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“Draft Day-Boltville”

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It used to be a big thing here in San Diego.

The NFL Draft.

Remember what we made it into, back in the day, the legendary XTRA-Sports-690?

A nine hour talk show, I anchored with our Chargers broadcast team, Jim Laslavic, Bill Werndell, the late Joe Stien, Pat Curran inside the War Room. It was really special.

Dean Spanos ended it all. Left our radio station, screwing a pretty good broadcast team. Then screwed the community, by moving the Chargers to Los Angeles.

So today, in his ‘Fight for LA’, he will have no radio station doing a draft show. And a preponderance of fans who used to wear Powder Blues on Sundays, no longer exist.

His Draft War Room will be in the padlocked Fortress, aka-Chargers Park. His press conference will be at the Stub Hub Center. His so called draft party will be at a Disneyland Hotel.

Spread all over the place. And by the way, fans few and far between, and like his team, wins few and far between, having lost 29-of-its last 39-games.

What to do, for those who still care?

The Chargers will get a really good player at #7, but they better not gamble.

The need secondary help and they could get it, but there are issues. LSU safety Jamal Adams is right at the top of their wish list, but he could go before they ever get the chance to pick him.

Marshon Lattimore of Ohio State, a corner, is on that list, but he has had hamstring problems, and he might be taken before that pick comes up.

Malik Hooker, who had 7-interceptions, a fellow Buckeye, is there, but there are problems with him. Do you gamble that high a pick on a player who has had a torn hip labrum and a sports hernia before age 21?

Tough call for Tom Telesco. His draft last year was very good; the year before okay; but washouts the year prior.

Haunted by the mistakes on DJ Fluker and the oft-injured Jason Verrett, he needs talent, health, and smarts with a top pick.

Reports everywhere San Diego might try to trade into the back end of the first round too. They’d have to give up their second round pick (#38) and a 4th round pick (#113), to try to get a pick somewhere between #25 to #30.

They’d like to get a shot at an offensive lineman, possible Eastern Kentucky’s LT-Forrest Lamp, Clemson WR-Mike Williams, or Michigan State’s DT-Malik McDowell.

They want to keep the 3rd round pick, because they could draft Tennessee QB-Josh Dobbs, highly intelligent, athletic, and tough, to groom him as heir apparent to Philip Rivers. Or they could take an offensive lineman there.

Who knows what this team will be like. On paper, it looks dynamic, filled with athletes, and young guys who have played alot. On the field, they’ve had so many injuries, and still have so many holes to fill, you cannot reallytell what they could be like.

The NFL draft, used to draw huge crowds at the Stadium, where we hosted our draft parties. The stadium will be dark beginning Thursday night. The fans hearts will be empty too, over the loss of the franchise by a selfish owner.

We’ll pay attention, because we like the players who wore the Lightning Bolt. We can never-ever like anything to do with the Spanos family.

If I were Telesco…I’d take Adams if I could get to him…or maybe trade back with Cleveland, go to 12-and secuire Mike Williams. Trade again at get access to Lamp at the end of the first round. Then think future and make a run at Dobbs.

Draft day was so great to be part of. Sadly ownership has made it meaningless here. Never cared about the fans, the radio station, the history of the franchise.

Any mail I get from the LA Chargers…I mark “Return to Sender.”

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