An ode to NFL ref Ed Hochuli and his incredibly long explanations

If you’ve ever watched an NFL game reffed by Ed Hochuli, you know who Ed Hochuli is. He’s famous for his biceps and for his explanations.

Many refs are fine to tell you the bare minimum on a play: “the ball crossed the plane.” “The runner’s knee was down.” For Hochuli, a lawyer by trade, this is not enough. He needs to tell you the rule that’s being discussed, and exactly how the rule was interpreted on the specific play in question.

Some find this tedious. “He’s making the game longer,” they say. “We don’t care,” others say. “WE REALLY DON’T CARE!!!!!”

We don’t feel this way. Ed, thank you for telling us every piddling little detail about every play, so that we know exactly what happened, and know you’re not screwing over our team. (Or, if you are, exactly how.) Please don’t beat us up.

(Ed Hochuli turned some heads for something besides his explanations Saturday, but it turned out there was an explanation.)

SB Nation Studios presents: Welcoming Hochuli back from the 2012 referee lockout