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.