It’s hard to pinpoint the moment when Aaron Rodgers officially “arrived” in the NFL.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback had the ultimate tough act to follow, replacing future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, but since taking over the starting job in 2008, he has been so prolific and efficient that he is already being talked about as one of the best ever.
If he is indeed one of the best ever, he may even be old enough to get a late-hit call.
There were enough penalties called over the first three weeks of the National Football League season to make you wonder if the referees were being paid per flag thrown. Leaguewide, there were 730 penalties accepted over the first three games, the most ever for a three-game stretch.
But it was a penalty that wasn’t called on Sunday that grabbed a few headlines.
Carolina quarterback Cam Newton got popped after scrambling and throwing a pass in the Panthers’ game against New Orleans, and then said that he asked referee Ed Hochuli after the play why there was no flag thrown for a late hit.
Newton says that Hochuli told him he was too young to get that call.
Huh?
Hochuli says that he said no such thing. He said that what he said to Newton was that the reason there was no penalty called is because Newton was running out of the pocket and thereby lost the late-hit protection that quarterbacks have.
The quarterback and referee were in close proximity when the conversation took place, so at first glance it would appear that it would be hard for the two to misconstrue or not hear what was being said.
It’s unlikely that Newton would make up a phony referee quote, for any reason, because what would be the point? He would alienate himself and possibly his team from those who would be officiating the rest of the games. There is nothing to gain from a made-up story like that.
In addition to being an NFL ref, Hochuli is a lawyer. He may enjoy the between-plays banter as much as any of the refs, and he may be enamored with the sound of his own voice, as evidenced by his protracted explanations of penalty calls over the public address system.
It doesn’t logically follow, though, that a veteran referee would tell a player during a game that the reason he didn’t make a late-hit call was because the player hadn’t earned his “lifetime achievement” wings. Even the most fun-loving zebra understands that such an admission would get him relieved of his Sunday gig, pronto.
Most likely, Newton mistook what Hochuli said. He probably heard the word “run” and thought he heard “young.”
It was much ado about nothing, and the league says that unless there is audio to support Newton’s side of the story, the matter will be dropped.
The incident did open up another round of conversation about whether there is a caste system in the NFL, and whether certain players receive preferential treatment from officials due to past performance.
The name that often crops up is Tom Brady, although the NFL went to considerable lengths to discipline Brady following the deflated football saga.
Referees and umpires are flawed humans just like the athletes whose games they officiate. The “human element” of officiating games is what is sometimes pointed to as a good thing, a variable in the game that is worth keeping.
Exactly why this is a good thing is never explained, beyond the usual tripe about blown calls being part of the tradition. Leather helmets without a facemask were part of the tradition, too, but there aren’t too many voices urging a return to that.
Rodgers, like Brady, has earned leaguewide respect over the years. Newton is getting there. Getting the call on a late hit of their quarterback is something the Packers would rather leave off the menu.
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