Compared to these morons I've been watching ref the Cardinals - Raiders game, Ed Hochuli is freaking infallible

The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

martissimo: Compared to these morons I've been watching ref the Cardinals - Raiders game, Ed Hochuli is freaking infallible

Just think of all the time Ed's had to hit the gym with this lockout. He's gonna be huge.

Link to non-mobile version.

To even consider having amateurs on the field to legislate the game is asinine.

Well, somebody failed middle school Social Studies.

Bravo, subby ... on getting a greenlight from your phone

/ knows you are smilin'

martissimo: Compared to these morons I've been watching ref the Cardinals - Raiders game, Ed Hochuli is freaking infallible

Hey, last week the refs called a weird penalty on Arizona, too.

Weird because they called it during the Ravens/Falcons game.

As long as Terry McAulay still wears the stripes and white hat, there's no chance Guns is the most incompetent referee.

"Roger Goodell has made player safety his mantra"

Pretty sure his internal mantra is still "profit, profit, profit"

If Hercules is the most incompetent, then I'd hate to see what subby and ESPN think of Phil Luckett and Jeff Triplette.

Frankly for all the gaffs by the replacements it isn't like the "real" guys are bullet proof. These sainted real refs botched the coin toss in a playoff game and a TD call in the Super Bowl in recent memory. They make all kinds of phantom calls on PI and non-calls on holding and such. They call wrong numbers/names/teams in almost any game I watch. Not sure how they've helped player safety either since calling late hits isn't exactly a special talent. I really haven't noticed the replacements are any worse than what I usually see and if someone didn't tell me I wouldn't have known.

As a Raider fan, I welcome the even playing field. Finally we can play games and know that we aren't the only ones that are going to get screwed by multiple bad calls.

I didn't see Jeff Triplette mentioned in the article.

Full time refs. Young guys, not these old fat farks. Good benefits and a decent salary. Regular training, reinforcement of how to call the latest fad rules, and accountability for blatantly incorrect calls or obvious calls that weren't made.

Not saying this would result in perfect calls, but with the money invested in this game, why is this a problem?

Eddie Murphy as Ma Klump is chanting for Ed's return

I like Ed and his overly detailed calls. And I'm a Chargers fan.

Who is Ashley Fox blowing at ESPN again? Because she belongs back in Philly writing puff pieces.

Maybe it's just me, but I can only remember one significant fark-up by Two-Ton Hochuli. Overly wordy, yes, incompetent? No.

I did not see Walt Coleman's name anywhere near this article...

When I associate terrible refs with something, MLB umps just pop in my mind.

Don't know why.

one small post for man: "Roger Goodell has made player safety his mantra"

Pretty sure his internal mantra is still "profit, profit, profit"

Close, but it's actually "Growth+Merch= Profit"

cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.

FriarReb98: If Hercules is the most incompetent, then I'd hate to see what subby and ESPN think of Phil Luckett and Jeff Triplette.

What's wrong with Phil Luckett? He got the coin toss right. He got the backward pass right. He wasn't the one that ruled Testaverde scored. What's the problem?

lennavan: cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.

C'mon? The four yard line? That's absurd. There's no way any official could say that a ball's a touchback when it's that far in. You have to be exaggerating. It was maybe at the 4 foot range which would still be bad by somewhat understandable, but not the..

*watches the video*

lennavan: cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.

How do you fark that shiat up when the field of play is green and the end zone is blue???

This could be a long season, entertaining in all the wrong ways.

lennavan: cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.

I heard about this but this is the first time I watched it. WTF?! One of the officials was 5 ft from where the guy downed it.

I was willing to give the replacement refs the benefit of the doubt before the season started. Lots of pressure, national TV, etc.

I turned on the first game of the year partway through (Cardinals vs. Saints, I think). And on the VERY FIRST play after I turned it on, the quarterback was sacked, the defensive lineman got up and did a brief muscle flex pose as he walked back to the line (which has happened after every single sack over the past 20-30 years), and the ref throws a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. One of the worst goddamn penalties I've ever seen called in 25 years of watching football. And I don't even care about the Saints or the Cards.

Goodbye, benefit of the doubt.

Refs have finally realized that they deserve a bigger cut, those smaller market teams aren't going to penalize themselves after all.

Ed Hochuli had a real problem when games started being broadcast in HD, you could see the string running from Vegas to his ass.

lennavan: cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.


Gee, a few weeks of that and everybody will be glad to have "good" officiating back. lol

PredDawg8: FriarReb98: If Hercules is the most incompetent, then I'd hate to see what subby and ESPN think of Phil Luckett and Jeff Triplette.

What's wrong with Phil Luckett? He got the coin toss right. He got the backward pass right. He wasn't the one that ruled Testaverde scored. What's the problem?

God, Jesus, and my grandmother could not convince me that the MCM was a legal play.

/Colts fan

I agree with ESPN. Without Hochuli on the field, there is NO ONE who can keep Jerry Jones in check.

The_Y2P_Problem: lennavan: cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.

C'mon? The four yard line? That's absurd. There's no way any official could say that a ball's a touchback when it's that far in. You have to be exaggerating. It was maybe at the 4 foot range which would still be bad by somewhat understandable, but not the..

*watches the video*

[i660.photobucket.com image 640x352]

Cameron the game last night was pretty bad too. They can't seem to spot the ball right in any game, constantly missing holding on both side of the field, miss called offsides/encroachment, etc.

Watching the video again, I wish it had the Bills radio audio, Murphy was stunned.

phimuskapsi: The_Y2P_Problem: lennavan: cameroncrazy1984: The NFL's most incompetent referee still wasn't so bad he called a touchback at the 4 yard line.

That's just not true, you left something out. There's no way someone just caught the ball at the 4 yard line and they gave them a touchback for no reason whatsoever.

Holy shiat.

C'mon? The four yard line? That's absurd. There's no way any official could say that a ball's a touchback when it's that far in. You have to be exaggerating. It was maybe at the 4 foot range which would still be bad by somewhat understandable, but not the..

*watches the video*

[i660.photobucket.com image 640x352]

Cameron the game last night was pretty bad too. They can't seem to spot the ball right in any game, constantly missing holding on both side of the field, miss called offsides/encroachment, etc.

Watching the video again, I wish it had the Bills radio audio, Murphy was stunned.

Not to mention the illegal block in the back



On the kicking team

Where did the NFL dig up these chumps for replacement? The NFL needs to get the regular crews back because after a couple more of these "Touchback from the 4 yard rulings" some official is going to get murdered by an enraged linebacker.

I was watching the Ravens-Lions game last night and a committee made up of 3 drunk Ravens Fans and 3 drunk Lions could have officiated it better.

?

/obscure?

Captain_Ballbeard: Refs have finally realized that they deserve a bigger cut, those smaller market teams aren't going to penalize themselves after all.

Ed Hochuli had a real problem when games started being broadcast in HD, you could see the string running from Vegas to his ass.

I agree that Hochuli is a disaster of a ref. It's usually about 50/50 whether he gets a call right or not. But are you saying that there might be a gambling twist to it? I would find that very interesting.

king of vegas: Captain_Ballbeard: Refs have finally realized that they deserve a bigger cut, those smaller market teams aren't going to penalize themselves after all.

Ed Hochuli had a real problem when games started being broadcast in HD, you could see the string running from Vegas to his ass.

I agree that Hochuli is a disaster of a ref. It's usually about 50/50 whether he gets a call right or not. But are you saying that there might be a gambling twist to it? I would find that very interesting.

Guns Hochuli is one of the best refs the NFL has. Not quite as good as The Black Ref, but certainly better than Old Man Winter and Captain Tripplette.

upndn: When I associate terrible refs with something, MLB umps just pop in my mind.

Don't know why.

I think NBA. The superstar/journeyman system of reffing games has made professional basketball as real to me as pro wrestling.

UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: upndn: When I associate terrible refs with something, MLB umps just pop in my mind.

Don't know why.

I think NBA. The superstar/journeyman system of reffing games has made professional basketball as real to me as pro wrestling.



*Approves*

/not that you can tell

Why green a mobile version? MODMIN U SUCK MAH TITS

Jim from Saint Paul: UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: upndn: When I associate terrible refs with something, MLB umps just pop in my mind.

Don't know why.

I think NBA. The superstar/journeyman system of reffing games has made professional basketball as real to me as pro wrestling.

[2.bp.blogspot.com image 200x120]

*Approves*

/not that you can tell


HOLDING!

You have to take that back now.

Captain_Ballbeard: Refs have finally realized that they deserve a bigger cut, those smaller market teams aren't going to penalize themselves after all.

Ed Hochuli had a real problem when games started being broadcast in HD, you could see the string running from Vegas to his ass.

He's a respected lawyer. I doubt he'd throw that career away to make a few bucks on the side betting on football.

I still like Mike Carey better, but I like Hochuli too. At least he's manned up and admitted mistakes before.

Captain Steroid: I agree with ESPN. Without Hochuli on the field, there is NO ONE who can keep Jerry Jones in check.

[imageshack.us image 457x381]

That pictures amuses me greatly. :P

/also, am I the only one who thought the article was going to be about Bill Leavy (sp.?)?
//is he even still a ref? I haven't exactly kept up, obviously.

davidphogan: He's a respected lawyer. I doubt he'd throw that career away to make a few bucks on the side betting on football.

That's what makes me confused as to why the NFL thinks it has a ton of power - there's the problem with never having hired these guys full-time. They all have other "real" jobs and they don't need the NFL, unlike, say, the players, who get everything they have from the league.

That said, the regular refs regularly f*ck up calls, too, so 90% of this article was garbage. And yeah, clearly the replacement refs had issues in their first week. Most people don't step into their job in the first week and kick ass either. By the end of the preseason, they'll be a hell of a lot better than they were. Trouble operating the microphone? Who gives a sh*t? I've seen the regular guys have issues with the mic many a time. You don't need the mic.

/what happened in that Buffalo game? They even had it spotted right.

IAmRight: /what happened in that Buffalo game? They even had it spotted right.

They're missing a ton. So far I've seen a few totally blown calls, and a few just plain missed calls, not to mention forgetting to ask if teams wanted to accept a penalty in the first three quarters of the Chargers/Cowboys game. I read that one of the refs apparently was let go mid season by the LFL, and has never reffed at the college level like he and the NFL said he did.

davidphogan: So far I've seen a few totally blown calls, and a few just plain missed calls,

I really don't mind the missed calls - I'm cool with "let 'em play." You can tell they're nervous as hell, though.

IAmRight: davidphogan: So far I've seen a few totally blown calls, and a few just plain missed calls,

I really don't mind the missed calls - I'm cool with "let 'em play." You can tell they're nervous as hell, though.

I like to see games called fairly, and missing incomplete passes, tackles, etc isn't really just letting them play.

davidphogan: I like to see games called fairly, and missing incomplete passes, tackles, etc isn't really just letting them play.

As a Seahawks fan, I pretty much expect biased officiating.

Until I saw the touchback video I assumed that we'd just be subjected to a bunch of missed penalties, but this is absurd. The most basic freaking part of the game is who has possession & where. At least get that right.

As a Steelers fan, I'm glad that we don't have any division games till week 7. Division games in the AFC North are going to be prison rules if the refs are going to be as blind as they have been.

/week 1: Bengals vs. Ravens is going to be a bloodbath. And if the ref situation isn't fixed by week 4: Ravens vs. Browns, we're going to see players taken off on stretchers.