“Chargers Football–Excited but Angry”

The NFL season is just around the corner, and the excitement around the prospects for the Chargers season is very realistic.

As high as any time in recent history, a recent history that had great seasons under Don Coryell, the Super Bowl season run by Bobby Ross, and the Martyball era with a team that went (14-2).

But in each case, the excitement was tempered.

Air Coryell’s era ended with the Ice Bowl game in Cincinnati, and the reality Hall of Famer Dan Fouts never got to a Super Bowl.

The reality in the Bolts only Super Bowl game, they were blitzed by Steve Young’s 6-TD pass night and the 49ers circus act offense.

And the disappointment that the Schottenheimer led Chargers could not win in Foxboro against Tom Brady and the Patriots and Bill Belichick.

It’s been a long, long time since the Chargers had these expectations.

And sadly they are not our Chargers, not the San Diego Chargers, but the outlier team living in Los Angeles.

They wear our Powder Blues.  Those are the beloved Lightning Bolts on their helmets, our Lightning Bolts.

As excited as we are to see the 5,000-yard passer Justin Herbert, we have to deal with the past.

Cannot wait to see the dynamics of the pairing of Khalil Mack-Joey Bosa tandem

The defensive front of Sebastian Day-Austin Johnson might be the best inside tackles the team has had.

The back end has JC Jackson, the ex-Patriot, coupled with Derwin James-at safety, and a collectively deep group of DBs who can run.

There’s a trustworthy field goal kicker in Dustin Hopkins.

And of course, the bright light coach Brandon Staley has built a strong resume as a creative genius, a bold risk-taker, and an emotional flag carrier that players rally round.

Take all that into consideration and tell me you would not be excited with the opening of the season.

But then you replace what your heart feels, with what your head knows, and you get upset.

The Chargers are owned by Dean Spanos, the man who took all the money he could out of San Diego, and then discarded 55-years of loyalty to move to Los Angeles.

The Spanos’, who once described themselves as the ‘1st Family of Football’, have owned the franchise since 1984.

In the 38-years, they have had 15-winning seasons, not a glorious track record.  Surely you cannot confuse-nor compare this 1st Family of Football, to say the Rooney Family-in Pittsburgh, or the ownership run of the Jerry Jones-led Cowboys.  And surely not equal to the Kroenke family, who own the Stadium they play in-you know the Rams, who have already been to two Super Bowls in 5-years in Los Angeles.

In those 38-years of ownership, and those 15-winning season, Team Spanos has a composite record of (288-356), not a lot of scintillating seasons.

The Chargers have gone thru 12-head coaches in that span, and the Spanos Family has run off Don Coryell, Bobby Ross and Marty Schottenheimer.

They have gone thru 6-different General Managers in their time including Bobby Beathard and AJ Smith, who built winners in San Diego.

They have won the AFC West-just 7-times in their tenure, odd since the Raiders have been so bad for so long and the Chiefs have two long stretches of poor play, and Denver in the Elway-Manning era was such awhile back.

So it’s a mixed bag of emotions right now.

Bring on Justin Herbert-Austin Ekeler-Keenan Allen and the new look defense.

Show me your 4th down calls, the blitzes, the stunts, the exotic coverage packages.

Can’t wait for the AFC-West matches against Patrick Mahomes-Derek Carr-Russell Wilson.

But then my head gets involved.  Can’t set aside though the way the Chargers ownership intentionally sabotaged the ability to build a new stadium to keep the team here, and fill all the seats of a new stadium.

And I can’t get rid of the feeling about the Spanos family, what they did to everyone in San Diego.

You will note, I never call them the Los Angeles Chargers.  That turns my stomach, it offends all the things so many of us did on behalf of the Lightning Bolt here.

What do I feel?

I hope Justin Herbert goes (17-0).  I hope Dean Spanos goes (0-17)

My team, my feelings.  They should still be in San Diego, regardless of what the so-called ‘1st Family of Football’ wants to sell the people in LA.

Chargers football, excited, but angry.

And you?

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