This-That-The Other”

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Aztecs Basketball….It has been a struggle of a start for the basketball program, losing home games to lesser opponents, and then getting pounded by the big time team on the schedule-Kansas. State is getting no offensive productivity from its frontline. There are too many nights that senior Winston Shepard is MIA with the basketball in his hand. This deep into their careers, there are very few offensive skills shown by Angelo Chol and Skylar Spencer. The young dynamic players are just that young, and will have nights in which they get overwhelmed. Steve Fisher’s team does not look ready to open Mountain West Conference play.

Aztecs Football….They’ve beaten the best on their schedule since that (1-3) start. Impressive, in a day and age when every team averages 400-plus yards a game, SDSU’s defense gives up 285-yards a game. Now they get the University of Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl, with a spread formation that puts up 529-yards a night. UC’s quarterbacks have thrown 29TDs, and more than 4400-yards. UC meet State’s defense with 33-sacks, 31-takeaways. DJ Pumphrey is one of the best running backs in the country, no-one knows about, wiry tough, an extra gear, and can run it and catch it.

Chargers….Two games, both on the road, in this ‘root-canal’ of a football season. Lack of defense, a poor offensive line, a weak defensive front, and few playmakers on the roster. That plus injury after injury, including 13-concussions. And hanging over everyone, the black cloud of the ‘moving to LA syndrome’ which has weighed heavily on the mind of the players and the support staff. No one is happy at the Fortress. Not one player made the Pro Bowl, including the record setting quarterback. Thank Dean Spanos and his sons for everything that has happened this year.

Padres…It is Christmas, and outside of the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego might have the weakest team in baseball. Granted they don’t open the season tomorrow, but unless there are some blockbuster trades coming, I wonder what kind of team AJ Preller thinks he’s put together. No free agent signings of note, not acquisitions from the international free agents, not much ready in the farm system to help. No legitimate shortstop, utility guys at second and third, no leftfielder, fringe player in center, no established closer, one rotation spot open. Wondering if I can find some gifts beneath the Christmas Tree to upgrade this ‘bah humbug roster’ we have this morning.

Gulls…They roared out of the gate, but after the (9-2) start, the parent Anaheim Ducks started calling everyone up. The team has sagged on the ice, though they have gotten a couple of key players back, and still lots of games to be played. The attendance is the 2nd best in the AHL, but fans are grumbling at long delays getting into the arena, and missing lots of the first periods of home games. The Gulls nearly had to cancel opening nite of the AHL season by ice issues; they figured that out; now they need to figure out correctly how many gates, and how to handle security screening for the fans.

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