Actor & Comedian Bob Newhart Refutes Hilarious Claims He Refereed the College Football National Championship Game Between Ohio State & Oregon

Actor and comedian Bob Newhart isn't dead: he's just a college football referee... Or so twitter thought during Monday night's College Football National Championship Game on ESPN. The star of Newhart, Elf and ER even had to take to Twitter to explain that it wasn't him out there deliberating on throws from star quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Cardale Jones, or judging how many yards running back phenom Ezekiel Elliot had picked up, that was head referee Greg Burks. 

As Sporting News explained, "Bob Newhart is trending on Twitter. No, he's not dead."

Because, as CNN point out, no, it wasn't actually Bob Newhart refereeing the game. As they said, "head referee Greg Burks, who looks suspiciously like comedy's favorite stammering phone caller, Chicago psychologist and Vermont innkeeper."

It was also pointed out by plenty across the inter-webs, like Cliff Saunders:

Tonight's ref is Bob Newhart!!!! #CFPChampionship #OregonVsOhioState pic.twitter.com/FPbODNfocc

— Cliff Saunders (@cliffsaunders) January 13, 2015

Even Good Morning America tweeted out a great picture the next day:

The head ref in last night's @CFBPlayoff National Title looked like @BobNewhart. #CFBConGMA https://t.co/hWCW2JV7mj pic.twitter.com/scSv0pVV8n

— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 13, 2015

Newhart himself loved the idea, but unfortunately had to refute the idea that he had somehow turned to an alternate career in football refereeing. He tweeted out: "In regards to my new career as head ref for #OSUvsORE - Hey, I don't have a series any more - I had to do something. #OSUvsORE"

In regards to my new career as head ref for #OSUvsORE - Hey, I don't have a series any more - I had to do something. #OSUvsORE

— Bob Newhart (@BobNewhart) January 13, 2015

It's a shame really, we need more multi-talented actors. They can't all be baristas and terrible artists.