This is what happens when one particular official puts himself in the spotlight with an attention-grabbing bad call. Things snowball. Perception becomes reality. People start to see things that aren't there. Joey Porter's imagination becomes vividly overactive.

Porter, practically begging to be fined, aired a few thoughts about a (correct) call Ed Hochuli made in the Texans game-winning drive against the Dolphins yesterday. With 1:09 to play, Matt Schaub dropped back, Joey Porter beat his man (rather severely, in fact) and got to the quarterback. He made contact with Schaub and the ball came out.

It was ruled an incomplete pass, and though it wasn't reviewed by the booth, TV replays showed pretty conclusively that Schaub's arm was moving forward with the football in it. That's what I see, anyway. Solomon Wilcots saw the same thing. So did the officials. I don't know what other explanation there could be for the fact that the football was actually propelled forward.

See it for yourself right here, at about the 0:35 mark. Then have a look at Joey's words, via the Miami Herald:

''I came up with a sack. They have second and 18. They get the first down. I come back again, a sack. I swear, I just know he fumbled the ball. I went and got it. Then, they take that away. We get an interception, they take that away [ed note: that's a seperate call about which Porter is also blatantly wrong, and can be seen in the same video clip linked above, immediately after the first play in question]. I'm like, `Man, it's crazy that the same referee staff from all of this other stuff that's been happening was out there.' ''

''I'm looking for an apology on like Tuesday or Wednesday, NFL Network. But it'll be too late by then. Game's over. I know for sure I had both of his arms and the ball came out.''

''You reviewed the interception, why wouldn't you review that play? That play was just as big. More so. The first time in the game, when I hit his arm, I knew he threw it. That one, he never got his arm up. They didn't replay it [on the Reliant Stadium replay screens] so I feel I got him.''

It's like trying to blame Wall Street investors for the fact that you got drunk on Saturday and spent $300 on an 8-inch tattoo of Gus Frerotte's face on your abs, and today, you have no money to put gas in your car. Sure, the Wall Street people have screwed up recently. That doesn't mean you get to blame them for everything.

You're not getting an apology, Joey. You're not getting any sympathy for trying to get in a cheap blast at Ed Hochuli and his crew. You get a loss, and that's all you get.