Munich crowd cheers for referee Shawn Hochuli in Panthers' 20-17 win over Giants

MUNICH, Germany -- Among the stars of the 2024 NFL Munich Game was referee Shawn Hochuli. Maybe it could have been expected with the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants entering the game with just two wins apiece.

Hochuli unexpectedly flexed his German early in the Panthers' 20-17 overtime win over the Giants.

It occurred late in the first quarter when he called a penalty in German, before closing with: "It's by the center. Third down." The call was a mix of German and English for the crowd, which was a reflection of the fans in attendance.

How original, right? Well, not exactly. In a way, it's an ode to his dad, legendary referee Ed Hochuli, who became known for his signature bulging biceps that popped out of his striped referee shirt.

The elder Hochuli once called a penalty in Spanish during the NFL's first ever game in Mexico.

Like father, like son.

The crowd in Munich seemed to love it. Shawn Hochuli's German drew their approval, indicating that he must've done well with his pronunciation.

The fans in Germany were into the game -- cheering, chanting, singing and doing the wave throughout. There was also a halftime show featuring rapper Machine Gun Kelly.

In the end, the game turned into an entertaining affair that was decided by overtime. It had the type of pageantry usually reserved for a Super Bowl. The players seemed to embrace the unusual, yet electric, atmosphere and fans appeared to have a blast.

"Oh, I enjoyed it," Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns said. "They were very interactive throughout the whole game, singing songs, cheering for stuff that didn't necessarily need to be cheered for. But it was fun. I really enjoyed it."

And Shawn Hochuli was among the stars of the show.