San Diego/Denver

[OverAndBack]

You may be right. The term "upgrade" may be a misnomer (though I didn't use it in the post you quoted). "Graded" they do get. I read once how it all works, and I think they can get a +1 or something (I think it's in one of Markbreit's books, not sure) for a really good call under pressure. I may be misremembering.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

You may be right. The term "upgrade" may be a misnomer (though I didn't use it in the post you quoted). "Graded" they do get. I read once how it all works, and I think they can get a +1 or something (I think it's in one of Markbreit's books, not sure) for a really good call under pressure. I may be misremembering.

I know one of the disputes a few years ago during the brief union strike was this issue. I have no idea if that ever changed; I just remember the longest current tenured NFL Official from this area said that that was in issue in their negotiations from the NFL. I do not remember if that specific issue was resolved or not.

Peace

[OverAndBack]

Okay.

Point is, though, as we all know and as (surprise!) everyone else is just finding out, the NFL doesn't just sit idly by and ignore mistakes, no matter what the call, no matter who makes it, no matter what the situation. As far as I know, the procedure is the same for everybody, but if you google "NFL official grades" or something, you see eleventymillion media stories about how this appears to be some big revelation.

Hochuli's not going to get fired for it, there's still 15 weeks left in the season for him to achieve sufficient grades to work in the playoffs, you would think.

I'd be real curious to see if he works a game in San Diego anytime in, say, the next millenium, though.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by OverAndBack

I'd be real curious to see if he works a game in San Diego anytime in, say, the next millenium, though.

I think they should send him back next week.

[3SPORT]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I think they should send him back next week.

Mike Perria said on Dan Patrick show that he would need a lot of vodka to send Ed back to San Diego in the re-match and he said that it is against policy to have the same crew do the same 2 teams. In the same interview he said that he needs his best officials out there and Ed is still one of his best guys.

[rulesmaven]

In the micro sense, it's too bad that a missed call probably contributed directly to the outcome of the game. In a macro sense, this event, if anything, serves nothing but to increase perception about the integrity of the game. Hochuli's response, both immediately on the field and after, and the league's handling of the situation, confirm what everyone on this board knows but that the general public doesn't and which plague the other 3 professional sports (baseball to a lesser degree than basketball or hockey) -- these guys don't give a crap who wins and want nothing more or less than to get it right.

This incident can and should lead to more discussion about how to improve accuracy and whether the rules need to be changed to keep plays alive longer given the potential for review. But that's secondary. As others have said, there's nothing that can make accuracy 100 percent. What matters is how the official and the league respond.

I think there should be a term or pithy expression for the murphy's law aspect of these situations, though -- a missed call always seems to guarantee the result. Once the incident happened, was there any doubt that Denver would win the game? Just like the UW call last week on the ball thrown in the air -- would it be too much for the kid just to make a 30 yard field goal? Of course it doesn't work that way.

[falsecut]

A previous poster quoted something that he was even answering his hate email. I suppose I could understand that the league was forwarding the USPS mail that they received to him, assuming it was sent to Ed c/o the NFL. But how is anybody emailing him? Last I saw, officials emails are not posted as a general rule. Does he have a site due to his well-deserved noteriety (before this I mean)? Or is Paul Tagliabue forwarding email on the subject to him? Somewhat curious.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by rulesmaven

In the micro sense, it's too bad that a missed call probably contributed directly to the outcome of the game. .

It didn't lead DIRECTLY to the outcome of the game. San Diego still needed to give up a TD and a 2-pt conversion and they couldn't defend either.

[fljet]

Originally Posted by Welpe

I think they should send him back next week.

If ed works a game in San Diego this year, and commits any mistakes, he will undoubtedly get a shower of beer when exiting the field from the west end zone, he better get mike phelps to give him some swimming lessons.

If it were the raiders he would get a shower of human waste, which is much worse. Or stabbed, like the Dolphins fan a few years ago.

If it was at the meadowlands maybe a barrage of snowballs with batteries.

etc.

He will never be welcomed in the "Q" again.