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Want to hear that inspiring pre-game speech delivered by Al
Pacino in the movie "Any Given Sunday"?
Click the picture above.
Who
could have said this?
"What
makes the Chargers likely to win a Super Bowl?
They can see Mexico from their house. When Calderón rears his head and comes
into the airspace of the United States of America, where do they go? It's
San Diego. It's just right over the border. It is from San Diego that we
send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful
nation, Mexico, because they are right there, they are right next to our
state.
And that makes the Chargers qualified to win a Super Bowl and me qualified
to be Vice President of the United States."
Brawn Over Brains
- Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Toughness In Pro Sports
By
Christopher E. Smith, February 15, 2008
Picture this
scenario: two secretaries get hired by a well-known law firm, and work there
for several years. One (let's call him Phil) is somewhat of an
underachiever, and is notorious for his surly attitude. The other (let's
call him LT) represents the firm with class and dignity, and is the most
efficient worker they've ever had. One day, they both come down with
injuries while typing. Phil has a torn ligament in his wrist, while LT is in
the early stages of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. They both need time
off, but the firm's biggest client goes on trial in one week. Phil decides
to fight through his tremendous pain, because the person who would take over
his work (William E. Volek) isn't trusted by anybody in the firm. LT takes
the necessary time off, comforted by the fact that his replacement is
infinitely better than Phil's, and can help the company get through its busy
time. After the trial, everyone hails Phil's courage, even though the damage
in his wrist is so severe that he might not be able to work when they next
need him. LT is condemned for his choice, even though he decreased his risk
of suffering a long-term injury by getting adequate rest. Despite the fact
that LT is an all-time great secretary, and had only called in sick once
before in his career, he will forever be remembered for failing to come
through in that one week, and his years of hard work become tainted in the
process.
Seems kind of
rough, no? How many of us would do what LT did, and make sure to avoid
long-term injury in order to continue earning a good living for their
family? This situation came to fruition this past Sunday in the AFC
Championship Game, when San Diego's future Hall-of-Fame running back,
LaDainian Tomlinson, carried the ball only twice against New England due to
a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee. Their inconsistent
quarterback, Philip Rivers, played the whole game with a completely torn
anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and actually had preliminary surgery
six days before in a last ditch effort to play. It's possible that he won't
be back in time for their next training camp, as recovery time for this
injury can last up to eight months. As expected, Rivers has been universally
hailed for his courage, while Tomlinson has been lambasted by fans and media
members alike. The obvious question that emerges is this: why do we expect
so much from pro athletes? In no other area of life would we debate this
dilemma. If you have an injury, and it's going to affect your production,
you take time off to heal. Case closed. However, if you play pro sports, and
especially pro football, it isn't enough to just be good at your job. You
also have to have a level of toughness that's acceptable to not only your
teammates, but to the millions of people on their couches who watch and
criticize what you do.
We as fans always
expect a superhuman effort from our athletes. We demand it, since they
charge us so much for tickets, and especially since the athletes get paid
such ludicrous amounts of money. So this past Sunday, everyone wanted to see
the Chargers play the Patriots with their full complement of starters. We
wanted LaDainian to tough it out, since his presence would have made the
game better. The problem is that there are plenty of instances when athletes
did risk it all, and never were the same again. We always seem to forget
that Bill Walton felt such pressure to play through injury that he went
against his personal beliefs in the '78 playoffs and took pain killers in
order to deal with his foot problems. We also seem to forget that over the
next five years, he missed 3 full seasons, and played in only 14 and 33
games in the other two. We also forget that NFL players are more prone to
depression, arthritis, and an assortment of other mental and physical
problems when their careers are over, because they take risks similar to the
one Rivers took. So while I respect Rivers' toughness, I can't use his
decision as a reason to fault Tomlinson. Because there is no right or wrong
way to deal with this dilemma. If Rivers felt like the risk was worth it,
and LaDainian didn't, then who are we to tell them otherwise? Only one thing
is certain - next year, if LaDainian continues to break records, while
Rivers struggles to make it back from his injury, people will finally
acknowledge the complexity of this issue, which isn't as clear-cut as it's
currently being presented.
Had to get
this off my chest ....
Ever heard the words "Grab Grab Grab
everybody's just grabbing out there" Lombardi's words echo through NFL
Films. I remember seeing Parcells, Ditka, Cower, Holmgren and Gruden's
tirades on the sidelines. Shula, Johnson, Madden, Gibbs and Stram only seemed
more subdued but they were still as fiery. What they all have in common is
that they all won superbowls. Many Superbowls. The Chargers have never had
a coach who won a superbowl. Coryell would have gotten us there if not for a
cross country trip to 58 degrees below zero in 1981. Don't forget that
followed a cross country trip to a 98 degree 5 quarter game in Miami the
week before. And Bobby Ross, fiery sort. Yes he did put the Bolts in our
only Superbowl. Marty, excitable guy, best record in Bolt history.
The
point is a team subconsciously or consciously reflects the personality of
it's coach. Norv is a nice mellow guy. Nice guys finish last. This team has
a noticeable lack of spark and it starts at the top. I look at my season
ticket and it appropriately reads "Ready to Strike". Hi-octane with no fire
leaves you sitting dead at the starting line "ready to strike" every time.
Ironically Norv is the only Charger head coach with a Superbowl Ring. Yes he
is one heck of an offensive coordinator. If only he was still in that
position under a fiery captain. What if Cowers, Ditka, Parcells or even
Marty were here with Norv as his right hand man? But is there a chance in
hell of that happening? Pride comes before a fall as the Good Book says and
I am afraid the pride of A.J. Smith will soon have us watch the sinking of
the Titanic with the wrong guy at the wheel.
Jack
Valentine, season seat holder since 1962
Webmaster note: Permission to post this article
has been obtained from TheBrushBack.com.
Special thanks.
ELI MANNING
DEMANDS TRADE TO SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
December 7, 2004
NEW YORK--Fresh off a 31-7 drubbing at the hands of the lowly Washington Redskins, Giants quarterback Eli Manning has demanded a trade to the San Diego Chargers. The demand was issued through his agent, Tom Condon, who said that Manning would rather play for a contender than a team in disarray like the Giants. Condon expressed confidence that a deal could be worked out.
“Eli has told me time and time again that he wants to win in this league,” Condon told reporters during a conference call. “In order to win an organization must have talent, good coaching, and an effective front office. We feel that the San Diego Chargers have the foundation to be a winning team for years to come. They’re a model organization. The Giants are, to put it kindly, a franchise in transition. This is not a good place for a young quarterback. We’re looking for someplace more stable, like San Diego.”
Condon did not say what his client would do if the Giants did not comply with his trade demand. He simply expressed hope that GM Ernie Accorsi would honor Eli’s strong desire to be part of a successful and “sturdy” franchise.
“When you think of sturdy, rock-solid organizations, the Chargers would be at the top of that list,” said Condon. “They have a running back in LaDanian Tomlinson that’s one of the best in the game. They’ve got a superb tight end in Antonio Gates, an underrated defensive unit, and a proven winner in coach Schottenheimer. The Giants just aren’t the right team for Eli. Nothing against the organization or the city, but my client deserves better. He’s way too good for New York.”
Though Eli has not commented publicly about the matter, his father, Archie Manning, has spoken to the media in an effort to clear the air. He said that the decision to ask for a trade was made after a lengthy discussion with Condon and the entire Manning family.
“There are a lot of factors involved here. This wasn’t about just one thing,” Manning told ESPN’s Dan Patrick. “The Giants situation has been unsettled for quite some time now. We’re just looking to put Eli into a situation where he can have a chance to succeed. I think that’s all any player can ask for. I certainly don’t want to put the Giants in a bad light here. We appreciate all they’ve done for Eli. But you only get one chance to have a professional football career, and my son wants his to be in San Diego. Did you know they have the best weather in America?”
Manning acknowledged that his son would be criticized for his decision to ask for a trade but said the decision was final.
“We’re just not going to accept playing for the New York Giants,” said Manning. “It’s as simple as that. I’m sorry about having to ask for this trade. I talked to Ernie [Accorsi] and told him that I hate this. I really hate this. I think it makes my family look bad and it makes the league look bad. But I’ve spoken to a lot of people in the league about this and the consensus is that it’s the right decision. And people in the league are never wrong about anything.”
The Giants started the year off with a 4-1 record but have lost four in a row, and their chances of making the postseason have dwindled. Kurt Warner was throwing the ball well but could not avoid the pressure caused by aggressive defenses and a patchwork offensive line. Tom Coughlin is a controversial coach that the players may turn against if the team bottoms out.
By contrast, the San Diego Chargers are one of the most exciting teams in the league. Quarterback Drew Brees, left for dead on the team’s bench last season, is having a career year but is also a free agent at the end of the season. Condon’s plan is to have Manning replace Brees, taking snaps from behind the Bolts’stalwart offensive line.
“Clearly the Chargers are a brilliant franchise on the cutting edge of the NFL,” said Condon. “A talent like Eli Manning deserves a team that is solid from top to bottom and has an unwavering commitment to excellence. Also, Eli enjoys the west coast lifestyle. He’s one of those laid back, easy going California dudes. He really dislikes all that media attention in New York.”
Some critics have pointed out the fact that Manning spurned the Chargers during the 2004 draft and demanded to be sent to the Giants. The irony of the situation is not lost on Archie, who tried to explain the family’s sudden change of heart.
“I know what people are saying about my family. They’re talking about how we had our chance to go to San Diego last year but refused,” he said. “That’s not fair, really. The Giants looked like the better club to us and to everybody we talked to. Even Phillip Rivers didn’t want to play for the Chargers. Lucky for him, he got his wish.
Special thanks to the great website
TheBrushBack.com
Copyright 2004, The Brushback - Do not reprint without permission
Webmaster note: Permission to post this article
has been obtained. "If you would like to post my rant on 'Raider
Nation' and why it has been over-hyped, be my guest. For the record, I am
neither a Raider Hater or a Raider Lover. I am simply someone who offers
observations on the sporting scene - particularly when things have been taken to
excess."
2/4/03 - I have really gotten tired of "Raider Nation" and all the
unwarranted homage that it is paid by seemingly responsible folks in the
media. The team and the team ownership and the city fathers in Oakland and
the fans in Oakland have become far more than merely tedious. This is
probably not an expression of an East Coast bias because I suspect that
lots of other people on the West Coast got tired of all of these entities
a while ago but it took time for the stink to percolate over here to the
DC area.
Where to start? The team is a mess. The reactions of several players to
the Barret Robbins situation go way beyond "insensitive" and approach
"monstrous". If this is how the words "teammate" and "camaraderie" and
"commitment to excellence" manifest themselves in "Raider behavior", then
I would not want to see Frank Middleton and/or Mo Collins act out
"anti-social boorishness". Even after it has become privacy-invadingly-clear
that Barret Robbins is a man in need of medical help (and not in any small
measure!) these two comrades-in-arms have yet to say that their previous
remarks were wrong-headed, hastily concocted, hurtful and in desperate
need of retraction. Additionally, some words along the lines of "Sorry
'bout that…" would be something that socialized bipeds might consider.
Since you haven't heard them yet, you make the call…
[To be fair, defensive tackle Sam Adams did say yesterday that he was
sorry that Robbins was sick and that he wished Robbins well and that he
would welcome Robbins back on the Raiders' team.]
After the Raiders' "roll-over-in-a-fetal-position performance" in the
Super Bowl, you might think that some of the team would be glad to learn
that the city wanted to stage a rally in honor of the team. They had a
very good season but the most polite thing you could say about their
performance in the Super Bowl was that they stunk out the joint and made
it smell like a skunk's butt. Nonetheless, the city wanted to throw a
rally to honor them. Granted, it was not going to be as huge a throng as
it might have been had they won the game or actually made it a competitive
struggle, but it was a rally in honor of the team. Who showed up? No
players did; no coaches did; none of the front office did; none of the
owners did. The Oakland Raiders as a team and as an organization and as
human beings stiffed their fans.
Why would that surprise anyone? Remember that the Raiders got about
11,500 tickets to the Super Bowl and only made about 2,000 of them
available to their season ticket holders. That not only stiffs the fans of
Oakland; that stiffs the people who pay good money to come out and see the
Raiders. The tickets in Oakland are far from the cheapest in the league
and there is a long-term purchase commitment that goes along with the
honor of getting season tickets. These people dig deeply into their
pockets for this team, and the team turns around and stiffs the fans that
are part of that great and wonderful institution revered as "Raider
Nation".
For too long a time, "Raider Nation" has been the US version of English
soccer hooliganism. Passion in supporting a team is one thing; "Raider
Nation" is far closer to thuggery. And don't be conned by the media's
suggestion that these fans are unswerving in their support for and
dedication to the Raiders. The Super Bowl was supposed to be a "Raider
Home Game". If you taped the game, go back and play the tape but instead
of watching the plays, listen for "Raider Nation" once they were down by
14 points. Instead of exhorting the team, that pack of poseurs and
front-runners shut their noiseholes just like every other set of fans.
Like the Raiders' team, this group is living on reputation.
The reputation that the Raiders are living on is at least 20 years old.
Since returning to Oakland from LA (was that in 1995?), they have not had
stellar teams. In fact, some of them have been pretty bad teams. So maybe
you feel sorry for the fans that are paying premium money to see a
mediocre product while some poorly dressed superannuated guy with a mullet
and sunglasses on a chain swears that "commitment to excellence" is
driving the decisions and that the only thing on his mind is "Just win,
baby." Add to the mixture here the fact that once a good team had been
assembled under the tutelage of a coach who actually knew what he was
doing, Al Davis ran the coach out of town and put another $8M in the bank.
Of course I do feel sorry for the fans who have to put up with Al Davis.
Remember I grew up in Philly and had to endure owners like Jerry Wolman,
Leonard Tose and Norman Braman; I know what sorry-assed and incompetent
ownership can do to a team and its fans from first hand experience. But
the sorrow for the fans of Oakland can't stay with me for very long.
After the beloved Raiders were so inept in the Super Bowl that you
would swear that they could not get jobs as firing squad targets, these
fans went out and rioted in the city. This was to celebrate what?
Certainly not the team's performance. Was this to honor the admission of
"Raider Nation" to the UMN – the United Moronic Nations? Some of these
civic-minded geniuses had to be subdued with rubber bullets because they
looted buildings and set fire to things such as police cars and fire
department vehicles. In one way, it is good to see the rioting and looting
and burning after a Raider loss, it shows that the Oakland fans are equal
opportunity boors.
The city fathers of Oakland and the ownership - as represented by Al
Davis -are not without guilt here too. Davis conned these geniuses into a
deal whereby they gave him one of those "guaranteed sellout" leases – such
as the one the Chargers have in San Diego – and it is costing the city
serious money. In addition, the city has other costs associated with its
deal to get the Raiders back in town and the annual output from city
coffers is estimated in various places to be in the range of $10-20M per
year. I have not been to Oakland in about 16 years so this next
observation is dated and could no longer be valid. But I doubt it. Oakland
is not a city that looks like it has such huge budget surpluses every year
that it takes the City Council months to figure how to bestow these riches
on deserving people and projects. Oakland looked to me like a marginally
upscale version of Newark NJ; got the picture?
So Al Davis fleeced the city fathers; and you might think that is the
reason that Al did not show up at the rally. Even he might be embarrassed;
can you actually gag a maggot? As Johnny Carson often said to Ed McMahon,
"Wrong, buffalo breath!" In the midst of all this, Al Davis is suing the
city of Oakland asking for $1.3 billion (not a typo) because the city
fathers "deceived him" when they promised him sellouts or the revenue
equivalent. Think about that; they deceived him out of $1.3 billion? Did
he misunderstand and think he was getting the deed to the city and not
merely the ceremonial keys to the city?
Who's to blame for all this nonsense? Everyone gets a richly deserved
splash of the blame-goo because no sector here seems to be sufficiently
oppressed that it comes close to justifying is horrid behavior. But add
the national sports media to the list of folks who deserve some censure
here. Instead of being a bunch of jock-sniffing sycophants, they might try
to stand up on their hind legs and call these folks what their actions
show them to be:
The team has lots of prima donnas who think their uninformed opinions
matter to others and who think they never have to say they are sorry.
And boy, are they ever sorry!
The ownership is sufficiently devious that you can't call it
two-faced. It has more faces than a clock factory.
The city fathers can choose between being portrayed as "gullible
buffoons" and/or fitting the description "as useful as a kick-stand on a
horse". I'm indifferent as to their choice; they can choose both if they
want!
The fans – the glorious "Raider Nation" – are merely front running,
fair-weather fans whose "original costumes" for the games are no longer
original - because all of them look the same.
Memo to FOX, ESPN, ABC, & CBS: Stop showing these ass clowns
on TV. You are only encouraging them and the other boneheads involved
in this less than comic opera.
I know. It's time for me to up the dosage on my medications. I'll get
right on that.
But don't get me wrong, I love sports...
|
Vote
for your favorite Chargers Fight Song:
Webmaster note: Permission to post this article
has been obtained: Author Richard Montenegro, El Centro, Calif.
7/30/03 - Memo to Alex and Dean Spanos: disco is dead.
With the exception of Beyoncé shaking her assets (mental picture, now
exhale) to that over-the-top, bitchin’ horn line on her hit single "Crazy in
Love," disco couldn’t be more out of vogue than, say, En Vogue, which is
why I can’t understand why the San Diego Chargers organization continues to
saddle such a fine team with such a sorry fight song.
(Like so many of our readers this time of year, I, too, am obsessed with the
NFL. This is still a music column, but it is allowing me to vent on my Chargers
fixation.)
Written and produced in 1979 by Jerry Marcellino and David Sieff and performed
by Captain Q.B. & The Big Boys (who?), "San Diego Super Chargers" hit the
airwaves the same year the team went on to win the first of three consecutive
AFC West titles behind the potent "Air Coryell" offense led by quarterback Dan
Fouts, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and John Jefferson and tight end Kellen
Winslow.
While in 1979 through 1981 the Chargers set a few total yardage marks, the squad
never made it to the Super Bowl. The closest coach Don Coryell’s squad would
come was a showdown against AFC West rival the Oakland Raiders in the 1980 AFC
championship game. Although San Diego captured the division, the wild-card
Raiders beat the Chargers in the AFC championship fracas 34-27.
"San Diego Super Chargers" is a grim reminder from an era of what-coulda-beens
and if-onlys. What’s worse is it’s disco, and not even good disco to (platform)
boot.
If anyone out there reading this column either hasn’t heard "San Diego Super
Chargers" or doesn’t remember it, it’s easily obtainable from the Internet. Go
get it now. Listen. Then keep reading. (Webmaster note: "San
Diego Super Chargers" is available to hear or download on the home page of this
website; click here.)
It seems to me the song needs to go away and a new one take its place. It’s
really quite an embarrassing piece of music without much of an interesting
melody or memorable line other than "San Diego Super Chargers! CHARGE!" It’s the
worst kind of example of all the mass-produced dreck coming out at the tail end
of the disco movement, a vapid era typified by polyester pants, butterfly
collars, "The Hustle" and coke spoons. Some cultural benchmarks. Something
meaningful to really hang your hat on.
And I don’t think I’m alone in my distaste for "San Diego Super Chargers." A
couple months back there was a poll on www.chargers.com, the official team Web
site, asking in so many words if the song should be retired. If I correctly
recall some 65 to 70 percent of those polled thought some kind of modernization
needed to happen.
Funny thing is I talked about the song with a colleague the other day, and he
was of the opinion "San Diego Super Chargers" was representative of a great team
and a great era of Chargers football and that the song needed to remain until
another great team reappeared.
"Air Coryell" was a magical time. There’s no discounting that. But a bad song is
a bad song, and the Chargers organization allowed itself to let a song borne of
the worst genre of music ever devised to stick to its team like a blood-sucking
leech.
Look at those heathens, the Raiders. They even have a great song. It’s simple,
majestic. It makes them look honorable, good, almost regal ... until you realize
it’s the Raiders.
The Chargers need a song like that. Something classy, if not classic.
To be honest, the time is right. The Chargers are on the cusp of greatness and
need a new song to usher in this new era, which could start as early as next
month. The team is not going to Los Angeles. It’s going to stay in San Diego.
Quarterback Drew Brees and running back LaDainian Tomlinson are going to go down
in history as two of the greatest at their positions ever and some Vince
Lombardi trophies will be on the horizon. A guy can dream can’t he?
Come on, Spanoses, go get us fans another song. So we can give "San Diego Super
Chargers" a long overdue funeral.
Used by permission of the Imperial Valley Press
LYRICS TO THE SAN DIEGO SUPER CHARGERS SONG
|
"San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
Charge!
We're coming your way,
We're gonna dazzle you with our super play.
The time has come,
You know we're shooting for number one.
With thunderbolts and lightning
We'll light up the sky,
We'll give it all we've got, and more
With the Super Charger try!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
Charge!
We've got a plan,
We're gonna do it for our super fans.
All we seek,
Is the goal line to victory.
We'll ignite you, excite you
With high voltage play.
We won't let up a minute,
We're going all the way - all the way!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
Charge!
We're coming your way
With the Super Chargers' play.
We're coming at you.
Now we're coming through!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
San Diego Super Chargers,
San Diego Chargers!
Charge! " |
|
Ross Warner -
ChargersUpdate.com
December 14, 2003 at 4:21pm ET
This San Diego Chargers season has been such a steady barrage of crap on
my senses, that it's difficult to pick a single topic to write about. Often
times, I find myself pointing out the same things over and over. But then
something happens or I read something that makes it impossible not to plant
myself in front of my keyboard.
It's 2:00 PM, Sunday afternoon and it's snowing like crazy here on the
Isle of Manhattan. In less than two hours, I'll be making my weekly trek
across town to watch the game at my buddy Mike's apartment. He has NFL
"Sunday Ticket," but the Bolts have been so bad this year that I'm relegated
to his television in the back room. There I find myself sucking down a
Miller High Life tallboy or a Wild Turkey and Diet Pepsi and surrounded by
his two cats, Dr. Jeffrey Wigan (from "The Insider") and Dizzy (from
"Starship Troopers"). They stick around until I get upset, at which point
they join the rest of my friends in the living room. I feel like Michael at
the end of Godfather II, when he's moping in kitchen during his father's
birthday party. Such is the life of a Chargers fan in December of 2003.
I wouldn't mind it all so much if I could see an end to the misery in
sight. Here's what gets me. This morning Chris Mortensen ran down his top
five "coaches on the hot seat" and Marty Schottenheimer was nowhere to be
found. At least he made the "on the bubble" category. My wife, who was
angrily trudging out the door to a wedding shower, shouted, "What do you
expect? It's the Chargers. I'm not surprised." She's right. Of course, San
Diego is the antithesis of New York in terms of being a pressure cooker to
perform in. But I can't blame the local fans for this. They want Marty out.
You read all the same articles and message boards that I do. It's The
Organization. The Spanoses are spending more time worrying about the
situation than what's happening (or not happening) on the field. Jim Fassel
will be run out of town for much lesser sins. Dan Reeves was shown the door
in Atlanta. Why should Schottenheimer be spared such a fate?
Even with Michael Vick 's injury, Reeves took the blame for not being
able to motivate his team. That's the bottom line. Look at the Jets. Herm
Edwards has those guys playing hard every week. We've already heard from
LaDanian Tomlinson that there are some Chargers who clearly gave up on this
season some time ago. I don't know of anybody who was excited when
Schottenheimer was hired, but no one could have expected things to be this
bad. Since the "Air Coryell" period, the Chargers have built one winning
team. The 1992-1996 Bolts were constructed by Bobby Beathard and I'm sure
the Spanoses figured that John Butler would have the same affect. Our late
general manager was largely the Schottenheimer hiring. With the influx of
effective elderly coaches, maybe Marv Levy would have been a better choice.
I don't know of anyone felt that the team's success during the first seven
games was due to his coaching. After all, the Chargers were 5-2 the year
before under Mike Riley .
Arthur Blank is trying to create a Mark Cubanesque, 21st century
ownership in Atlanta. He lowered ticket prices even as expectations for the
team were raised. He issued a written apology to the fans this year after
the team faltered sans Vick. With the exception of A.J. Smith's stock "we'll
evaluate everybody's performance at season's end" comments, I've heard
nothing from the The Organization about Schottenheimer's ineffectiveness
since he came to San Diego. It's not just the Bolts losing record over the
last two seasons that he should be blamed for. It's the WAY they've lost.
They've been undisciplined, lifeless, stupid and fundamentally horrible. If
it wasn't for LaDanian Tomlinson, they might not have beaten either
Cleveland OR Detroit.
The reality is that the Chargers may not have a chance at success until
the Spanoses sell the team. Dean Spanos is no Dan Rooney. Grandpa Al doesn't
leave his son with such an NFL pedigree that he can run this organization
effective. Alex Spanos wants to bring Super Bowl to the city of San Diego.
Unfortunately, those games won't actually feature the Chargers playing in
them. When Spanos looks at the Maras and Modells that comprise his peers, he
should recognize that these men built winning teams, not stadiums.
Sammy Davis , Quentin Jammer , Antonio Gates and even Zeke Moreno have
shown growth over the last few games. Nonetheless, we know that the Chargers
are lacking in talent. But look around the NFL. Free agency and the salary
cap have made it so that the difference between the first and last place is
not all that great. Depth is virtually impossible to have. Of course, the
quality of the play is not all that great, either. On the field, the
position that will have the greatest impact on where this team goes in the
future is quarterback. The other "NFL Countdown" segment that mentioned the
Chargers asked the question of whether he could be the quarterback of the
future. Michael Irvin said that if you can't hit the slant pass in the NFL,
you can't be the QB. Tom Jackson was mystified that any player with
Tomlinson behind him couldn't succeed.
Drew Brees will start these last three games as basically an audition for
a job that he thought he had wrapped up at the beginning of the year. It's
not Brees' fault that the Chargers fell behind in almost every game he
started, but to say that he wilted under the pressure would be a vast
understatement. He claims that he's ready to simplify the game for himself.
I assume that means he won't be overthrowing his receivers constantly.
Whether the Bolts actually have the opportunity the pick a quarterback in
April is unknown. You could certainly argue that they should pick one
regardless of these last three games. But if Brees can use Tomlinson and
Boston AT THE SAME TIME, it will fill me with some confidence. Would this
confidence be based on realism? I don't know, but I need something to
believe in at this point. It's getting pretty lonely in that back room and
cats don't seem to like the smell of whiskey.
|
Jesse Hayner - ChargersUpdate.com
March 17, 2004 at 4:08am ET
Perhaps there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll. Maybe
a UFO did land in Roswell and maybe the Chargers are leaving San
Diego for the unfriendly confines of Los Angeles. Of the three
the third is definitely the most likely.
Let's look at the facts:
The Chargers have been spending insane amounts of money on
players that did not warrant it. 15 million dollars for Stephen
Alexander ? A man who spends more time injured than Michael
Jackson does in court. Same for Tim Dwight . Not to mention Cory
Raymer , Marcellus Wiley , and David Boston . The last two
players are great players but need a supporting cast around
them. A kindergarten rendition of Romeo and Juliet has a better
supporting cast than the Chargers. As every Chargers fan knows,
the team has an out in their lease with the city should they
reach certain financial milestones in regards to player
salaries. Once these levels are reached the Chargers can trigger
an escape clause that essentially leaves San Diego behind. The
team says it has reached these levels and has triggered the
clause. Now the purge of players and salaries has begun. It
doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. And, of
course, there's always the move to Carson. The stated reasoning
for building team unity away from the beauty of La Jolla
obviously didn't work. Perhaps the team is planning on putting
all of its eggs in one basket. Now, some of the less
conspiracy-minded individuals may be saying, "But the team knows
that if they put a sub-standard product on the field no one will
come to the games and they'll lose money." The mayor and city
council have eradicated that argument themselves. The Chargers
offered to void the ticket guarantee and the city, so careful to
avoid looking weak to the voters, shot it down. Now the city is
on the hook for untold millions when the Chargers go 0-16. By
the end of the season Qualcomm will look like a parking lot. The
Chargers will draft a quarterback this year with their pick. A
quarterback takes a couple of years to fully develop. By the
time he hits his stride the Spanos' will be sipping carbon
monoxide-polluted Champagne in Los Angeles. And there's always
the added bonus of having the first pick in the draft next year
to haul in another impact player. The Los Angeles Chargers
should be a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, back in San
Diego Qualcomm stadium will be a haven for birds and Monster
Truck rallies and the City Council and Mayor will be saying,
"Yes, we have no professional football team, but at least we
weren't push-overs!" Maybe they'll be able to swing a deal to
bring the world's largest open-air flea market to Qualcomm.
That'll be exciting. |
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MORE TO COME...
If you know of an editorial you think all Chargers fans would enjoy, send me an
email and tell me where it is?
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