“LA Chargers?”

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It goes on and on.

The Stadium Game with the Chargers.

Now the USA Today Report that the Chargers have opened talks on potential lease agreements, touse the LA Coliseum beginning in 2017 for home games, while the Hollywood Park NFL Stadium construction goes on.

It never ends, the scheming of owner Dean Spanos, who hides under the umbrella of ‘protecting our rights’ to move to a new stadium.

It does not seem to dawn on Dean Spanos, that he is behind the curve on the potential move to Los Angeles. The Rams own the market, financially, emotionally and physically.

The Chargers would be the second NFL team in LA. They’d probably be the 3rd football team in popularity there, behind USC and the Rams.

Heck, they might be the 10th most popular team in LA, fighting the LA Galaxy soccer franchise and the NHL-LA Kings in terms of fan backing.

All this comes on the heels of Chargers talks about the Stub-Hub Center. Yes, that makes sense, moving your team into a soccer stadium that seats 35,000 in Carson, not LA, Carson.

Of course as Spanos tries to preserve his options, he doesn’t seem to be intent on doing much to try and jump-start, restart anything in SanDiego.

He must be under the delusion the Mayor’s office will come up with a plan to give him a new stadium for free.

This saga never-ever ends. All these attempts to get a new stadium built in San Diego on someone else’s dime.

This theory he is beloved here. Maybe his team is, and that is now even questionable.

They’re failing on the field, another non playoff season. Failing at the gate, headed for their worst attendance since 2000, you do remember (1-15)?

And as everyone talks about the Cleveland Browns going (0-16) this year, Dean Spanos appears to be going (0-15) in all his stadium ideas dating back to the early part of the decade.

Los Angeles Chargers? He seems to want it. Even if no one up there wants him nor his franchise.

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“Tuesday Morning Thoughts”

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Chargers….You are lucky you don’t have to sit through a Monday press briefing with coach Mike McCoy. It drones on and on, filled with tired cliches, making reference to OTA’s, and game plans and playing four quarters. Out of 22-questions asked coming out of the Sunday loss to Tampa, only four questions had any qualitative value of content for the media, information or an opinion on a certain topic. The rest was gibberish, useless, and a waste of time. For someone so smart in the creative aspect of game plans, Xs and Os and communicating with his players, he is worthless to deal with. And he’s not winning. His team has lost 22-of-32 games dating back to mid December 2014. They have lost 26-games by a touchdown or less in his four years here. They are (1-11) vs AFC West teams dating back to the end of the 2014 season. Just wait and see if the ownership steps up and gives him a contract extension. But what would you expect from Team Spanos, which has just 9-winning seasons in 32-years of ownership. McCoy, sadly, a cross between a bland Norv Turner and a condescending Kevin Gilbride.

Jahleel Addae…Shall be interested to see if the NFL hands down more discipline for the brutal hit to the knee he laid on Bucs wide receiver Cecil Short, probably a career ending injury. A dislocated kneecap, 3-torn ligaments. Addae is such a punishing tackler, with the reputation as a head hunter. He’s been fined three times. The next one will be worth 48,000 probably. But he was on top of Shorts on the crossing route so quickly, I don’t think he could avoid a head on collission. But the receiver was defenseless, it was a blow to the knee, and then there is Addae’s past reputation.

Travis Benjamin…Are we to nominate him as this year’s recipient of the Jared Gaither-Derek Cox-Jacoby Jones award…most money given to a free agent for little return. He’s already played himself off the punt return unit, now the big TD drop of a key pass. He has made a bunch of big plays, but he’s also disappeared on this team too.

Rocky Long….Rallied his Aztecs emotionally, got them ready physically, and designed things schematically to counteract all the things tht Josh Allen and Wyoming did two weeks ago. End result, Mountain West Championship title and Las Vegas Bowl berth.

DJ Pumphrey…Disappointed he did not get invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremonies, but guys from big time programs closed the season with a flourish and he got left behind. But so did Washington Huskies QB-Jake Browning and Texas running back D’Ontra Foreman, who were also bypassed from the ceremonies. Still does not take away from a brilliant four years up on the Mesa.

Heisman Trophy Ballot….My ballot went in Monday at the deadline. I cannot tell you, per the rules, whom I voted for, but I will tell you one familiar name was filled in on one of the lines, based on this season and a full body of work. Not homering for anyone, just honest about the topic on the table.
Steve Fisher…Oh please, give it a break. The print media in town is making it seem as if the roof has caved in on the Aztecs basketball program, based on the loss to Loyola of Chicago. Lots of new pieces to fit together, and the season is not over just 6-games into the schedule. Anybody want to bet how good they will be playing by the time the Mountain West schedule starts? Anybody want to bet how good they will be come tournament time?

AJ Preller…This will be some interesting week at the Winter Baseball Meetings. I don’t recall anyone ever, going to the December meetings, with 7-open slots on the 40-man roster. Stunning is the fact they have just 16M committed to payroll. Do you know the Padres have 29-of-33 making the minimum salary on that payroll? Do you know they cut another 26M off the payroll by dealing away Derek Norris and the all the non-tenders? Do you know they will be paying 36M to guys named Upton-Kemp-Shields on the roster? The big question, how are they going to get any pitching in here to compliment Luis Perdomo? Second question, will any free agents want to sign here, knowing what the roster is? Third question, could this Padres team beat the all time loss record of 120-set by Casey Stengel’s New York Mets?

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“Just Asking Questions-Chargers”

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Another lead for the Chargers…turns into another loss….the 6th blown lead in the fourth quarter that results in another loss.

For the uniformed, or those living on Mars-Saturn-Pluto…the Chargers are now (5-7) and out of the AFC-playoff race again.

Philips Rivers couldn’t do it by himself. Melvin Gordon put on a dynamic first half of effort. The Joey Bosa-Melvin Ingram pass rush tandem is fun.

But then again, it is a four quarter game. And the Chargers don’t have much help on the back seven in pass coverage.

And Jameis Winston is really something special.

Then Tampa Bay coach Dirk Koetter out schemed Mike McCoy.

And the Chargers mismanaged their timeouts again.

And they tried a long field goal (54Y) rather than put Winston and his battered wide receiver corps on a long field, exposing him to that Bolt pass rush.

It sure sounded like a Tampa Bay home game, lots of fans wearing Pewter and Orange.

And it turned out bad, as it seems to all the time for Mike McCoy.

So as the sun comes up today everywhere in San Diego, except at the Fortress, these are the numbers consider in the chilly morning temperatures.

McCoy’s teams have lost 22-of-32 dating back to December 2014.

They’ve lost 8-of their last 11-at home.

They are (17-26) in one touchdown games under McCoy.

Sure doesn’t seem he can make them win does it?

So the questions of the day?

For Dean Spanos, with all these planted rumors swirling around the country, are you moving to Los Angeles?

For John Spanos, who runs the football side, how much longer can you allow this head coach to stay on the job?

What more do the fans have to see? What more do you have to see? To see this isn’t working out.

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“Finishing Up…Failure or Flourish?”

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San Diego State and the University of San Diego football programs, both club from a different cloth.

The Aztecs, true Division 1-in a lesser conference, the Mountain West, giving out the max number of 85-football scholarships.

A strong run under Rocky Long, headed to their sixth bowl game in a row, once they get done playing tomorrow night in the frozen climate at Wyoming in the Mountain West Conference game.

The Toreros don’t give out scholarships for athletes, just academic grants. They’ve just come off the biggest win in the 56 year history of what was a club program that became Division 1-AA in football. And now the test of a lifetime, playing at North Dakota State tomorrow afternoon in the 2nd round of the playoffs, against a Bison team that gives out the max 63-grants in aid.

For SDSU, what could have been a magical season has gone off track. Two weeks ago, they were ranked in the AP polls…had a legitimate shot at a Cotton Bowl berth, and a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Back to back blowout losses, to Wyoming then Colorado State took them out of the big bowl picture, and also took DJ Pumphrey out of the Heisman Trophy race.

But there’s still lots to play for, but you wonder if there’s any gas left in their tank, especially on defense. In stunning fashion, SDSU has given up (997-yards) and 94-points in the last two Saturdays. And this was a defense that was ranked 4th in the country as we got to Thanksgiving.

Additionally, Pumphrey, who led the nation in rushing up till two weeks ago, failed to crack the 100-yard barrier rushing in either of the losses.

So have teams figured the Aztecs out. Has Rocky Long worked them so hard they are fatigued and lost their edge, or is it just they ran up against two red-hot teams?

At USD, no one expected what happened last weekend, the stunning win in teh muck and mud that was Cal Poly. They earned it on offense hitting big plays. Earned it on defense with three forced fumbles.

Tomorrow is something they’ve never seen before. The Division 1AA Bisons are a team that won at Iowa, yes those Hawkeyes of the Big 10-Conferne.

The number 1-pick in the NFL draft last year was Bison QB-Carson Wentz. They’ve won 5-Division 1AA titles. They are (16-0) at the Fargodome in post season play. They’re (22-1) in postseason games in the playoffs.

Welcome to the other world USD.

If there’s suc a thing as David killing Goliath, maybe the Blue can do that tomorrow. They surely have all the bullets in the gun. An offense averaging (454-yards per game)…and a defense giving up just (244-yards)…but that was against smaller teams like Davidson and Marist and Stetson.

Dale Lindsey has done an amazing job building a roster and confidence.

USD has to play shootout for they likely cannot slug it out with the Bison. But if Anthony Lawrence can spray the ball everywhere…make North Dakota State cover everyone sideline to sideline, then anything is possible.

An interesting Saturday ahead.

Great regard for the coaches. Great enjoyment seeing the programs have success.

Do the Aztecs rally and make th is a good finish to a solid season? Is there another upset in this Cindarella story at USD.

Flourish-or-Failure, we’ll know by 8pm Saturday night.

Play Ball-Winter Ball”

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The World Series has been over for just 3-weeks.

There is a feel good glow to the game after the Cubs win, and the tremendous post season games we sat and watched.

Everyone is making money in what has become a 10B industry. Baseball is on a resurgence.

And now, labor peace for another five years. We don’t have to fear the ugliness of 1994, when they shut down the World Series, and have it spill into 1995.

With the clock ticking towards midnight last night, and the end of the current MLB-Union CBA deal, the two sides met for 18-out-of 24 hours in Dallas, and got a deal done.

At the head of it all was Padres owner Ron Fowler, on a team led by Commissioner Rob Mandred, and Union Chief Tony Clark.

The money will continue to flow, there will be more free agent player movement. There will be a cap of spending for International signings-a 5M cap per team per year. There will not be an International Draft.

The 162-game schedule will take on a different look, with more off days, an earlier start to the season, and less spring training games.

Draft pick compensation will no longer entail losing a lst round pick, if you sign a pricey free agent.

Clubs over the Luxury tax will give up 2nd and 5th round picks for the stars they sign, who had gotten the 17M-qualifying offer..

Clubs under the cap, will give up just a 3rd round pick, if they ink a big money free agent who had been given a qualifying offer.

The Luxury Tax threshold goes up in increments over the new 5-years deal, however the tax bite on clubs over the Luxury Tax threshold will have a stronger bite. If you keep going over the tax theshold (attention-Dodgers-Yankees) understand you might wind up paying a 75% tax on money spent on free agents.

Look for new language and sanctions in the drug program.

Don’t look for the DH in the National League.

A surprise, don’t look for the 26-man roster, or a limit in September callups by clubs of young players.

The key component is probably the “hard cap” on International signings.

Padres GM AJ Preller would not have been allowed to spend 66M on international free agents next year, when the rules take place. But it also means, no excessive contracts for Cubans or Latin Americans or Japanese players. They all go into an international signing pool.

Baseball is profitable for all. Both sides see that now. No one wanted to revisit what baseball had become under Donald Fehr.

The Winter Meetings will start next Monday just outside Washington, DC. There will be trades, there will be signings, there will be a “Hot Stove League”.

American’s past-time is healthy. Baseball has not been passed by any longer. The owners and union saw to that just before midnight last night.

Now we can “Play Ball-Winter Ball” about to begin.

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