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Shutdown Corner - NFL

Shutdown Corner

Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:30 am EDT

Welcome to the magnifying glass, Ed Hochuli

By MJD

A year ago, Ed Hochuli had a reputation as one of the NFL's top officials. He headed up two Super Bowl crews, and was an alternate in two others. Everyone seemed to respect him, and his physique and his often extremely thorough explanations seemed to amuse people.

But you rob the Chargers one time, and oh, how things change.

The majority of the crowd in our (super-duper fun!) Monday Night live blog seemed to think that Eddie Pipes was unfit to still be calling NFL games. Ed (and the rest of his crew) missed an obvious facemask call (as demonstrated by Sean Payton) in the first half. Here's a sampling of the bile that was spewed in Ed's direction:

[Comment From Rafa]
i think Hochuli shouldn't be officiating anymore. somebody retire him, relieve him now

[Comment From jaranda]
The NFL has failed the fans in allowing hochuli to continue to be a lead ref

[Comment From fire millen...oh, wait...]
The only reason I can see for not firing Hochuli yet is the fact that we're all talking about him, thus giving the NFL yet more buzz.

[Comment From Jose]
Hochuli is playing Aaron Brooks for the Saints....

And that was just the tip of the iceberg, really. People wanted him fired, suspended, put out to pasture, and forbidden from calling primetime games. There were a couple of Hochuli defenders, but they were way outnumbered by the Hoch-haters. If NFL officials were graded by public approval ratings, Ed would be in trouble.

It's slightly unfortunate. What happened in Denver was embarrassing, and I can't deny that I had a fit over it. But the things that happened last night aren't on the same level. They were simply the kinds of things that just happen from time to time. If it hadn't been Ed Hochuli's crew involved, I don't know if anyone other than Saints fans would be talking about the missed facemask this morning.

Don't me wrong, Saints fans can complain if they want. It was a bad bad non-call, absolutely. It did affect the game. But come on ... is Ed Hochuli the only official (and there were guys in a better position to make the call than Ed) to miss a facemask this weekend?

It happens, and it's always going to happen. 2,000 years from now, if the NFL still exists, there will still be officials missing facemasks. This is a natural byproduct of human beings not having been provided with 360° vision.

Fair or not, this is the life of Ed Hochuli now. Part of it is the downside of making yourself a focal point for attention at all, and part of it is the perhaps unfair tendency we all have to hold one mistake against a guy for way too long.

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  1. Chip
    1. Posted by Chip Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:30 pm EDT

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    Well it wasn't only the missed facemask -- that happens. The crappy call on Petersen's fumble was inexcusable as he actually reviewed it. How someone can not have control of the ball yet still maintain possession is beyond me.
  2. Billy B
    2. Posted by Billy B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    The runners back was to Hochuli. I'm sure he didn't see it. If the camera's angle wasn't perfect we would not have seen it. It should have been the back judge who caught the penalty not the referee.
  3. msu123_99_99
    3. Posted by msu123_99_99 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    Worse offical on the planet! He should be fired on the spot without explanation! He screwed the chargers and now the saints!! How do you not call a facemask call? That should of been called and therefore the fumble never occurs and saints still have ball close to if not in redzone . They prolly score a touchdown or even a fg which means saints win game or chnages the landscape of it all together. Their were other shady or close to calls/non calls as well.
    Thanks a bunch eddie
    FIRE HIM ASAP!
  4. Adam Kronfeld
    4. Posted by Adam Kronfeld Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    "How someone can not have control of the ball yet still maintain possession is beyond me."
    You clearly misunderstood the ruling. On review, Petersen's arm was moving away from his body, but that does not mean the ball was not still secured by his hand. The ball is not clearly beginning to move out of his grip until after his knee is down. It's one of those calls that's impossible to overturn on review, regardless of which way it originally came down on the field.
  5. cajun1171
    5. Posted by cajun1171 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:16 pm EDT

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    don't forget to fire Gramatica
  6. msu123_99_99
    6. Posted by msu123_99_99 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    nick m
    Zip your lips! Ed is worse official ever. His explanations of calls are ludicirous and make no sense. He screwed chargers out of a win and screwed saints out of chance to win. Facemask should be called and negates fumble whihc leads saints to Fg maybe even a td sicne they were close to red zone. If thats the case vikings neevr kick the game winning fg or even have a chance.
    The dude has blown 2 big calls and several minor ones.
    SEND HIM BACK TO OFFICIATING SCHOOL!
    Myabe you should join him!
  7. Adam Kronfeld
    7. Posted by Adam Kronfeld Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    By the laws of large numbers and averages, every team over time is going to get pretty much the same favorable and unfavorable bad calls. The difference is that good teams overcome bad calls, especially those that happen in the first half. The Redskins got absolutely hosed on a called-but-picked-up block in the back on DeSean Jackson's punt return in the first quarter, but they stuck to their game plan and owned them for the rest of the game, so it was a non-factor in the end. The Saints had the opportunity to do the same thing, but they didn't do it.
  8. msu123_99_99
    8. Posted by msu123_99_99 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    gramatica sucks!
    2 missed fg's to cost saints to losses..
    Send him to waivers!
  9. MJH
    9. Posted by MJH Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:11 pm EDT

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    agreed chip
  10. Gonzo
    10. Posted by Gonzo Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    As a fan I expect that there will be bad calls here and there in every game however these calls that were made were major game changing plays. The role of the officials is insure that both teams play fair and safely. Facemasks are suppose to be high penalty this year because the NFL wants to stress the importance of not doing this. Bad calls on the field again are one thing, but review the play....you do have a hoodie to use, and correct your mistakes.
  11. Chip
    11. Posted by Chip Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:30 pm EDT

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    "The ball is not clearly beginning to move out of his grip until after his knee is down."
    That's not what Hochuli said -- he said the ball was moving before the knee was down (ie, it was not controlled) but that the runners hand still was on it so therefore he maintained possession. I'll try and find the exact quote but it was basically -- the ball was coming out before he was down, but he still had the ball possessed.
  12. NFLer
    12. Posted by NFLer Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    Prolly?
  13. Justin K
    13. Posted by Justin K Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:44 pm EDT

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    The Saints should not have lost that game, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Hochuli. They dominated most of the game but were behind because they couldn't finish a drive with a score. That has nothing to do with the officiating.
  14. Todd
    14. Posted by Todd Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:14 pm EDT

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    Folks, I was at the game 20 rows up 50 yd line behind the Saints bench, let me say there are very few times in life when a person gets a second chance to do the right thing. I witnessed "Eddie pipes" watch the replay THREE times on the Jumbotron before the Vikes got off there next play. He immediately knew it was a bad play (along with oh let's see about 70,000 other people). He could have chose to do the right thing but did not, plain and simple, the rest is just minutia.
    Moreover as a fan, I do not pay my hard earned $$ to see a game decided by the zebras.
    T- baby (The Sad Saint)
  15. Older_than_Moses_Shaq
    15. Posted by Older_than_Moses_Shaq Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:56 pm EDT

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    He must think he's an NBA official. Must be on Al Davis' payroll...AKA...not getting paid.
  16. Adam Kronfeld
    16. Posted by Adam Kronfeld Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:54 pm EDT

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    "He could have chose to do the right thing"
    No, he couldn't have. With the exception of the few reviewable penalties, e.g., illegal forward pass or twelve men on the field, referees cannot impose penalties after the fact. If it's not called on the field, it can't then be called on the basis of a video replay in the stadium.
  17. Big Gulp
    17. Posted by Big Gulp Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:51 pm EDT

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    You people clammering for Ed Hochuli to be "thrown out," or forced to stop officiating are completely out of touch with reason and logic. First of all, the guy totally blew the call in Denver. However, if you don't understand the full implications of the context in which those events transpired, and your only remark is something so eloquently brilliant as:
    "Ed is worse official ever. His explanations of calls are ludicirous and make no sense. He screwed chargers out of a win and screwed saints out of chance to win."
    Then your opinion loses rights of respect, not to mention the condition of your cerebral integrity.
    You see, there is a natural course of logic that one can engage in when determining the severity of human mistakes. If you allow your rational cognition to be overcome by emotion, then you have clearly strayed from this logical course to the point where one is unable to trust your furthered decistions (and by association, your opinions as well).
    Hochuli mistakenly blew the whistle in Denver under the reasonable guise that allowing the play to continue would place the Quarterback in jeapardy. This is a practice to which the NFL has strictly adhered, and vehemently advocated. That is why Hochuli was not punished: because he did EXACTLY what the NFL has asked of referrees to do. Unlike any other referee of recent history, however, Hochuli OWNED UP to his mistake, and apologized like crazy (although the RULES prohibited him from changing his call to the correct one on the field).
    Last night's missed facemask call was BAD within in the contexts of player safety and protection. However, it was NOT Hochuli's call to make, as he was not the ref in position to see it. Moreover, it DID NOT have the adverse effect on the game that Hochuli-haters would love to make it out to be. While the Referee has certainly been granted too much power in the NFL, the Saints had multiple chances to win the game on their own (as did the Chargers in week 2). Hochuli has been one of THE BEST refs in the NFL, and will remain as such.
    Armchair quarterbacks who have never faced adversity in competition have no room to speak. Keep your mouth wrapped around the barbeque sandwich we all know you are grotesquely stuffing into your face, and out of the politics of officiating.
    He is better than you. I can guarantee that.
  18. John V
    18. Posted by John V Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:39 pm EDT

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    Justin you are absolutely correct. All you couch potato officials obviously don't understand how officiating works and how the rules affect what the refs can and cannot do. There are seven officials on the field for a reason. They all have areas of responsibility to "watch". Officials are supposed to be neutral and enforce the rules as the play unfolds in "real" speed. They are human. They will miss infractions and they will mess up from time to time. The officials didn't loose this game, they didn't win this game, they really don't give a rats you know what! The Saints lost this game and the Vikings won this game. I said it before and I'll say it again, Ed Hochuli is the best white hat in the game!
  19. SReddy
    19. Posted by SReddy Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:34 pm EDT

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    Not fair to ruin his career with one mistake, get over it guys, things happen ....
  20. Chris D
    20. Posted by Chris D Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:31 pm EDT

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    It may not have been Hochulis fault but he has the same crew week to week and they are the ones that blew the call which reflects on Hochuli. What is the point of having instant replay if you cant replay potential game changing plays?? Bad call and bad rules that must be changed, why they can challenge some calls but not others is just crazy !!!
  21. Joshua C
    21. Posted by Joshua C Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    #1. Pass Interference call missed on Lance Moore. Ed said it was tripping. They showed the replay and there were obviously no legs involved in the penalty. Vikings DB pulled Lance Moore down by the back of his jersey. Possible touchdown wiped away.
    #2. Holding call on Karney. Replay showed obvious "Clothesline" type block. No holding inolved. This penalty inabled New Orleans to keep Reggie Bush's first down which then led to a blocked field goal for a return.
    #3. FACEMASK which led to a fumble by reggie bush.
    #4. Fumble recovery by New Orleans which possibly could have gone either way but JAWS and all other commentators in the booth called and pointed out each of these penalties/mishaps when the replay was shown.
    Please get rid of Ed. Officiating should not be this much of a problem in a National Football League game!
    Especially when the Saints have lost all games by near 3 points!! Officiating comes into play!
  22. Matthew
    22. Posted by Matthew Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    They missed it. But the real villain is the NFL's rules, which do not allow facemask non-calls, no matter how blatantly wrong upon instant review, to be reviewable.
  23. treadmill102
    23. Posted by treadmill102 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:19 pm EDT

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    You cannot blame this loss on the refs. The Saints had plenty of chances to score to win the game but their miscues or penalties screwed them and not the refs. If you want to play the blame game blame the players for not making plays and for making mistakes instead. Should I yell at the refs on the 2 return td's that Bush brought back because there probably was holding going on somewhere? I would want to but I'm not going to. In my book, Ed is still one of the top refs in this game. People associate some of the bad calls with him, which were not his to make and it only seems that way because he is the head ref and calls go to us from him. One final thing, for all you Saints fan who are upset about the facemask that wasn't called and say look at the replay, you cannot use the replay to call penalties. Yes it was a blown call by someone but it was not Ed's. As I previously stated, your team could have won but made way too many mistakes so stop feeling sorry for yourselves and move on.
  24. james b
    24. Posted by james b Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:25 pm EDT

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    must be saint fans......vikes rule...

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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