Aztecs can't draw flies (or fans)

A local radio station recently went out to a restaurant/bar in Little Italy with 200 tickets to give away to a San Diego State football game.

It came back with 200 tickets.

Another radio station has a program where it gives listeners “points” in an Internet contest for such things as typing in the Word of the Day.

A $25 gift certificate to Jack in the Box or McDonald’s normally goes for 40,000-50,000 points. Four SDSU football tickets can usually be had for less than 1,000 points.

Does anybody care about SDSU football?

Apparently not, according to the radio station promotions and the number of empty seats at an Aztec home football game.

Athletic director Jeff Schemmel would have you believe that his department – and especially the football program – is able to carry its own financial weight.

If that’s so, then why does President Stephen Weber keep borrowing from a “one-time fund” to give millions to the athletic department?

The Aztecs conclude their season Saturday at home against No. 19 Brigham Young. Unless there are thousands of Mormons in the stands supporting BYU, expect another virtually empty stadium.

This week’s predictions:

BYU 38, Aztecs 20

Chargers 20, Kansas City 17

Union-Tribune can't hide its 'business deal'

What’s the big secret behind the “business deal” between the San Diego Union-Tribune and radio station XTRA Sports 1360 AM?

The Union-Tribune has its sportswriters on a daily (Monday-Friday) show from 10 am-noon, but here’s what you won’t read about in the supposedly tell-all Union-Tribune:

The newspaper is paying $1,000 an hour to have its sportswriters on The Sports Page with Josh Rosenberg. As part of the deal, the Union-Tribune is selling ads for the show.

Also, the sportswriters on the show do not receive any compensation for their time. That’s sure to build morale in the already-deteriorating newspaper business.

The next time you hear (or see) the Union-Tribune collectively beating its chest for thinking it blows the whistle on others, just ask why the paper doesn’t blow the whistle on itself.

This “business deal” is an example of the U-T thinking it is above the rules it sets for others.

Chargers will clinch AFC West on Christmas Eve

As poorly as they have played much of this season, the Chargers will clinch the AFC West by beating Denver on Christmas Eve.

Neither team has an overly difficult schedule between now and then … but both are capable of losing to anybody.

The Chargers (6-5) travel to Kansas City and Tennessee the next two weeks before hosting Detroit and Denver back-to-back.

The Broncos (5-6) travel to Oakland, host Kansas City, then are at Houston prior to meeting the Chargers.

When the Chargers and Broncos meet on Christmas Eve (Monday night) in San Diego, they will likely be tied or the Chargers will have a one-game lead.

Since the Chargers already beat Denver earlier this year, they would own the tiebreaker over the Broncos with a second win.

In Sunday’s 32-14 win over a hapless Baltimore Ravens’ team, at least the Chargers showed a little bit of their 2006 form.

Philip Rivers didn’t turn the ball over, Antonio Gates caught two TD passes and LaDainian Tomlinson surpassed 10,000 career rushing yards.

The defense also showed its old tendency with four sacks.

Although this Sunday’s game at Kansas City (4-7) may seem like a lock, two things must be taken into consideration.

The Chargers are just 1-4 on the road, and they suffered their only regular-season home loss in two years back in September against the Chiefs.

With this team, nothing can be taken for granted.

Chargers doing OK in spite of selves

At one time, the next four weeks looked very difficult on the Chargers’ schedule:

Baltimore; at Kansas City; at Tennessee; Detroit.

All of a sudden, the schedule does not look quite as imposing.

Baltimore comes here Sunday on a four-game losing streak. Kansas City is out of running backs, among other things.

Tennessee has lost two straight. Detroit is a 6-5 team in a tailspin.

Of course, the biggest thing the Chargers have going against themselves is themselves.

They are the NFL’s worst offense over the last four games. They have the second worst defense in that time span.

Even so, they are 2-2 in their four games.

So it looks like – even in spite of Norv Turner, A.J. Smith and Ted Cottrell – the Chargers may be well on their way to the playoffs.

Weekend Predictions:

Chargers 23, Ravens 14

Texas Christian University 37, San Diego State 20

Local college basketball worth watching

College basketball isn’t going to be so bad in San Diego this season.

San Diego State has its most balanced team in years. The University of San Diego is only going to get better under the great coaching of first-year mentor Bill Grier, a former assistant at West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga.

Both San Diego teams are young, which is another remedy for future improvement. The Aztecs have only one senior; USD has none.

Lorrenzo Wade leads an SDSU team that is 5-0 and is 8-9 players deep in able contributors.

The Toreros (2-2) do not have any seniors. Junior center Gyno Pomare has two straight double-double games against Nevada Las Vegas and SDSU.

USD hosts the WCC postseason tournament each of the next two seasons. Don’t be surprised if the Toreros win that tournament by next year.

Coach Steve Fisher has brought the Aztecs from horrible to mediocre during his tenure on Montezuma Mesa. His team is likely looking at another NIT-type season, which is about as high as Fisher appears capable of taking this team.

But in the long run, at least local college basketball fans shouldn’t be too disappointed this season.

Chargers start pointing fingers

So now the Chargers are starting to point fingers.

Shawne Merriman and LaDainian Tomlinson are saying some guys on the team are interested in collecting paychecks; not winning.

Such was the locker room tone after Sunday’s 24-17 loss at Jacksonville.

Sure, they probably have a point with the finger-pointing.

But if they want to get directly to the point, blame team management.

A.J. Smith is the general manager whose sour personality caused the team to lose coach Marty Schottenheimer, who’s a better head coach on his worst day than Norv Turner is on his best day.

Dean Spanos is the guy who twice in 10 years couldn’t solve a coach-general manager feud. Thanks to his ultimate decision to fire Schottenheimer, the Chargers’ have taken huge steps backwards.

The sad part is that if Denver loses at home Monday night to Tennessee, the Chargers will be alone in first place in the AFC West.

This dysfunctional team deserves much worse.

Will Jaguars take bite out of Chargers?

OK, so this much we know about the Chargers:

Norv Turner is a horrible head coach.

Philip Rivers can’t pass – or hold onto the football – any more.

LaDainian Tomlinson has forgotten how to run.

But there are the positives:

Antonio Cromartie is a big-time playmaker.

Darren Sproles has suddenly remembered how to run back kicks.

The Chargers were good enough to beat the Indianapolis Colts’ junior varsity when they were missing seven injured starters.

Now come the Jacksonville Jaguars.

They may be a non-descript team, but all they do is win.

With a 6-3 record, the Jaguars should be even more potent this week when quarterback David Garrard returns from three weeks on the injury list with a high-ankle sprain.

Prediction:

Jaguars 23, Chargers 20