Referee Ed Hochuli has issued a brief statement apologizing for the blown call in last week’s Chargers-Broncos game. His statement:
“I’m getting hundreds of e-mails — 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.”
At this point, I’m not sure what else can be done. He’s apologized and the league will look into the “inadvertent whistle” rule, so hopefully this story can start to go to rest.
You can bet his next game will be scrutinized closely, though.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Right away you will look at this and say,
Which whether or weather is meant today?
No doubt the storm comes into play,
So which one will be taken away?
Oh yes, a weather storm there will be,
It’s just not known of what intensity,
Whether or not you handle it correctly,
Determines if there’s another two or three.
Don’t ask why me, saying Lord I didn’t do it?
That’s not what a weather storm is for,
It’s whether or not you handle it right,
That decides if God will give you more.
No matter how deep the valley or long a darkened path,
When the devil shoots a negative thought, all you do is laugh,
Weather has seasons each one is designed to make you grow,
Showing whether you know it or not that our Father is in control.
Do not allow the negative nay-sayer to burst your positive bubble,
The Lord Thy God will never send you down a path filled with trouble,
We sometimes however receive various trials, tribulations and storms,
Remember, these will only temporarily set us apart from the norm.
More and more as you read the Word, better and better you’ll begin to feel,
Doctor’s will call it “a temporary state of mind, ” understand that it is real,
No longer affected by the many negative MRI’s or diagnosis received,
The only thing that really matters is you trust in God and believe.
Would you study a math book for an English or history exam?
Why let someone else predict your future in the Master’s plan?
It was twenty-five years for the promise our Abraham had to wait,
And this was for the man who is known as the true father of faith.
Even if progress is slow and after years there’s only a little bit,
Just think about where advancement would be if you gave up and quit?
Moses lived in the wilderness for a period of forty years,
The bible teaches with faith in God, there is no spirit of fear.
This stanza is for your eyes only Mr. Ed Hochuli,
Because you are truly an elite NFL referee,
There is one mistake because you’ve dropped a ball,
Just look at the thousands of times you made the right call.
However impossible it seems, whatever lie or something that is true,
Like David in the valley, the key word is you’re going “through,”
The person you are can only be ripped and torn,
Whether Or Not You Weather The Storm.
Poems By Luke Easter
Week #3 Regular Season 2008
Cleveland Browns VS Baltimore Ravens – 4:15pm Eastern – CBS
Referee is Ed Hochuli
Ed has always been my favorite referee to call games. This current situation only makes me MORE confident that I want him calling the games that matter!!
Everyone makes mistakes
Thanks for everything Ed
I use to referee hockey games, and yes I use to make some pretty bad calls. Try as we might, mistakes happen. As I would tell some of the players, ‘when you play a perfect game, I’ll ref a perfect game’.
We all can relate to Ed’s bad call in one way or another. But did we all answer the call like Ed did. Not many people could have handled it the way he did. Ed’s proven integrity and honesty makes me wish he was a Ref in the NFC North more. I now this; there aren’t many players or coaches in the NFL that posses his integrity, honesty and love for the game. GO ED! Take a mulligan.
We know these calls occur. We hope they never go against our team.
Ed Hochuli admitted his mistake and is devistated.
This is a man of great integrity who blew a call. Because of his character we will move on and can only wish Ed the best.
Ed is one of the best. He’s honest and hard-working and unbiased. We need Ed on the field. He’s human and a great ref. By the way, I’m a chargers fan. There is no one I want more on the field for Charger games than Ed.