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reposted with permission from the Burnside Writers Collective

Ed Hochuli is the only NFL referee I know.

I might know the names and faces of some of the other guys, and maybe their names might ring a bell, but I know Ed Hochuli. I know Ed because for years my friend John would remark, “I love this guy. He explains the calls.” And he’d explain them in-depth. I know him from Bryan Allain’s Schnoz Report from last year, where he asked the profound question, “Ed Hochuli: Beast of a Man or Man of a Beast?”

Professional referees and umpires are mostly anonymous to the world at large. The sports fans who might learn their names probably take the effort solely in order to curse them. Because sports seasons don’t run year round, many have outside jobs. Nate Jones was a side-judge for Super Bowl XXVIII in 1994, the same year I was a freshman at Franklin High School, where Jones was also the principal.

But Ed Hochuli is well-known and well-liked, a consumate professional in a field akin to tax-collecting. I’ve never heard a bad thing said about the guy beyond a suggestion he might be using steroids, hardly an awful offense considering Hochuli doesn’t actually play football.

Until last week in Denver that is.

In a wild, wide-open game announcers were sure would come down to the last possession, the Denver Broncos faced a 2nd and goal with time slipping away. Quarterback Jay Cutler was hit as he threw, and the ball popped out, a fumble recovered by the San Diego Chargers.

Ed Hochuli was behind the play, and from his vantage point believed the fumble was an incomplete pass. He blew his whistle, ending the play.

It was clear immediately a mistake had been made, and Hochuli realized his error after an official review. If called correctly, the San Diego Chargers would have won.

But the play could not be overturned because of a rule which states a play is dead when a ref’s whistle is blown. The Broncos kept the ball, and Jay Cutler hit receiver Eddie Royal in the endzone two plays later. Rather than kick a field goal for the tie, coach Mike Shanahan went for two, and Cutler found Royal in nearly the same exact spot for the win.

Chargers coach Norv Turner was incensed, and this was his quote to the AP:

“On the last play, it was clearly a fumble,” Turner fumed. “Ed came over, the official, and said he blew it. And that’s not acceptable to me. This is a high-level performance game and that’s not acceptable to have a game decided on that play.”

The frustration is understandable, but it should be noted Norv Turner only believes in high-level performances when they don’t apply to him. He’s an awful coach with a 72-89-1 record.

From minute one, Ed Hochuli has regretted his poor call. He’s apologized profusely to anyone who’ll listen:

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.

Hochuli has also been disciplined by the NFL, which could negatively affect his chances of ever officiating another NFL playoff game. For a guy who’s been the head referee in two Super Bowls, it’s a tremendous professional hit.

I contacted Ted Barrett, who’s been a Major League Baseball umpire for eleven years. Ted founded Calling for Christ, a professional umpire ministry, and Blue for Kids. He’s also pursuing his doctorate of Theology at Trinity University.

BWC: Can you explain what goes through an official’s head after a bad call which directly influences the outcome of a game?

Ted Barrett: First of all, Ed probably got to the locker room after the game, looked at the replay and felt physically ill. To miss a call is a terrible feeling, regardless of the score. It will eat you alive as you try analyze what went wrong. To miss a call that directly costs a team a game is an official’s worst nightmare. The best way to describe this feeling is it hurts down deep in your soul. You feel like a failure and you know your family will be subject to ridicule, so you feel like you let those close to you down. I try to give it to God and try to see how he can be glorified by my actions. It is also a scary feeling because of the whackos out there who could try to harm you or a loved one.

BWC: Ed Hochuli has been completely remorseful regarding his mistake, and it doesn’t seem he’s receiving much forgiveness. Is it typical practice for an official to ignore a bad call?

TB: As far as no one cutting him any slack, fans have de-humanized us as officials. They have no regard for us as people and the emotions we may be experiencing. I hope people will recognize Ed is hurting and doing everything in his power to make it right.

I personally do not apologize for missing calls. I will recognize the fact I made a mistake but I work too hard to have anything to apologize about. I prepare myself to work and then give it my maximum effort. I feel terrible if I miss a call but I have nothing to apologize for. Officials who loaf or don’t care about their performance do owe people an apology, but this is rare at the professional level.

—

The media, for the most part, has been understanding of Hochuli’s mistake. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, always the epitome of class, has been one of the most vocal critics, even if the game didn’t involve him at all.

Jones is right, though. Hochuli’s biggest mistake was blowing his whistle too quickly. But in a game where the end of a play can prevent injuries from late hits, calling a play dead at the right time is crucial. If anything, the NFL’s dizzying maze of autocratic rules should be at question. A replay could have quickly overturned the gaffe and San Diego would be 1-1, whistle blow or no. As is, Chargers fans should take heart knowing it’s a long season, and they still possess one of the league’s most dynamic young teams with Ladanian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, Antonio Cromartie and the injured Shawne Merriman.

The biggest concern to me is what this says about our society’s penchant for hanging our contrite public figures. We expect our politicians to be honest, but we destroy them for admitting fault. We mock apologies and deride policy changes over years as ‘flip-flopping’. In today’s media, it doesn’t pay to take your lumps, to apologize for wrongdoing, because witnessing the downfall of our public figures is too sweet. As Ted said above, fans have de-humanized officials. But really, we’ve dehumanized everyone in the spotlight. Athletes like Josh Howard are boiled down to ‘spoiled brats’. People from small towns are dumb hicks. City-dwellers are snooty elitists. None of us are taking the time to figure out why.

Oh, but it’s not all bad. Blogger and Charger fan MJD took the first step in forgiving Ed Hochuli:

“No one was more upset about the call than me, I promise you. I was driving to a friend’s house after the game, and had to stop at a local convenience store so I could throw a child-like fit and kick inanimate objects. I said things about Ed Hochuli in the hours after the loss that could’ve gotten me arrested …

But knowing now that Hochuli feels so bad about it, it sort of takes some of the venom out of me. It’s hard to hate a guy who knows he screwed up and feels bad about it.”

At least that’s something.