Chargers Not Good Enough

The Charger season has all but officially ended...yes, that was uttered 2 weeks ago when the bolts lost at home to Miami, but beating the previously undefeated Colts the following weekend seemed to signify that the Chargers were a team that had some hope of not only making the playoffs, but also being a team that could pull off an upset or two.

But after the Kansas City Chiefs had their way with the Chargers this past weekend, that all came to a screeching halt. The Chargers, who earned the label of being a team that couldn't finish a game - having blown 4 fourth quarter leads this season - show the ultimate price to pay from that....not making the playoffs.

I do believe I have called for Schottenheimer to be let go last year and will do so again. Yes, he helped rebuild this team into a competitive football team, but his coaching style is exactly what we saw throughout the season. If a lead is attained, then sit on the ball and put pressure on the opposing team's offense, which works about 50% of the time. And if the Chargers need to come from behind, well, you are in a coin-flip because long plays are absent from the playbook.

Tomlinson looked like he was out of gas the last 4 or so games. Not breaking 100 yards, banged up ribs... and really, all season just didn't look like he was running good... slipping and falling on more runs then making long runs...

Gates as well, since his mild ankle injury, seemed to be dropping passes that were routine for him most anytime.

McCardell really stepped up this year and was a great surprise.

Brees looked good most of the time. He did seem to fumble more when sacked this season and did make a couple of really poor decisions/passes. Hopefully he will continue to learn and improve.

Offensive line was abmissal as usual. A reason, I think, one of the best runningbacks in the league didn't have the dominating season he should have. Very rarely was there a hole for Tomlinson to bust through but instead, and oftentimes, defenders often met Tomlinson at the point of exchange. Completely unacceptable.

The defense seemed to get better as the season went on. Rookie Merriman looks like he could be the real deal. But what's odd is that the Charger run defense, which ranked first going into the game against KC, got RAN over. Which adds to my theory that I've had every time the Chargers are 'suppose' to have this good run defense...and that is teams don't need to run on the Chargers when they can pass. The Chiefs didn't want to pass and chose to run the ball and had little to no problems doing so... and that just goes to show that the Chargers were number one against the run on paper only...

Overally I am mostly disappointed with the season. I felt the Chargers were legitimate contenders for the division. Their schedule was brutal, but even more reason to think that they could have really proven something this season but came up short. What really stinks is the first four losses the Chargers could have, should have won and then these last two were simply embarassments...if they would have been the first two losses for the Chargers, then they wouldn't matter so much, but because of the previous four losses they just show that the Chargers are not a good team.

Hopefully the offseason is positive and I look forward to next season when the Chargers can redeem themselves.

What's On Tap?

So in 3 1/2 hours my X-Mas vacation begins and I know many are wondering what I will be doing. At first I was hesitant to post my activities as to not create enormous amounts of jealousy amongst my regular readers, but I've decided against my original intentions and will reveal the action packed, non-stop agenda I have planned for my Christmas vacation...

Well, first there's the obvious... I got to start and finish my Christmas shopping. After that, I am getting my driver's license renewed...so there is day one: 4 hours of Christmas shopping and probably an equal amount of time standing in line at the DMV...jealous yet? A trip back to my 'hometown' to see my parents, sister, brother, friends, etc.. with the kids for a day (maybe two) is slated to occur sometime after Christmas.

Well, there you have it... the extent of my Christmas plans...not really too exciting, but my birthday is also next week, but normally noone cares. It's one of those birthdays that just happens at the wrong time for any kind of fun to happen... shortly after Christmas and just before New Year's Eve. When I was younger it was great because it was a perfect excuse to go out drinking yet one more night during the Christmas break...but now, I'll probably be in bed by 10 or 11.

Alright the countdown to excitement is now at 3 hours and 24 minutes...

4 Hours

I am just working 4 more hours, tomorrow until noon, then I am off until next year! I need to get my driver's license renewed and do my Christmas shopping... I'm hoping to do all that tomorrow so that I can have Thursday and Friday to basically do nothing...

Happy Holidays everyone!

First Timer

After running a (pay) fantasy football league for 10 years, I am having the best year of my career. Sure, I have won and done well in free leagues in the past and I've even taken third a couple of times in this league...which only garners your entry fee back. But this year, after a quick start my team began to fade down the stretch - which is typical with my teams. I needed a win in week 13 to make our playoffs (which run weeks 14-16 in the NFL schedule) and have won convincingly the past two weeks and am in the championship game and a matchup that looks very favorable for me. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hopefully things go my way this weekend...

For the record, the Chargers I have on my team are Antonio Gates, Keneen McCardell and kicker, Nate Kaeding. McCardell has to be the biggest surprise on my squad. I was also able to acquire Steve Smith before the season started primarily because he was hurt last year and didn't appear towards the top of any 'cheat sheets' so I really got a 'steal' when I drafted him. And I think that luck does factor in just a bit... before the season started, I offered a competitor Stephen Davis and Derrick Mason for Fred Taylor and Chad Pennington - I'm glad he balked at that deal!

WOW!

The Chargers looked solid all but the 3rd Quarter, but slayed the giant. The Colts are no longer undefeated.

Shawn Merriman (#56) was freakin' awesome!!! If you watch any sports show this next week that 'disect' this game, you will see him all over Manning.

Brees, two int's and a fumble, all which let Indy into the game when the Chargers were up 16-0 in the third quarter.

Defense redeemed itself from last week's disgusting display.

If the Raiders could somehow, someway, please help us out... and beat the Broncos next week, the Chargers beat KC, of course in Arrowhead - but a smaller feat to ask for then this week's win at Indy...not? Then the Chargers would play the Broncos on New Year's Eve for the AFC West title, and chances are, probably the only realistic way I see the Chargers getting into the playoffs...

Big win for the Bolts today! I'm still shell-shocked...

Go Chargers!

Weather Service Comes Through Again...

Well, this is the third day of our 'Winter Storm" as forecasted by the National Weather Service and apparantly anytime it snows in this region it warrants hitting the panic button. After being in 'high alert' for the winter storm the end result is about 3 inches of snow on the ground and it being a bit cold outside...

As I previously mentioned, if the weather we had the past few days justifies weather bulletins, issuing a winter storm watch and such, this region is 'technically' under a winter storm watch from November until the end of February because it is fairly cold and we get snow at least once a week during that time...

Either the people in this region are becoming bigger wusses or the 'storms' we have aren't what they use to be...

Random Thoughts

Ok, here's another edition of some random thoughts from myself:

1. The weather forecasters in my region are HORRIBLE. So 2 weeks ago they totally blew forecasting a fairly substantial ice storm/blizzard, the first of the season...which is typical. So what does the National Weather Service (which every media-forecaster reitterates) do from here on out? Forecast a storm/blizzard days in advance. I wake up this morning to find out that our region is under a Winter Storm Watch... nevermind that it is 34 degrees outside, snow is melting and there is no wind. This Winter Storm Watch is essentially in effect until February because they don't know if/when it will ever actually strike, but this way they can at least say they warned us in advance...

2. Christmas. As I've gotten older and more cynical, I really don't care about Christmas. I NEVER get anything I really want because anything I really want is either too expensive for anyone to buy it for me or I already bought it for myself. But having kids really does remind me of when I was younger and how exciting it really is. My wife and I wrapped presents last night and put them under the tree and the kids were all abuzz this morning. My 3 year-old son was ready to start opening them up right then.

3. The new rules in the NHL, to me, is making the game better. The shoot-outs are exciting and the action seems faster than ever. Now if the NHL would just rearrange their schedule so that their season ends in April rather than June, I think they'd really see more fan growth.

4. Has anyone ever scheduled a doctor's appointment and actually seen the doctor and left in a timely manner? I had an appointment yesterday and after only 10 minutes after my appointment was scheduled did a nurse come and do the preliminary stuff - I thought I would be in and out in a timely manner - WRONG. I then got to sit and wait for 45 minutes to see the doctor - which was an hour after my scheduled appointment... it never fails... I hate going to the doctor just for that fact that it is never timely. And I know that the doctor is probably taking care of someone more serious than myself or delivering a baby or doing brain surgery or whatever, but every time? Just once in my lifetime would I like to have a doctor's appointment that I don't have to block a 1/2 day out devoted to just waiting... I should smarten up and get a laptop or other portable device I can carry with that would help kill the time...

No Joy In Chargerville

With the San Diego Chargers' loss it's easy to think that their season is over...and rightfully so. Even if the Chargers would have beaten the lowly Miami Dolphins, they still have three tough games remaining...starting with a road trip to the undefeated Colts.

I'm not willing to give up total hope yet on the Chargers missing the playoffs. But they will need to win these last three games and hope the Steelers drop a game before season's end.

It's tough for me to think about 'what if' and 'next year' when there is still a glimmer of hope left in this season...albeit a very faint glimmer.

Go Chargers!

Chargers Show True Colors...

Today's game proved their true colors today.... even if they get a playoff berth...as lucky as that could be in the AFC... they'd showed today that they aren't very good...

The defense was horrible and the offense didn't do anything to prove that it can dominate an inferior opponent....

This should be a year the Chargers could flex their muscle and prove they no longer deserve the label of team that is destined to come up short, but today's game gives that much more ammo to all the Charger nay-sayers, and rightfully so....

The only redemtion the Chargers have now is to win the last three games of the season and it starts next week against the undefeated Colts... A win next week would gain some of the respectability they lost from the poor showing today... but it isn't just a one win the Chargers need now, it's to not lose from here on out... a tough task to ask, and if the Chargers are going to gain any respect back from any of the national media, they will have to do it....

Go Chargers!

Chargers Throttle Raiders, 34-10

Although the final score made the game appear as a rout, the game was still up for grabs for most of 3 quarters. The halftime score was 17-10 Chargers, but the Raiders went three and out twice in the third quarter wheras the Chargers controlled the ball and began to widen the score.

Tomlinson got banged up and missed the last Charger possession before the half, but was back in the second half. Brees looked good. Gates caught a touchdown, but I still think is a little slowed by the ankle injury he got 2 weeks ago. Defense played fairly good, especially after the first quarter. Kerry Collins, for the Raiders, stinks.

This was one of those 'trap' games for the Chargers. A team never can write off a rival no matter their record, but looking at the two teams this year, one would think that the Chargers should have had no problem with the Raiders and I was glad to see that was the case. But many times a 'strong' team will take for granted a lesser division foe, play less then stellar football and lose a game that they should have won. But with the AFC playoff picture in its current state, the Chargers can not afford to be losing any games...especially ones they should win.

With the Steelers losing, the Chargers move into the 6th seed in the AFC playoff picture. More importantly, the Broncos lost to the Chiefs which puts the Chargers only a game out of the division lead. The Chargers remaining schedule is Miami, @Indy, @KC and Denver. A sweep of all those games would mean the Chargers would finish the season on an 8 game win streak with an overall record of 12-4 and would win the AFC West... man that would be sweet, but that Indy game is going to be tough.

Chargers need to stay focused, take care of Miami this weekend and prepare for what might be the biggest game of their season...at Indy...

Go Chargers!

Excellent...

Just acquired my father-in-laws 'old' 55 inch television...

He bought a new 55'' plasma television and just gave our family his old one...

Since we've gotten it, other than the brief moment I took this photo, it has been exclusively been used for Playstation and kid channels... I'll let them get their fill today, tomorrow is Sunday and that means football and that is what the big screen television was built for... watching SPORTS!

Chargers Escape With WIn

So now that I have a moment, let's reflect on this past Sunday's game against the Redskins in which the Chargers lucked out and ended up winning in overtime because of LaDanian Tomlinson... Not only did Tomlinson score the 41 yard game winning run in overtime, but a 32 yard game tying touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Tomlinson was certainly the exception to the Charger offense because Brees looked off and Gates dropped several balls but did make a key catch in overtime setting up the Tomlinson winning score.

The Charger defense was able to stop the Redskins during the entire fourth quarter and overtime which is why the Chargers were able to win. There is no question that this win was an 'ugly' win for the Chargers, but knowing how they got the four losses the Chargers carry right now, they will gladly take the win in the manner they did so.

A big Sunday night game against the Raiders who have to be reeling after losing to a sub-par Dolphins team. With the AFC playoff picture as tight as it is right now, they can ill afford a loss against losing teams, but historically Charger-Raider games are never easily won by either team despite the current season standings.

What A Week!

Finally getting a chance to catch my breathe...

Had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving and then... literally... I went to watch the Charger-Redskin game this past Sunday - and the Chargers are about to give me heart problems but that is another story - and the drive to the bar I watch them at was normal... but not so when I left. For almost the instant I set foot inside, a blizzard was just beginning to hit our region... and actually at first it was rain, which turned to freezing rain and by nightfall, was snow. Then the wind kicked in and most of the town was shut down on Monday and Tuesday morning.

I did make it down to Minneapolis Tuesday afternoon to see Clutch at First Avenue... good show, great time... the trip both ways did have stretches where the interstate was in less than ideal driving conditions, but overall not too bad...

After a week off from work... I really have no ambition to work the remainder of this week but I'll try and 'tough it out'...