San Diego/Denver

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by Mike L

"I'm getting hundreds of emails – hate mail – but I'm responding to it all. People deserve a response. You can rest assured that nothing anyone can say can make me feel worse than I already feel about my mistake on the fumble play. You have no idea ...Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection – I failed miserably. Although it does no good to say it, I am very, very sorry."
Ed Hochuli

Contrast that with how the fans have handled it.

[Mike L]

And the fan reaction surprises you?

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

"I'm getting hundreds of emails – hate mail – but I'm responding to it all. People deserve a response. You can rest assured that nothing anyone can say can make me feel worse than I already feel about my mistake on the fumble play. You have no idea ...Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling. Officials strive for perfection – I failed miserably. Although it does no good to say it, I am very, very sorry."
Ed Hochuli
Contrast that with how the fans have handled it...including this one
Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve
And I'm not just some fan, I've refereed football and basketball
in addition to all the baseball I've umpired. I've never made a call
that horrible in my life in any sport, so stop trying to defend Hochuli
as "being human." He's a human that cost the Chargers the game,
and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Every sportscaster on ESPN
seem to agree. What the defense did or didn't do earlier in the game
all came down to a great play by the defense being overturned
by a BAD CALL. Does San Diego need to improve on defense?
Of course they do, but it isn't the reason they lost this one.

The difference between a perfect game a simply horrible game is one call. While Ed Hochuli made this one bad call in all his years in the NFL he has been one of the best and one would hope this does not diminish his record. I find it hard to believe any official has not made, at least, one bad call and when it happens you feel like #$%#. I am sure Ed felt that on Sunday and has been up front about it which shows character.

Any official who is critical of Ed truly lacks the real character of a real official, one who understands the human character of those of us who wear the uniform and stands up for one of our brethren when he is down realizing it is he who could be next on whatever stage he works.

While professional sports has taken on a life of its own, it is still a game subject to the human frailities of life of humans whose time on this earth is oh so finite. If the call is made correctly and San Diego still loss would Ed Hochuli be the target. The fault for the loss somewhere lies on the porous defense of the Chargers who allows Denver to run the same play twice, once for the touchdown and immediately after for the go ahead point after. After all, if the Chargers had played a better game and the point spread had been larger probably Jay Cutler would not have fumbled.

[dahoopref]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The play was ruled in inadvertent whistle. And since there was actually a fumble, the ball is placed where the ball was ruled dead. The place the ball was ruled dead was the 10 yard line.

Peace

According to an NFL official friend who I talked to today, the whistle should have nothing to do with the play.

Hochuli made the mistake of announcing to the crowd that "the play should have been ruled a fumble. By rule, the ball is dead when it hits the ground because the whistle was blown."

My friend told me, "The judgment of the play being an "incomplete pass" caused the ball to be dead, not the whistle. If the pass is ruled incomplete then the ball is dead when it hits the ground." On that play, the whistle has no bearing when the ball is dead.

NFL VP of Officiating, Mike Pereira, has told his Referees (white caps) at clinics to not use the word "whistle" when explaining a call to the crowd. Hochuli may have been flustered (as any of us might have) by his incorrect judgment and forgot what Pereria instructed not to say to the crowd.

[sj]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

He's a human that cost the Chargers the game, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Every sportscaster on ESPN seem to agree.

And you're sure you want to brag about this?

[APG]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

He's a human that cost the Chargers the game, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Every sportscaster on ESPN seem to agree.

And this means what? ESPN are the same folks that were taking issues when an USC was called against Washington a little over a week ago. Not doubt Ed missed the call, but to scapegoat him as the sole reason for the Chargers' lost is just ridiculous.

[fljet]

You guys need to get of Ed's nuts. Regardless of the fact that denver and san diego EACH torched each others defense, there was no reason to blow the whistle and rule and incomplete pass. The PASS WENT BACKWARDS for christ sakes. Jay Cutler was not endanger of getting whacked either.

For those of you who did not watch the game there was more to it than the last play. let me recap the blunders of the whole crew.

1st qtr: replay equipment not working, chargers lost a possesion inside their own 30 on a b.s. play (MOMENTUM SWING)

3rd qtr: phantom holding call on chris chambers, did not even touch the guy negated a 40 yd run to the denver 2, SD ended up having to kick a field goal

4th qtr: The Hochuli debacle (EVEN BIGGER MOMENTUM SWING, NO TIMEOUTS TO SETTLE DOWN THE DEFENSE)

all game Ryan clady the LT holding our ROLB (not one call made)

If I was ed I would have found a way to have thrown a flag on Denver on either the final 4th down play or the 2 pointer to redeem myself, having known that I just completely hosed a team that fought back from a 21-3 deficit and obviously would have won the game had I not choked.

LATER to all of you CHarger haters. Im not even that pissed, we started 1-3 and made the AFC title game in 2007

[MJT]

Originally Posted by fljet

You guys need to get of Ed's nuts. Regardless of the fact that denver and san diego EACH torched each others defense, there was no reason to blow the whistle and rule and incomplete pass. The PASS WENT BACKWARDS for christ sakes. Jay Cutler was not endanger of getting whacked either.

For those of you who did not watch the game there was more to it than the last play. let me recap the blunders of the whole crew.

1st qtr: replay equipment not working, chargers lost a possesion inside their own 30 on a b.s. play (MOMENTUM SWING)

3rd qtr: phantom holding call on chris chambers, did not even touch the guy negated a 40 yd run to the denver 2, SD ended up having to kick a field goal

4th qtr: The Hochuli debacle (EVEN BIGGER MOMENTUM SWING, NO TIMEOUTS TO SETTLE DOWN THE DEFENSE)

all game Ryan clady the LT holding our ROLB (not one call made)

If I was ed I would have found a way to have thrown a flag on Denver on either the final 4th down play or the 2 pointer to redeem myself, having known that I just completely hosed a team that fought back from a 21-3 deficit and obviously would have won the game had I not choked.

LATER to all of you CHarger haters. Im not even that pissed, we started 1-3 and made the AFC title game in 2007

You being a big fan is shown in your post. If all that you said was true, the crew would have many downgrades, and I bet there was only one in the game. The replay equipment being down is NOT the crews fault, so you can take that off your list.

Your big fan showing discounts all what you have said for any credibility of a fair critique of the crew.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

By whom? I'm sure the reporter didn't ask that followup.

Highly criticized enough to work two Super Bowls, I guess.

Jerry Jones is perfectly correct when he points out that Hochuli is a "highly criticized official."

Just like every other NFL official, of course, but 100% accurate.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Well, everyone is piling on the Chargers fan here. I never said Hochuli wasn't human, I just said he cost the Chargers the game. Which he did. It wasn't the Chargers porous defense or any other "if" scenarios posted. The Chargers recovered what should have been a fumble. They shouldn't have been put in the situation to let Cutler get another chance to score and then go for two. That should have never occurred. What led up to the score being what it was is irrelevant. The call cost them the ball, and cost them the game because they would have easily ran out the clock. Game over.

And I'm not just some fan, I've refereed football and basketball in addition to all the baseball I've umpired. I've never made a call that horrible in my life in any sport, so stop trying to defend Hochuli as "being human." He's a human that cost the Chargers the game, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Every sportscaster on ESPN seem to agree. What the defense did or didn't do earlier in the game all came down to a great play by the defense being overturned by a BAD CALL. Does San Diego need to improve on defense? Of course they do, but it isn't the reason they lost this one.

I peruse the Baseball forum. Anytime anyone blames an umpire for a loss or for costing his team a run that person gets ripped. Guess it's just a different standard for other sports, right?

Originally Posted by fljet

You guys need to get of Ed's nuts. Regardless of the fact that denver and san diego EACH torched each others defense, there was no reason to blow the whistle and rule and incomplete pass. The PASS WENT BACKWARDS for christ sakes. Jay Cutler was not endanger of getting whacked either.

For those of you who did not watch the game there was more to it than the last play. let me recap the blunders of the whole crew.

1st qtr: replay equipment not working, chargers lost a possesion inside their own 30 on a b.s. play (MOMENTUM SWING)

3rd qtr: phantom holding call on chris chambers, did not even touch the guy negated a 40 yd run to the denver 2, SD ended up having to kick a field goal

4th qtr: The Hochuli debacle (EVEN BIGGER MOMENTUM SWING, NO TIMEOUTS TO SETTLE DOWN THE DEFENSE)

all game Ryan clady the LT holding our ROLB (not one call made)

If I was ed I would have found a way to have thrown a flag on Denver on either the final 4th down play or the 2 pointer to redeem myself, having known that I just completely hosed a team that fought back from a 21-3 deficit and obviously would have won the game had I not choked.

LATER to all of you CHarger haters. Im not even that pissed, we started 1-3 and made the AFC title game in 2007

Now please go to your DVR and let us know about all the BAD OR MISSED CALLS that went if favor of the Chargers.

[hawkishowl20]

As far as I can tell, Hochuli did everything right short of having x-ray vision. (Outside the wording issue discussed). He couldn’t see through Cutler. The arm made a throwing motion and Cutler dropped the ball for no clear reason (Wet? Fatigue? Pump fake?). From Hochuli’s angle it may have looked like the ball ricocheted off the defender. He might have been out of position but he would have to have been outside the numbers for a better angle. He doesn’t have three camera angles during the play. He said he made a mistake which is the right thing to do. Don’t let a crazy mob stop you from doing the right thing. I don’t know what Turner’s comments mean. “Unacceptable”…to Turner perhaps, well whatever. Things like this happening late in games with the game on the line are naturally treated as a big deal because it’s so easy to simplify it into “Hochuli bad” or “Hochuli lost game.” That is the sort of template TV guys love because it causes emotional response in a few seconds. This isn’t a rule dispute it’s a case study of handling a mistake and Hochuli passes. The hypothetical “should the ignoring whistle in replay if immediately recovered rule be changed to apply to this situation?” question is interesting.

[hawkishowl20]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

If you're like me, aren't you thinking, "Man I'm glad hawkishowl20 doesn't coach the Chargers." ?

lol.


Impressions and prejudice can cause you to say things that don’t make any sense. It’s still great satire.

[JasonTX]

Originally Posted by fljet

If I was ed I would have found a way to have thrown a flag on Denver on either the final 4th down play or the 2 pointer to redeem myself, having known that I just completely hosed a team that fought back from a 21-3 deficit and obviously would have won the game had I not choked.

Obviously you aren't an official. Our integrity is much better than that. Missed calls are never good, but in the eyes of officials, phantom calls are much worse. 2 wrongs don't make it right. Suppose the chargers sacked the QB instead of the whistle being blown. Guess what. The chargers still have to stop Denver twice. The chargers still would have lost. If you are upset at the officiating this why don't you walk in our shoes for 1 game. You'd freeze up and wouldn't have a clue. I know, I was a fan once. I quit complaining and became an official. Not long after that I realized that officials are right the majority of the time, and most of the things I complained about were flat out wrong. Fans don't know the rules, they don't no the intents or philosophy of the rules. You see, you complain about holding on some plays, but the fact is, what you are seeing may be perfectly legal.

[mj]

Originally Posted by JasonTX

Obviously you aren't an official. Our integrity is much better than that. Missed calls are never good, but in the eyes of officials, phantom calls are much worse. 2 wrongs don't make it right. Suppose the chargers sacked the QB instead of the whistle being blown. Guess what. The chargers still have to stop Denver twice. The chargers still would have lost. If you are upset at the officiating this why don't you walk in our shoes for 1 game. You'd freeze up and wouldn't have a clue. I know, I was a fan once. I quit complaining and became an official. Not long after that I realized that officials are right the majority of the time, and most of the things I complained about were flat out wrong. Fans don't know the rules, they don't no the intents or philosophy of the rules. You see, you complain about holding on some plays, but the fact is, what you are seeing may be perfectly legal.

Ditto for me. What an eye opener it is once you get on the field/court.

[Sonofanump]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

Did Phil Luckett get downgraded?

To clarify:

Jerome Bettis made the mistake in the Pittsburg coin flip game.

The tackle on Joe Horn was all Luckett.