It's Official: The Chargers Suck

Well, I was hoping to be proven wrong in my assertion that Norv Turner and Ted Cottrell couldn't possibly totally destroy the Chargers...but unfortunately I was correct in that assumption.

The Chiefs are an inept football team and the Chargers couldn't beat them at home, primarily because Norv refuses to hand the ball off to the reigning NFL MVP, LaDainian Tomlinson on a consistence basis and Ted Cottrell has all but destroyed any defense the Chargers once had.

Watching the Chargers this year has been like a flashback of the late-90's... poor tackling, no pass coverage and never able to finish a game. This year's theme for the Chargers will be like the good old days... having the lead in the 4th quarter and losing the game... getting blown out and losing the game... and turning the ball over on a consistent basis to make sure the other team stays within striking range to eventually win a game...and by 'striking range' I mean that if a team is within 24 points in the 4th quarter, the Chargers are likely to lose as long as the other team does not try to run the ball...

Today was the day that the 'faithful' Charger fans got the cold splash of reality... Norv Turner and Ted Cottrell are quite possibly the 2 worst coaches this team could have hired...which is what I have stated all along.

The only 'upside' with the Chargers sucking right now is that there will be little mention of them after this week on the national media. At the start of the season they were ranked a top 5 team in the NFL, I doubt they will be ranked in the top 20 any more. Dead last in the AFC West and with a game in Denver next week with little hope of winning that game should all but extinguish any talk of the Chargers being a factor in the regular season let alone the post season.

It Shall Be Branded

In what seems like some sort of justice at this time, the ball that was hit for Bonds' record-breaking homerun number 756, was purchased for $750,000. The owner, Marc Ecko, then started a web site and had fans vote for the fate of the baseball and now the verdict is in...

The ball was voted to be branded with an asterisk and then given to the baseball hall of fame.

I did vote and I voted for the winning outcome, the asterisk placed on the ball. To have it launched into out space (banish it from the planet) would mean that future generations of baseball fans wouldn't know the truth about Bonds and steroids. A permanent asterisk branded on the ball will not leave any doubt for future generations to know what most fans of baseball think about Bonds' record.

NFL Week 3 Review

Week 3 may be the week of injuries... Deuce McAllister will be out for the rest of the season which isn't good news for Saints fans, especially when you are 0-3 right now. Shaun Alexander will continue to play despite have a broken bone in his left hand. Stephen Jackson will miss at least this week's game against Dallas...possibly longer. With plenty of other players on the injury report...

I've seen some forum posts beginning to state that the Patriots will go undefeated this year... if the continue to play as well as they are now, it could be possible. But the odds are still against them, I think, even good teams will lose a game or two. The Patriots have almost clinched the AFC East...only the Jets have a win (one) other than the Patriots in that division, with the Pats being 3-0.

The Steelers are making their hay against poor teams...but good teams don't lose to bad teams and the Steelers appear to be solid on both sides of the ball, at least against the inferior teams so far.

Week 3 brought some consistency back to Phillip Rivers and Donovan McNabb...after a lack-luster start for both of these qb's, they had respectable outings last week.

The Bears, like the Chargers, are not resembling their dominating performance of last year's regular season... in fact both teams are not playing well at all. In Chictown there is talk that Grossman may finally get the hook as the starting qb.

How long can the Packers continue to ride high? I'm guessing at least one more week when they go into Minnesota to play the Vikes. The Pack has to have all the confidence in the world and the Vikes are coming to the realization that it is going to be a long year.

Favre Beats The Chargers

The Chargers coming into Sunday's game at Green Bay hadn't shown any flashes of the team that dominated most of the regular season last year. The Charger offense looked at least functional against Green Bay with Rivers seemingly passing to Gates whenever needed. But the other side of the ball is how Green Bay won this game and the Charger defense is a far cry from what it was able to do last year.

Brett Favre will be the lead story on every major sports show for the entire week and the Chargers are the byline to the story. Favre was able to pass to Donald Driver whenever he wanted too and the Chargers had sloppy/no tackling for the entire game. The Packers all but abandoned the running game and passed almost exclusively against the Chargers who were unable to defend against the pass at all. Shawne Merriman, and the rest of the Charger defense, barely were ever to get any pressure on Favre. And to put an exclamation point on the game, the Packers score the game winning touchdown on a pass, catch and long run by Driver, who seemed to just run by Charger defenders standing around...similar to what folks saw in the game against New England in week 2.

Charger fans are in various states...there is a strong faction of fans that has already seen enough of Norv Turner and Ted Cottrell ruining this football team. Other fans are still in the 'wait and see' approach and no need to panic...things are fine. I'm somewhere in-between. Is this season already lost? Are these signs of a team that is going to compete at a higher level? The primary flaws of this team, right now, is pretty simple, I think...both their offensive and defensive lines are not playing well. Tomlinson has had very little blocking and like the previous 2 games, Tomlinson is oftentimes met with defenders as soon as he receives a handoff. The defensive line hasn't been able to get much pressure on any of the quarterbacks they've faced so far this season which has prevented Merriman, Phillips and others to be successful in pass rushing. I think it is quite clear that both the offense and defense are going to be ineffective against most teams if these areas are not addressed asap.

The next three games have the Chargers going against division foes. If the Chargers are able to get 3 consecutive wins against division rivals...and by all indications I think they could because Denver, Oakland and KC all stink...it would be a huge step in calming the Charger fans about ready to jump off a bridge.

It sucks being a Charger fan in an area where there are plenty of Green Bay fans, so for the rest of the year I get to hear their shit and hear how great Favre is.... bleah...

(AP recap here)

Landis Found Guilty - Must Forfeit Title

The Floyd Landis doping case is one I followed, because I was genuinely curious as to what would happen to someone who won a world championship in a sport and then was found to have cheated. Well, the arbitrators in this case have spoken and they say that Landis did indeed cheat and that he must forfeit his title.

Just reviewing the history of this saga I think Landis, like other cyclists, do indeed cheat because they know that the testing procedure and then the appeal process is so riddled with flaws and uncertainties that if you assemble a top-notch legal team the chances of you dodging any repercussions might be likely.

But you look at the stage that Landis tested positive for doping...a stage that he gained 8 minutes on the leaders in what was a difficult mountain stage of the Tour de France, many cycling 'experts' were likely questioning whether or not he was doping or not without any testing done at all.

I did hold some skepticism for Landis until the hearings conclusion where I felt he was guilty despite his continued profession of innocence. But as I cited in a post wrapping up the arbitration hearing, there is still a final level of appeal for Landis...it is now a question of whether or not he will exercise that option. Regardless, I think this will be the final blow to his reputation and will forever be branded a cheater and a disgrace.

Fact Checking Unit

I've been going to Funny Or Die.com lately and they got some pretty funny videos... of course some are hit and miss, but here is a pretty good on in my opinion... just under 10 minutes and features Bill Murray...

Center Of The Universe: New York/Boston - And Why MLB Sucks

Let's turn back the clock...oh, let's say 3 months...

If a person turned on ESPN - The Official Channel Of The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox - you would have thunk that the Red Sox had all but won the World Series and the Yankees are done for the year... but of course as I said in June it is all ESPN hype. Anyone with half a clue knows that the Yankees and Red Sox will make the playoffs in the MLB until further notice... the league is a frickin' joke... Let a club spend as much money as they want to on their team... have a pittance of revenue sharing and call it square. And then when you have ESPN making sure anyone that even bothers to tune into their 24/7 coverage of the Yanks/Red Sox you only have more drones to fuel the machine.

It's even sad, when I am the only person on the planet that doesn't care about the Red Sox and the Yankees and yet I am posting about them... and you know why? Because the Yankees, according to the ESPN hype, were all but dead 2 months ago... but now find themselves just a game and half out... and you know why I must comment? Just to prove how fucking stupid ESPN and their programming and their analysts are. 2 months ago, all the ESPN talking heads agreed that the Yankees are dead...they ain't making the playoffs...they are done... It's time to trade A-Rod, it's time to do this...blah, blah, blah... of course no one on the ESPN staff knew that there was 80 games left to play and being 8 games out of first place means exactly what they are saying... that there is absolutely no way a team can make up 8 or 10 games on anyone with 80 games left to play... give me a fucking break... as if they didn't know George Steinbrenner would just go out and buy whoever is needed to insure the Yankees made the playoffs...and yes, I realize he didn't do that this year but only because he didn't need too...

I am tired of the MLB ... I am tired of ESPN covering the MLB ... which they really don't do, they actually only cover the Yanks and Sox ... and I am glad that the strike of '95 and the results of it have squashed any interest I had in MLB. You can have your steroids and money-ball games because ESPN is willing to be right there aiding your cause - hyping everything. The best part for ESPN is that they will embrace Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and the rest of the roid boys when they blast the records...and then after they are done, they are the first ones in line to start blasting them again...or at least willing to keep them as a story ... so they never lose.... Only people with a clue do because they are deprived of any real substance and an impartial look at sports.

And to prove my point...what will be the lead story on EVERY ESPN show tomorrow and every day from now on? It will be the Yanks/Red Sox until either one of them is eliminated from the playoffs or it is a Monday morning and they may have a few NFL highlights of the Giants, Jets and Patriots... sure they'll throw some Colts highlights in there just for fun...

Please, I beg of you, could someone start up a real sports network!

NFL Week 2 Review

Well week 2 of the NFL is in the books and what have we learned this week:

1. The Chargers are not as good with Norv Turner and Ted Cottrell is an understatement. Marty Schottenheimer may not have won any playoff games with the Chargers but Turner and Cottrell are taking a good team and having them get embarrassed on national television. Losing a close game is one thing but to get blown out in what is turning into a rivalry is a whole different matter. The Chargers go to Green Bay and if Turner can not motivate this team on the road, double-digit wins for the 2007 season are unlikely.

2. The Chiefs continue to not impress anyone. It looks as if the Chiefs and Falcons may vie for the worst team in the NFL at this point.

3. The Broncos aren't that good. 2 games in a row they sneak out a victory. This week they used their typical bullshit to call a timeout at the very last second which negated a Sebass game-winning field goal. Sebass then goes on to miss the kick after the timeout, Broncos win in overtime. Last week was one thing when they were in Buffalo but to have essentially lost this game at home to a bad Raiders team just goes to show that Cutler & Co. are crappy.

4. The Texans aren't bad this year. Sure they really haven't beaten anyone yet, but a win at home and now on the road just shows that Matt Schaub can and will make that team better.

5. Cincinnati has absolutely no defense. When you let Cleveland score 51 points, let Jamal Lewis run wild on you and Derek Anderson look like an NFL All-Pro, the future does not look for Cincinnati.

6. McNabb's run in Philadelphia is about done...and maybe Andy Reid's as well. Sure they have been on the road for the first 2 games but they haven't played anyone super-special yet. The loss last night, I am sure, has sent Eagle's fans into a tirade...losing to the Redskins, a division rival, and putting the Eagles at 0-2 can't sit well with their fans.

Chargers Don't Get Even, They Get Embarassed

Many times in the NFL the most hyped game of the week is a snoozer... a blowout with one team dominating the other. Last night's Charger-Patriots game was just that with the Patriots dominating the Chargers for the entire 60 minutes.

Phillip Rivers first pass was intercepted and the Chargers are the only team in the NFL that hasn't scored a point in the first half and LaDainian Tomlinson has the lowest yards per game out of any starting running back in the NFL after week 2.

Sure the Chargers started 2-2 last year before reeling off 12 straight wins but with being blown out so badly by the Patriots I think it is a clear indication that Norv Turner and Ted Cottrell have done exactly what I feared...ruined the Chargers.

The defense was absolutely horrible. Tom Brady had no problems passing against the Chargers and many of the Patriots TD's the receiver - especially Randy Moss - appeared to not be guarded at all. The offensive play calling was just plain stupid. Turner did not use Tomlinson much at all and was determined to have Rivers throw the ball, even though Rivers was under pressure at all times.

The Chargers are on the road against Green Bay next week ... if the defensive schemes are the same next week as they were this past week, Brett Favre will have a field day just throwing bombs to his wide open receivers... and I don't think Green Bay is all that good but neither are the Chargers at this point.

Sunny In Philadelphia Season 3: Buzzkill

So last night was the premiere of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's season 3 and all I can say is what a disappointment. I should have been braced for a let down after noticing that the show had commercials running almost non-stop on every channel for the past week.

2 new episodes aired last night and I have already ranked as the worst ones yet. In both episodes, it seems as if Danny DeVito's character is going to be a bigger role...and sure, his character is the "Kramer" of the show in that you never know what zany tact he will have but in both episodes were very unfunny. Taking acid in the second episode, seems as if the show wants to involve the drug culture a little more but having DeVito be that connection and with acid??? Just didn't work for me.

Both episodes would occasionally have a humorous moment but all-in-all I thought both of the new episodes seemed to be over-produced compared to their previous shows. Little time was spent at the bar, which was the focal point for the show in most all other episodes until these episodes. The athletic competition between Mac, Dennis and Dee seemed similar to the storyline of when they were coaching the children's basketball team and was way more entertaining in the previous episode. Tailgating at an open Eagle's tryout seemed like a funny premise, but again, DeVito's 'acid trip' ruined that story line.

My recommendation for the show would be to move DeVito's role to a complimentary one, like it seemed to be in previous episodes. I also have to think that someone in corporate had to 'suggest' potential plots or affected the writing somehow. The show is seeming to want to carry over certain plots or at least the beginnings of that...ie: Charlie wants to know if Frank is his father...whereas in the past, that would likely have been one episode. It would be as if a network big-wig said "We need a continuing story to keep people coming back to watch." But it seems as if the continuing plot is glossed over just enough for a person to say "Huh?" but not really be interested in continuing to watch.

I will continue to give Season 3 a chance and hope that the first 2 episodes are the worst of the batch...but if this is a foreshadowing of what the show is going to become, I know I will drop it from my regular viewing.

Chargers vs Patriots: Chargers Seek Redemption

This week's San Diego Charger - New England Patriot game has been a game the Chargers have waited to replay since their bitter playoff loss to the Pats in January. Most everyone that viewed that game know the Chargers had all but won that game but a series of mental mistakes - muffed punt, personal foul, dropped interception - in the second half had the Chargers literally handing the Patriots the game. It's one thing if you get out played and lose a game but to self-destruct in such a huge game for the Chargers still has a lingering sting. And if losing a game you should have won wasn't enough, the Patriots decided to taunt the Chargers on their field after the game...making choking gestures and mocking Shawne Merriman's "Lights Out" dance.

The Chargers have not forgotten and instead are fully focusing on redeeming
themselves this weekend. They are trying not to put any fuel into the Patriots tanks by making comments that might become bulletin board material, but rather, are quietly going about their business but are assuring everyone, they have not forgotten and it should be reflected this weekend.

Week 1 Observations

Not that the first week of the NFL season is a definitive determination of how a team will be for the remainder of the season, but it could be a bit of a foreshadowing...so here are some of my thoughts on the outcomes of week 1.

1. Kansas City could be vying for the worst team in the NFL. Sure, I think Houston will be a better team then in the past...likely being the best Texans team in franchise history, but that really isn't saying much. Schaub is a considerable improvement than Carr and it was evident on Sunday. Also, Damon Huard - who Chiefs fan embraced as they kicked Trent Green out of K.C. may be rethinking that move. And finally...not that I really thought Herm Edwards was anything special, but it doesn't seem that he makes a team better with his coaching style.

2. St. Louis defense is awful and Jake Delhomme isn't that bad. I got Delhomme on my fantasy team and many kind of chuckled at this acquisition of mine...and sure in week 1 it paid off. But I think last year the Panthers were hit with the injury bug and it prevented the Panther team as a whole from being a force in the NFL. With Atlanta and Tampa in their division, a good defense and Steve Smith, I think Delhomme will do just fine this year especially playing teams with a poor secondary, he will pick them a part.

3. The Cowboys and Giants, despite putting up the highest point total of the weekend, neither are any good. It was two mediocre offenses playing against 2 sub-par defenses. But with the Eagles losing to a Packer team that isn't that good proves that the NFC East is weak this year.

4. The AFC is still much better then the NFC. Sure the Colts over the Saints and the Chargers over the Bears had 2 top AFC teams beating 2 top NFC teams isn't an overall indication that the AFC is so much better, but watching the Jets-Patriots game and then later watching the Giants-Cowboys game was like watching 2 leagues. The Pats-Jets game seemed so much quicker, just as one example.

5. NFC North: Bad teams beating bad teams doesn't make a bad team a good team. Vikings beat the Falcons...really not a big surprise, but I don't see the Vikings being any good this year. They just beat a bad team, the Falcons and I wouldn't be buying your Super Bowl tickets yet their Vikes fans. The Packers beating the Eagles may be a statement for the Eagles. The Eagles played poorly and the Packers were able to capitalize...if the Eagles don't improve their play they will quickly descend to mediocrity when many had them as a potential contender from the NFC. Lions beat the Raiders, the worst team in the NFL last year...again, nothing to be bragging about. But who would have guessed that the Vikes, Packers and Lions would all be 1-0, tied for the NFC North lead and the Bears are 0-1? Crazy! Bears lost Mike Brown (early reports are) for the season...that could be a huge blow for that defense as he is the leader in the secondary.

Chargers Survive Week 1

With football season in full gear, my job prevents me from posting as much and as timely... I apologize for that...

The Chargers survived a tough week 1 game with the Bears. The Chargers defense played fairly well, causing several turnovers which ended up being the difference maker. The Chargers got screwed out of a potential score when a non-call against the Bears being offsides when the Chargers had the ball on the goal-line almost had me dooming the Chargers. LaDainian Tomlinson didn't have a big game rushing but made up for it by throwing a touchdown pass to Gates which provided the spark the Chargers needed. The Bears defensive line proved too much for the Chargers as Tomlinson was swarmed by Bears' defenders almost as soon as the ball was handed off to him. But Gates was big all day long. Several times Gates was extremely wide open and that made it clear that the Bears were going to make Rivers beat them and not L.T. running the ball...Rivers was up to the task.

I think Vincent Jackson had a very poor game, dropping a ball in the end zone, an offside call and basically being non-existent for much of the game. The Bears also blocked an early field goal attempt by the Chargers, so the Chargers weren't totally sharp but had enough gas in the tank at the end of the game to push them over the top and put the pressure on the Bears offense which was unable to do much all day.

AP wrap-up here.

iPhone's So Hot They Are On Sale

Apple, with it's consistent stance of overhyping and overpricing any of their products because their products are just so cool to have that people are willing to pay more for anything with an Apple logo on it and get an inferior product, has lowered the price of it's crappy iPhone. Yes, the must have pile-o-shit iPhone is so popular and so highly sought after that you can now get it for $200 cheaper then when it first went on sale.

If the iPhone was truly as good as it was hyped up to be there would be no price reduction...rather Apple would have came out yesterday saying that they are trying to get production to meet the demand for their product...but this clearly indicates that the iPhone isn't luring people to purchase it, likely because the word on the street isn't positive towards this device, and those that are becoming informed before purchasing this are shying away from all the negatives the iPhone currently has.

Welfare At Convenience Stores

Ok, here is an honest question that I want an honest answer for... Why do some people that are on welfare do their grocery shopping at convenience stores? Welfare checks (now EBT cards) were given out last week and 3 times I was unfortunate enough to have stopped at a convenience store for 1 item (a soda) and ended up waiting forever while someone is checking out a week's worth of food... I mean come on, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that they could easily be buying twice as much food if they went to a grocery store, so there has to be a reason...is it so they can buy cigarettes? Gas? What? I want to know because it has to be something and if this was only an isolated incident then maybe not but 3 separate convenience stores on 3 different days.

Whatever the reason may be, it just magnifies that the people that are on welfare do so because they are taking advantage of a system that will let them.

LT Commercial Riles Bears

The latest Nike commercial featuring LaDainian Tomlinson has some of the Bears' defenders a little more jacked up for their opening game against the Chargers. I'm hoping the commercial is a fore-shadowing of the game...