New England Patriots fans looking for an NFL monster under their beds have found one in the shape of Ed Hochuli’s bulging biceps.
The muscular veteran referee was assigned to head the officiating crew for Sunday’s AFC Championship game, in which the Patriots need to overcome the host Denver Broncos to reach the Super Bowl in their first post-Deflategate season.
Might Roger Goodell and Co. object to seeing courtroom opponent Tom Brady on the league’s biggest stage? Would the NFL stoop to making it extra-difficult for the controversy-magnet franchise?
That fear picked up some fodder when the Boston Herald pointed out the Broncos are undefeated in games refereed by Hochuli. What’s more: The Patriots, despite their off-the-charts winning percentage this decade, are 3-4 in Hochuli games since 2010, and he was the ref who threw a crucial offensive pass interference flag against Rob Gronkowski in the Week 10 nail-biter against the Giants.
Former ESPN personality Bill Simmons, the stand-in for Pats superfans everywhere, certainly is catching a whiff of conspiracy, responding on Twitter to the Herald’s troubling research:
Looks like Sports Guy has ordained the NFL’s ref pick as a Sports Conspiracy.