The NFL managed to get Detroit Lions fans fired up before the season even kicked off. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with roster moves or injury reports. The league’s decision to assign referee Clete Blakeman to officiate the Lions-Packers Week 1 showdown has Motor City faithful seeing red.
NFL Fans Already Calling Lions-Packers Week 1 Game Scripted
NFL Fans Already Calling Lions-Packers Week 1 Game Scripted
The veteran official has a checkered history with Detroit that dates back years. His inclusion in the Lions-Packers game has most fans experiencing PTSD, and their reactions on social media prove that old wounds haven’t healed.
Especially those Lions fans who know him very well didn’t care about the age restriction while exploding with 420-voltage shock.
Detroit Lions Fans Explode Over Ref Assignment for Lions-Packers Opener
One thing is clear: this season will again seefans complaining about referees again and again. But nobody saw it coming, not even from the season opener, especially hardcore Lion fans.
They didn’t hold back when news broke about Blakeman’s assignment to the Week 1 matchup. The frustrated Lions have already made up their mind that their team is just getting ready to be heavily screwed on Sunday.
Referee for Lions at Packers — Clete Blakeman
https://t.co/kSZOwh1YaV #DETvsGB pic.twitter.com/sBKeRwbN4E
— Fᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ Zᴇʙʀᴀs🇺🇦 (@footballzebras) September 2, 2025
Now all of social media is just loaded with reactions that would make network censors reach for the mute button. “Lions fans complaining already,” one fanwrote, but that was just the beginning of the social media meltdown.
“How is this MF still employed?” another frustrated Lions supporterfired back, cutting straight to the heart of their beef with the longtime official.
The outrage kept flowing as more fans reeled in with their frustration. “Are you f***ing kidding me?”wrotea third fan, while anotheraddedthe blunt assessment: “Of course it is. Lions always get f***ed by this guy.”
The reactions got even more colorful as fans processed the news. “Oh For F*cks Sake,” one uservented. Another simplyscreamedinto void with “F***ING WHYYYYY.”
Now this isn’t just a typical referee complaining. There’s legitimate bad blood brewing behind the hostility.
Why Lions Fans Have Clete Blakeman on Their Hit List
Blakeman was the crew chief for the Lions’ 23-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2019, a highly controversial game that turned him into Lions’ one and only enemy on the field. Even now, Lions fans still bash him for the late illegal hands-to-the-face penalties on Trey Flowers.
The Lions blew a 22-13 lead in the fourth quarter before those calls. However, the injustice occurred, which helped Green Bay drive for the winning score. The NFL’s admission the next day that the second flag shouldn’t have been thrown worsened it.
The NFL acknowledged the next day that the second flag should not have been thrown. But Blakeman explained, “It’s for illegal use of the hands, hands-to-the-face foul. To be a foul, we basically need some forceful contact that’s prolonged to the head.”
It wasn’t Blakeman’s only controversial moment with Detroit. He also refereed the Lions’ NFC Championship game loss to San Francisco in 2024, adding another painful memory to his résumé with the same fanbase.