Remembering Don Coryell

Don Coryell, former head coach of the Chargers, passed away July 1st ... and due to circumstances that have kept me fairly busy, I haven't had a chance to get a proper entry posted to my blog so am doing so now...better late than never...

I posted a video below that will reveal what kind of innovative coach Coryell was and a lot of things many people didn't know about him. The biggest travesty, as said by many colleagues and former players, is the fact that Coryell was not inducted in the NFL Hall Of Fame yet. With his passing, it may not be long now and he should surely be inducted.

Now here's my personal tact on Don Coryell...the San Diego Chargers of the early 80's are the reason I am a Charger fan today. Don Coryell's offense was high-flying and exciting...the Chargers would put up 40, 50 points in some games...sure their defense wasn't much good and the other teams would as well, but a spectator to Charger games was always treated to a high-flying, exciting game...win or lose. What also was great about the early 80's was that the AFC West was a beast of a conference. The Raiders were stout, Chiefs were tough and the Broncos formidable. Compared to the AFC West right now, some consider the weakest conference in the AFC, if not the NFL. Those division games were always hard fought and rarely would a team sweep the conference, or even a single opponent in a season...regardless of records.

Sid Gillman, a former Charger coach from the AFL days, is credited as the creator of the west coast offense. To spread the defense and go vertical. It was Coryell that further expanded the west coast offense and brought it into the modern era.

I was just a young boy in the 80's, just beginning to fall in love with the NFL... I wasn't certainly evolved enough to memorize the entire Charger roster from that time but there are a few names from the Chargers in the 80's that I will never forget...Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, John Jefferson, Wes Chandler, Charlie Joiner, Chuck Muncie, Rolph Benirschke and most certainly head coach Don Coryell. The "Air Coryell" era for the Chargers will always be a fond memory for me and a reminder of my youth.

Thanks Don for all the great memories. Rest in peace.

Cav Fans To Disappear

I really don't care about the NBA that much but of course how can any sports fan ignore the constant barrage of LeBron talk that transpired over the past few days...all that I have gained from this entire episode is more proof as to why I really don't like the NBA anymore...

So LeBron chooses to go to Miami with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh...two other highly touted NBA free agents...and by ESPN's account, means that the Heat should win the NBA Championship for the next ...oh, 20-30 years...consecutively. But for some reason, all this hype...all this artificial drama, I think, is really going to amount to nothing...and if it does really mean a dynasty is that what that league has sunk too? Essentially 3 players get together and decide they are going to join a team and thus dominate the league? Really? That's the NBA? 3 players decide who is going to win the NBA Championship for the next several years...

I don't plan on following the NBA that much but I will certainly follow this HUGE decision ... if it is going to by hyped as the greatest moment in NBA free agency history, I am going to take note and if LeBron doesn't have 6 Championship rings by 2020 I will recall this day and say it was a complete failure ... because I was sold on no less then this being the assembling of the greatest NBA team of all time...but then again, that's just what ESPN said and as soon as they lose the NBA tv contract they won't care anymore....

Tool: Xcel Energy Center - July 1, 2010

The Fourth Of July holiday for me has concluded... As a prior post stated, it all started with going to St. Paul to see one of my all-time favorite bands, TOOL.

Before I give my review, here are the two write-ups from the Pioneer Press (where the photos are from) and the Star Tribune.

Now on to my thoughts about the show...

First, this was the first time (out of 10) I had seen seating on the floor for a Tool show. I had seats on the club level so I really didn't care, but I certainly wouldn't want a seat on the floor unless it was in the first few rows.

I have also seen Tool at the Xcel many times and this was the first time I had seen where everyone, from top to bottom, was sitting in their seats...probably, again, because of the floor seating, whereas when there was general admission on the floor, many fans would buy a ticket for the seats and sneak to the floor anyways...no can-do with seating on the floor.

The show itself was super. I know the last couple of times I had seen Tool, Maynard's vocals seemed to be drowned but not at this show...his vocals were loud and crystal clear. Tool always has fantastic visuals ...lasers and video screens ... there were two screens that would rotate and maneuver about the stage - usually accenting Adam and Justin (guitarist) and even were placed directly behind each of them for a song or two. Danny Carey, the drummer, is the best drummer out there right now. The guy is a beast. He has a huge kit and his arms are often a blur during portions of many of their songs.

Tool is a no nonsense band. Little interaction with the crowd...Maynard only had a few comments, "FYI: Everything is going to be alright." Something like "The word for tonight is time machine. Time machine." And near the conclusion, "See, I told you everything would be alright." Many of Tool's "newer" fans don't 'get' Tool's stage persona ... never are they a band that jumps around and panders to the crowd for cheers (or jeers). They simply come out and rock out...which is exactly what I want... I hate going to concerts where the act will hold the microphone out to the crowd to have them sing along...no, I didn't pay to hear the audience sing this song, I paid to see you sing this song!

Although this show was awesome and great, I was also using this show as a barometer to how far the concert going fan has been pussified. And what I mean by that is that it seems that every show I go to, fans are becoming more and more complacent. There is little to no nefarious activities going on...and not that I'm encouraging any.

The prominent issue would be smoking...now, I don't smoke cigarettes (I quit many years ago) but 10, maybe even 5, years ago, it didn't matter who was playing, as soon as the lights went out everyone would light up a cigarette... the last few shows, including this Tool show, I not only didn't see anyone smoking I didn't even smell any cigarette smoke. Sure, at this Tool show I did smell some pot, but not nearly the amount that was at the last show at the Xcel Center...and I haven't smelt any weed at most other shows.

The fans on the floor...remain at their seats for the entire show...sure, for most shows this would be the case...but I had thought that a Tool crowd would muster enough fortitude to abandon their seats and rush the stage...but not even an attempt was made. And not to point the finger at one group of people, but let's be honest, girls are not going to throw their chair and start a mosh pit...and by having plenty of girls in chairs on the floor you will likely never get a mosh pit started.

Now don't get me wrong...I'm an old dude ... there's no way I'm moshing or starting any trouble...hell, I'll be broken for a week or more...and even when I was younger, I was fairly tame for the most part. But part of the fun of going to a concert was seeing the spectacle of unruly fans and how security would try and deal with them. Now most of the concerts I go to are very orderly affairs...makes me feel even older...