Dodgers fans will pay price to see Yankees

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 proves classiest player in the NFL

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.

Oakland Raiders: Commitment to Failure?

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

Denver Broncos: 1977 all over again?

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?

Winning is all that counts in the NFL

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

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

Chargers' Norv Turner: AFC West coaching genius

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!

Chargers' LT should rest the rest of exhibition season

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.

A local NFL blackout may be coming your way

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.

3D: Wave of the future in the NFL?

Did you see the Super Bowl ad in 3D at halftime for Sobe?

Pretty cool, huh.

Who knows; 3D may be the wave of the future for the NFL.

The Sobe ad certainly seemed to jump out at those of us watching in 3D.

And for those who viewed the San Diego Chargers-Oakland Raiders game in 3D on Dec. 4, the pictures sure appeared to jump out.

Whenever a player caught a ball near the sideline, he seemed to be coming right at you.

When the locker room attendant threw a towel at the camera, it looked like the towel would hit you.

When the Charger Girl cheerleaders were featured, it looked like they were falling out of their tops (and bottoms.)

If 3D is the future of the NFL, I’m not so sure if it will be possible to watch a full game in that manner.

But some of the 3D features are certainly attractive at this point.

Will Chargers feast on Broncos?

We all know what is ... and has been ... at stake for the Chargers.

They’ve received the help they needed; now it’s time to help themselves.

The stumbling Denver Broncos seem to be a perfect post-Christmas dessert for getting into the playoffs.

Not so fast!

The Broncos do lose at home when they are expected to win (see: Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills.)

But they are most potent on the road when they are supposed to lose (see: Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets.)

If the Broncos keep up their unpredictable trends of 2008, they have a good chance Sunday Night.

Don’t count on it.

Prediction:
Chargers 31, Broncos 23

Too bad Chargers can't always play Raiders

Are they the Super Chargers again, or what?

How about that suddenly spirited defense?

How about those three interceptions and three sacks?

How about LaDainian Tomlinson and his 91 rushing yards?

How about Vincent Jackson and his 148 receiving yards?

Are those Chargers dominant or just plain Super?

Whoops; forgot one thing.

Those were the pathetic-plus Oakland Raiders the Chargers beat 34-7 Thursday night.

Oakland is so bad that it probably couldn’t beat San Ysidro High School.

For all the talk about how the Chargers rebounded this week and could still make a run to the playoffs, just remember they don’t play the Raiders every week.

A game at Tampa Bay looms in two weeks; which will eliminate the Chargers from playoff contention if they haven’t already been eliminated by then.

But at least for one night, the Chargers did look like the team that most “experts” thought they would be all season long in 2008.

Chargers-Raiders: Not ready for prime time

“It’s Raider Short Week.”

With apologies to Marty Schottenheimer, we have added a word to his “It’s Raider Week” slogan as the Chargers prepare to host the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night.

And with many apologies to Schottenheimer; he should still be the coach of the Chargers.

But you’re stuck with Norv Turner. And you’re stuck with General Manager A.J. Smith, who’s no John Wayne … or John Doe for that matter.

The dysfunctional Chargers might actually win a game against the Raiders.

If they do, you’ll hear all about how the team rallied around its embattled coach and sour-puss general manager.

But the real truth of the matter is that the Raiders stink. (Heck, they couldn’t even win at home against Kansas City.)

So if the Chargers look like a powerhouse this week, just remember they’re playing the Raiders.

If they add to their string of five losses in six games, look for management to sign Turner to a new contract.

Pathetic!

Prediction:

Chargers 21, Raiders 17

Chargers could win AFC West with losing record

So you still think the Chargers won’t win the AFC West?

Did you see the Denver Broncos lose to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday?

At this point, the Broncos might not be able to beat the San Ysidro High junior varsity.

Denver is toast, but so are the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders. So that leaves the Chargers to win the AFC West; probably even if they finish with a losing record at 7-9.

Sure, Denver leads the division at 4-4. (The Broncos will likely be 4-5 with a loss Thursday at Cleveland.) Then, if the Chargers win as expected Sunday at home vs. Kansas City, they’ll be tied for the division lead at 4-5.

How do you say “pathetic?”

At the midway point of the 2008 season, the numbers prove that the Chargers are indeed in the worst division in football.

Here’s a look at each division’s overall record in games outside its respective division:

NFC East 18-5
NFC South 16-7
AFC East 14-8
AFC South 12-8
AFC North 6-10
NFC North 7-13
NFC West 6-16
AFC West 5-17

Any question now as to whether the Chargers will win the worst division in football?

Al Davis: The root of Raiders' evil

Sometimes, it’s interesting to know what the average fan is saying.

Last weekend, a visitor from Blythe, Calif., told me what the numerous Oakland Raiders’ fans in his hometown are thinking.

“They’re just waiting for Al Davis to die,” he said.

As cruel as that is, Raider fans have come to realize that the game has long-since passed Davis by. He may be able to outline “wrongdoings” by fired coach Lane Kiffin in an attempt not to pay Kiffin, but the evil starts with Davis.

(Can you imagine how long it would take for someone to outline Davis’ wrongs over the past six years; such as Davis did with Kiffin yesterday?)

To start with, Davis has had five coaches over the past six seasons. Kiffin has the second “winningest” percentage among them with his 5-15 record. (Would you believe the “best” Raiders coach during that time was Norv Turner at 9-23?)

Heck, new Raiders interim coach Tom Cable had a worse winning percentage at the University of Idaho than Kiffin did with the Raiders.

Perhaps Terrell Davis put it best on the NFL Network.

“I don’t think anybody in his right mind would want to coach the Raiders,” the former Denver Broncos star said.

Speaking of, Davis still owes current Broncos coach Mike Shanahan money from when Shanahan (like Kiffin) was supposedly fired with cause in the mid -1990s by Davis.

As Davis continues to seek what is ailing the Raiders, the best advice is for him to take a long, long look in the mirror.

Chargers' LT loves 'Raider Week'

If you’re looking for LaDainian Tomlinson to have his first breakout game of 2008 for the Chargers, this could very well be the week.

As former coach Marty Schottenheimer used to say: “It’s Raider Week.”

And few – if any – Charger players have performed better over the years against the hated Oakland Raiders than LT.

In fact, three of his top eight career rushing games came vs. Oakland:

Dec. 28, 2003: Career-high 243 yards
Oct. 14, 2007: Both 198 yards and four touchdowns
Sept. 28, 2003: Best game at Oakland with 187 yards

Based on this, we should find out this week if LT is just off to another slow start or hurt worse than some are letting on with his toe injury.

There are a couple of significant notes this week.

First of all, with a win, the Chargers will become the first team ever to beat the Raiders 10 straight times.

And most of all for Oakland, it will likely be the last game for head coach Lane Kiffin; who is expected to be fired the following week when the Raiders have a bye.

Either the Raiders will go all out for Kiffin this week, or they will just lie down because they are tired of interference from owner Al Davis.

Prediction: Chargers 38, Raiders 23
College prediction: San Diego State 31, Idaho 20

Referee Ed Hochuli ... dumbest man in the NFL!

Referee Ed Hochuli clearly looks like the strongest referee in the NFL.

After Sunday, it’s safe to say he is all brawn and no brains.

Hochuli’s incompetent officiating clearly cost the San Diego Chargers a 39-38 loss at Denver.

All of America could plainly see Broncos’ quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled the ball away to San Diego in the game’s waning moments, which should have closed out a 38-31 win.

But Hochuli let his muscles get in the way of his vision by ruling it an incomplete pass and blowing his whistle; costing the Chargers the ball and blowing the game.

"That’s not acceptable," Chargers’ coach Norv Turner rightfully said more than once in the aftermath.

Oh, sure, the Chargers still could have held the Broncos from the 10 – or stopped a two-point conversion – to win the game a second time.

But once you’ve won the game, why have to win it a second time?

And what was with the instant replay not working in the first quarter?

All of America could see on TV replays that San Diego’s Chris Chambers was obviously down after catching a pass. Hochuli’s crew called it an interception, which was news to TV viewers but not the incompetency in the replay booth.

That was bad enough. Hochuli’s ridiculous call at the end was the worst thing some of us have since the Holy Roller 30 years ago by the Oakland Raiders.

There’s no excuse for Hochuli’s incompetency ... or the Chargers’ 0-2 start!

Will Chargers start the season at least 5-0?

Josh Lewin, the outstanding play-by-play announcer for the Chargers on radio station Rock 105.3 KIOZ-FM, made an interesting observation about the AFC West.

“It’s like Gladys Knight & the Pips,” he said last weekend. “The Chargers are Gladys Knight, and everyone else is the Pips.”

Right on.

It would be shocking if any of the Pips among the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs or Oakland Raiders overtake the Chargers this season in the AFC West.

Perhaps the bigger question is whether the Chargers can begin their season with a 5-0 record … at the very least.

They’re already a 10-point favorite at home for the Sept. 7 season opener at home against Carolina, which will be without leading (and suspended) receiver Steve Smith.

Then comes a Sept. 14 contest at Denver, where the Chargers haven’t had much success over the years but did win 41-3 last season. It won’t hurt that Broncos’ leading receiver Brandon Marshall is suspended for that game.

Week 3 is a Monday Night home game Sept. 22 vs. the New York Jets and some new quarterback named Brett Favre (gee, I think ESPN has ignored him lately!)

The next two weeks feature games at Oakland (Sept. 28) and Miami (Oct. 5).

So far, it appears to be a very soft schedule.

Then comes a Week 6 match up at home on Sunday Night, Oct. 12, vs. the mighty New England Patriots.

The Chargers will be looking to avenge (a) a 2006 playoff loss, (b) a 2007 regular season loss, (c) a 2007-08 postseason loss, or (d) all three losses to the Patriots.

That may be the most important hump of all to get over.

Draft analysis: AFC West gaining on Chargers?

Time is starting to run out on the Chargers, so they hope for immediate results from their 2008 draft picks.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders are gaining on the Chargers; thus San Diego better take advantage before the Chiefs and Raiders become solid contenders by 2010.

Certainly, the Chargers took care of their need at cornerback by taking Antoine Cason (Arizona) in the first round and DeJuan Tribble (Boston College) in the sixth round.

Whether they fully made up for the loss of Michael Turner and Lorenzo Neal by drafting running backs Jacob Hester (LSU) in the third round and Marcus Thomas (UTEP) in the fifth round is debatable.

But there’s no debate the big need is at offensive tackle, and waiting till the seventh round to take an OT (Corey Clark, Texas A&M) may prove to be a big mistake.

After all, the last time the Chargers failed to make the playoffs in 2005, it was due to lack of depth on the offensive line when injuries occurred. Unless they pick up a proven veteran OT before the season, it could prove to be their downfall, also, in 2008.

Meanwhile, NFL draft expert Mel Kiper of ESPN certainly thinks Kansas City and Oakland can sneak up on the Chargers within a couple years, based on this year’s picks. Here are some comments by Kiper on the AFC West picks:

Kansas City: (Grade: A) The rebuilding process is on. The Chiefs started the draft with 13 picks, and they made them count. After getting defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey -- the No. 1 player on my Big Board -- with the fifth overall pick, the Chiefs grabbed tackle Branden Albert, although he will be a work in progress. Virginia Tech cornerback Brandon Flowers would have been a mid-first-round pick if he had run better 40 times at the NFL combine. On Day 2, RB Jamaal Charles and Tennessee TE Brad Cottam -- who has untapped ability -- will be nice complements on offense. Cottam could be a diamond in the rough.

Oakland (Grade: B-) We all know what Darren McFadden can do. I really liked Oakland's second-round pick, Connecticut CB Tyvon Branch. He can help out in the return game, and also has great catch-up speed. Wide receiver Arman Shields hurt his knee early in the season and fell off the radar, but he's a developmental receiver.

Denver (Grade C+) Ryan Clady is the left tackle the Broncos needed to help Jay Cutler, and Clady should start right away. Eddie Royal is a decent slot receiver who has some return skills, Kory Lichtensteiger was one of the top centers in the draft and Arizona State's Ryan Torain is an interesting pick at running back because he has the potential to prosper in Denver.

San Diego (Grade: C+) Antoine Cason played a lot of football at Arizona, which at times works against a player in terms of being overevaluated. Cason doesn't have great recovery speed, but he has good technique in coverage and good ball skills. Jacob Hester could make up for the loss of Michael Turner. Hester was a fullback at LSU, but isn't a prototypical lead-blocking fullback. UTEP RB Marcus Thomas has some ability and was a good fifth-round pick; CB DeJuan Tribble did not have great workouts, but he flashed second-round potential early in the season. One thing I didn't like about the Chargers' draft is they didn't really address their need at right tackle.

If Kiper is correct, the rest of the AFC West may be gaining on the Chargers.

Chargers' injuries: Who can you believe?

If you think the New England Patriots have been less than honest concerning Tom Brady’s foot injury before Super Bowl XLII, then maybe it’s time to look in the mirror in San Diego.

Or have you not heard?

Kicker Nate Kaeding played the final four weeks of the season with a fractured fibula in his left leg (an injury never told on the official NFL injury report), according to the Associated Press.
QB Philip Rivers played the AFC Championship game after having arthroscopic surgery for a torn knee ligament, which the team had reported as a sprained knee ligament.
RB LaDainian Tomlinson wasn’t even on the injury report before the AFC title game in New England, yet had to leave after four plays with a lingering knee injury.

The San Diego Union-Tribune, which acts as an apologist for the Chargers, has already said the Chargers followed procedure according to an NFL vice president.

This same paper also said "most" NFL teams would have reported the injuries in the same manner as the Chargers; which is an interesting conclusion in that no actual poll of NFL teams was taken.

Certainly, NFL teams fudge with their injury reports. The Oakland Raiders and New England have long been considered among the top culprits.

But have the Chargers joined that group with their less than up-front reporting of injuries before the New England game?