4 things of note for the Championship Weekend officiating crews

The NFL semi-finals are here and here is what I noticed in the officiating assignments.

1. Several first-timers

There are six officials calling their first conference championship game this weekend – including both game referees. Referees Clay Martin and Alex Kemp, down judges David Oliver and Max Causey, line judge Tom Eaton, and field judge Tra Boger are all calling their first conference championship. All officials have worked playoff games before. Causey gets a semi-asterisk as he worked Super Bowl LIX last year. For all the other officials, this is the highest playoff assignment they’ve achieved.

There are some achievements on the alternate side, too. Brian Perry, Scott Campbell, and Tony Josselyn are first-time conference championship alternates. Sean Petty, Brandon Cruse, and Danny Short are conference championship alternates for the second straight year.

2. Some number observations

Of the 14 officials on the field this weekend, only one official, Jonah Monroe, is sporting a three-digit number. Only numerologists are interested in this degree of minutia, but I find it interesting.

3. Dress in layers

The AFC Championship Game kicks off at 3 p.m., ET. In Denver, the temperature will be in the low 20s, wind will be blustery and there is a chance of snow late in the afternoon local time. Instead of trash bags, long johns, and bread bags for the feet, officials wear scuba diving suits to protect themselves from extreme cold and precipitation. No matter what, it will be cold for the officiating crew. At some point, Alex Kemp and his colleagues will have to push the cold out of their minds and work the game.

The NFC Championship Game kicks off at 6:40 p.m., ET. Things will be much better in Seattle. Oh yes, the officials will be wearing long sleeves and maybe an extra layer, but the temperatures will be in the low 40s, dropping into the upper 30s by the time the game is over. And the best news for Clay Martin and his crew – no precipitation and near calm winds.

4. Congratulations to retiring side judge Boris Cheek

Last week, Boris Cheek called the 49ers – Seahawks divisional playoff game. That was his final on-field assignment. On Sunday, he will be bundled up and assisting Alex Kemp’s crew in the AFC Championship Game as an alternate. Congratulations to Cheek and we hope he enjoys the assignment.

Enjoy the semi-finals and best wishes to the crews!