OT - Hochuli Apologizing to Chargers Fans

[Mark Padgett]

He's devastated?!?!?! Did people die? Did children starve? Big deal, it's a game and he made one mistake. So some fans are disappointed. Who cares? Put it in perspective.

[lpneck]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

He's devastated?!?!?! Did people die? Did children starve? Big deal, it's a game and he made one mistake. So some fans are disappointed. Who cares? Put it in perspective.

Disingenuous.

How do you think these guys get to where they are? One of the reasons is because of the committment they make to the pursuit of excellence in what they do. If you blow off mistakes that you make in that pursuit, you will never get to that level.

Do you think it is likely that Scott Norwood was "devastated" when he missed a field goal to win the Super Bowl? Do you think Mariano Rivera was "devastated" when he blew a save in game 7 of the World Series? Why would you expect less from an official?

If they weren't "devestated," then wouldn't everyone be rushing to judgment about how they are "spoiled millionaire athletes who don't really care?"

The fact that he is "devastated" over a significant mistake is one of many reasons why Hochuli is and will continue to be an excellent official.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by lpneck

The fact that he is "devastated" over a significant mistake is one of many reasons why Hochuli is and will continue to be an excellent official.

No, the fact that he is "devastated" is one of the many reasons this nation has its priorities way out of whack. The emphasis we put on sports and other forms of entertainment is so far out of proportion to what's really important in this world that it is frightening.

Do you know how many people there are in this country that think "Entertainment Tonight" is a news program?

We have no one to blame but ourselves.

[Back In The Saddle]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

No, the fact that he is "devastated" is one of the many reasons this nation has its priorities way out of whack. The emphasis we put on sports and other forms of entertainment is so far out of proportion to what's really important in this world that it is frightening.

Do you know how many people there are in this country that think "Entertainment Tonight" is a news program?

We have no one to blame but ourselves.

News Flash...

Ed Hochuli "devustated" after blown call, society crumbles as a result. Dogs and cats living together and mass hysteria are knocking at our door. Details at 11.

I think I have a pretty healthy perspective on life, and a pretty good balance between the things that are truly important in life. And when I screw up, I mean really screw up, in any of those areas, it hurts. That includes a major screw up during a game I'm officiating. It's not the end of the world, but it still hurts. It should when you let so many people down.

[Nevadaref]

The man is really a public figure. He is on TV every week and he uses a microphone to speak directly to the spectators informing them of decisions. Because there is that connection with the viewers of NFL games it seems appropriate for him to issue a public statement regarding the error. Not so sure that returning private emails to individuals is a good idea, but that's not my call.

As far as how the league feels, I believe that it should be pleased that Ed has made a public announcement of his mistake. It assures the viewing audience that the game was not fixed and that this was simply a human error. He is still an excellent official and I actually see his popularity increasing because of the press coverage from this. People will feel that they can trust him. They now have knowledge that he will say so if the referees got a call wrong. That's a good thing for the NFL. The last thing that the league office wants is to have to deal with a credibility problem similar to what the NBA is battling.

[Kingsman1288]

I live in San Diego, and I'm a die hard Chargers fan. While the rest of my friends were screaming obscenities at him through the TV, I kept my mouth shut. If there's one thing I've learned from officiating it's that we have to stick together no matter what. He kicked the call and admitted it on national TV. My respect level for him went up a ton after that.

On another note, if I have to endure one more lame Hochuli joke while I am working a game, then you might see some story on the news about a basketball official in San Diego igniting an all out brawl.

[Scrapper1]

ESPN.com reported over the weekend that the NFL has told Hochuli to stop commenting on the call, including in emails to Chargers fans.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Kingsman1288

If there's one thing I've learned from officiating it's that we have to stick together no matter what.

Good for you.

"I will not judge a man till I have walked a mile in his moccasins".

(I have this urge to post an image of some moccasins, but by biting on this stick between my teeth, I think that I can resist the urge?)