Chargers Fans, Ed Hochuli Will Answer Your Emails, Even the Nasty Ones

Ed Hochuli has had a pretty crappy week. It all started Sunday, when he gifted the Broncos a victory in the closing seconds of the Denver-San Diego game, and, as hard as it is to believe, it's gotten worse from there.

Chargers head coach Norvell Turner voiced his displeasure Sunday night (and again Monday), Jerry Jones weighed in with his well-reasoned thoughts, and the internets excoriated the freakishly muscular attorney-during-the-week for basically ruining any chance San Diego had of making the postseason. (On the upside, every game from here on out takes on "MUST-WIN" status, which is always fun.)

In light of what has transpired, Hochuli would like to take this opportunity to let you know, football-viewing public, that nobody feels worse about what happened than he does. (Well, except maybe Norv.)

"I'm getting hundreds of emails – hate mail – but I'm responding to it all. People deserve a response," he wrote to several Chargers fans according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. "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."

Okay, now I just feel sad for Hochuli. I always thought he was one of the league's best officials, and the Chargers-Broncos game certainly seemed out of character based on his body of work. I mean, this isn't Steve Javy or C.B. Buckner we're talking about, yet in the time it took to blow his whistle and signal incomplete pass, that's exactly what he's become.

Hopefully we can all put this behind us and let the healing begin. Somehow I think Jerry Markbreit would want it that way.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

9-18-2008 @ 7:53PM

Larry Cover said...

Ed,
You admitted your error like a gentleman and a professional and the fans respect you for that but why didn't you stop the game and admit the error and ask for a reply to correct the error and save your ass and have the correct team take possession of the ball.? Don't you have that choice ? You are a great ref but this will give you a bad scare that wasn't necessary. Games like this should be able to be protested and corrections be made. Do it again and it will be bye-bye.

9-18-2008 @ 9:00PM

Heavy_Lumber said...

Ed,

Raise up baby...you made a honest mistake...these things happen from time to time, it only serves as a notice that you're human. San Diego just got a bad break...from your angle I can see how it looked like a batted pass from the defense. They'll see each other again, so you stay wired tight and handle your biz...

9-19-2008 @ 12:12AM

Martin said...

Ed,
You get paid for this shit? They should make you spend a week in prison as shower monitor. I bet you get more than your head out of your ass after that!

9-20-2008 @ 2:54PM

DW said...

The call was a bad call true, But the Chargers blew the game by letting the Broncos score not once but twice, quit blaming the refs for bad defense, all the teams get bad calls, Like the tuck rule and the Raiders, It was a bad call but they had a chance to stop the Patriots and didn't do it...It's time to dry the tears and move on Charger fans

9-24-2008 @ 4:57AM

Joe R said...

As a Charger fan who saw the game all I can say is .... Forget about it Ed, at least you owned up to it, unlike numerous peers of yours who would never admit their mistake.

Too bad that call is nonreviewable, maybe this is something the NFL can look back on in the post season and fix, something like inside 2 minutes and the replay shows the wrong call it can be overturned by the booth.

Keep you chin up Ed, you are still one of the best out there.

9-19-2008 @ 10:40AM

Chuck from Fort Myers FL said...

Ed,

The whistle, unfortunately, did change the outcome of the game. I can't count the times I have made mistakes. I was hoping the 2 point conversion would fail so that the whistle would not matter.
I think that a whistle is the same as a call. Therefore, it should be reversible. The right procedure should have been for you to announce that the whistle was inadvertant and that it was Charger ball at the 10. I think Shanahan would be OK. He knew it was a fumble. That is why he went for 2.
I don't think you should be downgraded. I think the NFL needs to get rid of the unreversible whistle rule.

9-19-2008 @ 8:03AM

Brody said...

Larry Cover, it's people like you that are the problem in this situation.

If you guys actually figured out what you were talking about before you started running your mouths, you would realize that Hochuli did everything he possibly could. Once the whistle is blown, the play is dead - you can't reward a change of possession for something that happens after the play is over. The only mistake Hoch made was blowing the whistle too soon. Everything he did afterward was 100% correct and by the book. The rules didn't allow him to fix his mistake. If he could have given the ball to the Chargers, he would have, but he's not allowed to.

I'm so tired of you mouth breathing, knuckle dragging morons giving Hochuli a hard time simply because you're too much of an ignorant douche bag to actually no what you're talking about. Hochuli is one of the best refs in the game.

If you don't know what you're talking about...THEN SHUT UP!

And Martin, you're just a tool.

9-19-2008 @ 10:08AM

Nate Eakin said...

Ed,

I have been a die hard football player and fan all of my life. Of all officials I have ever come to take note of, you have been the gold standard in my mind. You sir, exemplify the integrity and committment that everyone should strive for in all walks of life. When I saw the bit on SportsCenter about you feeling terrible about the call and still receiving hate mail I got fired up. I want to encourage you sir. I have never witnessed such humility and brokeness offered by an officicial and it shows the amazing heart you have been blessed with. Please know that you made that call for a reason and you are a better man having gone through it. This country is better because we got to witness how people should hold themselves accountable for their actions and grow from it.

May God bless you with His Grace.

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillipians 4:13

Your fan,

Nate Eakin

9-19-2008 @ 12:38PM

Mike said...

Ed,

People make mistakes, me myself I really did not see such a big mistake. You made the call that you thought was correct. No matter how hard we try, the game will never be without error. Look at the Dallas and Phily game, there were about two to three face masks that Dallas comitted in the first half and they were not called, so things are not perfect. Anyway, San Diego still had three chances to still win the game and they could not, we will see in December when they meet again. Keep your head up Ed, you are one of the best out there.

9-19-2008 @ 10:27AM

Did we really need to drag Jesus into a stupid football game? As if Jesus cares what happens on the football field.

9-19-2008 @ 10:32AM

T said...

People are funny. Some are saying give the man a break, he's human and made a mistake...ok fine. But I wonder if you would be singing that same tune if it was your team who loss a game over a bad call? I think not. Y'all would be vexed too. It's all just cookies and milk when it's not your team.

9-19-2008 @ 10:46AM

You can't get rid of the "unreversible whistle rule". Think about what you just suggest for a minute

9-19-2008 @ 11:19AM

Back at You Nate-

OK- you got me on that, the irreversible whistle point. There has to be a way to signal the end of the play and/or dead ball. At the time this happened all I could think was "no way - this can't happen"! I felt bad for Hercules. I would not of wanted to be in his shoes that day, no matter what he gets paid. The point that the Chargers had the opportunity to stop the 2 pt. conversion is a good arguement that the Broncos deservered the win.
What about all the times that a call is overturned due to the motion replay? Nobody says boo about the official that made the wrong call. They say "good usage of the challenge flag by the coaching staff". If Ed is downgraded then it is only fair that every changed call (by replay) should result in the calling official to be downgraded as well.

9-19-2008 @ 2:36PM

Kareem said...

Ed,

I'm a Broncos fan, but I understand that you made a terrible call. Even though I'm a Broncos fan, I feel for the Chargers, but don't beat yourself up just because you made a mistake. We are all human, we all make mistakes, it's the way of the world. This is the NFL, mistakes happen. The only thing we can do is learn from it. If you have never made a mistake(doubtful), then you don't learn anything. Now on the other hand, the game wasn't really handed to us because we were still down 7 points. It's not like we had all four downs after the call. The Chargers had a chance to stop us on 3rd down,4th down,and the two point conversion. But the Chargers failed to do so. That's why Mike Shanahan went for two because not only was he looking to win, but also because he was giving the Chargers a chance to stop us. He could have easily went the cheap way and kicked a field goal to tie the game, but he didn't. So you have to give him credit for that. And if it happened to my team, I would be mad,BUT, i repeat BUT, at the same time,
I would understand that he would have to follow the rules and not give us the ball. I definitely wouldn't be some crazy, angered fan(like some of the Chargers' fans) and write stupid, nasty comments about the best official in the NFL. So what I'm saying to you,Ed, get back on the field and keep doing your job and don't let it haunt you. Like I said, we're all humans. You are a great official. And to some of the chargers fans, grow up and take your loss like a man, regardless of the call, you guys had chances to stop us agian and you FAILED. You guys need to focus on the Jets. It would be funny to see the Chargers lose to a team that was 4-12 last year.

9-19-2008 @ 3:24PM

Willie Wunderlich said...

Ed,

There is a reason why you have always been one of the top officials in the NFL. You do excellent work. It is easy for us as armchair quarterbacks watching replays in slow motion to second guess calls made on the field in real time with bodies flying around. On the play in question, Jay Cutler was clearly in the process of passing the ball into the end zone when the ball flipped out of his hand--without being pressured or touched by anyone. One play does not a game make, but people believe what they want to believe. Frankly, the San Diego fans should be sending angry Email to their defense for giving up 486 yards to Denver in the game.

9-21-2008 @ 5:28AM

Robert Lloyd said...

Hochuli clearly made a mistake but what is even worse is the NFL has made an even bigger mistake. To right this injustice the results must be overturned and the game awarded to San Diego. If this is not done then fans everywhere should boycot the NFL

9-21-2008 @ 10:37AM

Ian Philip said...

That's so funny that Jerry Jones said the same thing I've been thinking for years. Ed Hochuli calls WAAAY too many penalties and is always trying to get himself on TV. What other ref do you know is praised like this guy? Well, when you try to glorify yourself like Ed has, similar to Suge Knight, the LORD will publicly embarrass you. At least Ed is handling his embarrassment with a touch of dignity, then again what other choice does he have?

9-22-2008 @ 9:58AM

Zimm said...

Bronco fan born and raised and I was disappointed that Hoch's error gave Denver a win they didn't really deserve. I can understand Hoch's personal guilt and the league's rules concerning when a play is called dead.

Now, will Hoch give a play another second or two? Or will he still be quick and decisive in play-ending whistles? Hopefully, he takes a(nother) peek at the games he's called...

Denver's win over SD was not about the best team that night...
Sorry, SD fans...that game was a big fat loss for Denver, in all but the final standings...

12-08-2008 @ 11:09PM

Harvey said...

Dear Ed...
YOU SUCK!!! THE WOULD HAVE EASILY MADE THE PLAYOFFS IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU!!! THERE WOULD ONLY BE A ONE GAME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOUR BULLSHIT CALL OF AN "INCOMPLETE PASS"!!! AT THIS POINT IT SHOULD BE, THE CHARGERS, 6-7, AND THE BRONCOS 7-6 INSTEAD OF THE CHARGERS, 5-8, AND THE BRONCOS, 8-5!!!HEY... JOE R. YOUR AN IDIOT, AND THAT CALL KILLED THE CHARGERS!!! ZIMM... I'M A DIE HARD CHARGER FAN I APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU ADMITED A BRONCOS DEFEAT (UNLIKE MANY IGNORANT BRONCO FANS).

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