September 10, 2014

Thunderstorms in Arizona Couldn’t Ignite Bolts

After attending the Chargers/Cardinals Monday Night Football opener, I wanted to give my two cents about the game without clogging everyone’s Twitter feed. I know this blog has been MIA for a few months (mostly because it was solely created as a class assignment), but as the season goes on I will try to update it as much as I can. 

Monday in Arizona’s Central Valley started for most people around 3 a.m. when an emergency wireless flash flood alert simultaneously woke everyone up and scared the pants off of them. Thunderstorms wreaked havoc in greater Phoenix all morning, dropping five inches in some areas. With the earthquake that occurred the day of the Chargers’ preseason game in the Bay Area, it was almost not even surprising that the team’s presence spurred Phoenix’s second wettest day ever. 

With freeways flooded, a house being struck by lightning, and people using underwater parks for jet skiing, I was ready to see something unbelievable that didn’t have to do with water, so I made my way to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. 

IMG_6052The atmosphere of an opening Monday Night Football game is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Although it’s assumed that Cardinal and Charger fans aren’t of the die-hard caliber like Green Bay and Philly fans, seeing so many people fired up about the same occasion is something awe-inspiring. 

With the Cardinals being the geographically closest NFL team to San Diego, many fans decided to make the trip. (I even met one guy who was going straight back to America’s Finest City as soon as the game ended.) The clusters of powder blue were great to see, and (although probably alcohol-fueled) everyone brought energy. 

(Sidebar: Westgate, the surrounding entertainment complex which houses University of Phoenix Stadium, Jobing.com Arena, and a plethora of restaurants and bars, is a strange place. The parking situation was horrific and no one knows how to work traffic control. Should be nothing short of a nightmare when the Super Bowl comes to town.)

I’m not going to give you a play-by-play of the game, because I know we all watched it (…right?!), but here are some of my thoughts on the night.

  • Nick Hardwick getting hurt was a much bigger deal than anticipated.
    • Listening to the Cardinals’ pregame show on the way to the stadium, it was apparent that their defense’s priority was to shake Philip Rivers out of a rhythm. Having his veteran center out would probably do the trick.
  • As always, there is little consistency on the offensive line, as well as a weak secondary and run game.
    • It seems as if, for the past two seasons at least, those have been the positions they’ve been trying to fill with dependable players. It’s very frustrating that it haven’t succeeded yet, when we know exactly what needs to be remedied. Jason Verrett is a very good start to fixing the secondary problem, although he is still a rookie. He has a lot of potential and plays hard.
      • Another comment about the secondary: I really don’t like the soft defense they play. It’s supposed to prevent receivers from getting past them, but it allows for completions to be made without applying any pressure.
  • The defensive line got to Carson Palmer a handful of times, but let him squirm away at the last second.
  • Regardless of his touchdown, I don’t think I’ll ever like Ryan Mathews. I think he was very overvalued for what he’s produced for us. He doesn’t play above the shoulders offense, and his yellow cleats are tacky.
  • The Chargers beat themselves more than the Cardinals did.
    • There were a slew of rookie mistakes (dropped third down passes, a snap over the head of Philip Rivers) that arguably cost them the game and certainly should not have happened. The Chargers were supposed to come back in 2014 ready to finish what they started last season, but Monday’s game puts them essentially back at square one.
  • I think the Chargers have a lot of potential under Mike McCoy, and I think he has been the fresh start this organization needed. I really miss Whisenhunt as our offensive coordinator. I think he’s a very smart guy, and he’s going to do great things for the Titans. I understand Frank Reich is a first-year offensive coordinator, but I’m not sure that we promoted the right person. As the quarterback coach, there’s no doubt that he has helped Rivers tremendously, but from my perspective, Rivers runs his own offense (with the occasional help of the late Clipboard Jesus). I think he needed someone with a fresh outlook on the game and new ideas to be able to switch up the forever-dreaded Marty Ball.

Maybe I’m being too harsh. This is only the first game, and the Chargers dropped the opening Monday Night game to the Texans last year, who won their first two games and then proceeded to lose the next 14. There are 15 weeks left to make things right, but there is a lot of work to be done.

Let’s hope this isn’t the last time the Bolts will be in Arizona this year.

November 21, 2013

Chargers Playoff Hopes Still Alive?

According to makenflplayoffs.com, the San Diego Chargers have a 6.7% chance of making it to the playoffs in the 2013 season.

Although arguably two of the best teams in the NFL are in the AFC West as well, before week 11, the Chargers were playing for a potential wild card spot. Who else had a 4-5 record that was fighting for the same wild card spot?

The Miami Dolphins.

There is no shortage of excuses that can be made for the Chargers loss on Sunday in Miami, and for the season in general; the plague of injuries, inexperience of the players and the coaches, calls not going their way, etc. etc., but when it boils down to it, the Chargers just haven’t been playing as well as they should.

“There’s a lot of teams in this league that have made some mistakes today, missed throws, turned it over,” quarterback Philip Rivers said after the game Sunday. “But they’re overcoming those, and we’re not good enough to do that. We gotta make all those and we’re not making them right now, so every little mistake is magnified.”

One thing that was especially detrimental for the team on Sunday was penalties. There were three offsides penalties against the Chargers in just the first half, and two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that arguably could have cost them the game due to their field position. Things like that can easily be avoided, and this really shows just how unprepared this team is for a postseason spot.

Even though the Chargers are coming off of their third straight loss, head coach Mike McCoy is looking ahead to the rest of the season.

“I’m not worrying about the playoffs right now,” said McCoy in his postgame press conference. “We were trying to beat the Miami Dolphins today, that’s the only thing on our mind. We’re taking it one week at a time, and there’s a lot of football left. It’s gonna change weekly from now on, and we got more important things to work on. We gotta get better as a football team number one, and play a lot better to win games in the National Football League.”

Although there are six weeks left in the season, the Chargers must play everyone in their division again, the Kansas City Chiefs twice, and the Cincinnati Bengals, who are first in the AFC North. The Chiefs and the Denver Broncos are both 9-1.

Many players are trying to keep positive attitudes, and many have stated that there is a lot of football left to play, which is true. But with a 6.7% chance at the playoffs, it’s looking a little bleak.

“We’re doing some things that are good but they’re just not enough,” said Rivers. “It’s about finding a way to win and right now we’re not doing that.”

As always, it looks as if the mantra of “there’s always next year” will ring on.

November 5, 2013

The Los Angeles Chargers Just Doesn’t Sound as Good

When San Diegans hear the name Qualcomm Stadium, more than one adjective comes to mind, and none of them are very nice.

Ugly, outdated, and obsolete are just a few that pop up when I think about the Q.

Although there have been rumors about the San Diego Chargers moving to Los Angeles, owner Dean Spanos has repeatedly ensured that they are just that: rumors. It seems that every time there is a possibility of a blacked-out home game, fans start speculating about the team moving somewhere that they can sell enough tickets to keep the game on television.
The more likely solution is to build a new stadium.

Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA is the current home of the San Diego Chargers

Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA is the current home of the San Diego Chargers

There will come a day when Qualcomm is rendered completely unplayable. The NFL has branded it as obsolete already; not capable of hosting a Super Bowl. Since the stadium site is owned by the city, they are the ones responsible for operating and maintaining it. It is estimated that the city will lose more than $340 million trying to maintain the facility between now and 2020, when the Chargers’ lease expires.

This brings forth the question: Why spend so much taxpayer money maintaining a dilapidated stadium instead of building a new one?

There have been dozens of talks and negotiations on where to break ground on a new $800 million facility. Some of the most discussed possibilities are next to Qualcomm in Mission Valley, in Chula Vista just southwest of the Olympic training facility, and in Downtown San Diego in the East Village, south of Petco Park.

Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA

The downtown site is the most probable as of right now, but because of many different factors, including the mayoral campaigns and tax approvals for the new Convention Center, obviously nothing is set in stone.

As reporter Nick Canepa said in his October Union-Tribune article, “Let’s see if the new mayor can put his hands on something else other than where the last one chose to put his.”

 

For more information and for a sketch of the proposed downtown stadium, visit www.welcometosandiego.com.

September 26, 2013

Fantasy Stocks of the San Diego Chargers

With week three of the NFL come and gone, there have been plenty of surprises as well as disappointments throughout the league.

Who knew that the Kansas City Chiefs, who went 2-14 last season, would already be 3-0?

Even more unpredictable than the Chiefs recent success is fantasy football.

Players are always getting hurt, getting replaced, getting traded, etc. Some don’t reach their full potential, and some are “sleepers”, defined by Urban Dictionary as an “outwardly common looking item that possesses something unique or special inside”. It’s impossible to predict how one players’ season is going to go.

So how are Charger players doing this season in terms of value to their fantasy owners?

Quarterback

Philip Rivers questions a play call during a game.

Philip Rivers questions a play call during a game.

Philip Rivers

As of week three, Rivers’ passer rating of 116.2 is second in the league, and has thrown for eight touchdowns. Although he threw 15 interceptions last season and fumbled 13 times, Rivers has thrown only one interception and has not fumbled through three games this year.

Despite these impressive stats, Fantasy owner Louie Vertone has placed Rivers on his bench all three weeks. “I always start [Russell] Wilson,” said Vertone. “Rivers is my backup just in case Wilson gets hurt and when he has his bye week, but Rivers has played really well and I have sometimes thought about starting him at the last minute.” Because of Rivers’ history, fantasy owners are still skeptical about placing him in their starting lineups.

Running back

Ryan Mathews

Although Mathews was a first-round draft pick for the Chargers in 2010, his fantasy stats have been less than impressive. He’s recorded just one receiving touchdown this season, matching his total from all of last year. Because of this, fantasy owner Forrest Carmichael recently dropped Mathews to waivers. “Mathews is not producing high fantasy points,” said Carmichael. “The Chargers just scored a rushing touchdown after over 350 carries and it wasn’t even by Mathews.”

Ronnie Brown

Though it seems that veteran Ronnie Brown is past his prime, he has scored the Chargers’ only rushing touchdown of the season. As of week three, he has rushed for only 48 yards and averages 3.7 yards per carry. It is unclear who the top running back will be at this point in the season. Because of Rivers’ strong arm, the running back position is not one that is competitive.

Wide receiver

Eddie Royal

It’s apparent that Eddie Royal has been the star of the first three weeks of the Chargers season. Royal recorded five touchdowns within the first two games, and has received for 148 yards this season, already over half of his total from last year. Although he received for just 34 yards on Sunday against the Titans, Carmichael is still optimistic. “I think that because [Malcom] Floyd got hurt, he ended up being the top wide receiver last game so he was well covered,” said Carmichael. “I believe Royal will do much better the next few games because the Chargers are playing against teams with weaker secondary defenses.”

Malcom Floyd

Floyd was carted off the field on a stretcher during week two’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles after being sandwiched between two players. Luckily he suffered only a neck sprain, and will hopefully return to the starting lineup within the next few weeks. Floyd is one of the receivers that Rivers is most comfortable with, and could make a big comeback once he’s regained health. Don’t count him out just yet.

Tight End

Antonio Gates

It’s easy to see that Rivers and 10-year veteran Gates have a strong connection, but it’s also apparent that the 33-year-old has been slowing down. Gates has caught for 228 yards in 15 receptions this season, but has also allowed a fumble, something he hasn’t done since 2009. “Gates is showing his age, but he’s still going to be Rivers’ security blanket,” said fantasy owner Madison Romine. “He’ll continue to catch until his sophomore counterpart [Ladarius Green] runs circles around him and robs him of plays.”

Kicker

Nick Novak

Although Novak is most often remembered for “relieving himself” on the sideline during a 2011 game against the Broncos before attempting to kick the game-winning field goal, his performance for the Chargers this season has been solid. He’s made five of six field goal attempts, his longest being 49 yards. With the offense’s ability to score consistently this season, he is usually in range to make field goals or at least has the chance for the extra point.

San Diego Chargers v Kansas City ChiefsDefense

The Chargers defense is it’s own separate can of worms. They’ve allowed the most passing yards in all of the NFL so far, and the fifth-most in rushing yards. The secondary defense definitely has a lot of holes, mostly due to injury. Cornerback Shareece Wright did not play Sunday because of an injured hamstring. On the defensive line, rookie linebacker Manti Te’o has not played a game yet due to a sprained foot, but will make his regular season debut this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. Inside linebacker Donald Butler, who is a captain of the team, did not play in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans due to an injured groin. Basically, the Chargers are not a reliable defense for your fantasy team, let alone as an entity of their own team.

As the season progresses, will these players’ stock rise or fall? Only time will tell. Who knows, after how bizarrely the Chiefs have been faring thus far, the San Diego Chargers could be on track for the Super Bowl.

September 19, 2013

Why the San Diego Padres (Shockingly) Missed the 2013 Playoff Picture

With the 2013 baseball season drawing to a close, it’s not a surprise to Padre fans that their beloved hometown team is missing the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.

The Padres’ 2013 season has 11 games left, but mathematically, the team was eliminated from the playoff picture on Sept. 14 with their loss to the Atlanta Braves. As you can see, the Padres have steadily maintained under a 30 percent chance of making any sort of postseason appearance.

San Diego Padres Playoff Picture

Although the season looked relatively promising in mid-June when all five teams in the National League West division were battling it out for first place, the Padres were still the only team in their division to have not spent a day in first place.

So what went wrong?

The Miami clinic scandal involving performance enhancing drugs rocked all of Major League Baseball. Two Padres, catcher Yasmani Grandal and shortstop Everth Cabrera, each served 50-game suspensions in 2013 in relation to PEDs.

As the blog The Outside Corner pointed out, the Padres had to pitch well to have any contention in the NL West this season. Starter Edinson Volquez was expected to have the number one spot in the rotation but didn’t pan out as planned, going 9-10 with a 6.01 ERA. The team combined for an ERA of 4.05, ranking 22nd in all of baseball.

Injuries fell upon the Padres like the plague this season. The team’s main franchise player, third baseman Chase Headley, was hindered by back and thumb injuries. Rookie second baseman Jedd Gyorko was on track to have a promising season before a groin strain in mid-June kept him out for about a month. It was determined before the season began that top pitching prospect Casey Kelly needed Tommy John surgery, an injury that has recently cursed the Padres organization and has a recovery time of 12-18 months. Center fielder Cameron Maybin, outfielder Carlos Quentin, and catcher Yasmani Grandal all suffered season-ending knee injuries.

There is hope along the horizon, however.

Starting pitcher Andrew Cashner is having a solid second-half of the season, especially in the past few weeks. He recorded a complete shutout game on Sept. 16 against the Pirates, allowing only one hit.

Although the Padres usually don’t have the funds to keep franchised players and opt for younger prospective (and cheaper) talent, the team kept veterans such as Chase Headley and closing pitcher Huston Street.

If the Padres can maintain a reliable starting pitching rotation and regain full strength from all of their injured players, the 2014 season is already looking a little bit brighter.

September 16, 2013

Chargers Clip Eagles’ Wings in 33-30 Victory

After the San Diego Chargers’ performance in week one versus the Houston Texans, most critics had counted the Bolts out of a win in week two against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Add being matched up against Chip Kelly’s fast-paced Eagles offense, and this is what the anchors of NFL GameDay had anticipated for Sunday’s game:

Commentator Michael Irvin of NFL GameDay even predicted the Eagles would put up 60+ points versus the Chargers:

Needless to say, these predictions were proved false due to the Chargers’ ability to both eat up the game clock and convert third downs efficiently. Modest gains that kept drives alive and dominated time of possession proved to be key to keeping Vick and Co. sidelined.

In contrast to last week’s loss against the Texans, this strategically designed offense was able to give the defense time to rest, helping them to make big plays when it mattered most. Their ability to hold the Eagles to a field goal late in the fourth quarter was one of the most important factors of the game.

“You have to have the right mindset in this game,” head coach Mike McCoy said in the postgame press conference. “You gotta believe, and you gotta finish. We talked about it last week, we didn’t finish the game. We made too many mistakes. Today we finished, and that’s why you win football games in this league.”

Despite the Chargers success in being able to finish strong in the fourth quarter, two red zone fumbles, one by tight end Antonio Gates and one by running back Ryan Mathews, were definite low points of Sunday’s matchup. Mathew’s fumble was the eighth of his career, and third inside the red zone.

“You’re going to play, you’re going to make a mistake,” said McCoy. “You just keep going, don’t worry about the last play. There’s going to be a bad call, I’ll make a poor decision somewhere. You do something, keep going. The future is now, just keep playing.”

For all of the highlights of Sunday’s game, visit www.chargers.com.

This is my coverage from Twitter:

September 10, 2013

The Plight of the San Diego Sports Fan

San Diego’s nickname of “America’s Finest City” couldn’t be more accurate with its beautiful beaches and near-perfect weather. Its only lackluster entity has always been (but hopefully will not always be) its sports teams.

After losing its basketball team, the San Diego Clippers, to Los Angeles in 1984 due to a lack of financial support, the city has since held just two sports teams: the Padres (baseball) and the Chargers (football).

The Chargers have been to just one Super Bowl and the Padres have been to two World Series match-ups and neither has come home with a title.

Danario Alexander of the San Diego Chargers (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Every year it’s always the same motto ringing throughout the streets of San Diego, “This will be our year.” And every year, well, it’s not.

There has been hope, however, especially in the last decade. The Padres won back-to-back National League Western Division titles for the first time in team history in 2005 and 2006, and the Chargers won the AFC West title four years in a row, from 2006-2009.

Despite these successes, both teams still came with their fair share of disappointments.

When the Chargers made it to the second round of playoffs in 2009 against the New York Jets, kicker Nate Kaeding missed three field goal attempts to lose the game. In 2005, the Padres finished with the lowest-ever winning percentage for a postseason qualifier in a non-strike season, finishing 82-80 after being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in three games in the National League Division Series.

There have been attempts to change things around within the teams by trading and acquiring players as well as in the coaching and management. The Padres released manager Bruce Bochy after the 2006 season (who then went on to manage the 2010 and 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants) and hired Bud Black, who is still with the team today. The San Diego Chargers have gone through three coaches in the last decade, firing Marty Schottenheimer in 2006, firing Norv Turner in 2012, and hired first-time head coach Mike McCoy in 2013.

With the changes at hand, it’s obvious that San Diegans haven’t given up just yet. Although many football games are blacked out on television due to lack of ticket sales and the only time the Padre games ever sell out is when the Yankees come to town, the motto of “this will be our year” reigns on.