Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

This isn’t Foot Locker

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Carl Cheffers will be the referee for Super Bowl LI, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The NFL has not yet made a formal announceme­nt. The website Football Zebras also confirmed Cheffers’ assignment.

Cheffers was the referee for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 18- 16 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, a game that included a controvers­ial holding penalty on Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher that wiped out a two- point conversion which would have tied the game at 18- 18 with 2: 43 left in the game.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was livid about the call after the game.

“Referee No. 51 shouldn’t even be able to wear a zebra jersey ever again,” Kelce said, referring to Cheffers’ jersey number. “He shouldn’t even be able to work at [ expletive] Foot Locker.”

On Monday, Chiefs Coach Andy Reid said he also disagreed with the call.

“It really doesn’t matter now that we’re sitting here. I don’t want to be fined any money but I would tell you I was probably leaning the other way. I thought Fish did what he needed to do on that particular block to get that done, and the problem is when [ James Harrison] slipped, it can look worse than it is.

“I know Fish is going to have a lot of eyes on him for that call, and I’m not sure I completely agree with what took place, but it did. The call was made and we live with that.”

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