Do You Know Who Ed Hochuli Is Yet?

Forget the Seattle Seahawks. Ed Hochuli has benefitted from the NFL’s referee lockout more than anybody, or anything, else.

For a long time, Hochuli has been the go-to guy that everyone pictures when they think “NFL Ref”. It’s because you often see him on the microphone, announcing the calls that many of us (apparently) didn’t realize were so tough to make. It’s mostly because he’s jacked. Hochuli’s guns make him look like Chris Hemsworth, even though he’s closer in age to Frank Costanza.

Of course, with the last three weeks of unrepentant replacement ref bi*ching that’s been going on, and with the NHL lockout pushing normally angry Canadians into a winter of discontent, nobody’s had anything to talk about besides how Roger Goodell is an idiot, and they follow it up with photos of Ed Hochuli.

The man’s been on more CBS Facebook posts in the last month than KONY 2012 in March.

He’s been the front (and back) of every major metropolitan newspaper. He’s forced everyone who works for Foot Locker to suddenly start doing push-ups on their lunch break.

And, there’s his email reputation. Hochuli has suddenly built up a fan base among those who love his candid responses to pleading letters from little kids and fans of all walks of life.

Ed Hochuli is a genius, and he’s become the eventual face of the NFL’s 2012 referee saga, even though he has yet to make a call.