Sep 15 2008
Petition in Protest of NFL Referee Conduct, Ed Hochuli: Chargers-Broncos September 14, 2008
Ed Hochuli, NFL Referee, botched two calls during the San Diego Chargers-Denver Broncos football game on September 14, 2008. Most importantly, in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter, Hochuli had no reason to call a fumble dead, costing the Chargers the game. After admitting his error, Hochuli did not have the decency to do what was right, and call the play as it appeared. NFL referees should not be deciding games like this. Such obvious incompetence cannot stand without justified protest, not just from Chargers Fans, but also from fans of professional football. We must hold NFL referees accountable when they perform substandard. Who knows, next week’s victim could be your team. Please sign this petition in protest if you believe that Hochuli’s performance was unprofessional and that he should be financially reprimanded for his self-admitted error during the game, and his subsequent improper handling of it. We should expect near flawless performance of our NFL Referees, who make hundreds of thousands of dollars.
ADDENDUM:
To comment about the league’s response to fans who were disgruntled about Hochuli’s performance on Sunday, visit:
The petition is also available there for you to sign. Digg it so we can reach 1000 signatures, and send it to the league office. We are not asking that the Chargers be given the victory, which is what would have happened if Hochuli did not err. We simply want a penalty that appropriately holds referees accountable. An apology is not enough. Frankly, I don’t consider a 1-game suspension too harsh. Why would anybody?
-BayAreaShows
88 Responses to “Petition in Protest of NFL Referee Conduct, Ed Hochuli: Chargers-Broncos September 14, 2008”
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It is a sad, sad day when a LAWYER decides the outcome of a football game. That was hands down the worst call I have ever seen in NFL football. NFL football players are professionals…why aren’t the refs? Hochuli should never be allowed to referee in the NFL again. He should voluntarily resign after this call or be banned from the NFL. Sorry…you screw up this big and that’s what you get.
I honestly can’t stop laughing when i think about how bad those two calls were. Give credit to the denver camera crew for literally pulling the plug on the cameras to prevent in their eyes another ass kicking in mile high. Takes guts to do that..Hochuli should be either suspended for the year or made a permanent side judge.
I would like to Sign this Petition for a couple of horrible calls from this so called professional referee. I think the worst part about this whole situation is that after he blew the call he admitted to Norve Turner that he blew the call and had he not of done such a horrible job San Diego would have had the ball and also the Win. There is nothing that can be done with the decision of the game but this to me is the worst call / refereeing that I have ever seen in any game. I sincerely hope that action is taken on Ed Hochuli to some what calm the pain that not only myself feel but many other fans of not just the Chargers but fans of the NFL. Thanks for reading my response.
Brian Ramirez
The game has lost a lot of credibility.
terrible officiating
Ed is either a despicable fraud or a complete incompetent. Either way, he has no business being a referee in the NFL.
What a farce….You can’t have it both ways…If it was a fumble…Chargers ball….If incomplete..move the ball to the line of scrimmiage..That call looked dilberate!
And how convienent the replay machine didn’t work IN DENVER
Refs like this should not be calling the games.
Ed Hochuli should be fired.
Shannahan knew he should have been out of the game via the fumble call that the “crew” blew. He went for two to right the wrong and give the Chargers a shot at stopping them and getting the win they deserve. Unfortunately, the overpaid San Diego defensive unit couldn’t close the deal and accept the generous gift Mike was giving. Kudos go to the fantastic sportsmanship shown by the Denver staff and team.
25 years of watching football I have never seen a call this bad. He should of made the right call and fixed his error.
The ref’s didn’t have the balls to make any right calls in Denver. I thought the purpose of instant replay was to get the call correct. I guess I was wrong???
Mr. Hochuli … your days as a referee are numbered in my eyes . I hope you never ref another charger game as long as i’m around .That was the worst officiating anyone has seen in a long time , makes me wonder if mr ed is a bronco fan!!
I see now Denver’s 12th man is Ed Hochuli. Absolutely some of the worst refereeing I’ve ever seen and Ed just gave the game to the Bronco’s. Pathetic.
Mistakes happen all the time. Get over it and move on.
I have to say, this is a pointless petition. Sure, the call was not correct in ruling an incomplete pass, even Cutler himself admitted it. However, it was handled in the correct fashion. HE FOLLOWED THE RULES. If a play is ruled an incomplete pass, the play ends when the ball hits the ground. Everything after initial ground contact is made is considered irrelevent, regardless of who recovered the ball. Also, the TD and 2 point conversion didn’t magically appear after the call was botched, Cutler still threw two passes against a defense that was still on the field and got the job done. Your petetition states that we as fans expect “near flawless” performance of the officials, and that’s exactly what we got. Near-flawless. Mistakes happen.
Blown calls are part of every sport. Usually, they involve a close play, that could go either way. Usually, the benefit of instant replay discloses something the eye cannot discern. Here, anyone who saw the play knew it was a fumble. It was not close. The only way the play could be blown dead is if the ref did not see the play, or if there was bias. Even if it had been a close play, recognizing that it was a call that would affect the outcome of the game should have dictated that the play not be blown dead and the call on the field should have been fumble, with a review to determine if the arm was going forward. As it was, an incorrect call gave the game away. This whole event is a black eye for the entire NFL, unfortunately at the expense of the Chargers. I can easily accept my favorite team getting a bad break. It has been happening to the Chargers since the 1970’s when I became a fan. I cannot help but feel that I am losing faith in the NFL by such a travesty. How can this result stand?
The officiating throughout the game was horrendous! It was as if the officials wanted the Chargers to lose!!! I agree that these games that are so important should not be determined by the officials. Go Chargers!
That was a bogus call
I think he should be fired. That is and can be a multi million dollar bad call. What is this bull about reviews if they have rules on them. Fumble is a fumble. All I know is if I lost Millions of $$$$ I would be out the door…………Go Cowboys….
The NBA and MLB would fix an obvious error that resulted in the wrong team winning a game, they have done it many times, because they don’t want to be known for cheating a winning effort. The NFL is starting to look like it condones CHEATING, and unless they start actually righting the wrong calls and punishing cheaters they have taken my last dollar. I have supported the NFL by buying 4 season tickets the last 38 years, buying HFL network, NFL package, and NFL merchandise, but I am finished. In the NFL cheaters do prosper, and wrongs are not corrected.
The Chargers won the game and the decision should be reversed. ed Hochuli should be released of his duties just like any player would be if they didn’t perform well. The NFL received a black eye yesterday because it can’t say that Denver’s win was legitimate. That call and the other replay mistake reek of “home town” bias.
fire Ed Hochuli he is a disgrace. San Diego shouldn’t have even bothered going to Denver. I am not going to say he cheated (which I question) he could be a complete Idiot and should not be in this business.
The officiating for the Denver-San Diego game was a complete disgrace. This is Professional Football and there is a standard that has to be met from both the players,the coaches, management, and the officials.
The refs should be held accountable for their performance and be reprimanded for bad calls just how the players are fined and punished/suspended for their actions.
This is a shame for the NFL that this went down and I really lost so much respect for the NFL
He made 2 crucial bad calls during this game. In the 4th, even after reviewing the replay the Chargers should have been given the ball. In the 1st qtr since technical difficulties were the problem then Chargers should have been given their flag (overule flag) back so the bad call in the 4th could have been over ruled.
Ed, you’re supposed to manage the game not affect if directly. Get some humility and stick the whistle in your pocket until the end of the play. I understand that you’re real excited to get on the microphone and show the TV world how big your guns are but let the players play. You’re a stage-hand!
Why exactly do red flags exist? I thought they were meant to review calls and determine the game in a fair manner. Apparently they’re just to confirm “hey guys, yep I made a mistake. Don’t worry you can win the next one. We’ll just give this one to the Broncos. No hard feelings eh!” Ed Hochuli shouldn’t only be financially reprimanded he should be suspended as a referee. His incompetence not just once but twice is unacceptable. Hochuli blew the whistle, blew the game and blew his professional reputation. I certainly home he’s a better lawyer than ref.
The whistle law makes no sense. Challanges and official reviews should trump ref blunders EVERY time it occurs.
This was the worst officiating I’ve seen from one of the best officials. The NFL should not tolerate bad officiating and must find and/or suspend the referees who alter the game with obviously blown calls.
Most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in my life.
Fined and suspended. That is what should happen. they treat players that way. This was an elementary call that most high school refs get right.
Most frustrating call I’ve ever seen. I dont give a damn if a whistle was blown, especially when it was clearly a fumble, and Ed ADMITTED it was a fumble. Is the whistle the all knowing, seeing hand of God or something? Even when it was clearly blown in error?
This game was fixed. FBI should look into it. Why wouldn’t a check be done before the start of the game for the equipment performance. Was Denver involved in this? Also why would the Referee make such a blatant mistake in the end. Chargers were winning and the bets on this game should be checked to see which way they were placed.
Ed made a mistake, and he could have fixed it on the field to make the correct call. Especially since there wasint another Bronco near the ball to recover that ball. I’m not saying Ed should be fired, but this one call sure did change the outcome of a win or loss. The NFL need to address this matter to either make it right ot keep it from happening again.
I cant wait to see the Broncos back in San Diego.
GO BOLTS
LT Storm Trooper
BOLT PRIDE PHOENIX, AZ
This was inexcusable, and someone should have to pay for the way that this game was officiated.
Mister Ed you suck! Get your head out of your ass and starting watching the game! You blew the whisle, you blew the game…and you can blow me!
What is the piont of challenges if you can’t correct errors made on the field. Isn’t that the point?
Boo to Ed Hochuli. Next time get past your arrogances and take a few minutes to talk this over with the rest of your crew before jumping to a WRONG decision.
show this on sportscenter, make this idoit feel the embarrassment of the blown call, he should go back to referee school. WOW, i wonder how much money he made
I cannot stand all of the Denver fans who refuse to acknowledge that 15 points were scored due to Ed Hochuli and his crew. THE REFS WON THAT GAME FOR DENVER. No whistle, no second chance for Cutler and certainly no 2 pt. conversion. I don’t think Shanahan went for 2 out of sportsmanship either; why not go for 2 when the refs have done everything they could to help you out already.
If Hochuli makes a mistake like that in any other profession, he loses his job. Plain and simple. A sorry does not suffice when there are only 16 regular season games. It’s just not.
terrible game calling and a total failure to do the right thing from the refs. There is no excuse for what happened and Hochuli should be penalized for his failed performance.
Ed Hochuli is a dumb douche bag.
Just go kill yourself.
If Ed still has a job as his punishment he should be forced to ref the Monday night game at the Q, now that would be a fun time for us Charger fans
First there is a pseudo fumble by San Diego that “could not be reviewed” that leads to a Denver touchdown, and then that horrendous decision on Jay Cutler’s real & undisputable fumble, that San Diego recovered with a little more than a minute left in the game….
The National Football League is losing credibility about as fast as the NBA did when the public learned that they had at least 1 crooked, gambling referee who was deliberately affecting the outcome of games, to include during the playoffs.
This travesty could end up costing san Diego a postseason berth, a divisional championship or even a 1st round bye in the playoffs and it seems as if everyone else in the league is accountable for heir mistakes (coaches get fired, players get benched, traded or simply released) except for the referees who may get a meaningless “reprimand” and then continue to officiate important games, often times ending one team’s entire season on questionable calls or inadvertent whistles being blown at inopportune times!
In every NFL game, millions of $ are wagered. The question is: how much is Ed Hochuli pocketing after gift-wrapping this game to the Broncos? The NFL’s credibility is no better than the NBA or professional boxing. NFL referees are human because with the right price, they can all be bought!
I’ve always liked Ed up until now. When not just a win but people’s livelihoods are on the line, someone needs to be held accountable for such a heinous mistake. Players, coaches, GMs and owners all have to answer for their mistakes. Ref’s should be no different. Mike P should ask for his resignation and if he does not get it should fire Ed.
Hochuli blew it. Knew he blew it. Then, as a lawyer, hid behind a “rule”. Shannahan knew it was wrong. What sportsmanship would have been taught, if Shannahan maned up and handed the ball over to SD? Instead we the NFL just showed everyone, don’t do whats right, find out if a rule can get you out, and if you are the lucky receiptent of a award take advantage of it. NFL taught everyone, screw whoever you can. Great to have sports leagues like the bastards.
Huckleberry made the wrong call and the NFL is trying to cover up his screwups….. Get off the Steroids Huckleberry it’s affecting your refereeing….
Disgusting officiating. In a league where games are won or lost on a single play and players leave their hearts and soul on the grid iron, there should be no room for the horrendous officiating that was displayed and regurgitated upon the San Diego Chargers.
Sign me up!!
By far the worst call ever in any sport. “Well I screwed up and even though my whistle didn’t affect the outcome of the play on the field I’m going to go ahead and give this one back to the Donko’s.. Errr…Duh….Or I’ll loose money on this game…..Duh….Errr….”
We just need to get people to boycott any and every future game Hochuli refs until some kind of deciplinary action takes place.
This was the worst officiating I have ever seen in a game… the fact that the officiating when the way of the Broncos opens up some deep suspicious. I sure hope my favorite sport isn’t fixed, this is deeply troubling.
This is no way for a professional to work. To not not do the right thing after blowing the call, is DISPICKABLE AND TOTALLY IRRISPONSIBLE!
To call oneself a professional is to perform at the highest level in his/her spectrum of athletics or profession. Ed Hochuli was in no way, shape, or form a professional on the field of play.
The NFL has now turned into the NBA. Maybe he gave Donaghy legal advice. I hopr there is some consequence to his action, which i doubt since the Ref’s seem to be untouchable.
ED HOCHULI IS A MORON. EITHER YOURE A TOTAL RETARD OR YOU GOT PAYED OFF BY THE BRONCOS.
FUNNY HOW YOU WHISTLED EARLY ONLY WHEN YOU SAW THE CHARGER GOING TO RECOVER THE FUMBLE. YOURE A JOKE PROBABLY TAKING TOO MUCH STEROIDS HAVE AFFECTED YOUR COGNITION.
ITS SO OBVIOUS THIS GAME WAS FIXED 2 BLOWN CALLS B/C OF “REPLAY MALFUNCTION” AND THEN THE WHORE ED HOCHULI GFTS A FUMBLE BACK TO DENVER. THANKS YOU MORON.
NFL IS A JOKE!
“The horror………………….the horror.”
The NFL already has a system in place through which teams rate the officiating crew after their games. The best-rated officials earn the right to officiate playoff games up to and including the Superbowl.
This petition is a waste of time.
Everyone knows it was a terrible call. The league knows, and they’ll handle it the best the can (probably by adjusting the rules for next season).
Is this the “best” the NFL has to offer? If so, they are in deep trouble. And why have they not stepped in to correct this error? Is it because they have no credibility left at all?
The NFL today is just a shadow of it’s former self. It’s not about the pride, it’s no longer about the bragging rights, and it sure as He** isn’t about dignity or accomplishment any more. It’s all about money, and I suspect there was a lot of money that changed hands after this game. I just wonder if Ed Hochuli’s hands weren’t somehow involved in the transfer.
I call on the NFL to fix this error or at least issue a statement. But I know they won’t because they simply have no self-respect left.
My thoughts on the first blown call: Champ Bailey commits not one but TWO penalties — first he holds Chris Chambers, then he makes contact before the ball arrives — takes the ball away while Chambers is on the ground and GETS THE CALL! 90+% of the time the officials blow that kind of play dead when the receiver hits the ground, with the offense retaining possession.
Second blown call: The ball was on the 1-1/2 yard line. Hochuli blows the whistle for the incomplete pass. THEN WHY IN THE H*LL DID HE PLACE THE BALL ON THE 10 YARD LINE? The kicker is, Shanahan didn’t even complain, which is like the dog that didn’t bark in the famous Sherlock Holmes story (the killer was the homeowner, and the dog knew him, which is why the dog didn’t bark).
This one really smells to high heaven. It’s got Tim Donaghy (the disgraced NBA referee) written all over it. Terrible.
This referee ( Ed Hochuli )should be fired! I think that if he is not capable to make a fair call, then then there is no reason for him to be there. Yes, as the commentator (Dick Enberg) said, he is human, but he is also getting paid the big bucks to make the fair call. We don’t want him involved in any more of our games. I expect an apology or something to be done from the NFL and from the broncos!
I hope I never hear an NFL announcer say “One of the best refs in the game” after Hochuli’s name EVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What would happen if 75,000 fans showed up with whistles next Monday night and blew their whistles prior to the first play from scrimmage?
Just a thought
HEARTBREAKING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. THE ONLY PERSON WHO DIDN’T SEE THE FUMBLE WAS THE ONE PERSON WHO NEEDED TO. RIDICULOUS!
thats BS that san diego got the loss because Hochuli the retard couldn’t make the right call. he needs to be banned from officiating and put in a mental institution for making such an idiotic call. its also BS that no replay was shown because it was in denver. they need to replay the final minute or give the chargers the win.
There was a clear rule change in which change of possession could still occur after a blown whistle if there was clear visual evidence of a fumble. This man should definitely be disciplined for his “misinterpretation” of the rules. Never have I seen a play not review because of faulty equipment. This is an embarrassment for the NFL and something, anything, must be done.
A total BIASED game, ED deserves to be put off any future games or even FIRED!!
What a bad immage for the NFL !
SD got robbed, but yet we do know who honestly WON!! Go Chargers
Fire that fuck
Worst officiating I’ve seen in my life. The nfl has lost their credibility.
You can’t spot a team 7 points (1st quarter) let alone 14 points in the nfl and expect the other team to win at this level. I am totally convinced this game was fixed. Fire Hochuli.
this was obviously a fixed game. hochuli needs to be removed from this leauge and handed to the wolves (charger fans). he was paid a didivend to help the broncos win, because the broncos can’t do it alone! freakin’ panzies!!!
This is ridiculous, I’ve spent thousands of dollars traveling the country to watch my Chargers and all we are handed is repetitive questionable calls, it’s about time for a class action lawsuit on behalf of the fans to see exactly how rigged all of this football business is, the game in Denver was a shining example.
This official should be docked pay or at least removed from some games. I hope to never see him referee another game considering how bad those calls looked. It says a lot when the winning team admits that the referee screwed up and even more so when the fans of that team feel that they didn’t earn the win.
Just when I thought the NFL was the “cleanest” sport out there, this fool pulls one of these acts to tarnish the game.
While the league is at it reviewing the rules, how about giving this guy a steroids test to see how law abiding this guy is. Sheesh…he’s a lawyer for crying out loud, so you already know he’s dirty!
No need to repeat everyone’s comments.
BIG “FAT YES” for getting rid of this guy !!!
He can work on his biceps on Sundays now.
no excuse for what Ed Hochuli and the refs in Denver did - twice. Such a disgrace. The game should have an asterick under Denver win, because they did not win. Really makes you wonder if the refs are being paid off.
This game needs to be given back to San Diego no matter what the rules state. The commissioner needs to step in and put an end to this corruption. I am a pats fan and was completely disgusted when I saw that on television. The man should be fired this is not high school ball it is a multi-billion dollar industry, some old bag like Ed that can probably barely see 20 feet in front of him shouldn’t be able to blatently throw a game like that.
I’m not a San Diego or Denver fan, but Ed Hochuli should be FIRED and possibly banned from officiating after this. That was a fumble, everyone knows it. San Diego was ROBBED. Jeremy R. said it best with “Ed ADMITTED it was a fumble. Is the whistle the all knowing, seeing hand of God or something? Even when it was clearly blown in error?” AMEN!
I was amazed at how bad the officiating during the Denver / Charger game. I hope I am wrong but from what I saw, this game looked like it was fixed! The calls were completely in favor of Denver! From the beginning of the game, on the interception, to the holding call, on Chambers on the sprolls run. To the incomplete pass / fumble at the end of the game!
It was obvious to me that the reason Denver went for the win at the end of the game, was because they expected a flag to be thrown, if they missed! They would get the ball back, and could go for the tie at that point! Never have I seen a coach go for a two point conversion, instead of a tie! Only if he knew he could have a second chance, would a coach take that gamble!
I no longer have the same respect, for this league!
I not a fan of either team, just a football fan. But when you see crap like that, it reminds me of wrestling. Fake garbage. Just curious how much Ed pocketed for that call.
Yea. I blame the defense for the Carolina game. That pass should never have been caught.
But the Denver game… We did what we had to to win that game. We stopped them twice on two consecutive drives making them cough up the ball twice and one was a completely jacked up call by the ref because he wanted to be the show and display his , “guns,” on TV. I go tnews for Mr. Ed Refs should be part of the field and not the show. How the heck do you blow the whistle before the play is over.
Then Mr. Ed goes and apologizes for it. He helps dig the hole throws us in starts throwing dirt on us then apologizes. He can take his apology and forget it and I hope I never see him do another Charger game again.
To comment on the league’s response to disgruntled fans about Hochuli’s performance on Sunday, visit:
http://bayareashows.today.com/2008/09/16/was-the-nfls-response-to-ed-hochelis-fumble-enough-nfl-nation-reacts/
The petition is also available there for you to sign. Digg it so we can reach 1000 signatures, and send it to the league office. I appreciate your support and Go Chargers.
-BayAreaSwows
The Denver/San Diego Game of 9/14/08 was absolutely BY FAR, the WORST officiating I’ve personally witnessed… and I have been a football fan for 28 years.
That game needs to be reversed.
Hochuli needs to be fired.
Remember that the FANS are the ones who ultimately pay your salary. After the “slap on the wrist” that the Patriots received, the fans are losing faith that the NFL is being played on a level playing field. You all better step up to the plate and correct this mess.
Completely unprofessional officiating in a professional sport. I even wonder if it was a blown call or just plain favoritism on Hochulis’ part. In the replays you can see that his onfield view is totally unobstructed and he is right on top of the play how can you miss that call. If you can watch that replay and say he does not need to be fired, then you do not need to ever be involved in professional sports as you are not objective!
ed had a great view of the pLAY ….WHY BLOW THE WHISTLE AT ALL….???????? ICEING ON THE CAKE FROM THE FAULTY REPLAY BOOTH ( A LA N.E.)PHANTOM HOLDING PENALTY(SEE C.CHAMBERS) BRINGING BACK AN 80 YARD SPROLES TD RUN ..WHATEVER BRING ON THE FAVRE SHOW
yes i do agree all of what ppl said about hochuli should be fired because we suspect that denver team who self bribe large money give to hochuli had benifit already then he done !!! we know ittttttt that san diego charger should be won!!!!
we guess that !!! thank you ….
I also blame the NFL… your rules are so obtuse that you cannot see that such an obvious error has been made and step in and make the correct call? Why the F*** should we support a product with such stubborn rules rules that can so easily be F’d up by a freaking guy and his inability to control a freaking whistle? The right thing should have been done and precedence should have been made after this game and that precedence should have been the NFL stepping in and saying for interest of the integrity of the NFL, we have no choice but to reverse the decision that was made and grant San Diego the victory… it was an egregious mistake that Ed is extremely shameful of and we will not allow this mistake to be heavy on Ed’s mind going forward.