San Diego/Denver

[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.

[JRutledge]

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.

I must have missed something. Did Hochuli not stop Denver on the 10? When Denver went for two, was Hochuli preventing the defense to make a play? There were a lot of events in that game, if Chargers do some things, they are never in that situation in the first place. I am sorry, Hochuli might have made a big mistake, but that mistake did not cost them the game. Just like I am a Cardinals fan and a certain umpire in 1985 did not cost them the World Series. There were a few more events that happen afterwards.

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.

Just because you have done those things does not make you right either. Hochuli made a mistake and without the replay I bet more here have made a similar mistake. And if you make everything about one play, then how did Denver get in that situation. I thought Denver had one big time 4th Quarter and if SD defends better, they win the game running away. Sorry it is not about defending Hochuli at all. Unless that was the last play of the game, there were other reasons they lost the game. Sorry, it just is.

Peace

[Mike L]

Apparently the official in question feels differently than most. And that's why I respect him so much, he realizes what we do does affect outcomes of games and can be one of the contributing factors to a team losing or winning despite all the excuses of other things that happened.(the bold is my highlite).

"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

[JRutledge]

There is a big difference in affecting the outcome and being the cause of the outcome.

Peace

[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?

[OverAndBack]

Originally Posted by Mike L

And the fan reaction surprises you?

Shouldn't, but in some ways, it does.

I mean, what do they want, exactly?

Hochuli fired? Doesn't work that way.
Result overturned? Doesn't work that way.
Money back? Doesn't work that way.
A shoulder to cry on? You'll have to find someone else's.
An asterisk? Unlikely.*
It's Wednesday. Norv Turner might be over it by now for all I know. The Charger players are professionals, they have another game Sunday. You don't forget, but you move on.

I guess the degree of the petulance and immaturity by fans (which is one thing) and officials (which is another thing) surprises me a bit. I keep thinking that one day we'll have sports in their proper perspective, but I guess that's a ways off still.







*Though for years - and maybe to this day, for all I know - the Bears' media guide had an asterisk on the result of the game from November 5, 1989 because instant replay upheld a touchdown pass that had been called as an illegal forward pass. It said "Instant Replay Game" on that result for a long time, at the demand of Mike Ditka, IIRC.

[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.

[OverAndBack]

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.

Actually, it was all of those things. In combination.

But fanboys like things nice and uncomplicated so they pick on the one thing that doesn't require them to admit that their team did anything wrong or contributed to the outcome in any way.

YES, if that call is correct, it's very likely San Diego's win. And you could say that about any one of the multitude of other things that occured in that game as they do in every game.

"The inches we need....are all around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second."

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,

You are truly blessed, then. Hossanah in the highest.

Very few of us have ever had the opportunity to make such a horrible call on that big a stage, either.

I daresay I would hope we'd all handle it with the same aplomb that Ed Hochuli has. I doubt we all would.

so stop trying to defend Hochuli as "being human." He's a human that cost the Chargers the game

String him up!

Seriously - if the weekly fortunes of 53 guys you've never met affects your mood for more than about 15 minutes one way or the other, you have issues.

My God, he cost my team a game! How will I ever recover? It's not fair, dammit!

Every sportscaster on ESPN seem to agree.

And if there was ever a QED, that's it, I guess.

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.

It's a reason. Along with many others. This is just the easiest target. For you and other fanboys.

[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.

[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.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Every sportscaster on ESPN seem to agree.

Steve that's about the same argument as saying "But Tim McCarver and Joe Morgan agree...".

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

You are truly blessed, then. Hossanah in the highest.

Thanks for the laugh this morning. It was much needed.

The rest of your post is eloquently stated.

Originally Posted by fljet

Fan Drivel.....

So how many games have you called again?

I will leave this quote for everyone's consumption, I think it is most appropriate.

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt