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“Time Out from All the Hate”

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We interrupt your regularly scheduled program, for this.

The NFL Draft Recap.

It was hard to watch, this NFL draft, especially if your phone number is in the 860-858-619 area code.

Tough to see all those so-called Chargers fans, bribed by the owner, to show up wearing jerseys and hats, with the tags still on them, while the loyal 56-years fans, left behind in San Diego, with an empty stadium, and broken hearts.

For 3-days though, you must push aside the hate you have for anyone named Spanos, and salute what GM Tom Telesco accomplished.

A Grade “A” draft, for a team that needs more players and a dose of health and good luck.

WR-Mike Williams…a big time player from Clemson. Enormous 6’4-size coupled with gifted speed, reminding you of Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd. Needed defense, took the gift of a pretty good receiver. Grade (A)

OT-Forrest Lamp….this was a left tackle who earned his stripes at Eastern Kentucky, when they lined up to play Alabama and Florida over the last couple of years. He pass blocked all the edge rushers, and id very well. He projects inside as a starting guard, a critical area of need on this team. I still wise DJ Fluker were here as part of the young vets on the roster. Grade (A)

OG-Dan Feeney…He was a 4-year starter at Indiana, a pure guard, and very highly rated. He did battle back from a concussion issue, but is a real mauler. Makes you hope he is like the last Indiana guard they had-Kris Dielman. Grade (B)

S-Rayshawn Jenkins…a bigger (6’1-210) safety from the Miami Hurricanes..can run, has good ball skills…might be a young version of Rodney Harrison in time….will have to be taught..but started for 3-years in Coral Gables. Grade (B)

S-Desmond King…Iowa Hawkeye started for four years. He fell on the board because of 5’10 size, but can run, hit, cover, could be an inside slot guy..and has experience as a safety also. He might turn out to be a steal. Grade (B)

OT-Sam Tevia…A converted defensive lineman who became a rock solid drive blocker at Utah and got better. Can play both sides of line. By the way, last converted D-lineman they had, Dielman. Grade C)

DT-Isaac Rochelle…Notre Dame inside guy who takes up space. Physical, tough to move, not much of a pass rusher, but will be given a chance as a rotation guy. Grade (C).

The Chargers offense is loaded. The defense is thin. They will put points on the board, they will give up points.

Root for Telesco-Rivers and friends.

We return you to your normally scheduled program of “hating” the Spanos family.

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“Why-Just Asking Why-NFL Draft?”

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The Chargers are going to average 33-points a game this coming season.

They will need to, because they will probably give up that many every Sunday.

48-hours after GM-Tom Telesco said he would always take a ‘special player’…rather than ‘fill a need’….he faced that dilema early Thursday night, early in the opening round of the NFL draft.

With a shakeup at the top of the draft board, with two trades, and a strange pick or two, Clemson star WR-Mike Williams, fell into his lap.

It did not take him long to decide a 6’4-WR-with 4.5-speed, toughness, burst, and 98-receptions last year, was that ‘special player’.

The Chargers GM ignored his defensive needs, aka-acute deficiencies, and took the gem of a wide out, to add to the arsenal of weapons Philip Rivers will have next fall.

And you thought North Korea was a threat to drop a big one.

Now Rivers can choose to hand it off to Melvin Gordon….throw it deep to Williams, Keenan Allen, the fast developing Tyrell Williams, the mighty mite Travis Benjamin, or get it to his catch and run tight ends Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry.

All fine and good, but the rampaging question for Chargers fans, the few left in San Diego who care, and the group that paid big money to cheer up there in Orange County, who is going to stop anybody next fall on defense?

Yes there is Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and Jason Verrett and Casey Hayward, and Brandon Mebane. There’s nothing after that. That whole group of guys on the roster, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t cover the pass, and got coordinator John Pagano fired.

Telesco went ‘special’ but stopped short on ‘shoring up’ his defense.

He could have had Alabama’s rugged nose tackle Jonathon Allen, the wide body slugger in the middle.

He bypassed safety Malik Hooker of Ohio State and his running mate Marcus Lattimore, both great talents, but with some injury questions.

He said no to trading back and getting an additional pick too.

That additional pick could have brought him secondary help, or another offensive lineman, to help protect Rivers.

We now know a couple of things for sure as the draft resumes on Friday morning.

The Chargers offense will be spectacular with all the skill people they have. But the offensive line at this hour is weaker than the offensive line that got Rivers pounded into turnovers, picks, fumbles and sacks last year.

And the defense, that was 28th in the NFL…gave up over 5500-yards…46-touchdowns…5.4-yards per carry vs running backs, , and allowed QBs’ to complete 62% of their passes won’t be any better, because they did not add a playmaker.

If the Bolts had gone into NFL free agency and found some veteran upgrades to that defense, I’d feel a whole lot better.

Cannot wait to see 33-points a game from Rivers and the run and gun Bolts. Bet the likes of Brady-Prescott-Alex Smith-Derek Carr-Ryan Tannehill-Carson Wentz-and Kirk Cousins cannot wait to score 35 a game against that Chargers defense.

Mike Williams-Clemson, ‘special player’. The Chargers defense, ‘significant problems’.

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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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“Going Out on His Terms-Not Carried Out”

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He’s leaving the sport as popular a figure as his feared father was.

He’s leaving it on different terms though.

Dale Earnhardt Senior died in his car, in a last lap crash in the Daytona 500, hit by Michael Waltrip jockeying to block him on the final lap. The head on crash into the wall, broke Earnhardt’s neck.

The Man in Black died instantly, and a black pall covered all of NASCAR.

The fans stood in silence for every race that year, raising 3-fingers, to salute Earnhardt’s #3 car, okn the parade lap..

No one ever forgot the style, the personality, the intensity, the success, nor the popularity of Senior.

No one will ever forget all the same traits, in Dale Earnhardt-Junior, who announced yesterday, his retirement at the end of the season.

Junior, voted the most popular driver 14-times in 18-years. A true professional, a businessman, an entrepreneur, and the fans man.

His daddy was fierce, that black #3, running down, running over, spinning people out, to get a victory. Senior was old-school, a real throwback to the early days of all things NASCAR.

Paint-swapping, fighting, wrecking, and winning.

Junior was more polished, less gruff, just as competitive, but more scientific.

But NASCAR racing is high speed danger. The sport has become so much more safer, post Earnhardt tragedy, but you cannot stop wrecks, nor damage.

Last years two violent wrecks early in the season, ended Earnhardt’s season. He spent 18-weeks on the sidelines, trying tor recover from scary concussions. He did, but he’s not been the same driver since.

The headaches are gone, the eyesight is back, the courage may still be there. But the edge, the bravado may not.

He’s never really let on if he feels like he did back in the day, when he was winning. A 38th place finish last week at Bristol, on the heels of 4-finishes 30th or worst, may have convinced him, it was time to step away.

The history books will write about Dale Senior’s 76-career wins. Junior has 26. .

They’ve been running the Daytona 500 since 1969. Senior won it just once before his death. Junior has won it twice.

Racing is about memories and snapshots for scrapbooks. When Senior won his only time in the Great American race, the pit crews of all 43-cars lined up to high five him as the made his way to Victory Lane.

When Junior won his first one there, the outpouring of emotion was equally amazing.

But the memory of the picture of Senior-slumped over the wheel of his wrecked car after the last lap crash of 2001, remains forever, as do the words of Darrell Waltrip at the end of the broadcast, “I hope Dale’s okay”.

Our memories going forward of Junior now should be the smile, the wins, the aw-shucks attitude, and a salute for getting out of the car, rather than be carried out of the car.

Dale Earnhardt Junior, going out on his own terms in a sport that loves him so much.

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“Going Out on His Terms-Not Carried Out”

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He’s leaving the sport as popular a figure as his feared father was.

He’s leaving it on different terms though.

Dale Earnhardt Senior died in his car, in a last lap crash in the Daytona 500, hit by Michael Waltrip jockeying to block him on the final lap. The head on crash into the wall, broke Earnhardt’s neck.

The Man in Black died instantly, and a black pall covered all of NASCAR.

The fans stood in silence for every race that year, raising 3-fingers, to salute Earnhardt’s #3 car, okn the parade lap..

No one ever forgot the style, the personality, the intensity, the success, nor the popularity of Senior.

No one will ever forget all the same traits, in Dale Earnhardt-Junior, who announced yesterday, his retirement at the end of the season.

Junior, voted the most popular driver 14-times in 18-years. A true professional, a businessman, an entrepreneur, and the fans man.

His daddy was fierce, that black #3, running down, running over, spinning people out, to get a victory. Senior was old-school, a real throwback to the early days of all things NASCAR.

Paint-swapping, fighting, wrecking, and winning.

Junior was more polished, less gruff, just as competitive, but more scientific.

But NASCAR racing is high speed danger. The sport has become so much more safer, post Earnhardt tragedy, but you cannot stop wrecks, nor damage.

Last years two violent wrecks early in the season, ended Earnhardt’s season. He spent 18-weeks on the sidelines, trying tor recover from scary concussions. He did, but he’s not been the same driver since.

The headaches are gone, the eyesight is back, the courage may still be there. But the edge, the bravado may not.

He’s never really let on if he feels like he did back in the day, when he was winning. A 38th place finish last week at Bristol, on the heels of 4-finishes 30th or worst, may have convinced him, it was time to step away.

The history books will write about Dale Senior’s 76-career wins. Junior has 26. .

They’ve been running the Daytona 500 since 1969. Senior won it just once before his death. Junior has won it twice.

Racing is about memories and snapshots for scrapbooks. When Senior won his only time in the Great American race, the pit crews of all 43-cars lined up to high five him as the made his way to Victory Lane.

When Junior won his first one there, the outpouring of emotion was equally amazing.

But the memory of the picture of Senior-slumped over the wheel of his wrecked car after the last lap crash of 2001, remains forever, as do the words of Darrell Waltrip at the end of the broadcast, “I hope Dale’s okay”.

Our memories going forward of Junior now should be the smile, the wins, the aw-shucks attitude, and a salute for getting out of the car, rather than be carried out of the car.

Dale Earnhardt Junior, going out on his own terms in a sport that loves him so much.

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