College football referee has hilarious hot mic moment during bowl game as stadium hears him scream ‘DAMMIT’ after calling a timeout incorrectly
- Ardito cursed on a hot microphone after having to correct a timeout call
- He struggled again in the fourth quarter and made a penalty announcement
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Tough days at the office aren't usually broadcast on national television, but referee Ed Ardito had one during a college bowl game.
During the First Responder Bowl that took place in Dallas, Texas, between Rice and Texas State, Ardito struggled with two specific announcements.
First, Ardito announced a timeout in the third quarter that he initially said was called by Texas State and was a 30-second timeout.
But in reality it was a media timeout. One time, Ardito realized he was caught on a hot mic shouting “Damn!” shouted. and then corrects itself.
Later in the fourth quarter of the match, Ardito spent a lot of time correcting a penalty he had called.
It was a tough day at the office last night for college football referee Ed Ardito in Dallas
It turned out that there were three penalties on the line – two of which were offset – and Ardito spent some time explaining the situation.
Fans on Twitter showed some sympathy for the referee, with one saying he looked like he needed 'a whiskey and some paid time off'.
The First Responder Bowl had issues beyond the referee's blunder – with some on Twitter complaining that the Texas State side at Gerald Ford Stadium had run out of alcohol before the end of the first half.
By the time the third quarter rolled around, all alcohol in the stadium was apparently sold out.
Texas State defeated Rice 45-21.