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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast..1:30pm
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‘CHARGERS-BAD GAME-SETBACKS MOUNT”‘
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Hard to believe what we watched from the Meadowlands on Sunday, the New York Giants beatdown of the Chargers.

It was a battering, it was ugly, it was everything negative from all the positive the Bolts had exhibited going (3-0) to start the season.

Not only did the unbeaten Bolts lose to a winless (0-3) Giants team.  They got pounded, mugged, slugged by an outmanned team, starting a rookie QB, a rookie running back and having lost their top wide receiver with a torn ACL in the game.

Problems everywhere now for Jim Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz to address.

The Bolts lost LT-Joe Alt with a high ankle sprain.
RG-Mekhi Becton was already out with a concussion.
LG-Zion Johnson may have had his worst day ever – 2 sacks-2 penalties
QB-Justin Herbert got hammered 2-sacks, 12-hits-8 pressures.

There were 2-more Herbert interceptions.
Ladd McConkey had 2-drops early and disappeared.

And flags everywhere, 14-penalties for 107-yards

The woeful issues at defensive tackle grew.  The Bolts let rookie RB-Cam Skatteboo thunder for (79Y).  The Giants pi9led up (161Y) on the ground.

Rookie QB-Jaxson Dart was not intimidated, and despite having hamstring problems, threw for (111) and ran for 54-yards himself, and survived the 6-sacks that he ran into

The Chargers wasted a great day by rookie RB-Omarion Hampton-who powered for (128-rushing) and caught 37-yards in passes.

And Tuli Tuiapolutu had a career best afternoon of 3-sacks and 2-tackles for losses.

But there are so many mounting problems for the Chargers,you wonder what happens next.

The QB is taking too many hits.  The OL has gotten very thin with all these backups playing.  The defensive front inside got pushed around, and the secondary has started to give up gobs of pass completions.

Might be just one loss on the ledger-but there are warning signs on the roster.

Wonder if Jim Harbaugh will be able to quote Shakespeare this week, or maybe he should start praying, for this team does not look like it can hold up with the injuries mounting.  As for Herbert, maybe rosary beads will help him because he’s not getting much help anywhere infront of him.

Losing to a Giants team, threadbare of talent, was a worse defeat than the scoreboard showed.  The Chargers displayed little of the gusto that helped them beat the Chiefs-Broncos and Raiders out of the gate.

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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast
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“Week 4-NFL-Fireworks”
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Teams are pulling away in NFL divisional races.  Other teams are fighting to stay alive.  A closeup look at this weekend’s games.

CHARGERS-GIANTS..Justin Herbert is red hot.  NY is changing quarterbacks.  The biggest surprises, how well the Bolts are doing without much of a running game.  And how bad the Giants defense (408YPG) is right now…Jaxson Dart vs Bolts blitz package.

COLTS-RAMS..Daniel Jones (111-QBR)-Jonathon Taylor (5.6YPC) lead explosive team..face Rams violent defense (12-sacks)…Colts defense must contain Matthew Stafford (739P) and LA offense (363YPG_

STEELERS-VIKINGS..The game to be played in Ireland.  Interesting to see how Carson Wentz holds up against the Pittsburgh pass rush, but this is not vintage Steelers defense either (386YPG).  Aaron Rodgers looks like an aging pedestrian QB.

BILLS-SAINTS..Josh Allen and the boys from Buffalo are hitting on all cylinders (400YPG) and a Bills defense is giving up just (227YPG).  The Saints winless string continues.

BROWNS-LIONS…Could be a defensive street fight.  That Browns defense has 11-sacks and has given up only (204YPG).  But how is Joe Flacco going to hold up against a Lions mob (311YPG-11 sacks)

PATRIOTS-CAROLINA…Bryce Young-vs-Drake Maye.  Neither team doing very well on defense.

EAGLES-TAMPA BAY..Baker Mayfield (6TD-0Int)..Bucs offense (322YPG)..Philadelphia offense yet to hit stride (268YPG)..Saquon Barkley just (3.3YPC)

TITANS-HOUSTON..Texans a shocking (0-3) start…Titans QB-Cam Ward struggling on offense.

49ers-JAGUARS..Mac Jones coming off (296-298) passing days..Jacksonville offense (356YPG) under Liam Coen.

RAVENS-CHIEFS..Patrick Mahomes-with little offensive help-against Baltimore defense (415YPG)..Lamar Jackson (12TD-0Int) this year

BEARS-RAIDERS…Likely wild throwing contest-Caleb Williams-vs-Geno Smith-both defenses awful..Chi (387YPG)..Raiders (351YPG)…Caleb (7TD-1Int-107 QBR)

PACKERS-DALLAS…Dak Prescott led offense (393YPG)..Cowboys defense giving up (397YPG)..Green Bay pass rush 10-sacks-giving up (232YPG)..Jordan Love (110-QBR)

JETS-MIAMI..Justin Fields returns after concussion…Miami offense (280YPG)..5-turnovers-8 sacks in 3-losses…heading into Monday Night game

BENGALS-BRONCOS…Cinn offense (220Y)-10 sacks allowed…Defense giving up (357YPG)…Broncos offense slow to come around..Denver 27-penalties in 3-games.

WASHINGTON-ATLANTA..QB-Jayden Daniels coming off strained knee-might not play again..Falcons QB-Michael Penix has 1-TD pass in 3-weeks..Likely defensive struggle

SEATTLE-ARIZONA..Thursday Night game….Sam Darnold seems solid-and the Seahawks defense is getting better…Arizona..not enough around QB-Kyler Murray.

================

=========

Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Look-Listen-Share-Subscribe

=========
“Week 4-NFL-Fireworks”
=========

Teams are pulling away in NFL divisional races.  Other teams are fighting to stay alive.  A closeup look at this weekend’s games.

CHARGERS-GIANTS..Justin Herbert is red hot.  NY is changing quarterbacks.  The biggest surprises, how well the Bolts are doing without much of a running game.  And how bad the Giants defense (408YPG) is right now…Jaxson Dart vs Bolts blitz package.

COLTS-RAMS..Daniel Jones (111-QBR)-Jonathon Taylor (5.6YPC) lead explosive team..face Rams violent defense (12-sacks)…Colts defense must contain Matthew Stafford (739P) and LA offense (363YPG_

STEELERS-VIKINGS..The game to be played in Ireland.  Interesting to see how Carson Wentz holds up against the Pittsburgh pass rush, but this is not vintage Steelers defense either (386YPG).  Aaron Rodgers looks like an aging pedestrian QB.

BILLS-SAINTS..Josh Allen and the boys from Buffalo are hitting on all cylinders (400YPG) and a Bills defense is giving up just (227YPG).  The Saints winless string continues.

BROWNS-LIONS…Could be a defensive street fight.  That Browns defense has 11-sacks and has given up only (204YPG).  But how is Joe Flacco going to hold up against a Lions mob (311YPG-11 sacks)

PATRIOTS-CAROLINA…Bryce Young-vs-Drake Maye.  Neither team doing very well on defense.

EAGLES-TAMPA BAY..Baker Mayfield (6TD-0Int)..Bucs offense (322YPG)..Philadelphia offense yet to hit stride (268YPG)..Saquon Barkley just (3.3YPC)

TITANS-HOUSTON..Texans a shocking (0-3) start…Titans QB-Cam Ward struggling on offense.

49ers-JAGUARS..Mac Jones coming off (296-298) passing days..Jacksonville offense (356YPG) under Liam Coen.

RAVENS-CHIEFS..Patrick Mahomes-with little offensive help-against Baltimore defense (415YPG)..Lamar Jackson (12TD-0Int) this year

BEARS-RAIDERS…Likely wild throwing contest-Caleb Williams-vs-Geno Smith-both defenses awful..Chi (387YPG)..Raiders (351YPG)…Caleb (7TD-1Int-107 QBR)

PACKERS-DALLAS…Dak Prescott led offense (393YPG)..Cowboys defense giving up (397YPG)..Green Bay pass rush 10-sacks-giving up (232YPG)..Jordan Love (110-QBR)

JETS-MIAMI..Justin Fields returns after concussion…Miami offense (280YPG)..5-turnovers-8 sacks in 3-losses…heading into Monday Night game

BENGALS-BRONCOS…Cinn offense (220Y)-10 sacks allowed…Defense giving up (357YPG)…Broncos offense slow to come around..Denver 27-penalties in 3-games.

WASHINGTON-ATLANTA..QB-Jayden Daniels coming off strained knee-might not play again..Falcons QB-Michael Penix has 1-TD pass in 3-weeks..Likely defensive struggle

SEATTLE-ARIZONA..Thursday Night game….Sam Darnold seems solid-and the Seahawks defense is getting better…Arizona..not enough around QB-Kyler Murray.

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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast..1:30-pm
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“ANGELS SEASON–GONE TO HELL”
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It cannot get much darker in the history of Angels baseball than the dark times this franchise is encountering now.

At this hour, it is beyond last year’s 99-loss ugly season.
More than this season’s second half collapse.
Beyond the year by year failures of the team’s highest paid players.
Not even counting the annual siege of injuries that have sidetracked stars.

No, at this hour, the Angels are about to be plunged into the abyss in the aftermath of the tragic drug induced death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in 2019 while on a road trip.

Skaggs family has filed a massive lawsuit against owner Arte Moreno and the Angels organization in the aftermath of the conviction of PR-Director Eric Kay’s conviction for dealing drugs to players and a 22-year prison sentence handed down because Kay provided Skaggs with pills laced with fentanyl that killed him in a team hotel on the road.

The story is more than just 1-pitcher’s addiction and the PR director.  It’s a web that has spread to other Angels players, players Skaggs played with in Arizona, a team physician, and what front office people knew about Kay and what they did or did not do.

Skaggs family maintains the Angels knew Kay had problems, and paid for his rehab entrance.  They maintain the Halos should have known he was obtaining drugs and distributing them.

The Angels say the family knew Skaggs was addicted to percocet pain killers while pitching in Arizona and never told them of that addiction.

The wife of Eric Kay alerted the Angels to her concern he might be dealing drugs.

The family says the team refused to remove Kay from his job, but the club maintains federal law ordered them to reinstate him once he was released from drug rehab hospitals, on 3-different occasions.

Front office execs have been dragged into this.  So have veteran players like Matt Harvey, CJ Cron, Cam Bedrosian and others, who got drugs, or shared drugs with Skaggs, obtained from Kay.  Insinuations that Skaggs himself distributed pills to teammates.

And now former teammates on other clubs will be dragged in to testify what they knew and why they did nothing about it.

Kay may testify.  Matt Harvey may testify.  Mike Trout, the superstar, who offered to pay for Kay’s entrance back into a drug rehab center, was deposed and may testify.

Of all the bad years the Angels have had, of all the bloated bad contracts they gave out, of all the bad injuries and tragedies this team has encountered, this feels as deep and dark and ugly as the franchise has ever had to deal with.

It’s history is stained by the Lyman Bostock shooting death, the Nick Adenhardt drunk driving death, the Minnie Rojas auto accident fatality, the Donnie Moore suicide, and now this horrible moment.

It will be an angry trial, with hurt feelings, with blame to be spewed all over the courthouse.  And for the jury, a very hard decision coming.

Are the Angels to blame for Skaggs’ death.  Or is Skagg’s addiction to be blamed for his own loss of life and the stain that is everywhere around Angels baseball.

A season gone to hell, by losses and another non playoff season.
A franchise credibility gone to hell again for problems with their players.

An October trial nobody really wants to have to sit thru begins in a week.
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“A FEEL GOOD CELEBRATION”
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Somewhere up above-Peter Seidler is looking down from the heavens smiling.
His Padres are back in post season play for the 4th time in 6-years.

The clubhouse scene was pretty raucous.

Guys wearing goggles.  Plastic bags everywhere around the lockers.  Players wearing raincoats.  TV broadcasters looking like they were going skua diving.

Guys with no shirts.  Guys spraying champagne everywhere.  A baseball beer blast

Manny Machado stuffing his pockets with beers.  Hugging then dousing GM-AJ Preller.

You could really sense, getting to post-season, was like lifting a thousand pound weight off every player’s shoulder.

Hugs-screams-chants-F bombs from players, who grinded their way thru a season of streaks to earn a shot to be a wildcard team next Tuesday.

Was not easy, this franchise with a (211M) payroll, going thru terrible times.

A battered pitching staff finding enough grit to get thru starts before turning it over to a brilliant bullpen

A batting order, short on power, getting contributions from late arrivals at the trading deadline, to make enough hits to win enough games.

A manager with big time baseball IQ-invoking old time strategy in games, that virtually no one else does, bunts, sacrifices, suicide squeezes, hit and runs, double steals and all.

The scoreboard remained lit after the game, blinking lights ready ‘Playoffs Baby’.  It should also read ‘Thank you San Diego for 67-sellouts this year’.

Who knows if they have enough starting pitching to get quality innings next week when they play the best of 3-games at Wrigley Field against the Cubs?  Who knows if playing at the ‘Friendly confines’ will invoke a bunch of HRs from guys who can knock some out-especially in that yard?

Who knows how battered and tired the Cubs appear to be, and if playing all three at home will be the tonic to jump start them again.

The Padres, who have given us electric moments, in games and series vs the Dodgers, in getting to the NLCS with the Phillies, and making Petco Park a destination point, have more work to be done.

You close your eyes and you see Tatis’ big hits and rocket throws; Machado’s amazing defensive plays; the kid Merrill in CF; the excitement of spray hitting Arraez; the bulldog stare-glare of Pivetta; all things electric from Suarez; the sounds of ‘Holy Sheets’ and ‘Beat LA’ bouncing around the yard; Laureano’s circus catches; O’Hearn’s shots; Fermin’s glove and spunk; Miller’s velocity out of the pen and Sheets career year coming off the street.

And think of this.  With the last minute choke jobs by the Dodgers and the Cubs, the Padres first cup of coffee this morning finds them just a game and a half out of first place in both the NL-West and in the NL-wildcard race.  Maybe there will be another celebration to come by the end of the weekend.

A cross section of a super summer of baseball that included wins-losses-sellouts-Gallagher Square and so much more.

It’s been an electric 5-years of baseball at the Intersection of Tony and Trevor Way in the Gaslamp quarter.

Not sure I would call this the ‘Golden Era’ of Padres baseball.  Think I will reserve that term till this group makes it to the World Series.  But I will say it is a ‘Red-White-Blue’ era for America’s Past-Time in America’s Finest City.

Job well done for the Friars.

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