Shooting the Ref in the Face With a Cannon: A Football Tradition Unlike Any Other

Source – A referee standing on the sidelines at Maine Maritime Academy was hit in the face by a cannon blast during the school’s homecoming game on Saturday.

The official was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries and an investigation has been launched, according to a press release the Hancock County Sheriff’s office emailed to USA TODAY Sports.

The sheriff’s department says a Maine Maritime Academy alumnus brought his own cannon to the game and loaded it with black powder. The school traditionally fires a cannon loaded with a blank shotgun shell after its team scores, but in this case, a “wad” that was placed into the cannon shot out and hit the referee in the face.

Georgia Tech has the Ramblin’ Wreck. Oklahoma has the Sooner Schooner. Ohio State dot’s the “i.” Notre Dame has morning Mass and “Play Like  Champion Today.” And the Maine Maritime Academy Mariners have shooting the official in the face with high-caliber artillery at close range. I’m a sucker for college football traditions anyway. And I have to give credit where it’s due. This is the best one I’ve ever heard of. And can’t hurt landing some top recruits. Especially the ones with anger issues.

Let this be a lesson to all NFL refs, too. These guys make obscene amounts of money for what is in every way a part time job. And yet they are the thinnest-skinned little delicate china dolls in all of sports. Touch one on the shoulder during a discussion and they’re throwing flags and it’s costing you 15 yards, an ejection and a game check. This badass took a cannon blast to the face and is living to tell the tale. And not the fun, zany, madcap kind of cannon blast to the face that were such a big part of a certain little TV addict’s formative years, either.

But a real fricking blast of fricking black powder exploding in his fricking face. That’s a lot to ask from a guy on a NEWMAC conference official’s salary. But I wouldn’t bet against this tough old bird being back at it for next week’s big game against Merchant Marine.

So take that, NFL officials. Except the recently retired Ed Hochuli, who would’ve taken a cannonball off his mighty chest, eaten it, chewed it into bullets and spat them right back at you. We need more men like him in the game. And think we’ve found just the man.