at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 23, 2012 in Denver, Colorado.
Former NFL referee Dale Hamer has passed away at the age of 87.

Hamer, who served as a ref before transitioning to the role of a replay official, is reported to have died on Friday.

The former veteran ref began his NFL career in 1978 and would be involved in over 400 games. He also worked 20 playoff games and two Super Bowls.

Hamer started as a head linesman before being promoted to head referee in 1989 after Fred Silva retired. He stepped away from football in 1995 due to a heart condition that required a risky operation, but was able to return the following year.

The California native reverted to the head linesman position in 1998, retiring from on-field work in 2001, though he stuck around as a replay official.

Long-time NFL game official Dale Hamer dies at 87. https://t.co/R8NTADvGK9

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 2, 2024

Dale Hamer Was Involved In One Of The NFL’s Most Notable Fights

One of the more notable moments of Dale Hamer’s career occurred during a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints in the 1992 playoffs.

He and another official rushed into a fight between the teams after the Eagles downed a punt in the end zone and came away worse for wear as he emerged from the melee missing his cap and with scratches on his face.

“Well, at least he went in with a cap, and he got the cap knocked off,” John Madden, who was calling the game, famously joked. “There’s no penalty on the play and the referee got two cuts. We’ve never had too many officials on the All-Madden Team, Pat, but we’re looking — this Hamer guy, I don’t know. Not a bad look.”

Hamer was able to finish the game and was even on hand to serve as an alternate referee in the Super Bowl later that month.

TPS offers commiserations to Hamer’s family, friends, and loved ones.

R.I.P. Dale Hamer – 1937-2024

Kansas City Chiefs President Forced To Address Rumors That Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Relationship Is Just A “Marketing Strategy” For The Team

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
There’s a conspiracy theory for just about everything, including bizarre ones relating to the highly publicized relationship between Grammy Award-winning singer Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The three-time Super Bowl champion has been in a relationship with Taylor Swift for over a year. Their rumored romance was confirmed when Swift attended the Chiefs’ Week 3, 2023 home game against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium.

Kelce’s romance with Swfit has been a giant win for the Chiefs and the NFL, too. She has brought plenty more attention to the NFL and contributed to the Chiefs’ skyrocketing popularity worldwide.

Naturally, conspiracy theorists believe the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift romance is simply a marketing ploy to help the Chiefs and the league. But Chiefs president Mark Donovan finally addressed the ridiculous rumor during an appearance on NBC’s “Squawk Box” program:

“I’d love to say that it was a marketing strategy, but it is an authentic relationship. And we’re happy to have it, and it’s been nothing but good for us.

I think the best thing I can say about the whole relationship and the impact it’s had on us is, Taylor Swift is an authentic member of the Kansas City Chiefs kingdom. She’s an authentic fan and that matters to our fans and our fan base and to matters to us and we try to respect that.”