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“Chargers Lose Game–Lose Season”

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A bad weekend, a likely bad finish to the season.

Everyone shares a piece of the blame in this one, the Kansas City (24-17) win over the Chargers.  A loss that pretty much ends their playoff hopes.

From start to finish, the Monday Night Football loss, the Chargers loss to the Chiefs in Mexico City, likely sends this team careening into another non playoff season, with growing doubts how much their quarterback has left.

Quarterback Philip Rivers threw 4-interceptions, late with passes, desperation heaves, overthrows.  You name it, it was bad.  When was the last time this QB had a quarterback rating of (49) for the game.  He didn’t play very well.  This bad outing stapled on top of last weekends terrible finish against the Raiders.

His offensive line, the kiddie korp, was awful and that had a bearing on Rivers bad statistical night.  The 4-picks came as part of package in which he was sacked 3-times, took 9-hits and 7-pressures.

The kid offensive tackles, Trent Scott and Trey Pipkens got overwhelmed, 2-sacks, 2-penalties, allowed 3-pressures.  Ditto for veteran tackle Michael Schofield who gave up a sack and took a penalty.

It was a messy night other places.  Michael Davis, the cornerback, gave up a TD on blown coverage, and missed 2-critical tackles in the second half.

Rayshawn Jenkins had an interception, but gave up 2-pass plays.

Desmond King dropped 2-punts and made some horrible decisions, and got benched.

Linebacker Thomas Davis missed a crucial tackle and got beat in coverage twice.  A bad penalty on Jatavis Brown and 2-completions on his coverage watch.

And the offense staggered all night.  They owned the first half, but trailed at halftime.  When was the last time, your team had a (43-23) edge in plays at half, had outgunned the other guy (312-109) and never scored a TD.

When last seen, the Bolts drove to the Chiefs 8-9-22-22-31 and never got to the end zone.  You feared it would be bad math, the Chargers getting 3-points on field goals, knowing full well Patrick Mahomes was going to wind up getting touchdowns before the night was over.

And Mahomes did, breaking the Chargers backs with runs of 15-20-24.  And he figured out how to attack Gus Bradley’s zone defense by throwing underneath to his tight end Travis Kelce all night.

Then came the missed tackles and some bad Bolt penalties that negated a big fumble recovery.

The second half was no better.  In one stretch the Chargers had 5-possessions, 16-plays, and just 48-yards, and all this with Rivers at quarterback.

To add insult to injury, the Chargers were facing a KC team that lost star WR-Tyreek Hill on the first series with a hamstring, and two running backs, LeSean McCoy with a concussion and Damien Williams with injured ribs.

But without the firepower, it didn’t matter, because Mahomes was still out there making play after play.

You can drop all the cliches you want about playing at altitude, playing kids in the offensive line, almost winning again, another loss by a TD or less, or any moral victory in not letting Mahomes score 50-on you.  It doesn’t matter, your playoff hopes are gone.

Two last memories of this Mexico City trip.  Rivers laying on the torn up turf after the 4th and final interception, punching the ground, and knowing he has thrown 7-picks in the last two losses in games they had to win.

And the sight of a pregame get together with football fans, when owner Dean Spanos was introduced and booed at the podium as he tried to address the fans there, some wearing Bolts gear, some in Chiefs colors, and lots of Mexican fans.  They all know what Spanos did to San Diego fans back home.

Lousy loss, lousy game, lousy owner, and now a quarterback that’s playing lousy too.

Now officially too, a lost season.

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“All Things NFL”

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Lots of topics and lots of opinions too.

CHARGERS-CHIEFS….If the Bolts win this Monday night game, they put themselves in the fight for first place in the AFC West.  The Raiders have already moved into a tie for Kansas City, and Oakland has the easier schedule.  A Bolts victory puts them within 1-game of first place, but their schedule is tougher.  The real story, do the Bolts have enough people to defends all the weapons that QB-Patrick Mahomes has at his discretion?  This offense its averaging (404YPG) and what makes KC different than anyone else is that the Chiefs wideouts and tights ends pile up massive yards after catch.  The second biggest question for the Chargers, have Rivers make it a shootout and come out throwing, or try to run the ball with Melvin Gordon-Austin Ekeler, control the clock, shorten the game, and beat up a bad KC defense.  Make Mahomes stand on the sidelines.  You surely do not want him on the field with all that firepower.

RAMS-BEARS….LA is just not the same offensive juggernaut it used to be.  People say Todd Gurley is not the same explosive running back he used to be because of the arthritic knee issue.  Robert Woods big play production has gone away.  Brandin Cooks is out with the lingering concussion issues.  And an offensive line that let Roger Scaffold and John Sullivan go in the offseason, and now they are best with injuries on top of that.  Hard to believe the Rams might not even make the postseason as a wildcard team.

BROWNS-STEELERS….Ugly fight, really dark moment in the NFL.  Now Myles Garrett is going to appeal the suspension that could last from 6-weeks to into next season.  The equally big issue is the culture of football taught by Coach Freddy Kitchens.  ‘Nobody pushes us around etc..etc….  His team has 87-penalites for 822-yards, leads the league in personal fouls and fines.  His team, his players,his philosophy.  This is more than the stupidity of Myles Garrett.

RAIDERS….Virtually all the big names Jon Gruen wanted to bring in are now off the team, from Antonio Brown to Vontaze Burfict, but what has happened is a collection of young players at tight end, wide receiver and the pass rushers are growing, learning, producing..  That and Derek Carr is playing mistake free football under Gruen’s guidance.

CAROLINA…This is a mess.  Two great players left on the roster, the do-everything star running back Christian McCaffrey and great linebacker Luke Kuechly.  After that, not much, surely no longer is there a Cam Newton to bail you out.  Who knows what the outcome of his ongoing health issues with this Lisfranc foot surgery might be.  You always wonder, why not Colin Kaepernick to Carolina on a look-see contract?

NEW ENGLAND..They lost a week ago, struggled all day but put away the Eagles, so we don’t really know yet if the Patriots are a complete team.  They played really hard to hold off Carson Wentz at the end of the game…but a bulk of that Patriots record was built on beating up the Giants-Jets-Miami-Cleveland early on in the schedule.

49ers…They are not sneaking up on anyone anymore, and Jim Garoppolo has lots of challenges but he’s making enough passes to get the ball in the end zone.  The other issue,  you have to play four quarters against that violent San Francisco defensive  front.

BALTIMORE…Lamar Jackson’s numbers are spectacular, maybe as brilliant of Russell Wilson’s production up in Seattle.  The Ravens defense are warriors and they are really hard to drive against each series and points on the board are hard to get.  They really look the ‘Beast in the East’.

BUFFALO…Surprise team of the year, with rock solid defense, young diverse quarterback. Now they won a bunch of games early in the season at home in good weather.  Now a lot of road games, but you cannot take away the 7-wins they have already.

COWBOYS…Dak Prescott putting up spectacular numbers throwing it.  Zeke Elliott looks like he has become an after-thought in the offense.  Dak is piling up 400-yards per Sunday throwing.  Will see if this continues.

MINNESOTA…Kirk Cousins is putting up huge numbers, so is the RB-Dalvin Cook, and that defense is pretty tough.  The Vikings seem to have a lot components to be really good.  Very explosive and very physical on the other side of the ball.

BRONCOS…Who would have thought this group would be (3-7) on the year, and for rumblings of a lot of negative vibes from Coach Vic Fangio, and strife on his staff too.  John Elway hasn’t made a lot of right decisions in recent years, has he?

TAMPA BAY…Bruce Arians thought he had solved all the Bucs woes and they would win this year.  No so, not as long as Jameis Winston makes as many bad players as good plays each weekend.  Interceptions, sacks, fumbles.  Doesn’t matter how many 383-yard games you have, if you keep giving the ball back.  Not sure what this coach is going to do with that quarterback.

WASHINGTON…Next man up, Dwayne Haskins, the rookie QB from Ohio State.  He is playing regardless of whether he’s ready or not.  Weird way to run a franchise, but that’s the Daniel Snyder way of constant change at the most important position in the game.

CINCINNATI…Winless, not competitive, playing a kid at quarterback.  Just not a good atmosphere for a once successful franchise.

BEARS….Let’s see what you solve first.  The ineffective offense, with games like 9-yards at halftime of one game, 115-yards in another game.  Or is the regression of QB-Mitch Trubisky?  Or the ragged field goal kicking over the last year plus.  What a mess.

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“Don Cherry–His Way or the Highway”

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Don Cherry was to Canadian broadcasting and the NHL what Howard Cosell was to all things NFL….a legend….an icon…a trendsetter.

And like Cosell’s ‘tell it like it is lifestyle’, Cherry’s own ‘brash-beliggerant-bully style’ set him aside from everyone.

And like Cosell, who went down in flames of self-glory at the end of his Monday Night Football career, Cherry destroyed his career much the same, with his insensitive, off topic rants, who offended many, in our modern era of political correctness.

Cosell ended his self destructive career with rants about owners, players, drugs and NFL greed.  Cherry hit the finish line with some spillage about immigrants in Canada, not appreciating Canadian heritage of soldiers who gave their lives in the wars.

Cherry, the career minor league player, and former coach of the Boston Bruins, became a legend as a TV analyst with his loudmouth lunch bucket opinions about anything-everything related to hockey.  It began in 1981 on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada between period shows.

He grew in popularity with his old school theories, about fighting, women in the lockeroom, free agency, rule changes.

But it was his irreverence that struck a chord with everyone, and it was the rationale of the CBC and then Sportsnet to let him get away with things that always seemed to cross the line.

It was a Saturday Night Live version of the NHL on TV.  You never knew what was coming out of his mouth next, like a John Belushi appearance, or like a Dave Schultz cross-check in the head, from back in the day.

He didn’t care about the criticism.  The CBC didn’t care about the outrage, morally, socially, because they were raking in ratings and profits.  I’ll never forget covering the Kings-Maple Leafs playoff series just before the Stanley Cup finals, when the whole Press Box went silent between the first and second period, to see what “Grapes” had to say on Coaches Corner.

The critics were everywhere, that he was appealing to the worst element of Canadian society, the beer drinking, truck driving, blue collar-hardhat workers who followed the NHL.

But Cherry’s power and popularity grew, and so did the controversy.  He attacked the government, the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, social-racial issues, all well beyond the scope of his hockey expertise, and broadcasting leadership did nothing.

I’ll never forget the night he read the poem about Fields of Flanders, written by a dying soldier in World War I.  It was moving, it was honest, it was sincere.  Remembrance Day in Canada is so meaningful, equivalent to our Memorial Day-Veterans Day…maybe even more so, because he wrapped the Canadian flag around the NHL.

He was proud Canadian, and a proud historian, talking about the Eddie Shore days of the NHL and the AHL, the Hockey Hall of Fame, his beloved Bruins and Maple Leafs, the hated Canadiens and all things Oilers-and-Gretzky.

He may have invented ‘branding’, his loud sports jackets, the flowers, the shirts, the ties, and the non-stop noise.  He was is own social media brand.

But for all the spectacular things Don Cherry did, he was reviled for his tirades.  Included in the list were stunning statements that kept coming.

..Called LA Kings winger Tomas Sandstrom a ‘Chicken Bleep-Back Stabbing Swede’.

..Commenting on the arrival of Russian players who changed the NHL…’Should have killed their parents at the Russian front.’

..Called those who wanted to ban fighting because of head injuries ‘Pukes-Turncoats-Bleeding Hearts’.

..Called players from Quebec a ‘Bunch of Whiners and Those Guys’

..Said he was ‘Embarrassed women were allowed in the locker room’

..Called his critics ‘left wing pinkos’.

..Called players who wanted to wear visors ‘Euro-French Guys-Sissies-Wimps’

He was beside himself when 2-American teams got to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time.  He could not believe a hockey team named after a movie “Mighty Ducks” won the Cup.  He hated Francophones, loved Anglophones and was relentless spraying opinions into every corner of the arena, every bar in Canada, and in your living room.

It went on unstopped for years, till this past weekend’s attack on immigrants in Ontario for not buying poppies on Veterans Day.

He never apologized.  Thru his prism, what he was doing on TV was delivering a message.  But he became more polarizing than popular.  His last comment this week, about not becoming some ‘Network Tin Soldier’.  He said if he was leaving, he was going out on his shield.

Hockey has been the unifying element of Canadian society, stretching from Newfoundland to the Yukon Territory….Toronto to White Rock, British Columbia, Ottawa to Saskatchewan.  But Don Cherry had become the divisive part of NHL broadcasting because of his style.

He was brilliant, he was bombastic.  He was from a different era and now out of touch.  He gave the word ‘filibuster’ a Canadian definition.  You knew it would end this way….a race-baiting rant, either on ice or off ice, would lead to his end.

And it’s odd, Don Cherry’s broadcasting life ended on the day that meant so much to him, Remembrance Day, and his love for all the veterans over all the wars, who died with the Maple Leaf flag branded on their soul.

I watched him, I interviewed him, I enjoyed him.  I was sad to see it end the way it did, but that was Grapes, and you lived on his terms, and he died on his terms too.

Don Cherry-Howard Cosell….one and the same…started the same-ended the same….and now likely never to be forgotten.

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“NFL-Kaepernick-Too Little-Too Late”

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So what do we make of all this?  The latest development in the Colin Kaepernick story?

I was so enraged when the 2016-flag incident occurred.  Him using the flag to express his dissatisfaction about what our country had become.

Coming from a military family, I was furious, someone making over 12M a year to play in the NFL, was condemning the country that was allowing him to make that style of living.

What started as a kneel down, with him and teammate Eric Reid then grew.  Then it was other teammates.

Then it was other teams.  Some kneeled.  Some stood.  Some raised black fists.

The fury was everywhere as it spread.  By the next week, teams together were kneeling.  Then Cowboys owner Jerry Jones elected to kneel with his entire team in a show of support.

The controversy would not abide, would not go away.  It took on all types of dimensions.

Steelers players refused to come out of the tunnel till the anthem was over.  Marshawn Lynch, showing disdain, sat on a cooler, his back turned to the flag, in a show of his disrespect.

The longer it went, the more informed we became.  Players protesting white-vs-black shootings, police brutality and more.

The NFL, overwhelmed by the issue, met with player’s coalitions, trying to find a common ground for respect of the flag and a solution of issues.

The off season brought us the decision the league would fund ‘social programs’ in each NFL cities to help spread the message of respect for one and all.

Kaepernick was viewed as a villain.  He opted out of his 49ers contract the next year, turning away from his 12.6M contract.  But coming off 2-surgeries, coming off a bad season on a bad team, he got no offers.

The theorist reviled NFL club owners for not giving the star quarterback a chance to play for a new club.  Because of his social protest?  Or because he couldn’t play anymore?

All the while there was rage of him being blackballed by the holier than thou owners.  You know the same ones who were still signing domestic abusers, druggies, DUI guys and every unemployed fringe QB on any street corner.

But not Colin Kaepernick.

He filed a grievance over his own brand of discrimination, inequality.  An embarrassed NFL settled out of court, to the tune of 3-to-5M to make the case go away.

But Kaepernick got no invites to workouts, tryouts, or free agent offers.  Now suddenly, the NFL announces he will take part in a free-agent workout in Atlanta.

Some believe this may be part of the grievance settlement.  Others wonder why a workout now in November with just 6-weeks left in the season.  Why not in June before all training camps were open and rosters were set?

It’s been 2-and a half years, since he last played.  In that time, he has ventured off into different areas of society.

Yes there still is rage, but as I read-researched-talked to NFL people, a different Colin Kaepernick surfaced.

Not the quarterback, but rather the person, with the revelation of all he has done in charitable programs, while off the NFL field.

He gave 1M and went to Ghana to open a children’s hospital.
He gave 1M to aftercare school programs in Oakland-San Francisco
He gave 1M to the Somalian Famine relief program
He funded 10,000 grants to 10-different national charities
He set up a 100-suits-100 men for parolees released from prison.

Kaepernick walked the walk after talking the talk.  My views changed about he the person, not so much the quarterback.

So now we find out the football side of the story.  Does he have anything left?  Being out for nearly 3-years, will the rust take away from his game?  Is he willing to come be someone’s insurance policy quarterback?  Does he have to be in a special offense to have success?  Is he willing to play for a veterans minimum salary to get back on the field?

In an NFL that has allowed the likes of Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Greg Fields, Adrian Peterson and others to return to the game, after arrests, wrongdoings and lawsuits, it seems appropriate the quarterback gets an opportunity.  What was worse, his social protest stance, or guys beating women, pulling guns, injuring players, doing PEDs and drugs?

Fearful it is 2-years too late, but at least he will workout, then sit and talk to teams.

I didn’t like what he did, but the more I researched what he’s done since the day with the flag, I have become a supporter.

Somebody in the NFL now has the chance to do the same, even if it is too little…too late.

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———- Forwarded message ———
From: Lee Hamilton <hacksaw5555@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 12, 2019 at 12:35 PM
Subject: 1-Man’s Opinion on Sports- “Aztecs-Fresno State-A Rivalry”
To: hacksaw5555 <hacksaw5555@gmail.com>

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“Aztecs-Fresno State–A Rivalry”

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They call it the “Battle for the Old Oil Can”, a rivalry that goes back lots of years, but has more important meaning these days, with teams fighting for a New Year’s Day Bowl berth from the Group of Five.

It’s the 59th meeting of the schools, with SDSU holding a (2925-4) edge.

Back in the old PCAA days, Jim Sweeney had some great teams. Modern day Bulldogs football with Pat Hill as coach, had great battles with SDSU, the most notable being shootouts with QB-Trent Dilfer…RB-Ron Rivers and Lorenzo Neal and a host of NFL receivers.

The Aztecs are (7-2), trying to find some consistency to their offense.  The Bulldogs, coming off a strong season last year, are struggling with transition on defense, are (4-5) in an up and down season.

Rocky Long is trying to find some quality to his offense, to match the excellence of his defense.  Bowl bound, but not a complete football team yet. No one will take away the 7-wins, but no one within the football offices is very happy right now either.

And the Aztecs coach went off on a tangent, criticizing the fans, students on campus and social media in general, with a tirade accusing the public of making his players feel like losers, not a team that is (7-2).

Long, for the first time in his tenure, went after the media…the students on campus and the fans for their negativity.  Maybe it was the small crowds at games; maybe it’s social media; maybe a columnist inference he is running a “Neanderthal Offense” that no one wants to see.

Coach Rocky Long
…

..Frustrated-disappointed way we have played the last two games.
..Fresno is very talented
..Talent level in league is equal.
..Play the best on a day-and you win
..Boise State had to go to Wyoming to win in overtime.

..No idea why offense is up and down..we don’t score enough points to win
..Not scoring.
..80% of teams in country be happy if they were (7-2)
..We play on Friday night because TV tells us to
..Old school in me says Friday night is for high school football…Saturday-college
..Saturday afternoons is best time for college football

..Tradition is go to game but not here
..Real fans stay at home watch 15-games
..Where we are, it’s not a tradition to go to games…
..Fans here just as soon sit home and watch games on TV

..Death on campus-we don’t approach it with players
..If it involves a football player we deal with the player to help him
..Position coaches on teams know the players they coach if there are issues
..If problems exist, we send them to experts on campus
..We do an unbelievable job educating our players-they have to attend a class
..Our players know right from wrong
..Our players-great young people in the program

..We have had 10-years of great success here and now this.
..Players don’t feel appreciated in our town-social media ridicule team
..I feel for our players…everyone is treating them like they are losers
..Unbelievable this is happening
..I’d like to take their phones away from them ..but it’s their culture-their life
..Players need to learn to handle it
..It’s not students only…it’s fans criticizing a (7-2) tam
..It’s ridiculous.

..I would bet this game will be like out last couple of games
..Turnvoer ratio-penalties might decide game

..Fresno used to winning-that is good team
..Jeff Tedord same philosophy as me..control the ball..play defense..
..He was a good coach at Cal, and they let them go.
..In this day and age of big money-coaches being given 20-games to coach and win

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