In the 48 hours since referee Ed Hochuli blew a call and cost the San Diego Chargers a game against the Denver Broncos, most of the criticism directed at Hochuli has been tempered with the caveat that Hochuli is usually one of the best in the business.
But now Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has weighed in on the matter, and he told the Associated Press he's not the least bit surprised that Hochuli screwed up:
"That particular official gets a lot of criticism. He's a highly criticized official in the NFL," Jones said.
"Nothing can be done," he said. "I understand that after that whistle blows, you can't speculate, 'Well, did everybody get the best shot at recovering the ball if some of them heard the whistle and some of them didn't?'"
It's extremely unusual for an NFL owner to direct criticism at an official like that, and it wouldn't be surprising if Jones gets a call from the league office about those comments. But whether Jones should have said it or not, it's obvious that it's not just Chargers fans who have a problem with Hochuli.
