Packers at Seahawks, 3 p.m. ET (Fox)
This will be Corrente’s second consecutive season working the Conference Championship, after last year’s Broncos-Patriots game. This will be his 14th postseason assignment and his fifth Conference Championship. He also worked 5 Wild Card Playoffs, 3 Divisional Playoffs, and Super Bowl XLI. Notably, Corrente resigned his position as supervisor of officiating in the Pac-12 Conference in the middle of the past season.
Yrs | 2014 crew | College | Occupation | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | 99 | Tony Corrente | 20 | Cal State-Fullerton | college officiating coordinator | |
U | 64 | Dan Ferrell | 12 | Corrente | Cal State-Fullerton | director, parts logistics and supply chain management |
HL | 79 | Kent Payne | 11 | Cheffers | Nebraska Wesleyan | teacher |
LJ | 101 | Carl Johnson | 11 | Morelli | Nicholls State | full-time official |
FJ | 89 | Jon Lucivansky | 6 | Parry | Minnesota | college educator |
SJ | 75 | Rob Vernatchi | 11 | Morelli | California-Riverside | enforcement investigator |
BJ | 105 | Dino Paganelli | 9 | Steratore | Aquinas College | educator |
AFC Championship Game: Colts at Patriots, 6:40 p.m. ET (CBS)
Anderson will be working his 16th postseason assignment, which includes 8 Wild Card Playoffs, 2 Divisional Playoffs, 5 Conference Championships, and Super Bowls XXXV and XLV. Anderson is the coordinator of officials in the Big 12 Conference, and was a forerunner in implementing an eighth officiating position, the center judge.
Yrs | 2014 crew | College | Occupation | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | 66 | Walt Anderson | 19 | Texas | college officiating coordinator, retired dentist | |
U | 124 | Carl Paganelli | 15 | Torbert | Michigan State | retired federal probation officer |
HL | 36 | Tony Veteri | 23 | Blakeman | Manhattan College | physical education teacher |
LJ | 32 | Jeff Bergman | 23 | Triplette | Robert Morris | president and chief executive officer, medical services |
FJ | 60 | Gary Cavaletto | 12 | Corrente | Hancock | general manager, agricultural operations |
SJ | 78 | Greg Meyer | 13 | Anderson | Texas Christian | banker |
BJ | 61 | Keith Ferguson | 15 | Leavy | San Jose State | sales |
IND-NE Crew
Referee: Walt Anderson (66)
Umpire: Carl Paganelli (124)
Head Linesman: Tony Veteri (36)
Line Judge: Jeff Bergman (32)
Field Judge: Gary Cavaletto (60)
Side Judge: Greg Meyer (78)
Back Judge: Keith Ferguson (61)
Replay Official: Charles Stewart
Replay Assistant: Jimmy Oldham
Supervisor: Johnny Grier
Only confirmed alternate is Clete Blakeman.
http://media.patriots.com/mediafiles/2014/20/2014_20_Flip%20Card_20150113_165555.pdf
Great crew for Ind-NE. I’m especially happy to see Jeff Bergman and Keith Ferguson. That being said, every choice is good
The best of the best is good. These are great officials. 1 at each position. The All star system is fantastic. You should earn these games by being the best.
Here are some notes on playoff streaks by some of the officials. Kent Payne has worked the playoffs every year in which he has been eligible and this is his 5th conference championship!
I expect to see him in the Super Bowl again in the next year or two. Jon Lucivansky has also worked the playoffs every year he has been eligible. He seems to be an outstanding young official,
Gary Cavaletto has worked 9 straight years and this is his 4th conference championship. Greg Meyer has worked every year since the 2005 season and this is also his 5th conference championship. This is Dino Paganelli’s 7th year in a row in the playoffs. This is the 1st conference championship for Dan Ferrell, Jon Lucivansky and Carl Johnson, although Johnson has worked a Super Bowl. Congrats to all of the conference champ. officials!
So in addition to the three rookie referees this year, it looks like no playoffs for Boger, Coleman, Parry and Triplette. The only name I’m surprised about out of that group is Parry, who I’ve always felt was one of the better refs in the game. But this will be his 3rd year of missing the playoffs since doing the Super Bowl following the 2011 season. I wonder what the story is there.
Two good choices for the conference championships in Corrente and Anderson. Even though this site has projected Vinovich for the Super Bowl, I’m pulling for Steratore.
Congratulations to Tony Veteri……. great guy……great Ref.
Bergman one of the last with the metal whistle toot toot toottoottoot toot He may use it in honor of the #32 that preceded him, Dr. Tunney, or in honor of his dad Jerry, who officiated tons of playoffs with the same type whistle and toot.
So… Walt Anderson working an AFC championship game at Foxborough… How about that? Tuckrule, anyone…?
Hey Joe got your Walts mixed up tuck rule was Walt Coleman please note Coleman not working playoffs, was an alternate though.
It looks that there is a conspiracy theory against Tony Corrente. One of the damn great referees of the current era with a lot of championship games but just one SuperBowl. Really Interesting who hates him at the Heads of officials office?
Dandy- he is a better ref than Vinovich too. I think he’s in the top 3 of refs.
There’s been lots of complaining from non-officials (and I’m a non-official) about all-star officiating crews versus keeping reg. season crews together in playoffs. I understand both sides of the argument. Here’s what I don’t understand: When Corrente is reffing one came, why put the FJ from his crew–Gary Cavaletto–on the other game? Makes no sense.
Can’t Wait to see my friend Dino Paganelli Back Judge # 105 Officiate The NFC Championship Game Tomorrow
How did HL Bergman get another assignment? He was the one who over-ruled BJ Lee Dyer on the the controversial call in the wild card Lions-Cowboys game, resulting in Pete Morelli picking up the flag. He missed obvious holding by the Dallas LB on that play to boot.
Different Bergman. Jerry had the Wild Card game; his brother, Jeff, has the Conference Championship
How is Bergman working still? Didn’t he blow the call in the Dallas vs Lions game?