Simply Dynamic Sports Blog!

Miami still seeks coach

2012-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Miami Dolphins continue to seek new talent for 2012.

Dolphins take on new look

2011-12-12T13:31:00.001-08:00

The Miami Dolphins are taking on a new look after firing their coach today.

Chargers, Titans post wins

2011-12-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

The San Diego Chargers and Tennessee Titans both won last week.

Cardinals looking better

2011-11-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

The Arizona Cardinals are looking much better with two straight wins after starting 1-6.

Redskins need to pick it up

2011-11-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Washington redskins haven't looked very good the last two weeks. John Beck needs to pick it up.

Friday!

2011-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

It's Friday! The weekend is almost here.

Phillies to win World Series?

2010-04-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

For the record, here are our predictions for the 2010 Major League Baseball season:

NL West
Colorado
Los Angeles
San Francisco
San Diego
Arizona

NL Central
St. Louis
Milwaukee
Cincinnati
Chicago
Houston
Pittsburgh

NL East
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Florida
New York
Washington

AL West
Texas
Anaheim
Seattle
Oakland

AL Central
Minnesota
Chicago
Detroit
Cleveland
Kansas City

AL East
Boston
New York
Tampa Bay
Baltimore
Toronto

NL Wild Card: Los Angeles
AL Wild Card: New York
World Series: Philadelphia over Boston

Lack of character prevails in the NFL

2010-03-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Let’s say you are the Cincinnati Bengals and are desperate for a wide receiver to play opposite Chad Ochocinco.

Do you go after Brandon Marshall? Terrell Owens? Antonio Bryant?

The numbers say Marshall or Owens. The attitude says none of the three.

Sure, Marshall had 101 receptions for 1,120 yards and 10 TDs for the Denver Broncos last season. But do you really want a spoiled brat who started training camp by kicking a football away from a ball boy and ended in his team’s doghouse?

Owens did have 55 catches for 849 yards and 5 TDs for the Buffalo Bills. Yet with his diminishing skills and me-first attitude, do you really want him?

Bryant had 39 catches for 600 yards and 4 TDs last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yet this is a guy who has already talked his way out of three cities.

Perhaps the Bengals should keep looking for a “team” player with less ability … but a better attitude.

On the character issue, how about the latest from the San Diego Chargers?

Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune (who kisses up every chance possible to Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith) suggests the Chargers got rid of Antonio Cromartie due to his “lack of character.”

That being the case, how do the Chargers keep wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who has two driving under the influence (DUI) convictions in three years … among other things?

Perhaps “lack of character” gets overlooked if you are producing. Otherwise, Jackson would be going down the road with Cromartie.

Chargers are a team in transition

2010-03-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

For a team that won their last 11 regular-season games, the San Diego Chargers sure seem to be in transition.

After losing their first playoff game to the New York Jets, the Chargers are tearing apart their roster … as if the window is slamming on their Super Bowl chances.

Although Darren Sproles will be back, they need an every-down running back to replace LaDainian Tomlinson.

Jamal Williams, the stalwart of their defense for many years, needs to be replaced at nose tackle.

Kassim Osgood, the All-Pro special teams’ player, will be off to different pastures.

Brandon Manumaleuna, the steady back-up tight end, is off to the Chicago Bears.

Then there’s the question if Antoine Cason can replace Antonio Cromartie (traded to the New York Jets) as a starting cornerback.

Suddenly, the Chargers aren’t so strong at right tackle, tight end and running back depth, the defensive line, the secondary, and special teams.

Luckily, thanks to the NFL collective bargaining agreement, at least they won’t lose linebacker Shawne Merriman, receivers Malcom Floyd and Vincent Jackson or left tackle Marcus McNeill to free agency before the 2010 season.

The Chargers appear weaker … but remember … they reside in the NFL’s weakest division with Denver, Kansas City and Oakland.

That traditionally makes their path to the playoffs much easier.

Chargers' Cromartie headed to New York Jets?

2010-03-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

So you think the San Diego Chargers are going to trade cornerback Antonio Cromartie to the Detroit Lions?

Not so fast!

Clark Judge, the great writer for cbssports.com, says Cromartie may be headed to the New York Jets.

Yes, the same Jets who stunned the Chargers and knocked them out of the playoffs. Yes, the same Jets’ whose Shonn Greene made a 53-yard TD run vs. the Chargers because Cromartie pulled up when he was about to make a hit on Greene.

The Jets must be thinking they will get the Cromartie of 2007 who had 10 interceptions, made the Pro Bowl and returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a TD.

By doing so, they overlook the Cromartie with seven kids in six different states … and who has been a failure on the field the past two years.

If Cromartie returns to his 2007 form, imagine what the Jets would be like. Darrelle Revis of New York is already the best cornerback in the NFL.

As Judge so rightly points out, the Jets like to make a splash before each season.

A year ago they traded for Cleveland's first pick and turned it into Mark Sanchez. The year before they traded for Brett Favre. Making bold moves is nothing new for them, and coach Rex Ryan last week said he was open to “anything that can help us get better.”

Could Cromartie be next on their radar?

Padres' Gonzalez a future White Sox player?

2010-03-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

So now, Jake Peavy is making a pitch for his Chicago White Sox to obtain first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from Peavy’s former team, the San Diego Padres.

Not a bad way for Peavy to try to make his voice heard during his first spring training with the White Sox.

Chicago could use Gonzalez, who most certainly will be gone from the low-budget Padres before his contract expires after the 2011 season.

The White Sox lack a big left-handed hitter, which is where Gonzalez and his 40 home runs/99 RBI from last season could fit in. (He was also walked 119 times last season as opponents habitually pitched around him in a weak San Diego lineup.)

The question concerns what the White Sox would be willing to give in return for Gonzalez.

Speculation has it they would be OK with trading power-hitting third baseman Gordon Beckham, who had 14 home runs and 63 RBI in 103 games last season.

The last time San Diego and the Chisox made a trade last summer, Chicago gave up plenty to get 2007 Cy Young award winner Peavy.

San Diego received its current No. 4 starting pitcher Clayton Richard, along with probable future major-league pitchers Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter.

If the White Sox are willing to trade Beckham and a couple other so-called prospects, they could likely land Gonzalez.

But if Chicago is unwilling to deal Beckham, then it probably does not have enough prospects to make a Gonzalez trade worthwhile for the Padres.

Dodgers fans will pay price to see Yankees

2010-02-26T09:24:00.000-08:00

So if you live in Los Angeles and want to watch the Dodgers play Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees this summer … you’re going to have to pay a big price.

Forget about buying single-game tickets when the Yankees come to Los Angeles on June 25-27.

If you’re a Dodgers (or Yankees) fan and want to watch the Bronx Bombers in LA, you’ll have to buy a 14-, 21-, or 28-game package to do so.

Ouch!

So much for the “average” fan getting to see the Yankees-Dodgers renew what once seemed like an annual World Series match-up in generations past.

The Dodgers anticipate selling out all three Yankees games via ticket packages. If tickets remain available, they'll be sold individually at a later date. Hey, buy your Yankees tickets now and at least you’ll get to see the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals come to town, lol.

This is similar to a ticket ploy of the San Diego Chargers several years ago when they used to lose regularly to the Oakland Raiders … instead of the Chargers now having won 13 straight against Oakland.

To keep the stadium from being comprised of primarily Raiders fans 10 or so years ago, the Chargers made people buy tickets to several other games besides Chargers-Raiders.

The Dodgers really don’t need much of an attendance boost from what they normally draw annually. But selling out the Yankees series will probably assure other sellouts this season.

Tomlinson, Westbrook losses will be felt

2010-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Which team is going to miss its star running back more?

Will it be the San Diego Chargers without LaDainian Tomlinson, or the Philadelphia Eagles without Brian Westbrook?

Without a doubt, the vote here goes to the Chargers without LT.

The problem with San Diego is that it does not have any succession planning at running back. Darren Sproles, who split time with Tomlinson last season, will likely also leave the team because it would cost the Chargers more than $7 million to keep him.

So does that mean the Chargers will try to get by with Michael Bennett, Mike Tolbert and Jacob Hester? For their sake, let’s hope not.

One thing the Chargers have in their favor is playing in an incredibly weak AFC West with Denver, Kansas City and Oakland.

The Cleveland Browns couldn’t win that division … and the Buffalo Bills might not be able to, either.

But 10 other AFC teams would certainly win the AFC West if they switched places with the Chargers. They include New England, the New York Jets, Miami, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville.

As for the Eagles, they must get along without Westbrook in the always-tough NFC East with Dallas, the New York Giants and Washington.

Westbrook missed half of last season with two concussions and an ankle injury. But at least the Eagles have done some succession planning.

LeSean McCoy was being groomed to replace Westbrook in 2011; now that process will need to speed up by a year. Even so, McCoy gives the Eagles more than the Chargers will have at running back if they lose Sproles.

Ironically, Tomlinson could very well end up signing with the Eagles. Wouldn’t it be something if the Super Bowl that he never realized in San Diego became a reality in Philadelphia?

Winter Olympics: Another 'Miracle on Ice' brewing?

2010-02-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

“Do you believe in miracles? YES!”

We all remember those words from the legendary Al Michaels 30 years ago today.

If you were alive then, you most likely recall where you were that day when the United States stunned the world and the Soviet Union, 4-3, in the Winter Olympics men’s hockey competition at Lake Placid, N.Y.

Heck, the Soviets – a team of professionals – had not lost in the Olympics since 1968 and were surely considered the best team in the world. And the Americans, coached by Herb Brooks, were a team full of amateurs and college kids that had lost to the Soviets, 10-3, in an exhibition prior to the games.

American Mark Johnson scored a goal in the third period to tie the Olympics game, 3-3; and, with 10 minutes left, captain Mike Eruzione put the United States up, 4-3. Goalie Jim Craig held the lead as time wound down … and we heard Michaels’ famous call:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGACsSW4Iqw

So, now, could there be another Winter Olympics miracle brewing after the U.S. defeated a heavily favored Canadian team, 5-3, Sunday night in Vancouver?

Brian Rafalski has four goals in the entire NHL season … but he has two straight multi-goal games for the U.S. Goalie Ryan Miller stopped 42 shots by the Canadians after making 24 saves combined in the first two games.

Do you believe in another “Miracle on Ice” some 30 years later?

Why not?

Tiger Woods heads the class of sports cheaters

2010-02-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods … or should we call him Cheetah Woods … is certainly the leader of the pack when it comes to sports lowlifes.

He did nothing to change that impression with his somewhat emotional statement-reading Friday morning when he refused to answer questions.

Woods can’t take away the facts that he committed adultery with more than a dozen women; or paid millions of dollars to cover it up.

He did make a point when he told the media to leave his family alone. But sadly, when you’re a person of his stature, you bring it on yourself when you have multiple affairs on top of the fact you treated people poorly for years while you were on top of the world.

“I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you," Woods read from his statement. “I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position. I have a lot to atone for. I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was unacceptable and I am the only person to blame.”

Give his wife, Elin, credit for not appearing in the room.

Woods is hardly alone when it comes to athletes and cheating.

How about former Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry with nine different kids by nine different women?

Or San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie with seven kids by six different women? And now he’s reportedly being sued for lack of child support by a woman who was his fiancée until Cromartie got somebody else pregnant while they were engaged.

Baseball?

You’ve seen and heard about the likes of Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez and Mark McGwire when it comes to another type of cheating … performance-enhancing substances.
McGwire (presumably) only came clean so that he could return to baseball as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The sporting world is full of cheaters. Cheetah Woods is at the head of the class.

Are Chargers preparing to trade Cromartie to Dallas or Green Bay?

2010-02-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

So now the San Diego Chargers are exploring to trade cornerback Antonio Cromartie for a running back, according to ESPN’s esteemed reporter Chris Mortensen.

Good luck getting much for Cromartie.

The youtube video of No. 31 Cromartie backing off a tackle of Shonn Greene in the past season’s playoffs certainly has damaged Cromartie’s reputation. All he had to do is put a hit on Greene and the New York Jets’ running back certainly would not have scored a 53-yard touchdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na4cE3m2Gwo

Cromartie had great value after a 2007 Pro Bowl season in which he intercepted 10 passes, as well as made all the highlight films on ESPN, etc. with a 109-yard touchdown return of a missed field goal vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

Since then, his career has taken a downward spiral culminated by his missed tackle vs. the Jets … not to mention much-publicized partying off the field (and the fact he has seven kids by five different women.)

The Chargers could trade with the Dallas Cowboys, who are overloaded at running back with Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, and Felix Jones. Maybe the Cowboys would be willing to trade one of the three with the belief that a new start would be good for the once highly-regarded Cromartie.

San Diego is in need of a running back for two reasons: (a) LaDainian Tomlinson will soon be released, and (b) Darren Sproles is a pending restricted free agent who would be due $7.3 million in 2010 if the Chargers tender him a contract, a 10 percent increase over his 2009 franchise-tag salary of $6.67 million.

The Green Bay Packers are in need of a cornerback, so they could also be in the market for Cromartie.

Cromartie’s departure could leave the Chargers thin at CB, where Quentin Jammer is a star but the rest are questionable. Among other things, Antoine Cason has not progressed as well as the Chargers had hoped after making him their No. 1 draft pick two years ago.

Trading Cromartie would rid the Chargers of someone not considered a “team” player … but it could leave holes at cornerback and running back (depending on what the team gets in return.)

Football withdrawals? There's much else to watch

2010-02-15T09:24:00.001-08:00

Did anybody else go through football withdrawals over the weekend?

We get so used to college football (beginning the last weekend of August) to the NFL (beginning the Sunday after Labor Day.) Then when the Super Bowl is over and everyone goes home, it’s hard to believe that the games which are now on nearly every day or night of the week are over.

No more Drew Brees and the miracle New Orleans Saints. No more Peyton Manning and the can’t-do-more-than-come-close Indianapolis Colts.

Heck, there are even withdrawals for Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo … and maybe Brett Favre (except for the endless “will he come back? stories.)

At least there was plenty to settle for over the weekend if you like:

An NBA All-Star game before nearly 109,000 fans in the Jerry Jones/Dallas Cowboys palace. And how about Dwayne Wade with 28 points and 11 assists?

A Daytona 500 race that would never end with more than two hours of pothole delays … and more than a few wrecks at the end that made the race last forever. At least Jamie McMurray could celebrate victory and Dale Earnhardt Jr. a strong second-place finish.

The 2010 Winter Olympics with endless TV coverage and American Johnny Spillane becoming the first American ever to win a medal in Nordic combined. Now we can focus on the extensive coverage of the likes of Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn.

And don’t forget Dustin Johnson becoming the first golfer to win the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in consecutive years.

As it continues to freeze in many parts of the country, here’s something that will make many warm. Spring training begins this week for MLB teams!

Outdoors Super Bowl on East Coast? Forget it!

2010-02-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

You’ve seen the weather on television … or experienced it if you live in many parts of the country.

Snow storms all across the East Coast last weekend cancelled numerous sporting events. More snow has continued to pile up.

So, do you really think the 2014 Super Bowl should be played outdoors in the conditions at the new football stadium of the New York Giants and New York Jets in New Jersey?

Just think if last weekend’s Super Bowl game had been scheduled for the metropolitan New York area.

Do you think Drew Brees would have been able to complete 32 passes? Do you think Brees and Peyton Manning would’ve had such a great passing showdown?

How about Tracy Porter returning an interception in the piling snow?

Had the game been played in New Jersey, both teams would have been primarily forced to abandon the pass and go with the run.

This is not to mention what would have happened with tens of thousands of visitors in town for the Super Bowl. It’s bad enough that locals could hardly get around last weekend; what if the Super Bowl and its throngs had been in town?

The next three Super Bowls are scheduled indoors: The Jerry Jones/Dallas Cowboys palace in 2011; Indianapolis in 2012 and New Orleans in 2013.

As for an outdoor/East Coast Super Bowl in 2014: Forget it. Just take a look at the conditions of when the Super Bowl was played last weekend.

Rodgers more likely to win Super Bowl than Rivers?

2010-02-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Daniel Jeremiah, the excellent former scout for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns, offers a very informative Web site at http://www.movethesticks.com/.

Recently, he asked five NFL executives, scouts and coaches the following question: “Which QB will be the next to win his first Super Bowl, Rivers or Rodgers?”

The result may surprise you.

All five people picked Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers to win a Super Bowl before Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers.

Quite interesting, especially since the Chargers are picked second behind the Indianapolis Colts in (very early) odds to win next year’s Super Bowl.

Perhaps this is a sign of the times.

The Packers are seen as a team on the rise with such stars as Rodgers, RB Ryan Grant, WR Greg Jennings and WR Donald Driver leading a very potent offense.

Perhaps the Chargers are seen as a team on the demise because of the certain departure of RB LaDainian Tomlinson, maybe the departure of CB Antonio Cromartie, weak offensive and defensive lines and the stigma that coach Norv Turner can’t win a big game.

Jeremiah’s question opens up an interesting discussion of the future possibilities for the Packers and Chargers.

Yes, Jeremiah is a former QB at Appalachian State University and the son of David Jeremiah … the dynamic pastor at Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif., best-selling author and leader of Turning Point Ministry.

Here’s hoping and praying that Daniel Jeremiah soon gets another job that he so richly deserves in the NFL.

Will Tomlinson follow Brees to Super Bowl?

2010-02-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

First, Drew Brees; next LaDainian Tomlinson?

Seems like yesterday’s trash for the San Diego Chargers turns out to be a treasure for someone else.

By now, we’re all more than familiar with how the Chargers discarded Brees … only to see him win a Super Bowl four years later with the New Orleans Saints.

Tomlinson could become the next Chargers reject to win a Super Bowl elsewhere. We’ll see where he goes next season, and certainly what happens.

Rodney Harrison was still a popular Charger when he went to New England and won a couple of Super Bowls. Will Tomlinson follow in his footsteps; not to mention those of LT’s good buddy Brees?

The problem with the Chargers appears to be that whenever they get rid of a veteran player/coach, the front office is so clumsy in doing so.

Do the names Donnie Edwards, Marty Schottenheimer and Lorenzo Neal ring a bell – along with the abovementioned and Junior Seau?

Drew Brees is Exhibit A of a disturbing pattern in San Diego. Notice how he has a Super Bowl trophy, while the Chargers don’t even have a Super Bowl appearance in the past 15 years?

Drew Brees: Good guy to pull for

2010-02-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

There are many reasons to hope that Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

You can start with the fact that Brees was discarded like yesterday’s bread by the San Diego Chargers after he suffered a severe shoulder injury during the final game of 2005.

Then you can consider how he has overcome that injury to rebuild the Saints … and help in the rebuilding of New Orleans.

And the latter is what counts most. Brees signed with the Saints shortly after Hurricane Katrina and has followed up on his pledge to do all he can to help rebuild the city of New Orleans.

Above all, you must cheer for Brees because of his Brees Dream Foundation and how it has positively affected thousands of people.

The foundation was founded in 2003 with a mission to advance research in the fight against cancer and provide care, education and opportunities for children in need.

Since its inception, the Brees Dream Foundation has committed more than $4.5 million to charitable causes in the New Orleans, San Diego and West Lafayette/Purdue communities (the locales where his football career have taken him.)

http://www.drewbrees.com/foundation

Yes, you must cheer for Brees because he is a good guy. You must also pull for him because of the way he rebounded after San Diego tossed him aside.

That being said:

Super Bowl prediction:
Indianapolis 28, New Orleans 25

Tomlinson unloads on Chargers teammates

2010-02-03T10:25:00.001-08:00

There’s an old saying that the most honest employee is one who’s on his/her way out the door.

At that point, there’s no holding back because the organization is powerless to retaliate against you.

Say hello to the world of LaDainian Tomlinson on his way out the door with the San Diego Chargers.

During an interview with Billy Ray Smith and Scott Kaplan on radio station XX 1090 AM, Tomlinson said that he “would not take a pay cut under any circumstances” like he did before last season. Say goodbye to LT.

Tomlinson acknowledged that he was unhappy with changes within the organization, but declined to specify what bothered him, according to nationalfootballpost.com.

“Things were always there that happened over time,” Tomlinson said, adding that the Chargers' playoff loss to the New York Jets brought a lot of issues to the surface. “I didn't feel the unity and togetherness in the locker room at times this season.

“We're at a point where guys come into the league and it's not about the same values anymore. I just can't deal with that kind of stuff.”

Maybe it’s Vincent Jackson with his DUIs and driving without a license. Maybe it’s Shawne Merriman and his troubles with Tila Tequila. Maybe it’s Antonio Cromartie with his getting into public disputes and inability to make tackles. Maybe it’s something/someone else.

LT has never been as happy as a Charger since Marty Schottenheimer was fired after a 14-2 season and replaced by Norv Turner for losing in the Divisional playoffs three seasons ago. (Makes you wonder why Turner survives after going 13-3 and losing in the Divisional playoffs this season.)

All in all, it’s the start of what should be a very interesting offseason for the Chargers.

New Orleans Saints RB follows Faulk's footsteps

2010-02-01T09:43:00.001-08:00

Marshall Faulk of the NFL Network won’t be the only former San Diego State University running back at this week’s Super Bowl.

Lynell Hamilton of the New Orleans Saints could see a few snaps at running back as long as an ankle injury doesn’t prevent him from playing.

Do you remember Hamilton?

He came to SDSU as the most highly-touted running back since Faulk … and he started out like he might be the next great Aztec runner.

Then, a serious Joe Theismann-type knee injury his freshman year slowed him down for the rest of his SDSU career. Even so, Hamilton still finished with 1,087 rushing yards as a freshman and became the 10th Aztec ever to rush for more than 2,000 career yards.

While primarily a blocking back with the Saints, Hamilton did score a rushing touchdown in the Divisional round playoff game vs. the Arizona Cardinals and is the team’s third-leading rusher in the playoffs.

All told, Hamilton rushed 35 times for 125 yards and two TDs during the regular season. The second-year running back had his best career game with 10 carries for 48 yards and one TD in the regular-season finale vs. the Carolina Panthers.

When you think of the New Orleans offense, certainly players such as Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Devery Henderson, Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey come to mind.

But don’t forget Lynell Hamilton: He could become the first SDSU running back since Marshall Faulk to possess a Super Bowl championship ring.

Pro Bowl is fine before the Super Bowl

2010-01-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

You won’t see Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Philip Rivers playing for the AFC “all stars” in this Sunday’s Pro Bowl at Miami.

Ditto for Drew Brees and Brett Favre for the NFC.

The Pro Bowl – being played for the first time before the Super Bowl – seems like a good idea for some and a bad idea for others.

It’s a bad idea in that you won’t see any Super Bowl players from the New Orleans Saints or Indianapolis Colts. But some like me believe it’s a good idea since football season should end with the Super Bowl.

No matter when you play it, the Pro Bowl is anticlimactic.

The argument against this week’s game certainly is based on Super Bowl participants being excluded. But when you think about it, a high percentage of Super Bowl players in the past decided to skip the game for various reasons. (Why play in a meaningless game after being involved in the ultimate championship game?)

Even this year, players are skipping the Pro Bowl. Ones such as Brady and Favre are healing from injuries; Rivers’ wife is due to have their fifth child near game time.

So the AFC is left with the likes of Matt Schaub, Vince Young and David Garrard at QB. The NFC will go with a more formidable group of Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo.

It may seem too bad that you won’t see any 2010 Super Bowl players in this game. But would you really have wanted to watch them anyhow if the Pro Bowl was played after the Super Bowl?

Prediction:
NFC 31, AFC 27

AL West is gaining on the Angels

2010-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Anaheim Angels may finally be getting some competition in the AL West division that they have dominated for so long.

Certainly the Oakland A’s made a move in the right direction by signing pitcher Ben Sheets … as long as he’s over the elbow surgery that sidelined him all of last season.

Sheets joins a formidable rotation with two-time All Star Justin Duchscherer, Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden.

In addition, the A’s have added punch and pop with new center fielder Coco Crisp and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.

The Texas Rangers certainly have added power with the free agent signing of former Angel Vladimir Guerrero to an already potent offense.

Plus, with Nolan Ryan included in the team’s new ownership group, look for Rangers’ pitchers to take on some of the toughness Ryan displayed in his Hall of Fame career. No more babying pitchers; let’s see how far they can go in a game rather than how soon they can come out!

As for the Seattle Mariners, the likes of standout pitcher Cliff Lee and former Angel third baseman Chone Figgins will be a definite upgrade in 2010.

The Angels? Not only have they lost top players to division rivals; they also lost ace John Lackey to the Boston Red Sox.

When the Angels look back, they are going to find people are gaining on them this season.

Union-Tribune love affair with Norv Turner is sickening

2010-01-25T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, it’s best just to sit back and let others do the talking for you.

Such was the case in the Sunday edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

We all know Chargers beat writer Kevin Acee has a (sports) love affair with Chargers coach Norv Turner … and the paper’s columnists follow his lead.

Our only comment is that Marty Schottenheimer was 33-17 in his last three years with the Chargers. Norv Turner took over the same group – with more maturity – and has gone 35-19 the past three years.

It’s a virtual push between Schottenheimer and Turner; but you’d never know it by the U-T writers who blame Marty for everything that went wrong in his era … and Norv for nothing that has failed in his tenure.

Enjoy the reading:

A different take on U-T’s love affair with Norv
By D Brent Mote

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s two sports columnists, Nick Canepa and Tim Sullivan, as well as Chargers beat writer Kevin Acee, have such a bromance going with Norv Turner you wonder if they exchange Valentine’s cards. Fortunately, they back up everything they write with facts, right?

Well, to quote Mark Twain (or Benjamin Disraeli or Charles Wentworth Dilke, take your pick), “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Which means if you crop the statistical picture just right, you can support any position you care to take.

So, in the spirit of balance, here’s what I think of the “facts”:

•Turner has more playoff wins than Sid Gillman and George Allen combined.
Wow. Could that be right? Yes, it is, but it’s also misleading.
Allen lost a lot of playoff games. It kind of defined who he was. You know, the Marty Schottenheimer of the 1970s. Additionally, there were fewer playoff rounds in the ’60s and ’70s. In some cases, a lot fewer. As in one.

•Turner has a better winning percentage with the Chargers than Bill Walsh had with the 49ers or Chuck Noll had with the Steelers.
Walsh coached 10 years with the 49ers, Noll 23 with the Steelers, Turner three so far with the Chargers. This is like comparing apples and applesauce. If you include the time Turner spent in Washington and Oakland, his winning percentage drops significantly, well below the other two men.

•Turner led the Chargers to a 13-3 record with little or no running game.
Absolutely true. Trouble is, Turner inherited the second best running game in the league and turned it into the worst. (OK, next to worst.) LaDainian Tomlinson went from a league-best 1,815 yards in 2006 under Schottenheimer to 730 this year, and from an NFL-record 28 touchdowns rushing to 12.
Turner has stated repeatedly that he has a commitment to running the football. What he hasn’t said is he has a commitment to running the football well. Look, when you take the No. 2 rushing attack and turn it into the 31st, you’re either exaggerating your commitment or you don’t know what you’re doing.

•The poor running game isn’t Turner’s fault; LT has lost a step.
Yes, he has. But continually slamming him into the line doesn’t help. He’s not built for that, never was. In fact, any sane person would stop doing it at some point. Or, to quote Albert Einstein, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

•Turner has the best winning percentage in Chargers history.
Well, why wouldn’t he? At 14-2, the Chargers were one of the most talented teams in the league when Turner took over and few coaches have been given the keys to a juggernaut like that right off the bat. I could be wrong, but I think a dancing bear could go 8-8 with this team. Which, if you recall, Turner did last year.

•Unlike Schottenheimer, Turner is cool under pressure.
I don’t know if “cool” is the right word. “Aloof” or “spaced” might be better, but regardless, it’s worked — until Sunday. Sunday, Turner was anything but cool. Sunday, he was a sputtering basket case. He almost jumped headfirst into a pile for a loose ball at one point.

•Turner is an offensive genius.
True, he is. Sometimes. Other times, not so much. Sunday’s loss to the Jets falls into the “not so much” category. I think we need to find out if Turner has a twin brother and if the two like to pull the old twin switcheroo from time to time because the man we see on the sidelines is not always the same guy. He can’t be.
Look, I wish Norv Turner well. I want him to win a Super Bowl with San Diego. I’m not even sure I want him fired anymore. (Yeah, like that was going to happen.)
But what I really want is some honest, unvarnished criticism of the guy, so maybe, just maybe, he won’t continue to make the same mistakes year after year and maybe the Chargers will finally win that Super Bowl we all crave.

And that is a fact.

Here’s more:

THE TOADY:Marty Schottenheimer takes over an average team, turns them around after several years, creates a 14-2 team that plays competitively but loses their first game in the playoffs to an equal or superior team, the New England Patriots. For this fine effort he is fired.

Norv Turner is handed an exceptional team, and, for several years, guides them to fewer and fewer wins. Then, in 2009, they complete a 13-3 season, and, after a first-round bye (during which players rested, returned to health, and had an additional week to game-plan and strategize) play an uninspired and poorly coached game in losing to the underdog New York Jets.

For this poor effort he is awarded a contract extension.

The Chargers need a true leader, not a misplaced offensive coordinator whose main selling point is that of being a “toady” for Smith and Spanos. The Bolts will not reach the Super Bowl as long as Turner is head coach.

Bill Geyer

Rancho Palos Verdes

Jets ready to stun the world in AFC title game

2010-01-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

Joe Namath won’t quite say so; so we’ll do it for him.

The Jets are going to shock the world and beat the Colts in the AFC Championship game Sunday.

It won’t quite have the impact as when Namath and the New York Jets surprised the NFL world by beating the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, 16-7 … but it will be close.

The Indianapolis Colts will know how their Baltimore predecessors felt after the Jets come in and turn the football world upside-down again this weekend.

Hey, it won’t be news to Jets coach Rex Ryan. He’s been predicting a Super Bowl victory/parade for the past couple of weeks.

If anybody can stop Indy’s potent offense, it’s the Jets.

As the San Diego Chargers discovered last week, you basically can’t/don’t throw to the side where Jets’ CB Darrelle Revis is in coverage. That leaves one side to throw to … and Peyton Manning will find that very disruptive this week.

Oh, sure, people will recall how the Colts were beating the Jets before Manning and his mates were pulled four weeks ago (and saw their undefeated season go up in smoke.) But the Colts were only winning by five points in the third quarter at the time.

Ask the Chargers. The more they let the Jets stay close last Sunday; the more New York had a chance to win.

The Jets rely heavily on three “rookies:” head coach Ryan, QB Mark Sanchez and RB Shonn Greene.

Can they stun the NFL again this week? We say “yes.”

Predictions:
Jets 16, Colts 14
Saints 27, Vikings 23

Will Chargers release Vincent Jackson due to character issues?

2010-01-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

General Manager A.J. Smith is on record as saying that the San Diego Chargers will get rid of players who are not of good “character.”

Oh, really?

Let’s see what the Chargers do with standout wide receiver Vincent Jackson before judging whether they are all about character.

It has been well documented that Jackson was arrested one year ago and charged with drunken driving. (His lawyer was successfully able to put off the court case throughout the 2009 season so that Jackson could play without possible suspension.)

This comes after Jackson pleaded guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving in 2006 and drew five years probation. Yes, the current charge is within that five-year period.

On top of this, we have discovered that Jackson hitched a ride to Sunday’s playoff game against the New York Jets with QB Philip Rivers because Jackson was stopped by police on game day for “loud music” and then was found to be driving without a personal license in a car with expired registration.

When all of these matters are sorted out, Jackson will likely draw a 2- to 4-game suspension from Commissioner Roger Goodell at the beginning of the 2010 season.

The obvious is that Jackson is not a man of “character.” The bigger question is whether the Chargers will let him walk due to his lack of character.

It would be easy to let LB Shawne Merriman and CB Antonio Cromartie leave before next season due to personal issues they’ve experienced. After all, their production has slipped.

But Jackson had his best season ever in 2009 and continues to get better. What happens from here will be very interesting.

Should Chargers fire Norv Turner?

2010-01-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

Should Norv Turner be fired as head coach of the San Diego Chargers?

Of course it’s not going to happen; not with his good buddy A.J. Smith as the general manager.

But should it happen in the wake of Sunday’s 17-14 stunning upset loss to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional playoffs?

History says yes, at least according to Smith’s logic.

Three years ago, Marty Schottenheimer was fired after a 24-21 AFC Divisional loss (also at home) to the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Schottenheimer went 14-2 that year, but it wasn’t good enough to keep his job.

Sure, Turner is 3-3 in the playoffs for San Diego; Schottenheimer was 0-2. But that’s what you expected with Schottenheimer, a guy who historically turned around bad teams and lost in the playoffs.

The Chargers were 23-57 in the five years preceding Schottenheimer. He then went 47-35 the next five years, including the playoffs. (Quite a turnaround, indeed.)

With Turner, the Chargers haven’t taken it to the next level. He took over a loaded team yet has only advanced past the Divisional round one more time than his predecessor.

And this season’s 17-14 loss to the Jets was reminiscent – and perhaps as bad – as what is perceived to be the worst playoff loss in Chargers history, a similar 17-14 defeat to the undermanned Houston Oilers in 1979. The Oilers were minus QB Dan Pastorini, RB Earl Campbell and WR Ken Burroughs due to injury but still won as Dan Fouts of San Diego threw five interceptions.

Jets coach Rex Ryan knew what he was talking about when he said the Chargers were "due" for a bad game this weekend. After all, Philip Rivers had his worst game in months (two interceptions, 76.9 passer rating) and Nate Keading, with the best field goal percentage in history, missed three kicks vs. New York.

Stupidity also played a part vs. the Jets. How else do you explain Shaun Phillips being penalized for a head butt or Vincent Jackson drawing a 15-yard flag for kicking a challenge flag thrown by Ryan?

Back to the original question: Will Turner be let go? Answer: Not likely.

Should he go? Let history do the talking.

Jets hope Rivers shuts down, shuts up

2010-01-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

The New York Jets want to shut Philip Rivers down so they can shut him up.

Easier said than done.

Rivers is the hottest QB in the NFL right now. His San Diego Chargers have won 11 in a row, scored at least 20 points in every game and there is no end in sight.

Give credit, though, to New York Jets coach Rex Ryan. He is talking so big that he has probably convinced himself the Jets can beat the heavily-favored Chargers this Sunday in the AFC Divisional playoffs.

Rivers should have plenty to talk about. Even if the Jets shut down Chargers WR Vincent Jackson with CB Darrelle Revis in coverage, the Chargers can still find Antonio Gates or Malcom Floyd wide open (or finally establish a running game with LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles.)

For the Jets to win, their vaunted rushing attack will have to fare well against San Diego’s not-so-good rushing defense. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene have both shown they are more than capable RBs behind a line featuring three Pro Bowl selections: center Nick Mangold, left guard Alan Faneca and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

If the Jets get behind early, they will have trouble catching up behind rookie QB Mark Sanchez. That’s why San Diego can put the game away before halftime if it jumps out to a sizeable lead.

In fact, look for Rivers to go long on the first play of the game to Jackson … just to test Revis and make a statement for the Chargers.

Speaking of statements, visiting teams have won 50% of NFL playoff games since 2002. So it’s not impossible to win on the road in January.

Last week, both AFC teams won on the road while NFC teams were 0-2 away from home. Look for the exact opposite to happen this weekend.

Predictions:
Chargers 24, Jets 17
Colts 24, Ravens 20
Cardinals 31, Saints 27
Cowboys 23, Vikings 20

Is timing right for 'L.T. Style Electric Glide?'

2010-01-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

LaDainian Tomlinson’s “L.T. Style Electric Glide,” video on YouTube is hilarious.

Tomlinson dances around in a bright, bright, bright white suit and raps about what he does best on the football field.

It brought laughs to his teammates … and probably most everybody who watched it in the past several days. (It’s a side of LT we’ve never seen before.)

The video, a Nike commercial shot 2 ½ years ago, was released over the weekend on YouTube.

Here is part of the story published by the great Associated Press writer Bernie Wilson regarding the video:

The video starts out with Tomlinson turning on a boom box and saying, “What it do? My name's L.T., I've got a new dance for you all.”

He raps about waving to his mom, saying hi to his wife, reading the defense, catching the pass, throwing the ball, about safeties not being able to see him “because I move my hips, toward another six.”

If the Chargers need an updated theme song on the road to Miami to replace their dated disco smash, "San Diego Super Chargers," this might be it.

Two minutes and 14 seconds worth of a dancing, rapping L.T. ends like this:

"Stiff arm the guys, hit that hole.
"Let's see a touchdown dance. Celebrate.
"Now challenge that call. You don't like that call.
"Pick up the blitz. Here comes the blitz. Take a knee. Another victory."

It's certainly not "The Super Bowl Shuffle," but there's potential for more.

"My teammates and I might do a remix on it," Tomlinson said with a laugh.

"It was entertaining," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "He's taken a good jabbing for it all morning."

"I'm jealous, man," said outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, who has a spasmodic "Lights Out" sack dance. "I thought that was pretty cool to do that. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm going to find a way to top that."

Not so fast. While the Chargers are getting a good laugh over the video, what about their opponent in this weekend’s AFC Divisional playoffs … the New York Jets?

The Jets already feel disrespected by opening as a 9-point underdog. Watching a video of LT strutting around might only get them more fired up for Sunday.

Yes, the video may be a laughing matter to most. But it will probably only increase the bunker mentality of “Us vs. the World” that the Jets are already portraying.

If you haven’t seen it, here is “L.T. Style Electric Glide:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA2B47_l9kg

Ravens, Jets could upset AFC Championship picture

2010-01-11T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers have both opened as at least one-touchdown favorites in this weekend’s NFL Divisional playoffs, but they better be careful.

The Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets each demonstrated over the past weekend that they are teams to be reckoned with. In fact, they could become the first No. 5 and No. 6 seeds ever to meet for a conference championship … which would set up yet one more game at the old Meadowlands home of the Jets.

How about those Ravens? With their 33-14 win Sunday at New England (the Patriots’ first-ever playoff loss at Gillette Stadium), they even caused the hometown fans to boo Tom Brady and his teammates.

Baltimore will be a formidable foe for Peyton Manning and the Colts led by its strong running game with Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. And the Ray Lewis-led defense, which caused Brady to tie a career playoff high with three interceptions, is always a force in the postseason.

As for the Jets – coming off a 24-14 playoff win at Cincinnati – they pose an interesting strength vs. strength against the potent Chargers offense led by Philip Rivers and pass catchers Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd. New York has the league's No. 1 defense and will match up against that San Diego offense with a defensive roster including cornerback Darrelle Revis, probably the best cover back in the NFL.

Not only that, the Jets can control the ball with a running game including the likes of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene. They will be facing a San Diego defense that has been hard-pressed to stop the run all season.

Yes, Indianapolis and San Diego should each win this weekend and advance to the AFC Championship Game. But don’t be surprised if at least one of them is missing come the conference title game.

In Green Bay, is the Pack back?

2010-01-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

The Pack is back!

Some 43 years after winning the first two Super Bowls, the Green Bay Packers may indeed be back.

Certainly, they are not mentioned among the consensus most-feared teams going into the playoffs. Lately, that distinction seems to belong to the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers.

The Packers?

They may be the wild card team nobody wants to play; the team capable of winning three straight road playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.

The Packers are the first team in history for two straight seasons to have the same quarterback who passed for 4,000 yards, the same running back surpass 1,200 yards and the same two receivers go beyond at least 1,000 yards.

Welcome to the worlds of QB Aaron Rodgers, running back Ryan Grant and receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

With apologies to the Arizona Cardinals, whom the Packers travel to meet this Sunday, Green Bay may well have the most potent offense in the wild card round of the playoffs.

The Packers come in with seven wins in eight games; their only loss being at Pittsburgh on a last-second miracle by Ben Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace and the Steelers.

But is the Pack all the way back? We’ll start finding out this weekend.

Predictions:
Cincinnati 24, New York Jets 13
Dallas 24, Philadelphia 20
New England 21, Baltimore 17
Green Bay 33, Arizona 31

Mountain West Conference rules bowl season

2010-01-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

There are two sides to the argument of whether college bowl games determine the superiority of conferences.

Some say the bowl games have little meaning in determining which conferences are truly the best. Others say they carry great weight.

We tend to agree with the latter since teams should be at their peak during the postseason while meeting squads they (normally) did not play during the regular season.

That being said, it appears as if the Mountain West Conference is No. 1 this postseason. (And to think the MWC does not even receive an automatic BCS berth!)

The irony is that all four MWC teams listed as underdogs in the bowl season were winners: Wyoming (New Mexico Bowl), Brigham Young (Las Vegas Bowl), Utah (San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl), and the Air Force Academy (Armed Forces Bowl.)

Just as ironically, the only MWC team to lose in the postseason was favored to win. But Texas Christian just didn’t have the know-how to stop Boise State’s fake punt when it mattered most in the Fiesta Bowl.

Speaking of, what if Boise State joined the MWC? How could the BCS possibly exclude a conference that would then include traditional powerhouses Boise State, TCU, BYU and Utah?

The MWC certainly made its mark with two wins over the supposedly superior Pac 10 this postseason: BYU over Oregon State and Utah over Cal. And on the topic of the Pac 10, have you noticed how that conference is only 2-5 this postseason?

With two bowl games (out of 34) remaining, here are the conference standings:

Mountain West, 4-1
Big East, 4-2
Big 12, 4-3
Big Ten, 4-3
Southeastern, 5-4
Western Athletic, 2-2
Atlantic Coast, 3-4
Conference USA, 2-4
Pac 10, 2-5
Sun Belt, 1-0
Independents, 1-0
Mid-American, 0-4

BCS afraid of Texas Christian, Boise State

2010-01-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

As sure as the Denver Broncos will always choke down the stretch, the BCS choked at the thought of having Boise State and Texas Christian University play anybody but each other this postseason.

That’s why TCU and the Broncos will meet in Monday night’s Fiesta Bowl.

Just think: If the Horned Frogs and Boise State (both non-BCS teams) were to play BCS squads, they could upset the system by both being winners.

And since the BCS excludes universities such as TCU and Boise State from automatic qualification, it would hate to see the little boys upset its big boys.

Let’s face it; both the Horned Frogs and Broncos would surely beat such BCS qualifiers as Iowa and Georgia Tech (Orange Bowl foes), as well as Sugar Bowl loser Cincinnati.

And the BCS certainly wouldn’t want the non-BCS schools playing Florida with the real possibility of the Gators being beaten by a non-BCS team.

After all, Utah (a fellow Mountain West Conference member of TCU’s) embarrassed Alabama in last year’s Sugar Bowl to finish No. 2 in the nation. And that came after the Utes beat BCS member Pittsburgh in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

As for Boise State? How could we ever forget the Broncos upsetting Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day 2007?

No, the BCS will not let Boise State of the Western Athletic Conference nor TCU get a shot to beat a "name" school in a BCS game.

In reality, there would be too much egg on the collective faces of BCS officials if two non-automatic qualifiers were to beat teams that gain automatic BCS berths in the same postseason.

Prediction:
TCU 27, Boise State 20

Chargers: Only AFC division winner favored this week

2009-12-31T08:29:00.000-08:00

It’s interesting to see how three of the four AFC division winners are decided underdogs this weekend.

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts are a 7-point underdog at Buffalo (no wonder if you saw the Colts forfeit to the New York Jets last week.)

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are 8-point dogs at Houston.

Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals are 10-point underdogs at the New York Jets.

No wonder each of these teams are touchdown-or-more underdogs since they will be resting key players for the playoffs.

The exception this weekend?

Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers are a 4-point favorite at home vs. the Washington Redskins, even though the Chargers will have key players such as Shawne Merriman sit out the entire game.

How could this be?

Simple. It shows how good the Chargers are ... and how bad the Redskins have become.

This certainly will be Jim Zorn’s last game as head coach. Who knows if new GM Bruce Allen will keep Jason Campbell as his QB.

All in all, it looks like the Chargers will have another weekend to remember with their 11th straight win.

Prediction:
Chargers 24, Redskins 13

New York Jets receiving two byes into the playoffs?

2009-12-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of an NFL team getting two byes in the regular season before making the playoffs?

Welcome to the 2009 edition of the New York Jets.

It’s well-documented how the Jets were handed a win last week when the (then) undefeated Indianapolis Colts rested the likes of Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Gary Brackett after taking a 15-10 lead on the Jets in the third quarter.

Now the Jets get to conclude their regular season against a playoff-bound Cincinnati Bengals team probably resting such stars as Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco for much of the game.

There you have it: Two straight division-winning opponents facing the Jets, two consecutive teams that will likely hand New York a victory.

And who said you can’t make the playoffs the easy way?

The sad part is that the likes of the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and (maybe) the Pittsburgh Steelers could all be denied playoff berths due to teams lying down for the Jets.

Coach Rex Ryan, QB Mark Sanchez, DB Darrelle Revis and the entire New York squad can thank the schedule makers for saving the best teams for last ... when they already had playoff berths in hand.

Say goodbye to Saints, Vikings in postseason

2009-12-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

Say goodbye to the New Orleans Saints for the NFC playoffs.

And while you're at it, take Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings with you.

All of a sudden, it looks as if the winner of this week's Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys game will not only win the NFC East ... it may also become the favorite to win the NFC.

Why?

The Saints certainly aren't going to cut it if they can't even beat Tampa Bay at home to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed.

And with Favre and coach Brad Childress arguing, don't expect the Vikings to go anywhere in the postseason (not to mention the fact Favre normally fades after November.)

New Orleans (13-2) won nine of its first 11 games by double digits. After a 38-17 win over New England, the Saints appeared better situated than ever to make the franchise's first run to the Super Bowl.

Since then, the Drew Brees and Saints have pulled out a pair of three-point wins over non-playoff teams and have lost two straight -- both at home -- starting with a 24-17 setback to Dallas.

Don't forget Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals. They could again fly under the radar and capture the NFC for the second straight season.

As for New Orleans and Minnesota ... their runs were nice while they lasted.

Mountain West Conference more than BCS worthy

2009-12-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

With six bowl games down and 28 to go post-Christmas, one thing is for certain:

The Mountain West Conference is more than BCS worthy.

The conference is already 3-0 in the postseason, with Air Force vs. Houston and Texas Christian University vs. Boise State still to come.

Most impressively, have you seen how the Mountain West has handled the supposedly superior Pac 10 of the BCS?

How about QB Max Hall and the Brigham Young Cougars running all over Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl?

Or what about true freshman QB Jordan Wynn and the Utah Utes whipping Jeff Tedford’s California Bears in the Poinsettia Bowl?

On top of that, Wyoming beat heavily-favored Fresno State to start the postseason in the New Mexico Bowl.

The BCS does not automatically include the Mountain West, so there’s only one way to make a statement.

The BYUs and Utahs will just have to keep beating the Oregon States and Cals.
　

NFL plays Scrooge to Chargers on Christmas

2009-12-23T16:05:00.001-08:00

What is it about the NFL that does not agree with the San Diego Chargers at Christmas time?

OK, so the Chargers didn’t play on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day last year ... because there were not any NFL games on those days.

But go back two years and those were the Chargers hosting the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football on Christmas Eve; which happens to be the holiest day of the year to some people.

Fast forward to this year and you have the Chargers playing at the Tennessee Titans on Christmas Night.

Is this fair to Norv Turner, Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Luis Castillo, Shaun Phillips, Shawne Merriman, Quentin Jammer and all on Christmas?

No way.

First of all, this is the NFL Network’s "Thursday" game on a Friday. The game certainly could have been played on Saturday ... or the day after Christmas ... just like last Saturday’s Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints game.

In addition, the Chargers are traveling 2,000 miles to play the game; more than any other team has traveled all year for a non-Sunday or -Monday game. And, yes, it is Christmas.
So the Chargers must say thanks to the NFL for once again playing Scrooge with their Christmases.

Prediction:
Titans 23, Chargers 20

Denver Broncos starting to look ugly

2009-12-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have looked horrible all year, but at least they looked as outstanding as Buccaneers cheerleader Marlana Aref (see above) with Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.

What team has gone from beautiful to horrible this season?

Try the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos are trying hard to become the first team ever to start 6-0 and not make the playoffs. Losing to the Oakland Raiders ... and JaMarcus Russell of all people ... was certainly a major embarrassment.

All of a sudden, the team with Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall and Elvis Dumervil doesn’t look quite so sexy anymore.

After all, any team that could blow a three-game lead with three to play as the Broncos did to the San Diego Chargers last year is capable of any choke job.

On the other hand, the Chargers continue to look like the team most capable of eventually knocking the currently undefeated Indianapolis Colts out of the playoffs.

Not only have the Chargers booted the Colts out of two straight playoffs (and beaten them four of the last five times), the Chargers are no longer under the radar with nine straight wins.

Philip Rivers should be joining the MVP conversation. Vincent Jackson should be gaining much respect as a wide receiver, and Antonio Gates is hard to overlook at tight end.

As much as the Broncos have gone from beautiful to ugly this season, the Chargers have been just the opposite. Look out for them in January ... and maybe the Super Bowl in February!

Chargers hope to warm up for playoffs vs. Bengals

2009-12-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

The San Diego Chargers have good reason to want a special victory Sunday vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Not only would it be win No. 9 in a row for the Chargers, it would also all but seal the No. 2 seed for them in the AFC Playoffs.

What would it mean for the Chargers? A first-round bye, an AFC semifinal game at home … and a chance to host the AFC Championship if the Chargers were to win in the AFC semifinals and the Indianapolis Colts were to lose that weekend.

But more than anything, a win this weekend would keep the Chargers from going to Cincinnati for the playoffs. Anybody who was at the Chargers-Bengals “Ice Bowl” game on Jan. 10, 1982 will never forget it.

According to espn.com, the temperature during the game at Cincinnati reached minus-9, with winds gusting to 35 mph, creating a wind chill of minus-59. Almost forgotten was the fact that Cincinnati won over Dan Fouts and the Chargers, 27-7, on its way to a Super Bowl appearance.

The “wind chill” will be about 120-130 degrees warmer when the teams play Sunday in San Diego. And the winner will be hot on the trail of the No. 2 seed.

Prediction:
Chargers 27, Bengals 20

For a visit back to the Ice Bowl, visit the espn.com story at http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3198404

NFL season is more bizarre than ever

2009-12-16T09:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever witnessed such a topsy-turvy season in the NFL?

It seems like more teams than ever have gone from bad to good – or good to bad – within the course of a season.

The good:

How about the Tennessee Titans going from 0-6 to 6-7 (and possible playoff contention) behind the play of QB Vince Young?

What about the Miami Dolphins going from 0-3 to 7-6 with second-stringer Chad Henne at QB?

And how about the San Diego Chargers going from a 2-3 start to 10-3 behind the MVP-type play of QB Philip Rivers?

Then there are the Green Bay Packers recovering from a 4-4 start to be 9-4 with QB Aaron Rodgers suddenly receiving some protection.

The bad:

Who could have imagined the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and QB Ben Roethlisberger going from 6-2 to 6-7 … and losing to the Cleveland Browns!

How about that 3-0 start of the New York Jets turning into a 7-6 season?

And don’t forget the suddenly-crippled Atlanta Falcons going from 4-1 to 6-7.

The indifferent:

Who would have thought the Denver Broncos would be sitting at 8-5 after winning their first six games?

And how about those supposedly invincible New York Giants slipping to 7-6 after a 5-0 start?

Indeed, there has probably never been a season quite like this in the NFL.

Chargers: Team the Indianapolis Colts fear most

2009-12-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

As a head coach last season, Tony Dungy could never say he feared one team more than another because of coaching decorum.

But now that Dungy is an analyst for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, he can be a straight-talker.

When asked recently which team the undefeated Indianapolis Colts fear most in the AFC, Dungy’s answer was straight to the point: the San Diego Chargers.

After all, these are the same Chargers who snapped Dungy and the Colts’ nine-game winning streak in the wild card round of last year’s playoffs in San Diego.

The previous season, the Chargers knocked the Colts out of the AFC semifinals at Indianapolis in a game-winning drive led by second-stringers such as Billy Volek, Michael Turner and Legedu Naanee.

Going further back, the Chargers snapped the Colts 13-0 record (sound familiar?) with a 2005 win at Indianapolis led by the likes of blitzing linebackers Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips.

Certainly, Peyton Manning of the Colts and former San Diego QB Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints are the talk of the NFL this season by leading their respective teams to 13-0 records.

But Manning and his Colts know that Philip Rivers and the Chargers could very well be lurking in their playoff picture.

Ask Tony Dungy: He’ll tell you that is not a comforting thought for Indianapolis.

Cowboys ready to upset Chargers this weekend?

2009-12-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

Wade Phillips is loved by members of the San Diego Chargers’ defense.

Problem is he’s now head coach of the Dallas Cowboys ... not defensive coordinator of the Chargers.

LaDainian Tomlinson grew up loving the Dallas Cowboys.

Problem is he’s still the star running back for the San Diego Chargers, who have won seven straight games.

Igor Olshansky was a fan favorite with the Chargers but now plays for the Cowboys.

DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys was picked one spot ahead of San Diego’s Shawne Merriman in the 2005 NFL draft … and Merriman hasn’t forgotten.

Yes, there will be lots of coincidences when the Chargers and Cowboys meet for the first time in four years Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.

Philip Rivers of the Chargers is proving to be as good of a quarterback as there is in the NFL. Tony Romo of the Cowboys seems to be more hooked on being Tony Romeo with the women than a winner of crucial games in the NFL.

The Chargers haven’t lost a game in December since 2005. The Cowboys seemingly haven’t had a winning December since Roger Staubach was QB (OK, a little bit of an exaggeration.)

Since the Chargers don’t lose in December and the Cowboys don’t win, that should make Sunday’s game an easy pick.

Not so fast!

Prediction:
Cowboys 23, Chargers 21

San Diego Union-Tribune turning to smut?

2009-12-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

The San Diego Union-Tribune prides itself on supposedly being a family newspaper that reaches over 1 million readers per week.

You can challenge the 1 million figure; but there’s no doubt that the paper is NOT all about families. (In fact, it appears to be trying to keep up with the recent image of Tiger Woods ... or should we call him Cheetah Woods?)

For proof, just check out today’s sports section.

On Page D3, there are two advertisements that immediately catch your attention:

One shows a couple making out with the ad reading: “Erectile Dysfunction? Premature Ejaculation? Last 45 Minutes to over 2 hours.”

The ad other shows the face of a girl looking ready to go with the copy reading: “Adult Gentlemen’s Studio Private Dances.”

Then on Page D4, there is a hot-looking couple with the ad: “Erectile Dysfunction? Premature Ejaculation? Last Up to 60 Minutes!”

The new owners promised changes when they took over the Union-Tribune earlier this year.

Unfortunately, it looks like daily smut is among their biggest alterations.

Tomlinson proves classiest player in the NFL

2009-12-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t even win at home against the lowly Oakland Raiders.

The New England Patriots couldn’t hold a 9-point lead vs. the Miami Dolphins.

So much for the six-time champion Steelers and the three-time champion Patriots (all in this millennium.)

You want someone with real class in 2009?

How about trying LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers?

As soon as LT passed former Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown for eighth on the all-time rushing list, he knew what to do Sunday.

Tomlinson immediately patted his heart and saluted Brown from where he was sitting in the stands.

Earlier this season, Brown had stated the Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was the most complete back in the NFL.

Even though this was a slight to Tomlinson, it did not impair his sight of NFL history.

Of all the classy moves in the NFL this weekend, none was more significant than Tomlinson saluting Brown.

Chargers looking good down the stretch

2009-12-04T09:13:00.001-08:00

All of a sudden, the San Diego Chargers have been looking as good as the girlfriends of Tiger Woods.

In fact, you could say the Chargers have been as hot as the likes of Rachel Uchitel, Jaimee Grubbs … and probably many more names to come.

Speaking of names, part of the reason for San Diego’s six-game winning streak involves unheralded players suddenly making a name for themselves.

Linebackers Brandon Siler and Tim Dobbins have emerged due to injuries to the likes of Shawne Merriman and Kevin Burnett. In the secondary, Paul Oliver and Steve Gregory have been shining with Eric Weddle injured for a couple of weeks and Clinton Hart no longer with the team.

As for the offense, give credit to linemen such as Scott Mruczkowski and Brandyn Dombrowski filling in well for Nick Hardwick and Jeromey Clary while they are injured.

Sure, it’s the likes of QB Philip Rivers, WRVincent Jackson and RBs LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles who make the team go. But the recent success would not have been possible without the success of a patchwork offensive line.

The Chargers virtually receive a “bye” this week when they play at Cleveland. Then comes a critical three-game run at Dallas, home vs. Cincinnati and at Tennessee on Christmas. (They’re undefeated the past three Decembers, but that has no bearing on how they will play this year.)

The three-game stretch at month’s end will determine how well they look when the playoff seedings come out after the first weekend of January.

Prediction:
Chargers 30, Browns 13

Paciifc Life Holiday Bowl should pursue USC

2009-12-02T09:23:00.001-08:00

Bobby Bowden should be commended for his 44 seasons as a college football head coach.

Charlie Weis should be able to find a job as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Tiger Woods should be ashamed of his extra-marital affairs.

OK, since that’s out of the way, let’s get on with what the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl should be doing.

The Holiday Bowl gets the No. 2 pick from the Pac 10, but it should not take the loser of Thursday night’s Oregon-Oregon State game.

Why? Because this is the first chance the Holiday Bowl will ever have to secure the USC Trojans for the game.

Oregon has been to the Holiday Bowl for two of the past four years. And while Oregon State has never played in the game, it certainly doesn’t bring the prestige of USC.

After all, an event such as the Holiday Bowl will only get the Trojans in a “down” year (they are 8-3 going into Saturday’s regular-season finale vs. Arizona.)

USC does not have its weapons of the past, but the Trojans are building with younger players who could be in the Holiday Bowl in 2009 … and in the BCS Championship within the next couple of years.

It will be interesting to see how freshman QB Matt Barkley continues to develop under coach Pete Carroll and his staff. Junior running back Joe McKnight is within 21 yards of a 1,000-yard rushing season, and the defense has such rising stars as sophomore linebacker Chris Galippo and junior defensive end Everson Griffen.

As for an opponent, the Holiday Bowl should take Nebraska in a second if it loses to Texas in the Big 12 Championship.

After all, few bowls outside of a BCS game will ever get a USC-Nebraska match-up.

Super Bowl: Cowboys vs. Chargers?

2009-11-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

When you are known as “America’s Team” and are flying under the radar, that’s very unusual.

When you have won your division three straight seasons, are on a current six-game winning streak and still flying under the radar; that’s also unusual.

Given those circumstances, could the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers fly under the radar all the way to the Super Bowl?

Perhaps.

The Cowboys (8-3) certainly are not drawing attention as much as New Orleans (10-0) or Minnesota (10-1) in the NFC.

In the AFC, San Diego (8-3) doesn’t get mentioned nearly as often as Indianapolis (11-0), New England (7-3) or even upstart Cincinnati (8-3).

Of the two, the Cowboys likely will have it rougher down the stretch than the Chargers.

Dallas is just 5-8 with Tony Romo as a starter in December, while the Chargers are 41-5 down the stretch since 2004.

Romo seems to have latched on to Miles Austin as his favorite receiver, something the QB could not have done last season while Terrell Owens was demanding all the attention.

In San Diego, Philip Rivers has quietly averaged more points per game than any starting QB in NFL history, according to CBS-TV.

Rivers has found Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd all to be his favorite receivers … depending on the week and opponent.

Cowboys vs. Chargers in the Super Bowl? Don’t discount the possibility.

Chris Chambers looking to get even with Chargers

2009-11-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

Chris Chambers must be licking his cops.

A flop through seven games with the San Diego Chargers this year, he’s been a star in three games with the Kansas City Chiefs.

And don’t you think Chambers would love to get even when the teams play Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium?

Chambers set up KC’s overtime upset of Pittsburgh last week with a 61-yard reception in OT.

He’s itching to do the same against a Chargers team that is not exactly strong against the pass.
Matt Cassel is finally starting to fit in as the Chiefs QB and Jamaal Charles is certainly an all-purpose player to be reckoned with.

The Chargers? They’ve won five straight ... and no QB is playing better lately than Philip Rivers.

San Diego will celebrate its 50th anniversary Sunday by honoring the top 50 players in team history (well, Walter Sweeney certainly should have made the special teams squad.)

But will the Chargers be celebrating about 4 pm?

Prediction:
Chargers 24, Chiefs 21

Abraham Lincoln explains meaning of Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, we truly have an abundance of reasons to be thankful.

Among them for many of us are Faith, Family, Friends, Finances, and the Future.

Why finances, considering what has happened to our ecomony?

If you have any money in your wallet or purse, that makes you among the wealthiest 8 percent of the people in the world.

Thanksgiving Day in America originated in 1863 under President Abraham Lincoln. The following from the "Today in the Word" devotional from Moody Bible Institute explains the origin of Thanksgiving:

On March 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln wrote the following words: “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!”

These words proclaimed a day when the nation would come together for remembrance. This preceded the proclamation for a day of Thanksgiving, which came a few months later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stick a fork in the Denver Broncos

2009-11-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Got a fork? Stick it in the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos are as good as dead after Sunday’s 32-3 loss to the AFC West-leading San Diego Chargers.

Denver started 6-0; the Tennessee Titans began 0-6. But don’t be surprised if the Broncos (6-4) and Titans (3-6) end the season with near identical records.

As for the Chargers, they are on a typical late-season run that has seen them post a 41-5 record down the stretch since 2004.

With the Chargers on a five-game winning streak and Denver on a four-game losing skid, the AFC West is as good as over even though the Chargers only lead by one game.

Consider some recent Charger facts:

Their defense allowed more than 27 points per game the first five games; it has allowed fewer than 14 ppg in the past five.
QB Philip Rivers was sacked an average of three times per game the first five games but just once a game in the last five.
The Chargers averaged one sack per outing through five games, but four per game in the past five contests (thanks greatly to a revived Shawne Merriman and consistent Shaun Phillips.)

And then there’s a Denver team that outscored its first six opponents in the second half 76-10.

In the past four games, the Broncos have been outscored in the second half 77-17.

For all intents and purposes, say goodbye to the Broncos for 2009.

Norv Turner: Best coach in Chargers history?????

2009-11-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

The San Diego Chargers have dutifully noted in a press release that current coach Norv Turner has the all-time highest winning percentage in team history.

So, this makes Turner the best coach in the team’s 50-year history?

Not so fast!

Perhaps a better way to judge a coach would be to consider where the team was when he took over … and what it accomplished thereafter.

On that basis, he certainly doesn’t compare to a couple of Chargers coaches over the past generation.

In the 46 games (including playoffs) before Turner took over in 2007, the Chargers were 34-12. Since the current coach took charge, the team is 28-18.

Bobby Ross compiled a 50-36 record from 1992-96. In the 86 games before Ross, the Chargers were 22-64.

Marty Schottenheimer was 47-35 as head coach from 2002-06. In the 82 games before him, the Chargers went 24-58.

All told, Ross and Schottenheimer both doubled the winning percentage during their tenure. In contrast, the winning percentage has dropped 20% under Turner.

The Chargers beam over the fact that Turner has such a significant overall winning percentage. But when all things are considered, Ross and Schottenheimer did a much better job of taking the team from where it was to a much higher level.

Sunday Prediction:
Chargers 24, Denver Broncos 21

Wisconsin's John Clay deserving of Heisman votes

2009-11-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

First of all, running back John Clay from the University of Wisconsin is not going to win the Heisman Trophy in 2009.

No how; no way.

But does Clay at least deserve to be in the discussion among people receiving votes?

Absolutely!

The three running backs most talked about for the Heisman are Toby Gerhart of Stanford, Mark Ingram of Alabama and C.J. Spiller of Clemson.

Let’s see how Clay stacks up statistically against each of them (listed by rushing attempts-yards-average per carry-TDs.)

Gerhart 262-1,395-5.3-19
Ingram 194-1,297-6.7-10
Clay 218-1,124-5.2-12
Spiller 153-836-5.5-6

Ingram and Spiller are also accomplished receivers. Ingram has 25 catches for 225 yards and 3 TDs; Spiller 24 receptions for 382 yards and 4 TDs.

Clay, only a sophomore, is the most dominating running back at Wisconsin since Ron Dayne.

And don’t be surprised if he one day becomes the first Badgers’ player to win the Heisman Trophy since Dayne in 1999.

Norv Turner looks like a head coaching genius

2009-11-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

Norv Turner looked like a head coaching genius Sunday in comparison to supposed geniuses Bill Belichick and Andy Reid.

Belichick’s going for it on a fourth-and-2 at his own 28 late in the fourth quarter handed the Indianapolis Colts a last-minute TD and 35-34 win over the New England Patriots.

If not for Belichick, Reid would have been the dumbest coach in the NFL over the weekend.

Turner, often criticized for not being a good head coach, had a solid game plan in the San Diego Chargers’ 31-23 win over Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Reid? He could have used a little help.

First of all, down by 19 points early in the fourth quarter, he went for an extra point after a TD.

Any mathematician could tell you that the Eagles needed two TDs, a pair of TWO-point conversions and a field goal to make up 19 points.

Then, on a fourth-and-4 while down by 12 points in the same quarter, he had to take a timeout to decide whether to go for or kick a field goal.

Duh? A field goal brings you within nine points, but you still need two more scores if you are only within 9.

Worst of all was his team’s play-calling. Each time the Eagles needed one yard for a first down or touchdown, their offense was motionless. It resulted in three field goals in the red zone; one coming after first-and-goal at the 1.

Few people will ever call Norv Turner a head coaching genius. But he sure was able to outshine Belichick and Reid on this particular weekend.

Denver Broncos got the best of Cutler-Orton trade

2009-11-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Kyle Orton for Jay Cutler straight-up would have been a good trade for the Denver Broncos.

Just look at what Cutler – the biggest pouter in the NFL – has “accomplished” this season.

He threw five interceptions in the Chicago Bears’10-6 loss at the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, tying for the most by a Bears QB since Zeke Bratkowski threw seven in a 42-7 loss to the Baltimore Colts on Oct. 2, 1960.

This comes on top of Cutler’s four interceptions in a season-opening loss at the Green Bay Packers.

Orton? All he has done is lead the Broncos to a surprising first-place standing in the AFC West at 6-2. He doesn’t necessarily win games for you; but he throws very few interceptions and keeps you from losing.

This being said, one must consider what else came along in the Bears-Broncos trade back in April.

The Broncos also received first-round picks in 2009 and 2010 for trading Cutler, along with a third-round pick in 2009. In return, the Bears received a fifth-round pick in 2009 that Denver had already acquired from the Seattle Seahawks for wide receiver Keary Colbert.

Cutler and the Bears already are virtually out of playoff contention at 4-5.

Orton? He needs to lead the Broncos to a win Sunday at the Washington Redskins, or the Broncos will have lost three straight and be in danger of falling into a first-place tie in the AFC West with the San Diego Chargers (if the Chargers beat the Philadelphia Eagles.)

Speaking of QBs, Philip Rivers of the Chargers is far more effective than Cutler or Orton. He rarely loses games for you as Cutler often does and he’s much more capable of leading a winning drive than Orton.

All of which could still make the Chargers the best team in the AFC West.

Prediction:
Chargers 24, Eagles 23

Tomlinson's days numbered in San Diego?

2009-11-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

All of a sudden, things are clicking for the San Diego Chargers.

Philip Rivers is passing as well as ever. Vincent Jackson constantly makes big receptions.

Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips are back to making sacks.

But on the other hand, there is one thing missing:

Production from LaDainian Tomlinson.

As much as some people may blame it all on the (lack of) blocking, it looks like LT is near the end of his career with the Chargers.

This is not the worst line Tomlinson has ever been behind. He has done much better behind much worse offensive lines.

The sad thing is that when Tomlinson was injured in the 2007 playoffs, it all came down to one of two things: Either his injury was a fluke or the beginning of a trend.

Sadly, the trend continues.

LT, a certain Pro Football Hall of Fame player, is having his worst year ever in 2009.

He rushed for 15 yards at Pittsburgh and 22 yards at the New York Giants; two of his three-lowest producing days in his nine-year career.

He’s averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per attempt this season and has only three rushing TDs. In every previous season, he has scored rushing TDs in double figures.

Darren Sproles is a great change-up to Tomlinson in the backfield but will never be a full-time running back at 5-foot-6.

The Chargers already knew they needed succession planning at RB in the 2009 draft. They didn’t take a RB until the fourth round in Gartrell Johnson, who is no longer with the team.

It’s too bad that LT will likely never again be the player he once was in San Diego. And it’s too bad the Chargers haven’t had the foresight to take care of their problems at RB.

Rivers clearly better QB than Eli Manning

2009-11-09T09:19:00.001-08:00

Eli Manning never did want to come to the San Diego Chargers in 2004 because he thought San Diego had the worst team in the NFL.

Well, Eli, here is some news for you.

Since your refusal to come to San Diego when the Chargers made you the number one draft pick in 2004; the Chargers have yet to experience a losing season.

Not only that, they are now 2-0 against you with Sunday’s 21-20 win over you and your New York Giants at the Meadowlands.

Clearly, Philip Rivers has been better statistically over his career than you.

Besides that, Rivers led the Chargers on an 8-play, 80-yard drive in 1:46 to beat you with a last-minute pass of 18 yards to Vincent Jackson.

(This came after you and the Giants were unable to score a TD after an interception left you with first-and-goal at the Chargers 4 with 3:14 remaining. With a TD, you would’ve clinched the game with a 10-point lead.)

Certainly, Eli, you have the Super Bowl ring that Rivers does not.

However, it’s not always the best QB who wins the Super Bowl. Do you really believe Trent Dilfer was the league’s best QB when the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl?

All things considered, Rivers has turned out to be a better QB than you, Eli.

Chargers-Giants step away from dregs of NFL

2009-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

It’s amazing how perspective can be sometimes.

The San Diego Union-Tribune dutifully notes that the New York Giants (5-3) have four wins against the “dregs” of the NFL (Washington, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland.)

What it doesn’t note is that the San Diego Chargers (4-3) have recorded three of their four wins against the dregs of Oakland and Kansas City.

This Sunday, the Chargers and Giants step away from the dregs when they meet each other in the Meadowlands.

San Diego QB Philip Rivers should have a field day vs. the porous Giants secondary.

On the other hand, look for Brandon Jacobs to record his first 100-yard rushing game of the season vs. the weak Chargers’ defense.

Over the past four years, Rivers has been a better QB statistically than Eli Manning of the Giants. But Manning has a Super Bowl ring … and a better team surrounding him … to show for it.

That should make the difference Sunday.

Prediction:
Giants 27, Chargers 23

Manning vs. Rivers: Who got the best of the trade?

2009-11-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

Certainly, a majority of football fans in San Diego still remember the 2004 NFL Draft.

There was Eli Manning pouting after he was the first overall pick by the San Diego Chargers. (He didn’t want to come to what he thought was the worst team in football; a Chargers team that went 12-4 in 2004.)

Less than an hour after being drafted by the Chargers, Manning was a member of the New York Giants.

The Chargers wisely instituted a trade for Giants first-round pick Philip Rivers, adding some future draft picks along with Rivers.

As it turned out, those future selections included a couple of stars to be in linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.

Who got the better of the deal?

Without a doubt, you could argue that the Chargers did. After all, they received what turned out to be three quality players for Manning.

But on the other hand, Manning has won a Super Bowl. That’s more than Rivers, Merriman or Kaeding have ever accomplished.

Come Sunday at the Meadowlands, Rivers and Manning will start against each other for the first time.

No matter what happens, Manning still has a one-up on Rivers with a Super Bowl ring.

That fact alone makes the 2004 draft swap a good trade for the Giants.

Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Oklahoma?

2009-11-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

How would this be for a Pacific Life Holiday Bowl match-up in 2009?

Try the University of Southern California Trojans vs. the Oklahoma Sooners!

In a good year, the two schools could be playing for the BCS championship. But in a “down” year such as this, it might be the best chance ever for the Holiday Bowl to get a USC vs. Oklahoma billing.

Talk about getting the top non-BCS or New Year’s Day game if you could sign such a deal.

The Holiday Bowl is in the final year of an agreement where it gets the No. 2 pick from the Pac 10 vs. the No. 3 selection from the Big 12.

No. 12 USC (6-2) is virtually out of the Rose Bowl race with Saturday’s loss at Oregon. But the Trojans still have wins over the likes of Ohio State, Notre Dame and California on their 2009 resume.

No. 20 Oklahoma (5-3) is without QB Sam Bradford for the rest of the season, but the Sooners still have much national respect. Don’t forget that they only lost by three points to No. 2 Texas without the injured Bradford for a majority of the game.

USC vs. Oklahoma. Pete Carroll vs. Bob Stoops.

The Holiday Bowl better latch on to this great match-up while it still has the opportunity.

Oakland Raiders: Commitment to Failure?

2009-10-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine in Blythe, Calif. is surrounded by Oakland Raiders fans (fortunately, he’s not one of them.)

He says that most Raiders fans say the team will be good again only when Al Davis leaves the scene.

The Raiders once had a “Commitment to Excellence.” These days, they appear to have a “Commitment to Failure.”

How else do you explain the Raiders arguably being the worst team in the NFL since they last played in a Super Bowl seven seasons ago?

It all starts on the field with JaMarcus Russell, the worst/laziest starting quarterback in the NFL today. (Yes, he was Al Davis’ choice to be a No. 1 draft pick.)

It doesn’t help that he’s working with his third offensive coordinator in three years, two rookie wide receivers and a horrible offensive line. (Heck, the Raiders are averaging a whopping 8.9 points per game.)

Richard Seymour has brought solidarity to the defense up front, but don’t you think he would rather be back in New England where another Super Bowl is a real possibility this season?

The Raiders have lost 12 straight to Sunday’s opponent, the San Diego Chargers. At one time, the Raiders used to beat the Chargers with their collective eyes closed.

Oakland only had 39,354 home fans for last week’s 38-0 loss to the New York Jets, the smallest home crowd since 1968. Yes, people in the Bay Area have caught on.

The Chargers? They aren’t exactly a juggernaut yet this season, but playing the Raiders is always a way to cure what ails them.

Prediction:
Chargers 27, Raiders 14

San Diego State going to bowl game in 2009?

2009-10-28T09:21:00.001-07:00

After 10 straight non-winning seasons, could it be that the San Diego State football team is going to a bowl game in 2009?

(It won’t take a winning record, but the Aztecs could make their first postseason appearance since the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl this season.)

SDSU set itself up for such a scenario with last Saturday’s 42-28 upset win at Colorado State.

The Aztecs (3-4) should be favored to win three of their final five games. Win all three and their 6-6 record makes them “bowl eligible.”

SDSU is a 17-point favorite at home this weekend vs. winless New Mexico.

Then, after a likely home loss to Texas Christian University on Nov. 7, the Aztecs have what will likely be their game of the year at home vs. Wyoming on Nov. 14.

If the Aztecs beat New Mexico and Wyoming, then they would only need to win at Utah (not likely) on Nov. 21 or at Nevada Las Vegas (likely) on Nov. 28.

Amazing how far that new head coach Brady Hoke (may) have brought the Aztecs in one season.

Ryan Lindley has proven to be a standout QB as exemplified by his six touchdown passes vs. Colorado State. DeMarco Sampson had the game of his life with 15 receptions for 257 yards and three TDs.

The only drawback is that the team’s leading receiver, Vincent Brown, has ligament damage in his right thumb that could keep him sidelined for an undetermined amount of time.

Get this: CBSSports.com is projecting that the Aztecs will meet Fresno State this season in the New Mexico Bowl.

Wishful thinking? Maybe. But at least it’s a step in the right direction for a university that hasn’t played in a bowl game in the 21st century.

Parity? Not in the NFL

2009-10-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, there are three undefeated teams in the NFL through Week 7.

Say hello to the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.

On the other side, there are three winless teams.

Say goodbye to the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.

Maybe the reason there are so many good teams in the NFL is because there are so many bad teams to make perfection possible.

Speaking of horrible teams, don’t forget the likes of the Cleveland Browns (1-6), Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) and Detroit Lions (1-5). Throw in the Washington Redskins (2-4), who are a total mess, and you can see that the bad outweighs the good in the NFL.

So much for the theory of the NFL having “parity.”

This weekend’s scores alone show just how bad the disparity has become.

Consider the following: New York Jets 38, Oakland 0; Indianapolis 42, St. Louis 6; San Diego 37, Kansas City 7; Green Bay 31, Cleveland 3; New England 35, Tampa Bay 7. All were mismatches with the good vs. the bad.

Then there was Cincinnati’s 45-10 win over Chicago, which fit the mold of good vs. bad (although both teams are better than average in this year’s NFL.)

The late Commissioner Pete Rozelle used to preach parity in the NFL ... but so much for parity in 2009.

Upset Special: Chiefs over Chargers

2009-10-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Chargers got lucky twice last season vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers were fortunate to beat the Chiefs by one point in San Diego ... and even more fortunate to win by one in Kansas City.

KC lost in San Diego due to a missed extra point; and it failed at home by not recovering an onside kick by the Chargers or making a field goal as time expired.

Revenge? This could be the week.

The Chiefs have won eight straight October home games vs. the Chargers, but those came primarily when Kansas City was going well and the Chargers not so well.

San Diego QB Philip Rivers normally has a tough time vs. the Chiefs and this should be no exception. He’s already been sacked 17 times this season. The Chiefs recorded nearly half of all their sacks last year vs. the Chargers.

Matt Cassel seems to be getting more comfortable each week for the Chiefs. Larry Johnson has the ability to grind out yards vs. the porous Chargers defense.

This game has Upset Special written all over it ... not to mention the fact that Norv Turner is the NFL's worst "motivator."

Prediction:
Chiefs 17, Chargers 16

Denver Broncos: 1977 all over again?

2009-10-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Remember Red Miller, the Orange Crush and the Pony Express cheerleaders?

Looks like the current Denver Broncos may turn out to be the latest version of those 1977 Broncos.

In 1977, the Broncos won their first six games under new coach Red Miller. This year’s Broncos are 6-0 under new coach Josh McDaniels.

The 1977 Broncos featured an "Orange Crush" defense. The current Broncos feature a defense that has allowed just 10 points total in the second half of their first six games.

Back in 1977, the Broncos had an attractive cheerleader group called the "Pony Express." Equally as attractive, they are now the Bronco Cheerleaders.

When the Broncos won Monday night at San Diego, 34-23, it brought back another memory of 1977.

That year, the Broncos were 4-0 when they traveled to Oakland and defeated the Raiders, 30-7. At that time, Oakland had been dominating the AFC West.

The Chargers had also been dominant in the AFC West for several years until this year’s edition of the Broncos came along.

Kyle Orton, of all people, may be the modern-day Craig Morton of the Broncos. And the list goes on.

(For those who have forgotten, Denver’s back-up QB in 1977 was Craig Penrose out of San Diego State. He played for the Aztec more than 30 years ago; back when they were annual winners instead of perennial losers.)

The Broncos did go 12-2 in 1977 and made it all the way to the Super Bowl for the first time under a new head coach. Is history repeating in 2009?

Chargers-Broncos: Who will get thrown back?

2009-10-18T15:23:00.001-07:00

Both teams will come into Monday Night Football wearing their crazy uniforms from the 1960s.

The Denver Broncos will wear their road uniforms with the horrible striped socks. The San Diego Chargers will be recognized by their 1963 throwback uniforms.

This game could also be a throwback game for the Chargers. If they lose, you could throw them back out of the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

But the funny thing is, every time the Chargers look like they are out of it, they seem to get back in it.

Consider how they won four straight at the end of last season to make the playoffs with a shameful (for a playoff team) record of 8-8, or how Denver collapsed with three losses at the end to choke on the division lead.

But this is a different season and the Broncos are beginning to resemble the 1994 Chargers. Both teams were picked to be also-rans; the Chargers went to the Super Bowl that year. Could Denver be the surprise team playing in February this season?

Kyle Orton won’t win you many games at quarterback, yet he manages them well enough to keep you from losing. And he doesn’t pout and hang his head like baby Jay Cutler.

Add a superior Denver defense and you see where the Broncos could be heading this year.

The Chargers? Let’s just say they have been unimpressive thus far.

Philip Rivers has been great under the circumstances at QB. But the team’s running game hasn’t gotten in gear … and the defense has performed even worse than the runners.

San Diego is 10-1 in its last 11 night games at home and desperately needs this one.

Prediction:
Chargers 24, Broncos 16

Rivalries promise great weekend of college football

2009-10-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend is just about as good as it gets in college football rivalries with USC vs. Notre Dame and Oklahoma vs. Texas.

Problem is these games just don’t mean as much as they used to.

With USC, it’s a matter of always losing a game early to fall out of the BCS championship picture. With Notre Dame, it’s a matter of too many losses in recent years.

In the case of Oklahoma-Texas, it’s that the winner of this game doesn’t necessarily get bonus points when it counts the most.

Remember when Texas beat Oklahoma last year, only to lose to Texas Tech and later watch Oklahoma lose (again) in the BCS title game?

Or how about USC with its early season loss to Washington this year that has all but eliminated the Trojans from the national title picture?

It’s too bad that USC doesn’t play in the Big 12 or the Southeastern Conference. In those conferences, coach Pete Carroll’s Trojans could redeem themselves by winning out and playing in a conference championship game (which the Pac 10 does not have yet.)

That’s a sure way to get to the BCS championship (see the Big 12 and SEC.)

As for Oklahoma-Texas, this is a year when the Longhorns can actually make a win over Oklahoma matter more than last year. With a win over the Sooners, don’t be surprised to see Texas ride it out all the way to the BCS finals.

Colt McCoy vs. Sam Bradford. Jimmy Clausen vs. USC becoming tailback university … again.

It should make for an interesting weekend of college football.

Predictions:
USC 24, Notre Dame 14
Texas 27, Oklahoma 23

Dodgers are most resilient team around

2009-10-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Say this much about the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Whenever they absolutely needed to win this season, they did.

Did you notice how they finally beat the Colorado Rockies to clinch the NL West after the Rockies came within a game of them? (This, after failing to clinch vs. lowly Pittsburgh or San Diego.)

Or did you notice how that virtually every time the Dodgers were slumping this season and somebody came within a game or two of them, the Dodgers started winning again?

Or how about supposedly being “overmatched” by St. Louis pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, only to sweep three straight from the Cardinals in the NL Divisional Series?

Now, the Philadelphia Phillies are supposed to beat the Dodgers for the second consecutive year in the NL Championship Series … or are they?

If nothing else, the Dodgers have proven to be the most resilient team around in 2009. They are hard to bet against at this point.

Another thing tough to bet against is the possibility of a Freeway Series matching the Dodgers and Anaheim Angels in the World Series.

“You kind of catch yourself rooting for the Dodgers, and I'm sure the Dodgers are rooting for us,” Torii Hunter of the Angels told the Associated Press. “It'd be kind of awesome to have a Freeway Series.”

There would be an irony in a Freeway Series in that Angels manager Mike Scioscia was the catcher on the last Dodgers team to win a World Series in 1988. Angels coaches Mickey Hatcher and Alfredo Griffin also played for the 1988 Dodgers.

Twenty-one years later, the Dodgers look like they may once again be a team of destiny.

Denver Broncos: Remake of 1994 Chargers?

2009-10-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

It all started in 1994 when Denver quarterback John Elway let the ball slip out of his hands to Junior Seau on what should have been a game-winning drive for the Broncos.

Did it all start for the Broncos in 2009 when Brandon Stokley caught a miracle tipped pass for an 87-yard touchdown with 11 seconds to go to stun the Cincinnati Bengals?

The more this season unfolds; the more it appears that the 2009 Broncos may be a remake of the 1994 Chargers.

As previously mentioned, both teams were more than lucky to win their opener. And before each respective season began, neither team was considered a contender.

The 1994 Chargers started 6-0; this year’s Broncos are a surprising 5-0.

Each quarterback was a castoff from elsewhere: Stan Humphries of the Chargers and Kyle Orton of the current Broncos. Both team had great defenses; the Broncos having allowed just 43 points this year in their first 5-0 start since their last Super Bowl season in 1998.

And if you want to test your memory, can you remember some of these “stars” of the 1994 Chargers?

Do you remember that the team’s leading receivers were Mark Seay and Ronnie Harmon? Or that the No. 2 rusher behind Natrone Means was Eric Bieniemy?

Then there was linebacker Dennis Gibson, who made the game-saving play in the AFC Championship vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The current Broncos are a long way from the Super Bowl, but they sure do bring back memories of how the Chargers came out of nowhere 15 years ago to play in their only Super Bowl ever.

Angels-Dodgers Would Series would be just fine

2009-10-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Turn on ESPN during the baseball season. If they’re not talking about the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; they’re talking about the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Here’s one voice for hoping that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels play in the World Series.

Wouldn’t it be nice for a change for the media … with its East Coast bias … to see that there actually are teams worth talking about in Southern California?

Oh, sure, ESPN loves talking about Manny Ramirez of the Dodgers. Of course, that’s only because all of his years with the Red Sox.

You don’t exactly hear about Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw or James Loney of the Dodgers every day on ESPN.

Ditto for Torii Hunter, John Lackey, Kendry Morales and Howie Kendrick of the Angels.

The only way for these guys to make a national dent is to beat the St. Louis Cardinals and Red Sox, respectively, then go on to win their respective league championship series.

Sure, an all-Southern California World Series would not exactly make for the greatest TV ratings ever. But neither did the Yankees-Mets World Series outside of New York in 2000.

It’s about time the West Coast received its due in MLB.

Dodgers don't match up well in playoffs

2009-10-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers set an all-time franchise record this season by having 22 different pitchers earn at least one win.

Good news?

Not really.

More than anything, it only confirms the fact that the Dodgers have lots of small pieces on their pitching staff … but no ace.

Never is that more evident than in the pitching match-ups for the first two games of the National League Divisional Series vs. the St. Louis Cardinals.

Who would you rather have as your top two pitchers in the playoffs?

Journeyman Randy Wolf, an 11-game winner; and Clayton Kershaw, who finished with a .500 record?

Or Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, both of whom have legitimate cases for winning the NL Cy Young?

About the only thing the Dodgers have going for them in the first round of the playoffs is home field advantage against the Cardinals. But let’s face it: The Dodgers earned home field advantage with wins before the All-Star break; not in September or October.

How else do you explain them losing five of six games to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres down the stretch … when two wins during that time would have clinched the NL West division a lot earlier than Oct. 3?

The Dodgers may have the record to prove they were the best team in the league during the regular season; but that means squat come October.

It looks like a minor miracle … or Randy Wolf turning into a postseason Orel Hershiser … are the best hopes for Los Angeles in postseason 2009.

San Diego Padres: What is 'strategic planning?'

2009-10-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

It all seemed so positive for the San Diego Padres during the last 10 weeks of the 2009 season.

They had the fourth-best winning percentage in MLB during that time. They were third-best in the National League and second (to the surging Colorado Rockies) in the NL West.

Even the questionable trades of Jake Peavy and Scott Hairston have turned out positive so far.

The Padres got rid of Peavy’s $50-million plus salary over the next three years. In return, they received Clayton Richard (probably the No. 3 starter next year), Adam Russell (a likely mainstay in the bullpen) and Aaron Poreda (probably in the starting rotation by 2011.)

The Hairston trade netted them the likes of Ryan Webb and Sean Gallagher, both of whom should contend for spots on the 2010 pitching staff.

Then came the firing over the weekend of General Manager Kevin Towers, who brought all the new pitching to San Diego this season. Love Towers or hate him, this is a “what have you done for me lately” business. Lately, he has done quite well.

And remember, during his 14years as the team’s GM, the Padres won four of the five division championships they have captured in their 41-year history.

Now comes the news that the team is into “strategic planning,” one of those buzz phrases that makes you want to regurgitate.

What is strategic planning? If you’ve been around it, it’s nothing more than a catch-term for people who takes months to make a decision … then the decision is usually no decision at all.

The Padres came so far in the second half of 2009 that it appeared they were headed in the right direction. But now that they are into strategic planning, it makes you wonder what nonsense the future might hold.

Pittsburgh is tough as Steel vs. Chargers

2009-10-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

You can almost always expect the best NFL match-up of the week to be on Sunday Night Football on NBC.

This week is no exception when the San Diego Chargers travel to play the Pittsburgh Steelers.

San Diego has yet to win in 13 regular season games in Pittsburgh, but it did win the 1994 AFC Championship game in the Steel City. That gave the Chargers their only Super Bowl appearance (no big deal to the Steelers with six Super Bowl titles!)

We all know that San Diego has had trouble running the ball this season. Even if LaDainian Tomlinson returns Sunday night, it won’t make much difference. Pittsburgh takes away the run and forces you to pass, no matter who you are.

That’s where the Chargers excel. Philip Rivers leads the league in passing yardage, and Vincent Jackson is turning into a monster this season. (Once the Chargers replace Chris Chambers with Malcom Floyd in the starting lineup, they’ll be even more effective.)

The Steelers will once again be without safety Troy Polamalu, which will weaken their defense. But don’t be surprised if Ben Roethlisberger has once of his patented game-winning drives (remember the last Super Bowl?) at the end.

Prediction:
Steelers 24, Chargers 20

As for the upset special, we all know Brett Favre will be seeking revenge when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers. But don’t you think the Packers will seek revenge, too, on a QB who hasn’t exactly been respectful to them either?

Prediction:
Packers 31, Vikings 23

Wisconsin Badgers: College football's most overlooked team?

2009-09-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Who is the most overlooked team in college football today?

For now, it could be the Wisconsin Badgers.

Sure, the Badgers went their typical 3-0 in non-conference games by beating teams they were supposed to.

But Wisconsin’s impressive 38-30 win over Michigan State in last week's Big Ten opener (the Badgers led by 21 points late in the game) showed that they might be a team to reckon with in 2009.

Of course, the Badgers will find out a lot about themselves in the next two weeks when they play their first road games of the season at Minnesota and The Ohio State. Yet with the way this young team is playing right now, don’t be surprised if Wisconsin beats Minnesota and gives Ohio State all that it can handle.

What’s most noteworthy about the Badgers is that they are winning with a very young team.

Junior QB Scott Tolzien has completed two-thirds of his 99 passes for eight TDs with just two interceptions. Sophomore running back John Clay is averaging 99.5 yards per game and has four TDs.

Sophomore wide receiver Nick Toon (18 catches-236 yards-2 TDs) is the son of former NFL standout Al Toon. Tight end Garrett Graham, one of the few senior starters on the team, has 16 catches including four TDs.

And if you watched the Badgers on ESPN last week, you noticed No. 53 was all over the field on defense. He’s linebacker Mike Taylor, a freshman.

Wisconsin received enough votes (20) to be 32nd in this week’s Associated Press poll, one spot ahead of Notre Dame.

The Badgers may not have made a name for themselves yet, but they could very well do so in the next two weeks.

Chargers should prevail again in AFC West

2009-09-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here we go again.

It looks like the Denver Broncos might challenge the San Diego Chargers for the AFC West title again ... but it isn’t going to happen.

Just like last year; when the Broncos lost three straight and the Chargers won four in a row at the end; Denver is going to fade.

Believe it or not, the Chargers have an easier road by playing a "first place" schedule than Denver does by playing a "second place" schedule.

The teams have 14 games in common. The two exceptions are that the Chargers play Miami and Tennessee, both division champs last year but winless this season. In turn, Denver gets to play Indianapolis (3-0) and New England (2-1).

The Chargers are going to get better when LaDainian Tomlinson returns. They are the worst running team in the NFL now, yet LT will make them much better after he comes back likely for the Denver game at home on Monday night, Oct. 19.

So much for those who thought the team could get along without him.

With LT on the sidelines, the team’s best "rusher" might be Philip Rivers. The slow QB is the only Charger to score a rushing touchdown the past two weeks.

With LT eventually on the way back ... and Denver having a tougher schedule ... the Chargers should prevail again in the AFC West.

Detroit Lions will upset Washington Redskins!

2009-09-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

You heard it here first. The Detroit Lions will win for the first time in two years when they beat the sad-sack Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Other upsets?

The Tennessee Titans can’t afford to start 0-3, so they will beat the undefeated New York Jets. Look for Kerry Collins to have a better day than Jets’ rookie QB Mark Sanchez.

The Cincinnati Bengals will be pumped up at home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look for Carson Palmer and mates to pull this one off.

As for the banged-up San Diego Chargers, they should play like a wounded animal at home vs. the Miami Dolphins.

The Chargers will be without three of their mainstays of the past several seasons: running back LaDainian Tomlinson, center Nick Hardwick and defensive lineman Jamal Williams.

This is a game where the unexpected will step up. Look for the Chargers to throw a lot, with WRs Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee coming through big time.

San Diego is favored … and it should win by a field goal. The Dolphins lost precious preparation time by playing Monday night, then having to travel cross-country on Saturday.

Prediction:
San Diego 23, Miami 20

Jamal Williams' loss could bring Chargers down

2009-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

The loss of Jamal Williams to a triceps injury could be devastating to the San Diego Chargers in 2009. The demotion of Chris Chambers could be a positive if it happened.

More than anyone (including Shawne Merriman when he was healthy), Williams is the key to the Chargers’ defense. At nose tackle, he’s normally taking on two people and freeing up someone else to (hopefully) make the tackle.

From 2005-07, Williams’ peers recognized him as an All-Pro. That was no surprise. The only surprise was that he did not get named a Pro Bowler sooner in his career.

The impact of Williams was certainly never displayed more than in the 2002 season. The Chargers were 8-4 and probably on their way to the playoffs before a cheap shot by Denver Broncos offensive lineman Steve Herndon ended Williams’ season. Without Williams, the Chargers lost their last four games and headed home for the postseason.

It was no coincidence that when Williams went down, so did the Chargers.

As for Chambers, his best days at wide receiver seem to be behind him. He’s gone from 82 receptions and 11 touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins in 2005 to 33 catches and 5 TDs for the Chargers last season … and this year looks worse so far.

Chambers caught just 2 of 10 passes targeted to him (20%) in last week’s 31-26 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The remainder of the team caught nearly 80% of the passes thrown their way.

It’s too bad Williams had to go … but looking more and more like Chambers might need to do the same.

Bad weekend for SoCal's 'elite' football teams

2009-09-21T08:56:00.001-07:00

You could see the USC Trojans’ loss coming from a mile away over the weekend.

For the San Diego Chargers, you could see it from more like seven yards away (thanks Ray Lewis.)

The difference between the Chargers losing in the NFL and USC losing in the NCAA is huge: The Chargers could probably lose seven more games and still have a chance at winning the Super Bowl. USC is out of losses for a chance at the national championship.

Why is it that Pete Carroll can always win the big games at USC, yet the little one seems to escape him each year?

It happened with Stanford in 2007, Oregon State in 2008 and last weekend at the University of Washington.

Each year, that one stumble has kept/will keep the Trojans out of the title hunt.

It’s really too bad that the Trojans play on the West Coast because one loss and you’re out. Play in the more publicized Southeastern Conference or Big Ten and one loss keeps you in the hunt.

As for the Chargers, they’re in such a bad division that an 8-8 record likely gets them to the playoffs.

Still, that’s not excuse for the horrible play calling in the end with a fourth-and-2 at the Baltimore Ravens 15.

The Chargers had been averaging 2.5 yards per rush and were getting blown off the line of scrimmage with an injury-depleted offensive line. Yet coach Norv Turner still went with the run on the decisive play when everyone at Qualcomm Stadium (especially Ray Lewis) could see that it was going to be a run by Darren Sproles.

San Diego has still yet to block Lewis on that play.

It was a bad weekend for the Chargers; a horrible one for USC. See you next year, Trojans!

Chargers' offensive line could be downfall

2009-09-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

The last time the San Diego Chargers missed the playoffs, in 2005, it was because their offensive line was in shambles.

Say hello to déjà vu thus far in 2009.

Already, the team has lost center Nick Hardwick (ankle) and likely right guard Louis Vasquez (knee) for this week’s home opener vs. the Baltimore Ravens.

Add Jeromey Clary at right tackle along with the two injured players and you have a very weak right side of the line.

(Don’t you think the Ravens will exploit this on Sunday?)

Even left tackle Marcus McNeill (ankle) should have come out of Monday’s 24-20 win at Oakland in the fourth quarter, but he continued to play since the Chargers were flat out of reserve linemen.

So what does this mean for Sunday?

You’ll likely see Scott Mruczkowski (center) and guard Brandon Dombrowski (guard) make their first career NFL starts vs. Baltimore.

Does this bode well for the Chargers? Not really.

Prediction:
Ravens 23, Chargers 17

Winning is all that counts in the NFL

2009-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Did you notice how the three most-touted AFC teams all played very poorly on the NFL’s Opening Weekend?

But did you notice how the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers all came out winners in Week 1?

If you were to watch the game tapes without knowing who won, you’d swear that all three lost. Yet so often in the NFL, the lesser teams play harder … but the better teams win.

(If you’re a fan of the Chargers, you’ll remember all those years when the team couldn’t hold a fourth-quarter lead to save its life.)

The Steelers were anything but dominating in their 13-10 overtime win vs. the Tennessee Titans. Yet a fumble by Hines Ward near the goal line at the end of regulation didn’t stop Ben Roethlisberger from engineering another winning drive in overtime.

Tom Brady and the Patriots looked absolutely horrible for 58 minutes vs. the Buffalo Bills. However, that didn’t stop the Patriots from scoring twice in the final 2:06 to escape with a 25-24 win.

The Chargers were getting pushed all around for much of the night by the Oakland Raiders. But in the end, Darren Sproles scored on a 5-yard run with 18 seconds remaining (while replacing the injured LaDainian Tomlinson) as San Diego survived 24-20.

There were other such stories throughout the NFL such as Baltimore needing two late touchdowns to beat Kansas City 38-24.

But it’s not how well you play; it’s whether you win or lose. That’s why the Steelers, Patriots and Chargers are all undefeated despite sub-par efforts.

Chargers have easiest path to playoffs

2009-09-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

The San Diego Chargers certainly have the path of least resistance to the NFL playoffs.

Who wouldn’t want to be in a division with the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders (none ranked higher than 25th of 32 teams in ESPN’s preseason poll?)

The Chargers can definitely afford another 1-3 start because a 7-9 record could win this AFC West division.

But there’s no reason to start so slowly.

Tonight’s season opener at Oakland is a virtual gimmie; La Dainian Tomlinson eats these guys alive in the Black Hole.

Then there are home games vs. the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins; neither of which looked real strong on opening weekend.

Week 4 is at the Pittsburgh Steelers, before a bye week.

The Chargers should be at least 2-2 at their bye; most likely 3-1. But again, no matter what the record early on, making the playoffs should be a breeze. (After all, five games against the AFC West from Oct. 19-Nov. 29 should put distance between the Chargers and the rest of the division.)

The big question marks with this team are pass defense, offensive line, and running back depth considering Tomlinson’s health the past two years.

But all things considered, with six games against the Weak Weak AFC West, the Chargers should finish 10-6 or better this season.

It would be enough to earn at least one home game in the playoffs, and then we go from there.

The ride should be smooth; until January. Then, the real season begins.

Prediction:
Chargers 27, Raiders 7

Patriots over Eagles in Super Bowl?

2009-09-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Tom Brady is back. That means so are the New England Patriots.

Michael Vick is back. The Philadelphia Eagles should go to the Super Bowl; but that doesn’t mean because of him.

As the NFL season kicks off, the pick from this corner is for the Patriots to defeat the Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Sure, there are other contenders.

The San Diego Chargers are in such a weak division that they should cakewalk to the playoffs. (ESPN predicts any of 24 teams could win the AFC West if they were included with Denver, Kansas City and Oakland.)

You can never discount the Pittsburgh Steelers. After all, they are the defending champs.

In the NFC, Drew Brees could surprise and lead the New Orleans Saints to the Super Bowl. (Don’t expect as much from Brett Favre in Minnesota; if the Vikings go all the way, it might be despite him.)

Of course, there are always surprises. So let’s get to our 2009 predictions:

AFC West:
San Diego, Kansas City, Denver, Oakland.

AFC East:
New England, Miami, New York Jets, Buffalo.

AFC North:
Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Cleveland.

AFC South:
Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Jacksonville.

NFC West:
Arizona, Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis.

NFC East:
Philadelphia, New York Giants, Dallas, Washington.

NFC North:
Green Bay, Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit.

NFC South:
New Orleans, Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa Bay.

AFC Wildcards:
Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

NFC Wildcards:
New York Giants and Minnesota.

AFC Championship:
New England over San Diego.

NFC Championship:
Philadelphia over New Orleans.

Super Bowl:
New England over Philadelphia.

Mountain West among the best in college football

2009-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

One week into the college football season, the Mountain West Conference is already showing why it is among the best.

Or did you not notice that the conference was 2-0 vs. the Big 12 as:

BYU beat the then No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners, 14-13 (and knocked out returning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford for quite some time.)

Colorado State upset the home team Colorado Buffaloes, 23-17.

Sure, it’s only one week; and there is a long way to go.

What does this prove?

Among other things, the Mountain West should be included in the BCS.

Sadly, the Big East Conference – which did not have a ranked team going into the season – gets an automatic BCS berth.

The Mountain West has three teams better than anybody in the Big East: BYU, Texas Christian and Utah.

It’s unfair that any one of those teams will have to go undefeated to get into a BCS game … yet an 8-4 team out of the Big East is an automatic BCS entrant.

Until college football goes to a playoff to determine the national champion … and includes the Mountain West in the BCS … the postseason must be considered a joke.

Chargers' Norv Turner: AFC West coaching genius

2009-09-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

Norv Turner has taken more than his share of abuse as (allegedly) a poor head football coach.

But when you look around, Turner is by far the best coach in the AFC West.

That has nothing to do with the fact that he’s won three playoff games in two years with the San Diego Chargers … or that he has by far the division’s best talent with the Chargers.

Just take a look at the other head coaches and you’ll understand why Turner stands out:

Tom Cable of the Oakland Raiders sucker punched an assistant coach early in training camp.

Todd Haley of the Kansas City Chiefs fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in the exhibition season (now Haley is the coordinator.)

Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos has lost star QB Jay Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall … not to mention the attention of the rest of his team.

Yes; compared to those guys, Norv Turner looks like a genius!

Do Dodgers have enough pitching for playoffs?

2009-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Phillies added Cliff Lee to their pitching staff for the pennant drive.

The Los Angeles Dodgers added … Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland?

Can those two journeymen actually help the Dodgers make a dent in the playoffs?

Maybe so.

After all, on the season-long pitching staff, Randy Wolf could make a good argument as the Dodgers’ top starting pitcher.

And he’s no spring chicken, himself.

The Dodgers certainly were not going to win it all with their former starting staff of Wolf, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and the injured Hiroki Kuroda.

With the addition of Padilla and Garland, they have two veterans possibly able to at least make a dent in the playoffs.

(Not to mention reliever George Sherrill acquired from the Baltimore Orioles, giving the Dodgers a sorely needed left-hander in the bullpen.)

The Dodgers actually have the best winning percentage in the NL, just ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals and Phillies.

Even so, it’s hard to believe they would have gone very far in the playoffs with their pitching staff the way it was.

Could Garland and/or Padilla make the difference?

We’ll see.

Park View Little League puts Chula Vista on map

2009-08-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Park View Little League team on winning the Little League Baseball World Series!

Not only did Park View prove it is the best team in the world, it certainly put Chula Vista, California on the map.

Not so long ago, that was what the San Diego Chargers were supposed to do (more on that later.)

San Diego County had not had a Little League world champion since 1961, when Brian Sipe led El Cajon/La Mesa Northern to the title. (That was 19 years before Sipe would become the NFL’s most valuable player with the Cleveland Browns.)

You can name each of the Park View players and they are all “heroes”: Isaiah Armenta, Oscar Castro Jr., Nick Conlin, Kiko Garcia, Bulla Graft, Seth Godfrey, Markus Melin, Jensen Petersen, Daniel Porras Jr., Luke Ramirez, Andy Rios, and Bradley Roberto. The manager is Oscar Castro; the coach, Ric Ramirez.

Without a doubt, big Luke Ramirez (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) will be remembered for his towering home runs.

And Andy Rios will be remembered for turning a great double play with the bases loaded in Sunday’s 6-3 win over Taoyuan, Taiwan for the championship.

But Rios’ top feat was on the mound in an 11-10 win over Warner Robins, Georgia in the U.S. semifinals. He finished the game with 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball after Warner Robins had taken a 10-5 lead. Had he not stopped the bleeding there; Park View would probably not have advanced.

As for the Chargers … their grand plan was to build a stadium in Chula Vista and give the South Bay city a “name.” That didn’t work out in the long run, but Chula Vista is certainly on the map now.

Thanks, Park View Little Leaguers!

Chargers' LT should rest the rest of exhibition season

2009-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Don’t expect to see LaDainian Tomlinson play again in the preseason for the San Diego Chargers.

Ostensibly, he won’t play Saturday at Atlanta because the game is on artificial turf.

Then comes the final preseason game Sept. 4 at home vs. San Francisco … a good time to rest virtually all regulars.

From what little we’ve seen of Tomlinson this summer, he does not appear to be benefiting from exhibition games.

He’s barely averaging two yards a carry and has found holes hard to come by.

Yet this is what’s to be expected from a veteran playing in the preseason for the first time in four years.

The Chargers are fortunate QB Philip Rivers didn’t get hurt when he was sacked four times in the first quarter last weekend by the Arizona Cardinals.

San Diego is a team that only needs to stay healthy to cakewalk through the otherwise horrible AFC West division in 2009.

And remember: The Chargers open their season Sept. 14 at the Oakland Raiders.

LT always has a great game in Oakland. Don’t expect anything less in 2009; as long as he stays healthy through the exhibition season.

Colorado Rockies enjoying Rocky Mountain High

2009-08-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Don’t look now, but the Colorado Rockies are making it appear as if it’s 2007 all over again.

You remember those Rockies? The team that won 21 of 22 games to make it to the World Series, only to be swept by the Boston Red Sox?

Well, these Rockies of 2009 are looking like another miracle team.

How many people thought Colorado had a chance when it trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by 15 ½ games on June 3?

But how many of those people now think the Rockies don’t have a chance as they are only two games behind the Dodgers in the NL West?

The Rockies have certainly made their impression with a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants and last night’s win vs. the Dodgers.

Suddenly, it appears as though they are the best team in a very competitive three-team race in the NL West.

And to think the Dodgers were supposed to be unbeatable after Manny Ramirez returned from his 50-game drug suspension July 3.

Problem is, somebody forgot to tell the suddenly resurgent Rockies!

Peavy trade may turn out OK for San Diego Padres

2009-08-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

It’s waaaaaaaaaay too early to judge how the trade of Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox will turn out.

Was it just another fire sale move for the San Diego Padres?

Or did they actually receive some value in return for Peavy … and getting rid of the $55 million remaining on his contract?

This line from the Associated Press sure catches one’s attention:

“White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen remains optimistic that Jake Peavy will pitch again this season. Peavy will make his third rehab start today.”

What’s up with some of the four pitchers acquired for Peavy?

Clayton Richard is 3-0 for San Diego with a 3.67 ERA.

Adam Russell has been called up from the minors to help out San Diego’s overworked bullpen.

Aaron Poreda could be called up from the Triple-A Portland Beavers as soon as Saturday to make a start for the Padres.

As for Peavy, he may start again this year.

It may be a poor trade for San Diego in the long run, but early returns say that the Padres did not get duped in the exchange.

Let's hope Favre falls on his face

2009-08-20T16:42:00.001-07:00

Brett Favre makes his first exhibition start Friday for the Minnesota Vikings.

If you are like me, you are suffering from Brett Favre Fatigue.

The best case scenario would be that Favre does not get hurt seriously this season but his team fades down the stretch ... as his New York Jets did last season.

After all, he's the one who has said in the past that he cannot play a 16-game schedule nowadays.

Willie Mays hung around too long in baseball; once stumbling on his face as he neared home plate.

Here's one hope that Favre figuratively stumbles on his face in 2009.

Hoke will soon discover few care about San Diego State football

2009-08-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Brady Hoke apparently doesn’t quite seem to know the circumstances.

The new San Diego State football coach can close practice to the media all he wants ... nobody cares.

But when it comes to closing Saturday’s practice at Qualcomm Stadium to the public, maybe somebody does care.

Hoke may not realize that few people care about SDSU football in the first place. Closing all practices to the public is no way to reach out to a "fan base" already turned off by SDSU football’s 10 straight non-winning seasons..

This isn’t Ball State, where Hoke led his former team to a No. 12 national ranking at one point last season. This is San Diego State, which can’t even beat San Jose State or Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Hoke may be fooled when the Aztecs draw over 50,000 fans for their home opener Sept. 12 vs. Southern Utah. That will be due to the annual KGB Sky Show; not the Aztecs.

When Hoke comes home to a virtually empty stadium his remaining five home games, it might just remind him of the empty stadium the Aztecs will practice at this Saturday.

Too bad for him.

Michael Vick deserves second chance ... barely!

2009-08-14T10:47:00.001-07:00

Michael Vick is a disgrace, scumbag and anything else you want to call him.

That being said, he deserves the second chance he is being given by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick has served his 23 months in prison for leading a dog-fighting ring. He’ll also be sidelined up to six games this NFL season as further punishment.

Some will say he can never be punished enough.

I’m willing to give him another chance, with a 2-inch rope to hang himself if he screws up again.

After all, he has taken his legal punishment. And think of how many other people with lesser profiles have been given second chances.

If there is even an indication Vick is involved in dog-fighting rings or any other poor behavior, the NFL should tell him “goodbye.”

The biggest reason he should be given a second chance is his mentor, former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy.

If there were more Tony Dungys in today’s society with strong Christian morals and a lifestyle to back it up … just think of how much better off our country would be.

Hey, O.J. Simpson was given a second chance (and even didn’t go to prison) after killing his wife. Thank goodness, he’s finally in prison where he belongs.

Give Vick a second chance. If he stumbles, put him right next to O.J.

Adrian Gonzalez is quite a hit(s)

2009-08-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

How about that Adrian Gonzalez?

Forget Baseball Hall of Fame players Tony Gwynn and Dave Winfield for a moment.

Gonzalez became the first San Diego Padres player ever to collect six hits in a nine-inning game Tuesday at the Milwaukee Brewers.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to anyone.

After all, Gonzalez was tearing the cover off the ball and leading the National League in home runs until opposing teams wisely decided to start walking him over-and-over again from June on forward.

And to think that Gonzalez and Padres closer Heath Bell could have been members of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the July 31 trading deadline …

The Padres were asking for Dodgers first baseman James Loney and catcher Russell Martin … among others … for Bell and Gonzalez.

Can you imagine even how much better the Dodgers would be with Bell and Gonzalez?

Speaking of the trading deadline, it doesn’t look so much like a fire sale when the Padres traded Jake Peavy to the Chicago White Sox for four pitchers on July 31.

Has anybody else noticed that the Padres have won all three games started by Clayton Richard, a key figure from the White Sox in the Peavy deal?

For the past two weeks, it’s all good news for the Padres as they gaze toward what the future might have to offer.

MLB: It's time for instant replay!

2009-08-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

Umpires are human beings. Yes, they make mistakes (lots of them in some cases.)

Now that the San Diego Padres have concluded a 10-game homestand punctuated by missed calls, it has become more than obvious that instant replay is needed in MLB.

Take just a few instances of the past week, and it’s hard not to conclude that it’s time for instant replay:

Tony Gwynn was called out for a batted ball hitting him on the basepaths. Problem is, the ball clearly missed him.

Chase Headley made a great sliding catch to end an inning. However, the umpire wrongly said Headley trapped the ball.

Headley was again the victim on a play at the plate. He was called out, yet replays showed he was unquestionably safe.

Everth Cabrera was ruled safe on a stolen base attempt of third. He was unmistakably out.

However, that one more than evened out. Cabrera was ruled out for missing home plate on a sliding attempt; replays showed his hand clearly touched the plate.

Kyle Blanks was ruled safe at home on a tying run in the ninth inning vs. the New York Mets. Replays showed he was definitely tagged out by catch Brian Schneider.

Ok, this was only the Padres. On a scale of MLB, there seems to be an attitude of “Who cares what happens west of the Mississippi?”

Let’s hope the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox have this many blown calls on a homestand. Then, MLB will do something about adding instant replay.

A local NFL blackout may be coming your way

2009-08-07T10:01:00.000-07:00

NFL fans, beware!

Television blackouts may soon be coming to your area for your home team.

If you are a fan of teams such as the Washington Redskins or Green Bay Packers, it’s no problem. Your team’s home games will be sold out (and not blacked out) for generations to come.
But in front-runner cities such as San Diego, TV blackouts may be on their way.

Jim Steeg, chief operating officer of the San Diego Chargers, said as much this week to chargers.com.

“Yes, local television blackouts are a definite possibility,” said Steeg. “Our goal right now is to make everyone aware that tickets are still available and that, at this point at least, blackouts are likely.

“It appears that both preseason home games (against Seattle and San Francisco) will be blacked out. Hopefully the knowledge that most home games likely will not be shown locally will spur additional fans to join us at the stadium. Our players want to play in a full stadium, and we want all of our fans to be able to watch all of our games on TV.”
There are issues:

First of all – and most of all – the nation’s economy is still hurting. People aren’t going to rush out to buy tickets primarily ranging from $74 to $98 to ensure someone else can watch the game on TV.

Local Native American casinos and TV stations – which have stepped up to the plate in recent years to buy tickets and ensure sellouts – just don’t have the funds to do so in this economic climate. Last year, TV bought out remaining tickets three times so games could be seen locally.

Charger fans are front-runners, anyhow. In the team’s only Super Bowl season (1994), the first home game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals was 10,000 seats short of a sellout.

The NFL could make an exception and televise all games locally in this down economy. But the chances of that happening are about as likely as the Oakland Raiders winning the Super Bowl this season.

Players should concentrate on football; not Twitter

2009-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

Joe Tiller, former head football coach at Purdue University, was right about modern day players.

On an ESPN broadcast last season, Tiller said it’s hard to know what you will get from Saturday to Saturday because players sometimes “take a day off.”

Tiller further elaborated on the distractions of some players being more interested in spending the pregame making sure they know where friends are sitting so they can wave “hello” during the game than paying attention to a pregame pep talk.

Maybe Tiller has said goodbye to football, but we continue to say hello to the 21st century player who has trouble focusing.

First of all, the current generation has been raised to think they are special. It’s all about “me, me, I and I.”

Take the latest case of San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie sending out the following tweet on his Twitter account:

“Man we have 2 have the most nasty food of any team. Damn can we upgrade 4 str8 years the same ish maybe that’s y we can’t we the SB we need.” It cost Cromartie a $2,500 fine.

“I just thought it was harmless. It was just me talking about the food and stuff. I took it as a joke. But other people took it as a different kind of way,” Cromartie told the Associated Press.

One of the reasons San Diego did not make the Super Bowl in 2008 was a huge regression by Cromartie. He went from 10 interceptions in a Pro Bowl 2007 season to just two picks last year.

Then, we found out that Cromartie has seven children (under the age of 5) by five women in five different states.

Between having kids all over the place and his Twitter account, no wonder some in the Chargers organization question his concentration involving football.

Don’t blame it all on Cromartie, though. He’s just a typical example of the many players that drove Joe Tiller nuts.

Jury will long be out on Jake Peavy trade

2009-08-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Just because Clayton Richard pitched 5 2/3 solid innings Saturday night, it doesn’t mean the San Diego Padres made a great trade in getting rid of Jake Peavy.

On the other hand, perhaps the multitudes shouldn’t jump to conclusions by calling it a bad trade yet for the Padres.

If Peavy can help lead the Chicago White Sox to the playoffs this year, it’s certainly a good immediate trade for them.

But remember, Peavy practiced off the mound for the first time in nearly two months Sunday because of his ankle injury. It may be September until he can help the Chisox; if it all.

And if Peavy does pitch in the postseason, his small sample says he might not do so well.

In two division series games, Peavy is 0-2 with a 12.10 ERA. In addition, he gave up six runs on 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings during a one-game playoff for the National League wild card in 2007 vs. the Colorado Rockies.

As for the pitchers the Padres received from Chicago:

Richard was in the White Sox rotation and will continue to be a regular (and the only left-hander) in San Diego’s rotation.

Aaron Poreda, another southpaw, has been projected as a No. 2 starter by some among the MLB Network family and should join the Padres soon.

Minor-league right-handers Adam Russell and Dexter Carter both have potential … whatever that means.

Sure, this was another money dump for San Diego, which owed Peavy close to $55 million. But this might not have reached the fire sale stage yet of the 1993 Padres. (Hey, Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez are still in San Diego … for now.)

Is there another Peavy in this group? Doubtful.

But when the Padres drafted Peavy in the 15th round in 1999, who knew he would turn out to be the superstar (on those occasions when he’s healthy) that he has been?

Cheating is fine; if you're on the home team

2009-07-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

So here we go again.

Now we discover that the Boston Red Sox first World Series title in 86 years was tainted when they won in 2004.

Surprise, surprise … David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among the 104 major league players listed as having tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in 2003.

Does that diminish Boston’s championships in 2004 and 2007 with these guys on the team?

If you’re a Red Sox fan, absolutely not. If you’re a fan of someone else, of course it tarnishes the accomplishment.

Funny, but it wasn’t so long ago that Red Sox fans were on the New York Yankees for having known cheaters such as Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi.

But failing a drug test is only a crime if you are not on the home team, according to the fans.

After all, Los Angeles Dodgers fans couldn’t figure out why San Francisco Giants followers cheered cheater Barry Bonds. Now those same Dodgers fans support Ramirez … because it’s OK to cheat if you’re on the home team.

Mark McGwire will always be a hero in St. Louis; same with Sammy Sosa in Chicago.

And the list goes on.

Lesson learned? Society has taught us to cheer for cheaters … as long as they wear the uniform of our home team.