Chargers - Vikes: A Contrast Of Seasons

Living in the barren wasteland and very well entrenched in Minnesota Viking territory, San Diego Charger fans are very few to say the least. Although the 2009-10 NFL season has yet to conclude, this season has been the rollercoaster year for almost every team with the second season about to start, I think that any team in the playoffs could have a legitimate shot at winning it all, especially if they are hot...

But what I wanted to comment about is that I am really looking forward to running into some of the Viking fans I was seeing earlier this season...the Viking fans that had the Vikes already Super Bowl champions and while trumpeting their awesomeness scoff and take jabs at the lowly San Diego Chargers and their patheticness...

After last night's loss to Chicago it now appears as if the awesome Vikes can't win on the road and, at one time a lock for a first round bye no longer even have home-field locked up yet and a loss next week could mean the Vikes get no bye and will merely host the first game of Wild Card weekend...

Last I checked, the lowly San Diego Chargers are the #2 seed in the AFC, guaranteed a first round bye and host their playoff game...

Sure it won't mean jack squat if the Chargers fail in the playoffs and yes, the Vikes would get the last laugh if they ended up advancing further...but in the meantime...the short term gratification will be enjoyed...as the Viking fans enjoyed their moment of glory...

Now, if only I can find those Viking fans again... I use to run into them on an almost daily basis...lately I can't find a Viking fan if I tried...it's very interesting... in fact, this past Sunday, someone commented to me (as I was wearing my Antonio Gates jersey) that there sure seemed to be a lot of Charger fans around lately... I chuckled, because I am sure he was just a disgruntled Viking fan that hadn't seen a Charger fan since the last time I was there...they still have to try and get their jabs in...

Are The Cowboys The Only Team That Matters?

Maybe it's just because I've had the television on ESPN in the mornings lately, but I can not believe the non-stop talk about the f'ing Cowboys. Oh my god, the Cowboy's might not make the playoffs, the Cowboy's can't win in December...blah, blah, blah...

I have also discovered that the Chargers didn't beat the Cowboys last week, but rather the Cowboys lost the game.

It's like everyone on ESPN has determined that the Cowboys somehow deserve to be in the playoffs only because of their popularity...just like the Yanks, Red Sox and Mets...

Happy Holidays

I will be on a holiday break starting next week so I may not have too many posts until next year ... but I hope to check in with at least my thoughts on the remaining Charger games and who knows, maybe I'll have something else to post while away...

But regardless, I would like to extend my holiday greetings to everyone and hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

Chargers Beat Dallas

For essentially this entire season I have said that the Charger defense has yet to impress me and I have felt is the weak link for this team...this past week they did all they could to change that impression for me...

The Cowboys elected to receive the opening kickoff and promptly marched down the field...until they got to the 3 yard line, and then the Charger defense made it's stand and held the Cowboys to a field goal. This was just a foreshadowing for the rest of the game... for the Cowboys had several opportunities inside Charger territory and each time were repelled by the Charger defense. The Cowboys had a first a goal at the 1 yard line and handed the ball off to Marion Barber four consecutive times and four consecutive times he was stopped.

The Cowboys were able to tie the game at 10-10 in the third quarter but the Chargers answered with their own touchdown drive and the Cowboys scored a garbage touchdown to wind up making the game appear close but was not in doubt, Chargers win 20-17.

Some interesting things I've noticed... very little Merriman and more Tim Dobbins. Dobbins was in on almost every tackle during the Marion Barber 1-yard scoring attempts by the Cowboys. Sure Merriman is listed as injured but I do think his days in San Diego are numbered...especially with Dobbins and Stephen Cooper playing fairly well.

The officiating...oh my god...could it be any more biased towards the Cowboys? The play prior to Phillip Rivers being intercepted the Cowboy defender tackled (I do believe it was) Malcom Floyd while the ball was in the air ... and when I say tackled, I mean tackled. If there was ever a blatant and more obvious pass interference penalty it would be tough to come by...yet there was no call. Then during a Dallas possession get a very generous pass interference call on a way more subjective play. I have a feeling that if it wasn't for the officials the Chargers may have been able to put the game away sooner.

The Cincinnati Bengals lost last week and that's who's coming to San Diego this week...if the Chargers win they will clinch the No. 2 seed for the AFC and a first round bye... who would of thunk? The Chargers are definitely 'hot' right now, I just hope they aren't peaking too soon...

Tiger Taking An Absence From Golf

Tiger Wood's affairs might be the end of him...

Here is an article that provides a pretty good synopsis of all the events leading up to Tiger's press release stating he was not playing golf until his marriage was repaired.

If all these affairs are true and I was Tiger, there would be no need to take a leave of absence because I would have divorce papers brewed up and filed before the crash. Sure she might get 50 million bucks but I think you would survive...plus now you can do whatever the fuck you want too.

Let's be realistic here too...if Tiger was able to get puss whenever and where ever he wanted too I can not believe that he will be able to keep restrained even if he and his wife reconcile. He probably already has a 'plan' where he will just use escort services or something but will eventually get caught again...so just advert that whole scene all together....

Tiger has always tried to have have a positive image and I would say for the most part he had a positive image...but now of course he doesn't. Infidelity, in today's standards, isn't that big of deal. Oh sure the public and media are intrigued with airing all the dirty laundry but after all the dust settles most people pay little attention to their marital and extra-marital activities...

Albums Of The Decade? You can't be serious...

Just happened to read an AP story on the albums of the decade for the years 2000-09 and yes, I know I am old but after reading this list, I didn't realize how old I really have become...

Not only do I not own any of the 'albums of the decade' I knew maybe 3-4 of the acts and can almost safely say that I couldn't recognize a single song from any of those albums...

Ok, so I freely admit that I am old...but this list also has to be some kind of joke, not? I mean every act/album that made the top 10 is a rap/r & b/hip-hop album ... is rock-n-roll really dead? Ok, maybe rock-n-roll is dead, but the new 'rock-n-roll', called country music, surely has to have at least one album on the list, not? Nope...barely an honorable mention sighting.

After reading the article and realizing that yes I am old, I still have determined that this list is total bullshit written by a person that clearly has a biased towards one type of music ... and I don't care if you want to call it rap, hip hop or r & b, they all fit into one niche of music and apparently the author of this article has such narrow taste wouldn't stray too far from that niche...

I'll keep my eyes open for a more unbiased opinion on the music of this decade....

Why I Can't Watch SNL Anymore...

As I have mentioned in the past, I was a big Saturday Night Live fan ... Up until 2 seasons ago I had watched every episode of SNL from 1980 thru 2007. Good episodes and bad episodes, each season to seem to have each ... but I grew increasingly tired of SNL's writing and sketches...the Weekend Update portion of the show was the only part worth watching. SNL's sketches became just plain stupid and Kristin Wiig seems to play the main character in most of these lame sketches... The Target checkout lady...not funny and boring and now her 'Gilly' character is just as lame and not funny...or that's just what I think... Because I must be in the minority, the SNL Christmas special this year is going to be hosted by Wiig playing her character Gilly. I will likely watch this SNL like I do most of them these days...with the fast forward button used extensively and essentially not watching any of it...

I can not believe how bad SNL has gotten these days but it is just god awful ... but after having a brief glimpse of the Jimmy Fallon Show and George Lopez show it is way better ... but that isn't saying anything. Television programming as a whole in this country is getting more and more worthless every year...

Chargers Hang On To Beat Browns

The Chargers did all they could to make their game with the Browns interesting...

The Chargers were unable to do much in the first half but headed into the lockerroom up 13-6. Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates then exploded in the 3rd quarter ... Gates had 114 yards receiving in the thrid quarter alone and the Chargers blasted to a 20 point lead to start the 4th quarter...

But, the Charger defense is still as soft as advertised...the Browns had their second highest scoring game of the season and had well over 300 yards of total offense.

The highlight of the game was when LaDainian Tomlinson passed Jim Brown for 8th all-time rushing leader as he scored his 150th career touchdown, the fastest player to reach that milestone. Jim Brown was at the stadium ... one of the few spectators in Cleveland ... and gave his congratulations to LT saying he is a "class act...".

The Broncos pounded Kansas City to stay a game behind the Chargers with 4 to play. Chargers have Cowboys, Bengals, Titans and Redskins ... none of them are easy games anymore and the Chargers will have to sharpen up and if they can run the table would get rewarded with a first round playoff bye. Any stumble and they will be fighting to keep the AFC West division title.

Winter Has Arrived

We held out as long as we could but it was inevitable...winter has come to the region...

Temps are still mild, above 10 degrees, but it is windy and cold. There have been light flurries to light snow since last night and continue today...so by all appearances, winter is here...

Oh well ... hopefully it doesn't suck too bad....

Tiger Woods: Accidents And Misttresses

By now most everyone with any interest in sports (and even those that don't) have heard of the Tiger Woods car accident this past weekend. When I first heard of it, happening at 2:30 AM early Sunday, I figured he was probably doing a little drinking...then you hear that he was sober. So what the heck could of happened, drugs? That didn't seem very Tiger... And then it was within hours I began to hear and read about all the gossip that is coming out...that he has had at least an affair with one other woman and possibly two.

First, let me say, that I am not one that typically believes a lot of the rumors that the tabloid rags print. But I will say, that with the way Tiger Woods handled this entire accident, the gossip almost seems to fit the scenario...

What I have read/heard was the 'unofficial' account of how the accident occurred was that Tiger and his wife were fighting about the affairs, she was beating the shit out of Tiger and Tiger was trying to leave. As he was leaving, his wife threw a golf club through the back window which caused Tiger to lose control of his SUV and smoke a fire hydrant and a tree. Of course Tiger comes out and says his wife acted courageously and the neighbors only state that they were asked to call 911 and did so.

But I have also heard that the gated community where Tiger lives has lots of security cameras, as does Tiger's house ... again, from what the gossip/rumor mill, those tapes were quickly seized by Tiger's lawyers and will not be released...

And this, of course, is all the unofficial version as reported by the tabloids. If a legitimate news story comes out validating any of the unofficial account, then I will most certainly give more credence to that version than to the official version... right now, I am guessing some of each version might be true...

Does any of this change the fact that Tiger may be the greatest golfer of all time? No. But if he likes to hang with the ladies he will either need to be more discrete or just get a divorce and play the field...as a married man I don't know why any man that makes an shitload of money would ever get married...

UPDATE:

Within minutes - no lie - of my publishing this entry, this just in: Woods Let Family Down. He does not offer any details of his affair(s) but apologizes to his fans and his family.

Also, US Magazine has posted a voicemail, allegedly from Tiger to his misstriss, saying that his wife found her number and she might be calling her.

So the 'unofficial' version does seem very plausible and very likely...and maybe that is why Tiger did what he had to do and hide from the media until things cool down...

Broncos - Crushed, Chiefs - Crushed...Chargers Control The West

Well it's been over two weeks since I've last reported on the Chargers and what a two weeks it has been...

First, the Chargers destroyed the Broncos in Denver. The Broncos looked like a completely different team then the one that beat the Chargers earlier this season...but the Chargers also appear different as well...

Then came the Chiefs and this game was close for a quarter and a half and then the Chiefs just completely fell apart...

So now the Chargers are a full game up on the Broncos, finished their division schedule at 5-1 and are in control of the AFC West. The Chargers are tied with the Bengals for the 2nd best record in the AFC and will meet to play them in a few weeks so that might settle that...

Over the past 4 games the Charger defense has been much improved but I also have noticed a lot of different players seeing some time ... early this year I saw Shawne Merriman in on almost every play and not do anything... now I see Larry English and I notice Shaun Phillips getting sacks and English making plays ... Steve Gregory has been playing safety in place of Eric Weddle and, to me, it seems as if Gregory is a 'playmaker'. Antonio Cromartie has been playing better ... is this because the db's are rotating? I have read a couple of articles where they have commented that defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was going to hold players more accountable and good play will be rewarded and that no player's spot on defense was secure. But I also have noticed a few different blitz packages ... so I think there might be a combination of tweaking the defensive strategy as well as the personnel. The biggest question, for me, still remains if the defense is for real.

Winning the last four games was a surprise to me... I was hoping to win at least one, maybe two out of the Giants, Eagles, Broncos stretch and then not have a letdown game against the Chiefs...but the Chargers have kept the throttle down. There should be no excuse for the Chargers to not pound Cleveland this Sunday...

Back At It...

I try not to post too much of my 'personal' status on my blog...

But I had an insanely busy time to finish up November, working 20 events in the final 2 weeks, including thru the Thanksgiving holiday...

I was able to to sneak some time off just before Thanksgiving but worked a ton... I had never worked on a Sunday since starting my current job, which I have had now for over 7 years, and in November I worked two!

Not that I am seeking sympathy or anything...just wanted to explain why the blog has been 'barren' lately...

I'm going to try and catch up a bit as I can...