The definition of stand-up

Give Ed Hochuli credit.

Yes, he absolutely blew a call at the end of the recent Broncos-Chargers game, and that call cost San Diego a victory — no small thing in NFL land.

Yet the longtime official is not only owning up to the mistake, he’s answering the e-mails coming from angry Chargers fans.

"I'm getting hundreds of e-mails — hate mail — but I'm responding to it all," Hochuli said. "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."

And I’m very, very impressed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3594778