This weeks officiating crew is ... Ed "Gun Show" Hochuli (1 Viewer)

[CRESS_137]

He owes us one or two from that Minnesota game last year

 

[saints4eva]

Ed Hochuli is a trial lawyer. He knows how to use words to state a case... it's just that he sometimes uses too many because he forgets he's not in the courtroom. Unfortunately, on the field of play during an NFL game, his words and decisions have the power to make or break a game for a team, if they come at a critical point in the game in such a way as to unduly and overwhelmingly influence its outcome.

I agree with what Jon Gruden said on his interview by Eisner on NFLN about how it used to be better when the refs just used their hands and arms to signal and didn't have the luxury of microphones to tell us what they were signaling. It gets way too complicated sometimes and it shouldn't.

It drives me crazy when I see a ref standing right at the point of action and he hesitates to make a call but instead looks over at another ref and then makes the call. It's like the NFL has made them all gunshy and they don't know how to do their jobs anymore because they are too unsure about what they are seeing to call it, even if it's right in front of their face, perhaps afraid of the instant replay proving otherwise? In more than a few cases, it seemed that even the replay did not help clarify the decision or the call because the outcome appeared inconsistent with what we were seeing on the tape.

It's almost as if they've become emasculated, and that can't be any good for anyone.

 

[Get in the Carr]

I'm truly amazed at how many in here seem to forget how much he screwed up... But just like another poster in here said / every Ref does make some bad calls, but even when he himself is made aware of a bad call and doesnt acknowedge it, in my eyes that says a whole lot about that individual. Ed really ticked me off last season and other than blantantly making some calls that go our way during this game, then there's no changing my mind about what an idiot he is.

I am with you brother. He really did cost us the Vikings game. Reggie had the ball punched out after an obvious facemask in the redzone. It almost was like he tried too hard after making too many mistakes. On the other hand it seems like he is more like an NBA ref. He sways calls to the home team. Which may be one other reason Vegas and the talking heads pick us to win.

 

[P-town balla]

:jauhnny:

 

[bergeaux]

Mid-City Fan, you can defend and explain all you want but it was a bad call. Pure and simple. The ball was coming loose and he did NOT have complete control of the ball when his knee hit the ground.

That, the no facemask call and a few bad non-Saints games make me worried about a close game being decided by a bad call. I've been saying that for a while now...

 

[bobad]

Ed Hochuli is a trial lawyer. He knows how to use words to state a case... it's just that he sometimes uses too many because he forgets he's not in the courtroom. Unfortunately, on the field of play during an NFL game, his words and decisions have the power to make or break a game for a team, if they come at a critical point in the game in such a way as to unduly and overwhelmingly influence its outcome.

I agree with what Jon Gruden said on his interview by Eisner on NFLN about how it used to be better when the refs just used their hands and arms to signal and didn't have the luxury of microphones to tell us what they were signaling. It gets way too complicated sometimes and it shouldn't.

It drives me crazy when I see a ref standing right at the point of action and he hesitates to make a call but instead looks over at another ref and then makes the call. It's like the NFL has made them all gunshy and they don't know how to do their jobs anymore because they are too unsure about what they are seeing to call it, even if it's right in front of their face, perhaps afraid of the instant replay proving otherwise? In more than a few cases, it seemed that even the replay did not help clarify the decision or the call because the outcome appeared inconsistent with what we were seeing on the tape.

It's almost as if they've become emasculated, and that can't be any good for anyone.

I agree 100%.

While I give the officials the business when they screw up, they have a tough job. Mic'ing them and instant replay makes their job impossible without controversy. It's guaranteed that someone will be unhappy with every call or non-call they make.

Just hand signals, and no instant replay allows the officials to do their jobs and have less impact on the game. Football officiating was fine in the 80's and should have been left alone. Mr. Goodell has taken football down a road that's not good for the game.

 

[Matsubway]

I guess we will get to hear a 15 min "give me tv time" penalty call each time.

 

[Sidney]

Good Teams overcome bad calls, This is a different Saints team and the officall no matter who he is will not make the difference. Last year it would have mattered, this year is different. This team plays hard for each other and the leaders like Sharper and Brees will not allow a ref's bad call take them out of their teams gameplan and focus. That's the biggest difference that I see in this years team. They overcame a lot of BS calls against the Jets.

 

[NPs6724]

My biggest complaint is the no-call on the facemask. There's NO EXCUSE for not seeing and calling a facemask on the ball carrier. NONE. Especially when the ball carrier is out in the open as Bush was. I could maybe understand if it happened in the pile, but this was near the sideline with a defender or two in proximity. And IIRC, someone posted an image from the far sideline that showed the line judge in position and who saw the facemask but once the fumble occurred, he decided to not throw the flag. I tried looking for it but couldn't find it.

 

[BoNcHiE]

The fumble ruling was reviewed, and it indicated not enough evidence to overturn.

No it wasn't. It was ruled a fumble on the field and overturned because "even though the ball had started to come out it was still in contact with his hand as his knee went down."

We argued that so hard on this forum to the point where I said..."ok maybe he got it right."

Then in week 1 this year Vilma has the exact same thing happen to him...it's ruled and upheld as a fumble. No consistency.

That non-facemask call may not of been on Ed, but it was on his crew. He's the boss. Bad ref calls cost us two crucial turnovers that game. You can rationalize it as we should of won anyway, but those were huge gamechangers. We win if they just get one of those calls right.

I'm sure Ed will be fine this game, flex a few times, no harm no foul, but his crew did cost us that game...at least on some level, even if you think we should of overcome those 2 turnovers given to the Vikings on bad calls. That's a tough recipe for any team.

 

[BoNcHiE]

My biggest complaint is the no-call on the facemask. There's NO EXCUSE for not seeing and calling a facemask on the ball carrier. NONE. Especially when the ball carrier is out in the open as Bush was. I could maybe understand if it happened in the pile, but this was near the sideline with a defender or two in proximity. And IIRC, someone posted an image from the far sideline that showed the line judge in position and who saw the facemask but once the fumble occurred, he decided to not throw the flag. I tried looking for it but couldn't find it.

Well at least I got to start my hatred for Jerad Allen's punk *** and renew it for the Vikings. So something good came out of it.

 

[NPs6724]

Allen should be hated for the hair if nothing else.

 

[NateDaGreatSaint]

Good Teams overcome bad calls.

Well said. I think we are that good team, especially this year.

 

[Spec]

Everybody seems to be forgetting that Ed Hochuli was the head official for arguably the greatest game in Saints history --- the 2006 "homecoming" game vs. Atlanta.

 

[saints4eva]

Good Teams overcome bad calls, This is a different Saints team and the officall no matter who he is will not make the difference. Last year it would have mattered, this year is different. This team plays hard for each other and the leaders like Sharper and Brees will not allow a ref's bad call take them out of their teams gameplan and focus. That's the biggest difference that I see in this years team. They overcame a lot of BS calls against the Jets.

In a perfect world, that would be true, but there have been instances in games where the call was not one that could be overcome because of the timing of it during the game (not enough time left to do anything about it). Those are the ones that kill you. I am sure they won't be the last, unfortunately.