A review of the new U-T Sports page

I used to read the Union-Tribune every day. Let me provide a little more context. I used to walk to a corner in the Gaslamp District and purchase one from a vending machine so that I could read the Union-Tribune every day beginning with the Sports page.

Over the years of depositing change* into the newspaper box I felt first hand the rising cost of news as well as the diminished size of our local newspaper. Was there less happening in the world? Much time has passed. Now it's called the U-T.

*I recall the days of .25 cents. Then .35 and .50 cents. Oh, crap. Quoting prices is the death knell of youth!

Yesterday the U-T presented their newly formatted Sports page in what has been described as more of a magazine style. It looks good. A lot of color pictures and a very cool black and white photo from the 1930s at the races in Del Mar. That's the one and only story on page 1. There are previews to other stories including Tight End competition amongst the Chargers, Everth Cabrera's dash for home in the Padres Saturday night win, and the upcoming Olympics in London. The only text written however belongs to the story of Del Mar and the opening of the track on Wednesday.

It's different . . .



I've been down on the U-T Sports page for sometime. Outside of in-season Chargers coverage, admiring a Tim Sullivan column, and laughing at Nick Canepa word jumbles I just don't get my news from there with any regularity. Now, with Tim Sullivan's unfortunate dismissal I have even less reason to return. You could say that I'm skeptical of it all: The paper's content and, its leadership (Doug Manchester and John Lynch).

Contrary to my usual concerns, yesterday's Sunday U-T Sports page was stacked with content. People complained via twitter that the Padres dramatic Saturday evening win in Chavez Ravine didn't deserve to be jammed all the way back on page 11. Sports Editor Jay Posner explained that the decision was a function of advertisements dictating how the inside of the paper is formatted but most importantly, to keep all of Major League baseball together.

In addition to the game recap written by Bill Center, the paper featured a Canepa column (D3*) on pitching injuries, a Chris Jenkins story on Kip Wells' fight to get out of the Mexican League, and a Q & A with Alex Hinshaw. There was a lot to digest. In a good way.

*For those irked that Everth Cabrera and the Padres did not receive mention until page D11, the Canepa column did appear on D3, right as readers open the paper. Maybe Canepa will get buried next time? No. OK. Let's move on.

Is the varied and increased content the product of this simply being the debut of a new format (and a Sunday no less) or is this what readers in San Diego are in for permanently?

The most important thing I read in Sunday's paper was the Q&A with new Executive Sports Editor, Larry Graham. Graham comes from ESPN.com (where he focused on AFC East football) but he also has newspaper experience on his resume.

Graham explains that they're hiring more people to deliver more content including more Chargers coverage (another blog) and increased prep coverage.  It sounds like many ideas will also revolve around the new U-T TV station and the increased staffing will look to deliver more "compelling stories".

Is there a lot more Padres coverage coming? Graham mentions a blog for the Padres which could be good, but it also sounds like the Friars will have to earn their bonus coverage. The largest metropolitan cities have all of the big four sports leagues: NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. San Diego has but two of these leagues so sports coverage is distributed in the following way: Chargers, Chargers, Chargers, and Padres.

If you told me all of this 10 years ago I would have been ecstatic. More quality, local, sports content is all a sports junkie could ever ask for during a time when newspapers are downsizing. To integrate a more dense sports page with exclusive web content and a new television station is exciting and it is the dynamic type of product for which I'm willing to pay.

But it's not 10 years ago and again I return to that one little word: skeptical. The leadership at the U-T has made it known that they have an agenda and in terms of local sports it all revolves around a new stadium for the Chargers. They've also made it known that they will terminate the employment of their most talented writer (Tim Sullivan) if that writer does not walk mindlessly in lockstep with those in power. I find that to be a scary prospect when looking for unvarnished truth from those who call themselves journalists.

Will Padres coverage stagnate while emphasis on the Chargers' role in San Diego is emphasized by the U-T? Healthy skepticism is a hallmark of a critical mind but so is an openness to something new. I'm curious to see where the U-T goes.

Padres baseball and Silver Linings

Yesterday on Twitter I made a comment to San Diego musician Steve Poltz and he responded. The response has led me here... so listen to some music. It has a John Kruk reference. Which pretty much makes it a baseball song.

If I were going to think of things that are definitively "San Diego" I might say:

1. Zoo
2. Sea World
3. Wild Animal Park

Of course these are things more for the tourist in your life. Don't get me wrong, I go to all those places; duty often calls.

But if a San Diegan needed to reacquaint him/herself with the city, upon returning from a journey abroad, the "Definitively San Diego" list might go something like this:

1. Visit taco shop. Order a Carne Asada burrito and Horchata. Destroy it.
2. See a show at The Casbah or The Belly-Up.
3. Make sure Steve Poltz is playing at one of the above.

I imagine there are many ways you could go with such a list. Truthfully I've never even tried Horcahta... I just like to say it. But this is my list, and while I believe it to be accurate, it's subject to change.

Anyways... Steve Poltz is a big Padres fan. Over at Ducksnorts, Geoff did an interview with him a few years back. It's broken up into five parts. Check it out.

My Dean Spanos Experience; and the fear it instills

Relax Sir... I am a professional.

During the dying days of the Marty Schottenheimer Era I met Dean Spanos.

Well I didn't really meet him. I observed his behavior. I was like Jane Goodall and he was... well... he was still Dean Spanos. My analogy is neither here nor there; point being, I did not like what I saw.

During another life I wan an integral player in the seedy and corrupt world of valet parking. See this fella in the upper right? Not me, but it might as well have been. We parked the big boys and made money hand over fist creating illusions of scarcity for the unsuspecting masses. But that's not what this column is about.
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I received a call one day from a secretary with the San Diego Chargers. She spoke of a Christmas party and a need for approximately 30 cars to be valet parked. This Chargers employee prepaid for the parking and informed me that she would pay any additional moneys exceeding the flat rate for 30 guests on the night of the party. This number could be as many as an additional 10 cars. This seemed like a small number to be attending a Christmas party but who was I to pretend to have intimate knowledge of the inner-workings at Murphy Canyon. I staffed the party for 60 cars to ensure smooth sailing and then called it a day.

When it was all said and done, valet stand closed, and the final keys surrendered to festive Chargers employees the night would be recalled as an unmitigated disaster. With an expectation of 30 cars and staffing for 60 the Chargers delivered over 130 cars into the belly of the Gaslamp District on that December night.

For over an hour, party goers sat in a mostly patient queue which extended out into the oncoming traffic of Fifth Avenue. My company looked bad and we felt even worse. While we hustled to get folks to their party, one thought made laps around my mind: how could a company as prominent as the San Diego Chargers misfire so badly on projections for a Holiday party? I continued to manage the snafu... and run my balls off.

A customer was trying to cut their way into the massive Saturday evening queue, and on any other night we probably would have solicited a "special" line-jumping fee, but this was not any other night. We were working a prepaid holiday party arrangement and there was a commitment to uphold. The customer sped off against the throng of oncoming one-way traffic.

The same customer looped around the block and once again tried to line-jump. This time, denial would not be a suitable response on our part. The guest found a small opening, nosed his Mercedes Benz into said opening, and effectively parked his car at a perpendicular angle to the sidewalk. He turned off his ignition, handed the keys to my ticket-man, said he needed to get to the party, and walked off. We parked the gentleman's car.

The gentleman in the Mercedes Benz was San Diego Chargers owner, Dean Spanos.

Holiday parties, in my estimation, serve no better purpose than to boost morale and say thank you; thank you for a year of work and a job well done. Dean Spanos disagreed. He showed up late to his own party. He cut in front of all who waited patiently in what had become a downtown disaster and then scurried off without any regard for those in his employ.

What would I have done? Glad you asked!

I would have announced to the lead valet who I was and my relevance to the party. I would have asked the valet to take my car first so I could stand curbside and greet all of my employees who were stuck in this unfortunate mess. I would have welcomed them. I would have thanked them. And after the last of the serpentine line had climbed from their vehicle I would have walked them to the Christmas party that I was hosting in their honor. That's leadership. Dean Spanos is not a leader.

I've often thought about that night when observing questionable actions on the part of the Chargers. Dean Spanos showed his colors to me on that one night several years ago.

Dean Spanos shows his colors when he chooses to low-ball a solid citizen and Pro Bowl Tackle in Marcus McNeill who had clearly outplayed his rookie contract.

Dean Spanos shows his colors when he spouts off his cockamamie nonsense to the Union Tribune... and because we know who Dean Spanos is I'm fairly certain that winning a Super Bowl in San Diego will be in spite of him.

But hey... the Cowboys won a Super Bowl in 1995 in spite of Barry Switzer's ineptitude... so we've got that going for us.

Happy New Year

Delusions de Dean Spanos

A quote from Chargers owner Dean Spanos in Nick Canepa's Monday UT column:

“I like A.J., even though he’s a bit goofy,” Spanos says. “I trust him. He’ll tell you he’s made mistakes. Who hasn’t? But he takes chances. Sometimes you lose the bet, but if you’re going to win a world championship, you’ve got to take chances. I learned that from my father in our business. A.J.’s committed 100 percent to this organization.

 Now that there have been close to a billion comments on Canepa's Monday morning column it may be too little too late to be taking the piss out of Dean Spanos and the above quote.

"Too little, too late" does not compute....I've never let being late to the party abbreviate my thoughts so here it goes...

God Help Us...and them.

Really? Really, Dean? You learned from your father, that in order to win championships, you have to take chances? Really, Dean? Are you even aware as to why this entire city has the worse case of blue balls in all of sports? It's because San Diego HAS NO CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! For f*ck's sake!
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Reading that Canepa article only confirms that the Spanos family is completely out to lunch and has little clue about running a franchise. Is that being overstated? The Chargers have had a nice run since 2004 but that nice little run has occurred absent a Lombardi Trophy. Perhaps it's hyperbole to say Dean Spanos has zero clue how to run the franchise but Canepa's column is proof positive that if the Chargers win a championship it will likely be in spite of current ownership.

I feel an impending sense of doom as a Chargers fan. My brain tells me they are moving to Los Angeles, a locale which would prevent me from ever rooting for them. My heart tells me that even if the Chargers stay, the Spanos family will continue to fall short in bringing home the hardware. Furthermore, my own personal experience with meeting Dean Spanos tells me that we are doomed on all fronts.

Yes... I have a Dean Spanos story. Allow me to be your proxy in delivering a message of doom. This message however is for another post on another day (or maybe another hour).

Until then...

Vencie Sez: Merry Christmas (among other things)!

 It's been nearly a year....

 

AJM favorite, Vencie Glenn, joined Scott and BR for an emergency XX1090 broadcast Monday morning to help distraught, ledge straddling, fans cope with the disastrous loss in Cincinnati.

What did the hard nosed Glenn have to say? Let's get to it!

"Merry Christmas gentlemen."
What a pleasant and kind start, Mr Glenn! Merry Christmas to you! But we want some vitriol!
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"At least 5 games they look like they didn't even show up this year."
That's about right I'd say. The one game I went to this year (against New England) they failed to show until the 4th quarter and it had nothing to do with the Pats. NE looked horrible as well.

"They did not show up as a team, as an organization, ready to play. They were all not on the same page."
No disagreement here. How can you fly back east the day before a game? Sacrificing holidays and time with the kids is part of the gig, no?

"Every streak ends. I don't care who you are. (audible laughter) If you think Philip Rivers is going to win all the time in December... you're crazy. If you think the Chargers are gonna always start slow and then win 12 in-a-row... you're crazy. It's not sport. It just doesn't happen. Everybody has a streak...Lance Armstrong. But they all end."
Way too much made about the "Norvember" business this year. All streaks come to an end. Even Matt Millen stopped drafting WRs in the 1st round of the NFL draft at some point!

"Watch the Chargers walk off the field. Watch em walk into the huddle. Watch em walk out of the huddle. They did it all game. And I said that's the trend of a team going through the motions out there. New England ran on and off the field. Ran in and out of the huddle."
Vencie was talking about watching the game against New England back in October... he noticed the big picture... a lackadaisical approach that would lead to an ultimate unraveling. I guess there's a difference between Norv Turner and Bill Belichick.

"I blame Eric Weddle"
Vencie blew Weddle the-f*ck-up during this portion of the interview. The blame stems from the play where Cason got burned for the long TD late in the game. Vencie argued that the Safety's roll is that of a QB on defense. Weddle should have noticed the personnel changes going on and got Cason ready for the play.

"Still, Cason's gotta get out there. Never turn your back on the Quarterback. That's like turning your back on a murderer (audible laughter)...man, he gonna kill you! Never turn your back on the QB. That's rule #1 in football as a defensive back. You always run out looking at the huddle."
Then he discussed Cason's role in the botched play. The entire interview is worth listening to just based on this quote. Vencie is hilarious in using his QB/Murderer analogy.

I've missed Vencie Glenn this year. It seems as though I always missed Football Night in San Diego on the nights he worked the panel. Oh well, next year. Listen to the whole interview; it's worth it.

I'm very close to putting this whole season behind me, accepting that the Chargers issues are systemic; starting at the top with Dean Spanos and trickling down through nearly everyone in the organization.

Bring on pitchers, catchers and the sporting doldrums of February... I'm done with football.

The Problem With San Diego

That last post was a downer. Let this post lift us up where we belong...

I bought some t-shirts a couple weeks ago from The Sacrifice Bunt. The Sacrifice Bunt is a good Padres blog that you should read. In addition to being a good Padres blog that you should read, The Sacrifice Bunt makes and sells T-shirts. T-Shirts with a message...

Just so we're clear... this is not a dish rag... it is merely a screen shot of the front of the T-Shirt.

Now don't go thinking you can make this on your own with your fancy-schmancy Hewlett Packard ink jet and some crappy iron-on insert sheets from Staples or the Office Depot*. Because if you did your shirt wouldn't have this...

...and then everyone would know you're a phony!

Anyways... these shirts were a big hit as Christmas gifts. One to my dad and one to my brother. My brother immediately took a picture of it and sent it to one of his friends... a friend from Boston... living in San Diego....you know the type, right?
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The Problem With San Diego
San Diego, for the most part, is a city of transplanted residents (myself included). There is nothing wrong with this fact. San Diego is beautiful. Who wouldn't want to escape the eastern winter climes? I get why people move here... it's what the educated would refer to as obvious. 

My issue however is with those who move to San Diego and refuse to acknowledge it as their home. They bask in the winter warmth provided by a steady Mediterranean climate but at every turn fail to acknowledge that their paycheck is signed by an entity, here, in San Diego.

Good God, man... where is your bread buttered!?

These people had no issue with abandoning their families back east but to suggest that they shelve their Cubs/Red Sox/Yankees/(fill in the blank) cap in favor of one adorned with an SD is BLASPHEMOUS in the odd little world these state-traitors reside.

Fine, I say.

If you want to wear your Red Sox shit to a game being played between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies, I say fine.

I will be wearing my T-Shirt that, in a round-about-way, suggests you should go home and shovel the god damn snow out of your parents' driveway.

Viva San Diego!
//eating a carne asada burrito
//wearing a brown Padres hat
//thinking about the World Famous San Diego Zoo
//suggesting you should click the above link to get your Sac Bunt T-shirt

*The level of detail I have provided would seem to suggest that I tried to create a knock-off version of The Sacrifice Bunt's glorious creation. I did not... at least with this specific T-shirt, I did not.

Chargers Questions: my pessimism runneth over

A few weeks ago when the Chargers were hammering a Cassel-less Chiefs team I took little joy in the outcome. I'm a Chargers fan. I should have been happy. It was a minimal happiness at best.

Then the Chargers destroyed the 49ers. Ehh... that was pretty cool. More enjoyment out of this one but still not running on the euphoria that a winning fan should.


Is there a point to even watching if there is little joy derived from the winning?

The truth is, I'm enthralled with the whole, "Will-they-or-won't-they-leave-San Diego-for Los Angeles" Saga. Because my mind is focused on this chasm of despair, I fail at maximizing joy from Chargers wins.

As a fan, this is a terrible state of being.


Now that the Chargers' playoff hopes have been eliminated there are only three questions to ponder:

1. Will labor strife continue, resulting in an owner imposed NFL lockout in 2011?
2. Will Dean Spanos miraculously develop into a top tier executive rather than a silver-spoon-buffoon?
3. Will the Chargers affix the worst phrase found in the English lexicon (Los Angeles) to their uniforms and office letterheads in 2012?

I believe the answers to these questions are as follows:

1. YES and then NO. As fans, we'll lose something.
2. An unequivocal NO.
3. A devastating YES.

Put your face in your palm. Grab a fork. Devour my optimism.

I am at Disneyland... and so is the Gartrell Johnson T-Shirt!

I'm up early for day two of the Disneyland weekend extravaganza and as a creature of habit I am rolling into form.

The restaurant across from me is about to serve me my coffee.

My clothes, you ask? Well it's a Sunday.... the Chargers play this afternoon... and the streak is on the line.

I am adorned in a golden Gartrell Johnson T-Shirt. It is wrinkled. It does not look sharp but i ma respecting the streak. Gartrell is about to push this streak to 5 for our San Diego Chargers. You Better Recognize!*

Thoughts on Disneyland
Positives: The representation of the San Diego Chargers is astounding! Lightning Bolts everywhere!
Negatives: The representation of the San Francisco Giants is disgusting! Nothing like a World Series to bring out the bandwagon. I've never felt such neutrality in the wake of Raider, and Dodger fandom as I have this weekend. The ubiquitous Giant fan amazingly out does them all!


Well... off to meet Jasmine! I'll try and get a picture!


*By "You Better Recognize" I mean to say you should know that Gartrell plays for the Falcons.... I think... I just know it's not the Giants... and obviously not the Chargers.

Chargers Got A Bit Of The Junkyard Dog In 'Em

I was never a big fan of JYD when I watched the WWF as a kid, I being more of a British Bulldogs/ Koko B. Ware sort of tyke. But it was the Junkyard Dog that I saw last night in observing the Chargers impose a physical brand of football on the Indianapolis Colts. They were nasty. They were scrappy... like dogs in a pound... like junkyard dogs!

Is it cool for the defense to score a couple of TDs? Sure!

Mike Tolbert busting out over 100 yards? Dope!

Going to Indy and defeating Peyton Manning on the turf where he nary knows defeat? Scrumtrilescent!

But I gotta tell ya, the thing I was most impressed with from last night's drubbing of the Colts was how the Chargers were finishing plays... on both sides of the ball.
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 When Mike Tolbert runs with the ball he's not just looking for yardage... he's looking for pain. He's looking to punish all would be tacklers as though each is an NFL General Manger who took a pass on him coming out of Coastal Carolina in 2008. God Bless The Chanticleers!


On defense Antonio Garay was just beating up the Colts line. Look at this picture!

Garay has abused his counterpart to such a degree that the 6' 5" Peyton Manning has disappeared. Good night sez Garay.

Every tackle by a Chargers defender seemed to have the following characteristics:

• A second defender rushing to the tackle to deliver a knockout blow... as in Stephen Cooper putting in a good hard tackle and then Dante Hughes coming in and blasting unnamed Colt to force a fumble. 'Twas beautiful! (see picture below).
• Tackles were not complete until a Charger defender gave a little bit of extra business to the vanquished as the play ended. 

 I am and always have been a proponent of giving your opposite a little bit extra so he knows exactly who's in charge. That little bit of nasty is what gives teams the edge needed to go the distance.

Are the Chargers going the distance? I don't know. But the junkyard dog I saw in them last night was even more impressive than the win on the road... which was pretty impressive in and of itself.

Catching-Up: Part II

I wrote a couple of things for 619Sports.net during the month of October and... let's see... where are they?

Oh here we go: the first one was called "I'm not with stupid, I AM stupid!"

What's it about? It was a mish-mash of stuff including my viewing habits during Chargers games, Jimmy Carter/Norv Turner analogies, and a piece called "Cautionary Tales in Jersey Purchases". Incidentally, I've stopped wearing my jerseys and have switched to something else. I'm superstitious.

The second piece at 619 was called "Good Morning. I Hate You!"

This was a "getting back to your roots" piece where we re-examined our hate for the New England Patriots. It was written before the Chargers played the Patriots on October 24th, 2010.

I went to the game that afternoon and it was one of the worst played games I've ever attended or watched for that matter. The Chargers and the Pats both sucked it up and at halftime I thought there was a very real possibility that I would be leaving the game early. The 4th quarter however turned for the better. The ending not so much.

Go read it and reflect on your hatred.

Me Not Here.....Using Eastern Philosopy to Win the War of Attrition (part II)

The highly anticipated conclusion to Using Eastern Philosophy to Win the War of Attrition is now up at 619 Sports.net (Click Here). It has been cleverly titled part II. Click the link to attain enlightenment.

This is a must read for those who want to know how the Chargers can improve upon the conditional draft pick they received from the Jets in the Cromartie trade earlier this year.

Me Not Here......Using Eastern Philosophy to Win the War of Attrition (part I)

My every-once-in-a-while contribution over at 619 Sports.net sees me exploring the art of stock piling talent in the NFL. In a two part series I look to see how Antonio Cromartie can have a strong year so the Chargers move from a 3rd round pick up to a 2nd... Bruce Lee is also involved. Go read and listen at 619 Sports.net.

I guess it's what you would expect him to say...

A Jets fan's query:

Antonio Cromartie's response:

I guess it's a matter of what the "passion" pertains to....

The Padres win despite only hitting one single. What would the NFL's version be of such random, offensive, ineptitude?

This evening, the San Diego Padres managed something that has only been accomplished by three other teams since 1920: they won a game despite only producing three walks and one base-hit of offense.

This begs the obvious question: did one of the walks score on the base-hit? Look.....that is not only the most obvious but also the most boring question that could be posited by an inquiring mind (the answer is no). The real question we need answered: what is the football equivalent to the game the Padres just played? Fortune shines upon you!!! After intense deliberations..... I have the answer you seek.

What spells futility better than winning a game by a margin of 2-0? Has it ever happened? Don't know, don't care. The margin of victory by a safety stands out as a clear-cut call but there is an inherent problem with it; a safety is a defensive score! To use this as an equivalent would just cheat the Padres offense of the recognition it deserves. No, the safety just won't do...

Kick it up a notch, then! 3-0! Death by Field Goal!

Nah....While it's an isolated score similar to a single run crossing the plate, it just fails in my opinion, to capture the proper futility of knocking a solitary hit and then stealing the win.

The NFL equivalent that best sums up such offensive, yet victorious, futility......(click "read more" to continue)

The Drop Goal. I said it.....the Drop Goal. Winning 3-0.....by Drop Goal. Yes, like in Rugby Union. Oh yea, you can do those in the NFL too. Here's the thing, though....only one has been slotted in (approx.) the last seventy years.....similar to the infrequency of getting a win via one hit and three walks. Here's the evidence.....with a nice little San Diego connection in Doug Flutie......finishing out his career playing for the New England Patriots:

Proof positive that there is more than one way to split the uprights*, earn yourself 3 points, and gracefully match the offensive woes presented by the San Diego Padres on April 20th, 2010.....who once again, won the game to move into a 1st place tie with the San Francisco Giants. It's early, I know.

*MEMO
TO: Nate Keading
FROM: A-hole Chargers Fan
RE: Alternative methods to scoring 3 points
The playoffs have been difficult for you Nate; especially against the New York Jets. Allow us to recommend abandoning the place holder and just going to a straight drop kick. Flutie made it look pretty easy. One-up your Padre brethren in 2010!

LaDainian Tomlinson Released After Breathing Life Back Into The Chargers

On the drive home I listened to AJ Smith on Xtra Sports 1360 discuss the release of future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson. After he spoke I turned off the radio.

I have yet to read any articles regarding LT's release. I have stayed away from all of the social media so I can only guess as to how San Diego's reacting. For the most part, San Diego has readied itself for this day ever since the protracted AJ/LT drama in February of 2009. I, for one, was ready for this day. Yet it's still a difficult thing to grasp.

LT marks a significant moment in my history as a Chargers fan*. Truth be told, I wasn't much of a Chargers fan before that day in 2001 when the front office decided to opt out of the "Michael Vick Sweepstakes" and traded the rights to draft #1 to the Atlanta Falcons. I became a fan that day as I recognized a sea change in the way the Bolt Brass was choosing to operate. Of course it didn't hurt when they not only drafted LT but snagged Drew Brees at the top of the 2nd round (click below to continue reading).



I absolutely KNEW it was the wrong move to pick Michael Vick yet how ironic is it now that we are speaking of LT's career ending and Vick's starting over? I think that the seminal Zucker brothers film Airplane said it best when they reminded us that, "Irony......can be pretty ironic sometimes."

So here we are, left to reflect on LT's greatest moments. I'll always remember the Oakland Raider domination as well as the "Raiders Suck" T-shirt that LT famously sported during one Raider week. There were the overtime walk-off TDs against the Redskins, Titans, and Raiders that I'll always recall with excitement and who can ever forget the fantastic rushing game against the Patriots on January 14th 2007 during the playoffs........followed by the midfield melt down at the conclusion of the game with a few Patriot players. As difficult as it was to lose that game it was made easier when LT voiced his opinions so boisterously about the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick.

The luster on LT's star has lost a bit of its shine in the last couple of seasons but it is far outweighed by the good he has done for both the Chargers and the community of San Diego. Forget the bad and remember the good. There was a lot of good, wasn't there?

*In 2001 I was a "fan free-agent". I had drifted out of following my birth team in about 1995 but couldn't commit myself fully to the San Diego home team. I always wished them well but in no way could have been described as a true fan. As is the case, my level of suffering as a Chargers fan is not on the same level as so many tortured fans in San Diego. I feel among the persecuted but I am mindful that while the Chargers have been in existence for 50 years, I have only lived here for X number of years and only followed the Chargers for Y number of years. I am also mindful that this is not a blog about algebra.

The Godfather of Avenging Jack Murphy...may he rest in peace

...and the writing has never been more clearly defacing the wall. Thank you for 9 fun filled seasons, LT.
From Thursday's Union tribune:

“I’m not coming back,” Tomlinson said. “I don’t believe I’ll be back in San Diego. I’ve accepted it.”

The firestorm has really revolved less around the inevitable departure of a future HOFer and more around the following:

Tomlinson also elaborated Thursday on a radio interview he gave earlier this week in which he questioned the team’s mentality, saying players were about themselves and not always focused on the whole. He did not back off and even stated some things stronger than he had previously.

He said there is a direct correlation between things that happen off the field — “nightclubs, stuff at people’s house having parties, stuff that gets out and is a distraction” — and the Chargers’ performance on the field.

Tomlinson said there are “great character guys” on the team but that a lack of focus by certain players contributed to the loss to the Jets, a game in which the Chargers committed numerous costly and uncharacteristic penalties.

“It makes a difference on how you react,” Tomlinson said. “Their focus was somewhere other than where it needed to be — on the field. We talked over and over about that. We had extra sessions on that as players. And then we go out and that stuff happens. So what else could it be?”

He also said there are players overly concerned about their contracts. A number of Chargers have been rewarded in past years with multiyear deals, but some of the team’s stars are without that security.

“That was a big focus,” Tomlinson said. “A lot of guys got the contracts. Guys see that other guys got paid and taken care of and they’re like, ‘Why ain’t nobody talking to me?’ It became a problem.”

Great.
Tomlinson expects Bolts to let him go [Union Tribune-Kevin Acee]

Why I'm Cheering Against the New York Jets Today

Last weekend my goal was to get our little tailgate caravan to section G3. Godspeed to G3. As J-E-T-S fans filtered into our area I was lambasted by my tailgating party: "How could you direct us to this God Forsaken patch of asphalt, laden with a-holes!?!". Then I remembered.....

.....the Union Tribune reported that J-E-T-S fans were directing their faithful to all congregate in the same area (G3). Word of this had spread and the Bolt Complex had urged Chargers fans to prevent this assembly by any means necessary**. This is why I had led my followers into the pit of Hades. But truth be told.......it wasn't that bad. Aside from hearing J-E-T-S, JETS-JETS-JETS more frequently than you can imagine Rex Ryan-buffet-visits it was a great time.

So why am I cheering AGAINST the Jets this afternoon, you ask?

Well it's not because they beat our Chargers. In theory, I should be rooting AGAINST the Colts because their lay-down against the Jets with a perfect season on the line is the only reason the Jets made a trip to San Diego last week anyways. Is it the talk coming out of the Jets locker room? I'll admit the talk from their coach and defensive players is beginning to grate on me, but that's not it either. It all comes back to their fans......

You see, last week when we were enjoying our tailgate and enduring the cacophony of J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS. We were subjected to some chants that crossed into the "No Fly Zone" of trash talk. The problems stemmed from the fact that there were so many Jets fans in G3, they poured out of their designated parking stalls into the driving lane causing a disturbance every time a car needed to get through. Naturally the cars needing to get through were......Charger Fans......thus the trash talk. So there I am drinking my beer and eating my breakfast burrito as chants of........wait for it.......U-S-A/U-S-A/U-S-A/U-S-A/U-S-A/U-S-A began to fill the airwaves. What's wrong with this? Surely nothing wrong with patriotic flair during a truly American game, right?

Well the chant was directed at a contingent of Latinos. That's what I would commonly refer to as, "Bush League Bullshit". The Latino Charger Fans, gave 'em a big F-You, and joined in on the chant because.......well they're AMERICAN!

So here's to karma, New York Jets Fans. I'm cheering against you racist fucks, today!

....and by the way; your Quarterback........is a Mexican American!

**Not really. They suggested Charger Fans get there early and prevent it. I just like to involve Malcolm X as regularly as possible.

Chargers Fall 17-14......Championship Futility Continues

-I attended yesterday's game.
-I've since watched it on DVR.
-I'm nearly ready to say something intelligent (a subjective statement, I know).
-The only thing left to do.........have the foot/shin/leg surgically removed from between my legs.

A Day That Will Live In Infamy: January 14th, 2007

Three years ago today, I went a little crazy.

As a regular, day-to-day human, I stayed relatively "normal" but as a fan of football......I went certifiably, bat shit crazy.

You Charger fans remember the day: a brisk Sunday afternoon that found the 14-2 AFC West Champion Chargers defeated by a multitude of flukes.......and the New England Patriots . Idiot corner backs guilty of penalty flag inducing flying head butts and safeties who couldn't protect their well earned interceptions. Muffed punts and goofy head coaching calls. I suppose it's a wonder that the game was even close for the Chargers considering the aforementioned display.

The conclusion was painful for all. With our Super Bowl dreams newly shattered we were subjected to mid field dancing Patriots and a pissed off Ladainian Tomlinson. The Patriot douchebaggery led to emails, then blogs and ultimately a shadowy organization known as the Anti-Patriot League which deified asterisks and spycams in the name of the New England Patriots and their idiot fans (I've been to Foxborough.......and I know idiots when I see them). Agents of this organization can be recognized by their T-shirts emblazoned with the logo below......

A glorious memorial to the incident known as Spygate, to be sure.

Anyways, this was the email that beget the blog that you see today. Kept for posterity and as a not so subtle reminder that you, good reader, can retain your sanity as it is I who acts as a maniacal proxy on your behalf.

To whom it may concern:
 
For the past five years I have fully supported the New England Patriots and
the success they have earned during that course of time. When the ignorant
masses spoke ill of the Patriots, I was quick to remind them that the
Patriots were everything that was good about professional football: the rare
case where individual achievement was subjugated for the advancement of the
"TEAM". This ideal of "team" has yielded three Superbowl championships and I
have enjoyed supporting the high ideal that the Patriots stood for.
 
After watching the Chargers/Patriots playoff game on Sunday I must say
that I am withdrawing my west-coast support and marking that franchise for
death!
 
Indeed, death is a strong statement so I would be remiss if I did not make
a few clarifications:

1. The Chargers were the more talented team.
2. The Patriots were the more level headed team.
3. The Patriots deserved to win--undoubtedly!
4. The biggest "hand" in the Patriot Victory was Troy Brown (literally and 
figuratively) and I can at   least take solace in knowing that the ultimate 
"team" guy made such a critical play to win the game.
5. The Patriots acted like it was their first time ever winning a big game
and acted like clowns in our back yard.

The Chargers are currently in possession of the classiest player in the
NFL--LaDainian Tomlinson. Not only is he the classiest---he's the best! I
support L.T. and his disapproval of the Patriot Franchise. I can clearly
see that the very ethos that propelled the Patriots to 3 championships is
DEAD. This was more than evident when they chose to dance like clowns in the
center of Jack Murphy Field and stomp on our lightning bolt and then proceed
to disrespect our players. Until that moment the Patriots had always "acted
like they had been there before."
 
Next week, join me in cheering FOR the Patriots so they can ultimately be
stomped by the Bears (like Superbowl XX) or the Saints (Yea Brees!). West
coast support has officially been withdrawn for your elitist franchise and
you now draw the full wrath of my being (For those who know me---think New
York Yankees).
 
In addition to stating my position on that deplorable franchise I would
like to rally the faithful to Join me in Foxborough, Massachusetts next season
so that we can bear witness to the San Diego Chargers avenging this---this
winter of our discontent. As of right now, a date has not been set, but we
are definitely playing in Mass. next season. Join me, where we will drink
far too much, yet maintain our dignity and represent San Diego well.
 
In addition to renouncing my support for the Patriots I am also terminating
my membership in Red Sox Nation. I now hate the Red Sox on par with the New
York Yankees (let's be honest and call a spade a spade...If the Yankees are
the "Evil Empire" the Red Sox are really only a couple of steps behind.... 
the Red Sox are "Mini-Me" to the Yanks "Dr. Evil".
 
I hope my position has been clarified on the things I hate most in the
WORLD:
 
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Yankees
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Terrorism
5. People who don't return their grocery shopping carts to their proper
areas
 
Numbers four and five are a little off topic but I feel it necessary to
finish lists in a top five format.
 
Please respond and join my cause. Direct the negative energy in your lives
to the classless organization in the New England region of our fine country. 
Join me there next fall and don your powder blue!!!!!
 
Sincerely
 

Enormously disgruntled Charger and Padre fan---cultivator of Patriot hatred.


For more of the ensuing email banter [Click here]

Dear Chargers

Please beat Jets. I'm in need of sanity restoration.

Naw. We don't like that call

The old, white dude background dancers make this video. "Hit That Hole" guy and his pal, "Charger Dinosaur" T-Shirt wearin' guy, give this video just the right amount of, "This sh*t ain't too serious, people.". Enjoy.

I like the timing of the release on this video. Loosen up the locker room. LT talked about it on (via Boltsplanet.com) SDNN: [Click Here]