2018 Conference Championships

Vinovich and Blakeman are the referees for the Conference Championships

Bill Vinovich and Clete Blakeman will be the referees for the Conference Championships.

Published

5 years ago

January 14, 2019

Football Zebras has confirmed the assignment of referees Bill Vinovich and Clete Blakeman to the Conference Championship games on Sunday. Vinovich will have the NFC game between the Rams and Saints; Blakeman will be heading the crew for the AFC title match between the Patriots and Chiefs. Vinovich and Blakeman both officiated on the field in the Wild Card round.

Officials are listed with their uniform number, years of NFL experience (including this season), the crew each official worked with in the regular season (by the referee’s name), college, and outside occupation.

All times are Eastern.

Three alternates are assigned to each game: generally, one is designated for the offensive backfield (a referee or umpire), one is on the line of scrimmage (down judge or line judge), and one is a deep position (side judge, field judge, or back judge). When alternates are listed, their position during the regular season is also given. The prior playoff experience that is listed for the crew chief includes his service as an NFL official, including as referee and any other crew position (excluding alternate assignments).

NFC Championship Game, Rams at Saints, 3 p.m. ET Fox

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Bill Vinovich was the referee in Super Bowl XLIX and will now head his third Conference Championship in four seasons.

Vinovich was hired by the NFL in 2001, and was on medical leave for 5 seasons, making this his 13th season on the field. While on leave, Vinovich worked as a regional supervisor and grader in the league office. He is now completing his 10th season, nonconsecutive, as referee.

This is his 12th postseason assignment and 4th Conference Championship. He has also worked 3 Wild Card Playoffs, 4 Divisional Playoffs, and the Super Bowl.

Vinovich officiated the game between these two teams earlier this season in Week 9, which also took place in New Orleans.

Vinovich lives in Lake Forest, Calif., and is a Division I college basketball referee and a certified public accountant.

			Yrs	2018 crew	College	Occupation
R	52	Bill Vinovich	13		San Diego	certified public accountant
U	102	Bruce Stritesky	13	Vinovich	Embry Riddle	airline pilot
DJ	13	Patrick Turner	5	Corrente	Cal State-Long Beach	plant manager
LJ	59	Rusty Baynes	9	Boger	Auburn-Montgomery	general manager, safety services*
FJ	97	Tom Hill	20	Hochuli	Carson Newman	teacher*
SJ	60	Gary Cavaletto	16	Vinovich	Hancock	general manager, agricultural operations
BJ	30	Todd Prukop	10	Corrente	Cal State-Fullerton	medical sales representative

*indicates full-time official

Replay official: Mike Wimmer
Replay assistant: Bill Ellis
Alternates: Jerome Boger (R), Mark Perlman (LJ), Steve Freeman (BJ)

AFC Championship Game, Patriots at Chiefs, 6:40 p.m. ET CBS

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After missing the playoffs entirely following the 2016 season, Clete Blakeman will now work his second consecutive Conference Championship.

Blakeman was hired by the league in 2008, worked two seasons as a field judge, and is now in his 9th season as referee.

This is his 9th postseason assignment, including 4 Wild Card Playoffs, 2 Divisional Playoffs, 2 Conference Championships, and Super Bowl 50.

Blakeman is a personal-injury attorney in Omaha, Neb., where he lives with his wife and two children.

			Yrs	2018 crew	College	Occupation
R	34	Clete Blakeman	11		Nebraska	attorney
U	92	Bryan Neale	5	Smith	Indiana	sales consultant
DJ	8	Dana McKenzie	11	Blakeman	Toledo	claims adjuster
LJ	79	Kent Payne	15	Martin	Nebraska Wesleyan	teacher
FJ	43	Terry Brown	13	Anderson	Tennessee	probation supervisor
SJ	88	Brad Freeman	5	Martin	Mississippi State	sports park director*
BJ	78	Greg Meyer	17	Cheffers	Texas Christian	banker*