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Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
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“CHARGERS-NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME PLAYERS”
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They talked a good game for weeks.
They played some good games for weeks.
But when it really counted they nearly lost to a big time QB last week.
Monday night they lost to a complete football team.

Final score: Baltimore Ravens (30) Chargers (23)..and it was not that close at all.

When it was all said and done, the Ravens hit the Chargers with haymaker after haymaker, wiping out a (10-0) deficit, and inflicting their physical force offense, their fierce defense, and their street tough style in a blowout win.

Yes the Bolts had an early lead, hit a bunch of big plays on two possessions, but it would not last.

Baltimore unleashed their punishing run game led by the NFL’s leading rusher Derrick Henry.  Then QB-Lamar Jackson moved the pocket to make big plays down the field.

And when they were done, the lead was gone, the Chargers were battered, and the Ravens piled up (391-yards) in what was a real pounding.  After that quick start, Baltimore outgained the Chargers (378-120) over the 2nd-3rd-4th quarters.

Justin Herbert was hounded all night, and it got worse as it went on.  And it got bad when his team lost RB-JK Dobbins with a strained knee.  Got worse when young WR-Quinton Johnston dropped two passes and fell on the turn running two other routes.

It was a tough night for the offensive line, which allowed 4-sacks and took 5-penalties.  And OG-Trey Pipkens gave up 3-sacks in all the traffic around his quarterback.

John Harbaugh directed the beatdown of his brothers once-highly ranked defensive unit.  Baltimore had 4-TD drives and a field goal on 5-straight possessions.  Jim Harbaugh’s team had 7-straight possessions without a TD from the 2nd quarter till the final 2-minutes when they finally got a gift TD.

How tough was Baltimore.  Scoring drives of 70-72-93-yards.  Chunk plays of 22-25-27-51-yards during that brazen comeback starting in the second quarter.

Anybody see Joey Bosa or Khalil Mack?  Yes that was Kristan Fuller taking back to back pass interference flags too

Somehow Baltimore survived 5-major penalties including 4-pass interference flags along the way.  Yes they gave the Chargers first downs, but then promptly punched them in the mouth after those penalties.

it was big time hand to hand combat.  Somehow WR-Rashod Bateman ran thru coverage and hauled in a 40Y-TD catch.  and Justice Hill ripped off a 51Y-scoring run after Henry had slugged the Chargers defense all night long.

it’s only l-loss, but now it’s back on the road for the Bolts, heading to Atlanta to meet Kirk Cousins and then a turnaround trip to Arrowhead to meet Patrick Mahomes-Travis Kelce-Andy Reid and Taylor Swift etc.

They are (7-4) but need to make sure next time we see them in LA, they do not show up (7-6).

So the quick start has hit turbulence, based on what the Bengals nearly did and the Ravens really did, beat them up.

The old Saturday Night Live TV show had a segment, ‘Not Ready for Prime Time Players’ with Dan Akroyd.  The Chargers filled that role on Monday Night

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Hacksaw’s Monday Podcast…1pm
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“CHARGERS-AZTECS..WHAT I EXPECT-WHAT I SAW”
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A big Monday Night for the Chargers.
An awful Saturday Night for San Diego State
A look see at the storylines

CHARGERS-RAVENS…Everything you would want in Monday Night Football.  The only thing missing is the TV-theatrics of Howard Cosell in the booth.  Justin Herbert  (13TD-1Int) has arrived as a star in the league, making his wide receivers better, and dragging the long troubled Spanos-owned franchise to the brink of being really good in the AFC.  Baltimore is Baltimore, which means, lots of Lamar Jackson, now surrounded by the best group of skilled players he has ever worked with.  Who would imagine the Ravens offense would average (430YPG)?  When you have Derrick Henry (6YPC), a wideout group averaging (13YPC) and a QB with over (3,400 Y) in offense to go with (27TD-3Int) you have brilliance.  Baltimore’s defense had had injuries and youth issues, and that is why they have 4-losses.  The Chargers lead you to believe their defense is dominant.  Excuse me.  The first ten weeks they did not play quality quarterbacks.  Last week Joe Burrow lit them up for (426Y-3TD) and Cincy nearly upset them.  So this week that Bolt defense must show up and shut Lamar down.  Imagine what Cosell would say about Lamar..who has a Monday Night record of (20TD-0Int-124QB rating).  What a night ahead of us.  Great game coming.

AZTECS-UTAH STATE..What does ‘rock bottom’ look like.  Saturday in Logan, Utah, a (41-20) debacle as SDSU lost to an equally bad (3-7) Utah State team.  The Aggies trailed (13-0) and then reeled off (41) points in a row that brought back the horrors of road losses dating back to the Chuck Long era.  Backup QB-Bryson Barnes came off the bench to pile up (323Y) running and throwing.  Chunk play after Chunk play against what was a pretty good SDSU defense, at least the first half of the season.  San Diego State has given up (2,020Y) in its last 4-losses, that is (505YPG).  They have given up (106) first downs in those 4-games.  Add in another offensive line disaster, as SDSU took 12-penalties, 8-against the offensive line.  You could never have expected something so sorry as to what SDSU football has plunged to, considering Sean Lewis’ resume as a head coach and a play caller.  Losing games, losing fan support.  The offense is broken, the defense is broken, the playbook is broken.  We have one Saturday left in a most disappointing football season, that no one seems to care about any more.  SDSU colors, bloody nose red and black-eye black.  This better be ‘rock bottom’.

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Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
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“NFL–Must See TV”
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CHARGERS-RAVENS…Enough with the “Harbaugh Bowl” theme.  Granted they may have become the true 1st Family of Football with all their football success, but this is about quarterbacks and skill players.  Justin Herbert is hot, and has made every receiver around him better.  I have doubts the Bolts defense can cover everything Baltimore has coming off the line of scrimmage.  The Ravens are averaging (430) yards per game and this is the best group of skill guys  Lamar Jackson has ever had around him.  So the questions of the day?  Can Herbert hit lots of chunk plays?  Can the Bolts contain Lamar passing and running?  Who is going to man up to stop Derrick Henry and his (6YPC) average.  Not much defense.  Maybe 39-35, last guy who has the ball wins.  Is it Monday Night yet?

49ers-GREEN BAY…Huge challenge for battered Niners team with Christian McCaffrey just back, no George Kittle, no Brandon Aiyuk and a young WR group not really at 100%.  Oh by the way, cold-snow-winter at Lambeau Field, and you have the Jordan Love-Josh Jacobs combo too.

ARIZONA-SEATTLE..The Cardinals are coming fast with new coach Jonathon Gannon and Kyler Murray is doing everything, throw, run and not turning it over.  Seattle has Geno Smith but the rest of the team has injury issues and a poor defense.  It’s in Seattle.  Have to see how bad these Pacific Northwest storms will be by Sunday.

EAGLES-RAMS..Gifted, dangerous, explosive.  That says it all about the Eagles, on both offense and now defense.  The Rams have their hands full.  Matthew Stafford against a Philly defense that is giving up just (276YPG).  A Rams defense, fast and young, going against all this firepower the Eagles have.  Watch Puka Nacua-Cooper Kupp..then need to combine to catch 15-balls.  Rams have to protect Stafford-easier said and done.  Watch the Rams kids chase Hurts all over the field.

BRONCOS-RAIDERS..Bo Nix is rolling.  They should have their 7th win.  The Raiders will have their 9th loss and you wonder if this is the end of the Raiders coaching staff.

VIKINGS-BEARS..Caled Williams had a bounce back game with a new coordinator last week.  This will be harder this time around.  Minnesota tries to go (8-2)

TAMPA BAY-GIANTS…The end of the Daniel Jones-QB era..What a disaster the NY organization is.

LIONS-COLTS…Detroit is (9-1), blazing hot and off to their bst start since 1934-leather helmet days.

PATRIOTS-MIAMI…Tua trying to pass the Dolphins back into the playoffs.  Drake Maye playing better and better for New England.

DALLAS-WASHINGTON…Can’t get much worse for Jerry Jones.  All these injuries, no Dak, and a likely high draft pick coming from a (3-7) season

CHIEFS-CAROLINA…KC getting healthy just in time for all the playoffs.  Yes they got blasted in Buffalo, but they are (9-01)

TITANS-HOUSTON…Texans need to get their mojo back.  Tennessee-just awful year

Is it Monday Night yet?
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Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast…1pm
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“HOT HEADLINES-HOT TAKES”
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AZTECS..Yes, a lopsided loss to Gonzaga, but a real learning curve game in which a young SDSU team did not cave in against a likely Final four Zags team.  Watch SDSU grow as the winter goes on, watch them become a force, especially as their bigs get more big game experience.  This looks like a team with exceptional upside, especially with Magoon Gwath’s growth.

UCLA-USC..Once upon a time, Pauley Pavilion was basketball’s mecca on the West Coast. Not anymore.  Can you believe a program under Mick Cronin, that goes to the NCAA tourney yearly is drawing just (4,694) fans per game?  And cross town, despite the arrival of Eric Musselman, USC is averaging(3,753) a night.  Down the road, sellouts, in excess of 11,000 are a way of life here, you know, San Diego State, the West Coast basketball power.

AZTECS FOOTBALL..A disappointing season grinding to a conclusion.  Sean Lewis has his philosophy and his 20-0-page playbook.  He needs time.  He needs another of his type of players in a recruiting class.  He needs to be able to retain his top talent from going into the transfer portal.  He also needs a healthy offensive line.  And he needs not to have 42-players enter the transfer portal that occurred last winter after he got the job.  This only counts as one bad season.  Cannot let it grow to two in a row.

USD..Lost in the shadows is the job Brandon Moore has done in the Pioneer League this season.  Big play offense.  A real opportunistic defense.  Sadly no one pays attention.  USD is a 1AA team without scholarships.  They should be in the Big Sky Conference, where there is more identity.  But that means 65-scholarships for football and impacts all the other programs.  Tough call, but I think it is the right road to take.

CHARGERS..Check that game off the list, the Bolts having to prove they could beat a good QB, and they did, in taking down Joe Burrow and the Bengals, eventhough that was a dreadful second half in which they nearly gave it all back.  The pluses, obviously QB-Justin Herbert, and the growth of a new wide receiver group.  But there are negatives.  Herbert is taking too many sacks, hits, pressures.  The secondary looks thin because of injuries.  The linebackers are weak in coverage.  Still to come, Lamar Jackson, Kirk Cousins, Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield.  They need to check off more boxes on this schedule.

PADRES…Waiting to see where the next round of acquisitions are coming from. and it appears there will not be a big increase in the payroll, not at least to the 200M needed to take care of the current players, and find help from the outside.  Likely departures of Jurickson Profar and Ha Seong Kim create holes to be filled.  A need to find a starter in place of Joe Musgrove.  And if Tanner Scott leaves, a need to find another strong setup reliever.  Big month of December for AJ Preller.  Names like Charley Morton..Shane Bieber..Mike Siroka…Matt Boyd might be names to pay attention to.  Outfielders they could-should look at include Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader, and maybe Alex Verdugo.  And we wait to see if there is Christmas Gift names Roki Sasaki coming this way once he is posted coming out of Japan.   Stay tuned.

GULLS-DUCKS…It’s taken awhile, but all these young players are starting to play better.  The Gulls look explosive with college hockey star Sam Colangelo and rookie import Yegor Sidorov as goal scorers.  Waiting for Pavel Regenda to start potting goals.  Oddly as the Gulls started to score, so did the Ducks, with a 3-game win streak and wins in 4-of-5, something we have not seen in years.  Raw rookie Cutter Gauthier has found his sea legs along with 2nd year gem Leo Carlsson.  Not sure why Trevor Zegras has become a non scorer after a first good year and a half in Anaheim.  It looks like the Ducks may be about to turn the corner and become both young and good.

SNAPDRAGON STADIUM…Shiny, new, and empty.  2-years into its opening, empty seats, bad turf, high prices, and fans-friends-alums turned off.  It’s more than the football product on the field.  Find me a good decision made by Athletics about the operation of the stadium, and where it is now compared what its upside could be.  What a challenge to fix everything amiss at SDSU.

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“LIFE OF A GENERAL MANAGER”
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Juan Soto…about to become ‘Mr. Moneybags’.

Life as an MLB-General Manager must be hard, especially at this time of the year.

If you are in the running for Yankees slugger Juan Soto, it might be exciting, it probably is excruciating.

It’s not just about signing the big time power hitter for your roster.
It’s about the dollars you expend, the length of the contract.
It’s about what it does to your luxury tax payments.
It’s about how it impacts the rest of your roster.
It’s about dealing with the super agent Scott Boras and his demands for dollars.

Here are the players involved with the star player and his mega agent:

DODGERS..Hard to imagine them pushing their payroll higher, with the pitching deals they are working on simultaneously.  Boras has already said he’s not taking an Ohtani type deferred contract.  Yes the Dodgers need a star outfielder, but at what immediate cost to an already high payroll?

YANKEES..The big question.  Soto was in New York for one season, and Boras wants over 42M a year.  Are you going to pay Soto more than Aaron Judge, who has 3-straight 50-plus home run seasons in row?  And by the way, the Yankees still need front line pitching, so maybe getting Pete Alonso of the Mets and using the rest of the money on pitching is a better idea.

METS..Owner Steve Cohen says money is no object.  He doesn’t have a really strong team.  He has over 110M in budget space so he can go get the Soto bat, keep Alonso, and still get a frontline pitcher. The hell with the luxury tax and tax bills.

RED SOX..They do have a history of paying big money.  They have traditions.  They play in hitter friendly Fenway Park.  They have already rebuilt with some pretty good young players.  And they have enough to not only get Soto but possibly Blake Snell.

PHILLIES…A track record of spending, a tremendous pitching staff, and big bats led by Bryce Harper.  Again a Yankee type question, are you giving Soto more than the franchise player-personality Harper?

TORONTO..This seems far fetched, a team with real pitching issues, and two remaining stars Guerrero-Bichette who need help in other parts of the lineup.  It’s Canada.  Just don’t understand how Toronto thinks they are a player in this.

Next up, you know Boras will take your offer and shop it around.  You don’t want him to drag this out to the point you lose other opportunities to sign other players and then don’t get Soto either.

Yeah, lots of anxiety around baseball’s executive offices right now, playing the Soto-Boras waiting ‘Moneybags’  game.

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