Chargers' Star Receiver Arrested

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Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was reportedly arrested early this morning on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Our media partner, NBC 7/39, is following the story throughout the day.

-- SAM HODGSON

Tuesday, January 6 -- 12:37 pm

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Scifres and His Old Pal

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Funny that two guys from Destrehan, La., -- pop. 12,166 -- would play such a role in determining the next round of the AFC playoffs.

Without Chargers punter Mike Scifres, the Bolts wouldn't have advanced past the wild-card round to the divisional round with a 23-17 overtime win Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts at Qualcomm Stadiuim.

Without Baltimore safety Ed Reed, the Ravens wouldn't have upset the Miami Dolphins 27-9 Sunday and, as a result, sent the Chargers to Pittsburgh for the next round Sunday as opposed to Saturday at Tennessee.

Scifres and Reed were teammates at Destrehan High, and although Reed went on to Miami as the big-time recruit and Scifres wound up at Western Illinois, both continued to go home in the offseason as NFL players to help their old high school coach put on football camps.

The trouble is, Reed's interceptions stand out in the minds of Pro Bowl voters more than Scifres' booming punts that he sometimes seems to have on a string -- like a yo-yo master.

Reed, named to his fifth Pro Bowl this year, had two more interceptions Sunday to thwart Miami's offense.

Scifres, snubbed again in the Pro Bowl vote, set an NFL record against the Colts with a 51.7-yard net average. Five of his six punts were inside the 11-yard line and all six inside the 20. Five of his punts traveled 50 or more yards -- with a long of 67 yards.

The only thing that didn't go 50 was punted from the Colts' 47-yard line, but instead of a touchback, it was a 38-yarder the Colts' Keiwan Ratliff caught as a fair catch at the 9-yard line rather than risk letting the ball bounce closer to the goal line where two-time special teams Pro Bowler Kassim Osgood could down it.

"Everyone I talk to says we've got the best punter in the league and he should be in the Pro Bowl," Chargers head coach Norv Turner said. "He's the first alternate every year, but the guy is incredible. He truly is the best punter I've ever been around, and he showed it tonight."

Scifres' six punts went this way:

-- First quarter: 51 yards to the 10, fair catch.

-- First quarter: 58 yards to the 15, 4-yard return.

-- Second quarter: 50 yards to the 3, downed by Kassim Osgood.

-- Second quarter: 67 yards to the 5, 2-yard return.

-- Third quarter: 38 yards to the 9, fair catch.

-- Fourth quarter: 52 yards to the 1 and bounced straight left out of bounds like he had it on a string.

Has a punter ever enjoyed a better night? Ray Guy couldn't dream that up, and the old Oakland Raider is the only punter who gets mentioned as someone that belongs in the 20 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"When the defense goes on the field knowing the offense has to 90 yards or 85 yards, I get a high five from them," Scifres said. "That's what's fun for me."

But for some reason, Scifres keeps getting overlooked in the Pro Bowl voting. Sometimes the NFL players who vote don't know much more than the average fan, who might simply look at the punter with the longest punting average.

That's why the Oakland Raiders' Shane Lechler keeps going to Pro Bowls and Scifres keeps settling for first alternate. Lechler's net average was 41.2 to Scifres' Chargers franchise record of 40.9. Surely the players know there's more to read into a punter's value than three-tenths of a percentage.

They say players make the Pro Bowl the year after they should have made it. Often times that's because they have a monster game in the playoffs voters remember the next year (as long as they have another good season).

In Scifres' case, he should be Pro Bowl-bound next season. But for now he's just happy to Pittsburgh-bound in the playoffs.

And who knows, if two kids from Destrehan, La., have anything to say about it next week, the Ravens and Chargers could be playing in the AFC Championship Game Jan. 18 at Qualcomm Stadium.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Monday, January 5 -- 8:39 pm

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Bolts Buck Colts in Epic Playoff Battle

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The Chargers pulled off a playoff overtime victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night. Here are the photos to prove it:

-- SAM HODGSON

Saturday, January 3 -- 10:25 pm

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Post-season View of 8-8

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What's the difference between a team with eight wins advancing to the playoffs and a team with eight losses staying home for the post-season?

It's the difference between the way fans in San Diego and Denver are viewing their teams today after the Chargers (8-8) beat the Broncos

(8-8) Sunday to win the AFC West title and send the Broncos home for the post-season based on a tiebreaker.

Imagine if the Broncos had beaten the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 21 for their ninth win that would have clinched the division.

That would have meant the Chargers could have won what would have been a meaningless game Sunday and finished with the same 8-8 record. But people would be calling for Chargers head coach Norv Turner's head for missing the playoffs with eight losses instead of accepting his explanation for a playoff team with eight wins starting the season slowly.

That's sports in America in the 21st century, when maybe only Vince Lombardi would be immune from criticism.

Now, Turner, while viewed through the lenses of a playoff-bound team, can cite reasons for the Chargers' slow start that his critics nodding their heads in agreement.

For example, Turner reminded reporters Monday that the Chargers started out playing L.J. S helton at tackle and Jeremy Newberry at center in place of injured Marcus McNeill and Nick Hardwick, a pair of Pro Bowlers.

"I thought Jeremy did a good job and I thought L.J. did a good job, but you're sitting there putting pieces together and guys who haven't worked together and the continuity is a big part of it," Turner said.

"We moved the ball and had a lot of yards in that game, but we got Marcus back and we got Nick back and I'm not sure they were totally back like they are now from a health standpoint. I think it took some time. Then obviously it was like we were starting over. I don't think it was ever as bad as perceived."

Those weren't the only injuries that contributed to the Chargers' 4-8 start. You couldn't be sure heading into training camp Philip Rivers would be ready, but he put together an MVP-caliber season.

You couldn't be sure tight end Antonio Gates would recover from delicate surgery on his foot, and he needed until late in the season to find his game.

And then you couldn't be sure if LaDainian Tomlinson's toe injury, inconsistent play up front or play calling was the reason he wasn't breaking off big runs.

That's a difference with the Chargers entering the playoffs this year compared to last year, when Gates was injured in the playoff opener against Tennes see and Rivers and Tomlinson the next week at Indianapolis.

"There is a big difference," said linebacker Stephen Cooper. "Philip Rivers is healthy, LaDainian Tomlinson is healthy and Antonio Gates is healthy. Our leaders are stepping up. Philip is playing great football right now, he's playing like an MVP and hopefully it carries into next Saturday."

Tomlinson was playing his best football until a suffering a groin injury against Denver, but Cooper's points is well taken.

The other half of the story, of course, is the improvement of the defense once Ron Rivera was promoted at midseason from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator to replace the dismissed Ted Cottrell.

"(Rivera) made it real simple for us on defense to go out there and play football," Cooper said. "We're getting to the quarterback a lot now, we're not winning by audibling out defenses when we're on the field; it's just go out there and play whatever calls are made."

But, of course, no one would be listening if the Chargers were an eight-loss team home for the post-season as opposed to an eight-win team preparing for the playoffs.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Tuesday, December 30 -- 3:04 pm

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Chargers Return to Playoffs

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They're AFC West champions for the third straight year and fourth time in the last five seasons.

Does it really matter that the Chargers are 8-8 after beating the Denver Broncos 52-21 for their fourth straight win to clinch the division Sunday night at Qualcomm Stadium?

Not in today's NFL.

Not when the Pittsburgh Steelers of 2005 won their final four games just to make the playoffs (sound familiar?) and won three straight AFC playoff games on the road and then the Super Bowl.

Not when the Indianapolis Colts of 2006 looked they couldn't stop the run and were fading late in the season and then upset the 13-3 Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs en route to winning the Super Bowl.

Not when the New York Giants of 2007 bounced back from a dismal start that had head coach Tom Coughlin on the verge of being fired. The

Giants made the playoffs as a wild-card team, won three straight NFC playoff games on the road and then Super Bowl over the supposedly unbeatable New England Patriots.

The Colts are coming to San Diego Saturday as a wild-card entry to face the Chargers in the first-round of the playoffs, and normally an 8-8 team like the Chargers would be overmatched.

But these aren't normal times in the balanced NFL. The only game the

Chargers lost all year by more than one score was a 23-14 at the

Buffalo Bills.

"We showed a lot of character and fight," said quarterback Philip Rivers, an MVP candidate despite being snubbed by the league's players in the Pro Bowl vote. "Hopefully it's going to carry over into the playoffs."

Don't forget the Chargers were a bad team when they lost Oct. 5 to the

Miami Dolphins 17-10, they were a bad team when they lost Nov. 16 to the Pittsburgh Steelers 11-10 on a late field goal and they were still a bad team on Nov. 23 when they lost 23-20 to the Colts on a last-second field goal.

The other AFC playoff teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans, don't have enough offense to think the Chargers can't play with them.

Remember that as bad as the Chargers were when they were 4-8, they were never out of the AFC West race.

The most important reason is the Broncos are a terrible football team that can't stop the run. People are characterizing Denver blowing a three-game lead with three to play to the Chargers as a collapse. But you have to be a good team to collapse. The real mystery is how the Broncos won eight games.

"We had new life," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said of the Chargers' four-game winning streak. "This was really a playoff game. We had to win to keep going."

One reason is they began to force turnovers under new defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who replaced Ted Cottrell at mid-season. The

Bolts had two more interceptions against the Broncos.

Another reason the Chargers are AFC West champions is they're much more creative on offense. They actually ran a reverse to Vincent Jackson against the Broncos. Later in the year they finally started spreading the ball around to Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester instead of simply pounding Tomlinson into the line.

Hey, that was Sproles' photo that NBC TV's John Madden put up on his horse trailer as a star of the game.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, December 28 -- 10:00 pm

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Chargers Stay Alive

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The Chargers are in search of their eighth win, a .500 season and, incredibly, an AFC West title.

Thanks to the Bolts’ 41-24 win Sunday at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coupled with the Denver Broncos’ 30-23 loss at home later in the day to the Buffalo Bills, the 7-8 Chargers play the 8-7 Broncos Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium with the winner claiming the AFC West title.

The Chargers will be AFC West champs because they win the first tiebreaker for the title based on division records.

The Bolts are 4-1 in the AFC West -- thanks to sweeps of the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs -- and Denver is only 3-2 -- thanks to blowing games to the hapless Raiders and Chiefs.

In fact, if it wasn't for referee Ed Hochuli blowing a fumble dead that preserved an eventual win for Denver on Sept 14 -- that game seems like three years ago rather than three months -- the Chargers would already have the clinched the AFC West.

It may seem an incredible sequence has played out so that the Chargers are still using their nine lives, but not really. The AFC West is that bad.

Back when the Chargers were 4-7 with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the scenario that has played out could be easily projected. That’s because the Broncos lost the same day to the Raiders 31-10 to fall to 6-5.

To think the Broncos would lose two more games before coming to San Diego wasn't that crazy. Indeed, it was the opposite.

One thing the Chargers' players kept saying throughout all their disappointing losses is the team was still playing hard. It was always true, because this is a high-character bunch. They just weren't playing well together, whether you want to place the blame on the coaching, fat contracts or injuries.

Yes, the Chargers will only be 8-8 if they win, but there is no rule that says you have to have a winning record to advance to the playoffs.

And consider this: The Bolts' first-round playoffs opponent will likely be the Indianapolis Colts, the team that needed helps from the Chargers to win on a last second field goal.

Can the Chargers even think about advancing past the first round of the playoffs? As improbable as it sounds, in this improbable season, don’t bet against the Chargers seeing 9-8.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, December 28 -- 9:52 pm

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A Former Lineman in Demand

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During Ralph Perretta's career with the Chargers from 1975 to 1980 as a center and guard, reporters routinely walked past his cubicle in the locker room in search of quarterbacks, running backs and receivers to interview. Those guys are the so-called skill players.

But Friday afternoon when the No. 9-ranked Boise State football team arrived in San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl against No. 11 TCU Tuesday at Qualcomm Stadium, the old offensive lineman might have done more interviews in a couple of hours than he did in a couple of years as a player.

That's because his son Vinny Perretta, Boise State's senior do-it-all wide receiver from La Costa Canyon High, is enjoying a homecoming game on the same turf his father once played on for the Chargers.

"All my old teammates are aware of Boise State's success and Vinny,"

Perretta said. "They give me a ribbing -- 'How did an offensive linemen have a son that's a skill position player?' I tell them they're just jealous."

Not only was Ralph in demand for interviews from the San Diego media, media covering Boise State wanted to talk with him, too.

Vinny, a 5-foot-10, 195-pounder, is the Broncos' third-leading

receiver, but he also runs the ball as a back and throws the ball on option plays.

"When we went to the Fiesta Bowl two years ago, we paid $150 to sit on the goal line,"Ralph said. "I've been telling everybody this is one of the best matchups of the bowl season and the tickets are $35 and $40. The Poinsettia Bowl really got lucky with this one."

Not to mention an old Air Coryell offensive lineman.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Friday, December 19 -- 6:21 pm

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Miles Apart

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ESPN recently wrapped up a fascinating piece that tracks the lives of two local high school football stars who live just miles apart, but lead remarkably different lives.

For a week, "Outside" The Lines tracked La Costa Canyon cornerback Connor Garrett and Oceanside linebacker Justin Vae'ena.

Here's the premise for the series:

The challenge: To look at class in sports, circa 2008. A story so big it can be captured only in a photograph from a satellite. The alternative: Put it under a microscope. Find two prep teams in the same area code, one where students are constantly reminded of hardship, the other where fortunate sons and daughters might not always be aware of their privileged births. Urban and suburban. And from those teams, find a couple of players, good players, all-conference but not pro prospects -- just a couple of young athletes who are starting to figure out their places in the world, who fairly represent their student bodies. Then, across a typical week in the season, measure the distance between their lives.

This past weekend, Garrett helped lead the LCC Mavericks to a San Diego Section Division I championship, while Vae'ena's Oceanside Pirates claimed a Division II title.

-- SAM HODGSON

Monday, December 15 -- 6:59 pm

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Aztecs Playing Catch Up

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San Diego State may be naming a new football coach as early as this week.

The Aztecs are believed to have completed interviews with former Texas A&M University head coach Dennis Franchione, UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker and Ball State University head coach Brady Hoke. They're now said to be in a negotiation stage with all three.

But even if they'd named their coach Saturday or Sunday, it would have been too late for him to be at Qualcomm Stadium for the CIF San Diego Section quadruple-header that featured not only seniors to recruit but a strong junior class.

The only red-jacketed college coach recruiting eyeing talent was Utah assistant Dave Schramm, who, by the way, is a former San Diego State coach. Utah has a commitment from Oceanside quarterback Jordan Wynn.

San Diego State has commitments from Oceanside wide receiver Osmond Nicholas and La Costa Canyon linebacker Jacob Driver. Both players are waiting to learn the identity of the new Aztecs coach before re-confirming their commitment.

Other college-bound players at Qualcomm Friday were Oceanside offensive lineman Brian Schwenke (Cal), Helix tight end Levine Toilolo (Stanford), Helix tackle Anthony Anderson (Oregon), Cathedral offensive tackle Everett Benyard (Oregon) and Madison running back Robbie Rouse (Fresno Stat e).

Seniors still weighing their options were Cathedral running back Tyler Gaffney and Valley Center wide receiver James Johnson.

Juniors the Aztecs better get on soon include Escondido running back Ricky Seale and La Costa Canyon wide receiver Kenny Stills.

Once again the Aztecs have changed coaches and they're playing catch-up. Until they build success and stability, SDSU is closer to being another UTEP than BYU, Utah or TCU. A Utah recruiter on the sidelines of a San Diego championship more prominent than an SDSU coach tells you more than you need to know.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, December 14 -- 7:14 pm

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San Diego's Own BCS Controversy

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Forget Texas football fans whining they were left out of the BCS championship game berths that were awarded to Florida and Oklahoma.

We have our BCS-like controversy to deal with in the CIF San Diego Section before the CIF quadruple-header is played all day Friday with Division IV (Madison-Valley Center) at 10 a.m., Division III (Valhalla-Cathedral Catholic) at 1 p.m., Division II (Helix-Oceanside) at 4:30 p.m. and Division I (Escondido-La Costa Canyon) at 8 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium.

The new state football rankings by division came out this afternoon by ESPN Rise (formerly CalHiSports), and Cathedral Catholic maintains an edge over Oceanside as No. 1 among Division II schools in Southern California.

When former No. 1 Orange Luthern lost last week, Cathedral moved up to No. 1 and Oceanside followed at  No. 2. One of them, assuming they win their CIF San Diego Section championship game on Friday, will likely be invited to the 2008 State CIF Bowl Division II game next week against the No. 1 Division II school from Northern California.

The problem, though, is Cathedral is in Division III in the San Diego Section and Oceanside is in Division II. That means they're playing separate championship games on Friday instead of answering the question head-to-head.

Cathedral (12-0), ranked No. 1 in San Diego, will face Valhalla (11-1), unranked.

Oceanside (11-0-1), ranked No. 2 in San Diego, will face Helix (10-1-1), ranked No. 3.

The race is so close for that state bowl bid that Mark Tennis, executive editor of ESPN Rise, is attending the CIF quadruple-header so he can see both Cathedral and Oceanside play before he makes final rankings Sunday morning.

Tennis' rankings have long been considered for 30 years the most credible in the state n so much so ESPN Rise bought CalHiSports n and the rankings are used as a guide by the 10 CIF section commissioners when they vote.

Oceanside, which won the CIF State Bowl Division II title last year, allowed controversy to enter the picture when it was tied by Ramona in the regular-season finale after being ranked No. 1 in San Diego and Southern California Division II.

Had Ramona advanced to the Division III final to play Cathedral, that would provided ESPN Rise head-to-head results to go by to choose the No. 1 ranking between Cathedral and Oceanside. But Ramona was upset by Steele Canyon in the quarterfinals, leaving a murky situation to possibly come down to a vote.

The San Diego Section could have solved all this by moving Cathedral to Division II before the season started. Cathedral coach Sean Doyle says he faxed in a request to move up to Division II, but the CIF office says it never received the fax.

But if the CIF had been proactive, it might have inquired why Cathedral hadn't sent in a fax since in previous years it had moved up from Division IV to Division III. Did the CIF assume with the powerhouse Cathedral has that it wanted to stay down in Division IV.

Imagine the gate that a Cathedral-Oceanside showdown would have generated if the game was for the CIF title as well as a state bowl bid. That's all lost money the CIF San Diego Section could have made to pay bills.

If Oceanside and Cathedral played head to head, I'm not sure Cathedral has enough defense to beat the Pirates. But the Pirates have a tie against a team they should have defeated, so how do you rank them ahead of Cathedral's unbeaten record?

I struggled with that decision before deciding to vote Cathedral No. 1 in the San Diego Section.

We'll see how the games play out Friday. Maybe only one of the teams will have a convincing win to help settle the question.

Who would you vote No. 1 going into Friday championship?

By the way, don't forget these games wouldn't be played at Qualcomm without the Chargers paying the rent that the CIF office can't afford. The Chargers anger a lot of their fans for a lot of reasons, but they've made the high school championship games at an NFL stadium possible -- fulfilling the dream of so many kids -- for more than the past decade.

-- TOM SHANHAN

Wednesday, December 10 -- 5:48 pm

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Coming Home to the Poinsettia Bowl

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Vinny Perretta and Mike Coughlin finally get to play a football game at Qualcomm Stadium.

They had hoped to take an easy route to Qualcomm by committing to San Diego State out of a San Diego high school. Perretta was a star at La Costa Canyon and Coughlin at Mira Mesa.

But they had to take a more roundabout route when the Aztecs, then coached by Tom Craft, never extended an invitation.

Instead, Perretta and Coughlin went to Boise State (12-0), where they play for the Western Athletic Conference champions ranked No. 9 in the nation and invited to play No. 11 TCU in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 23 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Perretta, a 5-10, 195-lb. senior wide receiver, is the son of former Chargers offensive lineman Ralph Perretta. Vinny is third on the team in receptions with 34 for 500 yards and two touchdowns. He's also thrown a touchdown pass on an option play, which was nothing new.

As a sophomore when Boise State upset Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, he took a direct snap and threw the touchdown pass that set up game-winning two-point conversion.

When Perretta sought but didn't receive an invitation to walk-on at SDSU, he ended up a walk-on at Boise State. How do you not encourage the son of a former Charger to walk-on?

"Vinny epitomizes what we're all about," Boise State head coach Chris Petersen said. "He was a walk-on that earned a scholarship. He's been one of the most steady players and an unsung hero. If players were all like Vinny, coaching would be easy."

Coughlin (6-5, 213), a red-shirted sophomore quarterback, is the backup for Kellen Moore, a second-team All-WAC pick. For the year, Coughlin completed 3-of-5 passes for one touchdown.

He wanted to stay home when he was putting together an All-CIF season as a senior at Mira Mesa in 2005. But when he never received a scholarship offer from SDSU, he accepted an early offer from Boise State.

Coughlin, by the way, is the great-grandson of Brick Mueller, the San Diego High legend who was the first All-American from the West when he played for California's "Wonder Teams" from 1920-1922.

I recognize a coach can't spot every kid out there. But I've been around high school football in San Diego long enough to know that you don't turn away a kid like Perretta that was happy to walk-on or a talent like Coughlin that was fielding scholarship offers from a program such as Boise State that is far stronger than SDSU. Those kids should have been indentifield.

As Perretta and Coughlin take the field for Boise State, they should be cautionary tales for San Diego State's next coach.

Despite all the top San Diego recruits that want to go to high-profile programs - and you can't blame a kid for wanting to go to Stanford or USC -- there are plenty of San Diego kids like Perretta and Coughlin that want to stay home and play for the Aztecs.

The next new coach needs an assistant on his staff that knows San Diego and can blanket every high school.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Monday, December 8 -- 3:13 pm

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To the Loser Goes the NCAA

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Here are some results to chew on before the city basketball championship matching the University of San Diego and San Diego State Saturday night at the Aztecs' Cox Arena.

Since Steve Fisher era began at SDSU, every time USD or SDSU advanced to the NCAA tournament, they lost to their cross-town rival.

In the 2001-02 season, when SDSU won the Mountain West Conference tournament title to advance to the NCAA, USD beat the Aztecs, SDSU won 72-67.

In the 2002-03 season, when USD won the West Coast Conference title to advance to the NCAA, the Aztecs defeated the Toreros, 78-72.

In the 2005-06 season, when SDSU won the MWC regular-season and tournament titles to advance, USD won the 90-80.

In the 2007-08 season, when USD won the WCC tournament to advance, the Aztecs won 69-64.

Sure, it's just a coincidence, but at least it's one that has us talking about NCAA trips.

This may be the biggest game in the rivalry of the city championship, considering USD is coming off an NCAA trip and SDSU also advanced to the post-season with an NIT appearance.

San Diego State and USD are both guided by coaches that elevated their programs. Fisher had guided SDSU to the post-season five times since 2002 (two NCAA, three NIT) and USD coach Bill Grier displayed his commitment to the Toreros by turning down Oregon State to stay here and continue what he started.

Maybe this will be the year, no matter who wins Saturday, that both teams

advance to the NCAA.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Friday, December 5 -- 6:50 pm

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Bolts Trounce Raiders

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The Chargers routed the Oakland Raiders Thursday night 34-7, bringing the Bolts' record to 5-8 on the season. Here's some photos from the game:

-- SAM HODGSON

Thursday, December 4 -- 9:38 pm

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Chargers, Raiders and the SDPD

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The Chargers play archenemy Oakland Raiders tonight at Qualcomm Stadium. Expect to see plenty of these guys on hand for the match-up. Check back later for photos from the game.

-- SAM HODGSON

Thursday, December 4 -- 12:29 pm

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Faulk on Revolving Door of SD Coaches

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This sounds odd, considering that San Diego State is searching for a football coach and the Chargers have a coach they say will return in 2009. But Marshall Faulk feels better about the identity of the Aztecs' coach in 2009 than the Bolts'.

The reason the three-time All-American at SDSU and future Pro Football Hall-of-Famer is optimistic about the Aztecs' next coach is the school's administration has asked for him input. He's seen the list of candidates being interviewed, and he's encouraged by the prospects available the school can pick the right man for the job.

"They have a great list of candidates compiled," Faulk said. "They want to make sure they get it right this time. They've made decisions with Craft (Tom, who coached from 2002-2005) and Long (Chuck, from 2006-2008) that haven't worked out. They are definitely hell-bent on getting it right. They want to put a winner on the football field. They don't want a guy coming to San Diego State to retire or use it as a steppingstone. They want a guy that will be a part of San Diego State."

Faulk will be working for the NFL Network as an analyst and will interview Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson before Thursday night's game between the Oakland Raiders and Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.

It's his job to follow the NFL, but since he now makes his home in Rancho Santa Fe after retiring from the St. Louis Rams, it's easy for him to keep up on San Diego sports.

Even though Chargers President Dean Spanos and General Manager A.J.

Smith recently said embattled head coach Norv Turner will return in 2009, Faulk said he's not so sure.

"If I was A.J. Smith, I'd be very careful with the situation," Faulk said. "I'd be very surprised if A.J. isn't connected at the hip with Norv Turner in answering to Dean Spanos. It's tough when you make a decision to get rid of a coach like Marty Schottenheimer. He didn't have the best record in the playoffs, but definitely he got you to the playoffs. You know what you'll get out his teams. A.J. has to be careful with an endorsement."

Although it's true Smith and Schottenheimer didn't get along, Faulk's comment does overlook that Schottenheimer basically forced Spanos to fire him.

When the Chargers lost offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to Miami as head coach, and defensive coordinator Bum Phillips as a head coach to Dallas, Schottenheimer wanted to hire to hire his brother, Kurt, as defensive coordinator. Schottenheimer knew hiring his brother was a move that neither Spanos and Smith would approve. So Schottenheimer took his money and faded into the sunset.

But Faulk's point was someone can be expected to suffer the fall for the Chargers' disappointing 4-8 season, and he doesn't consider the vote of confidence Spanos and Smith gave Turner a couple weeks ago as the final word.

But commenting on the Aztecs is Faulk's passion, so here's one more from him.

"My advice is I believe they have to hire a coach from a winning program with (head) coaching experience," Faulk said. "If they hire a coach without head coaching experience, they have to make sure the alumni, the fans and media knows this coach will need time to grow. I think Chuck's biggest foul up was he told you guys (the media and fans) he was going to win and win now. You can't say that. You don't know what kind of players you're getting when you take a new job."

Faulk also was asked if he contributed money to the private funds raised so the Aztecs could afford to fire Long by paying off the remaining $1.4 million that was left on his contract, which still had two years left.

He wouldn't say yes and he wouldn't say no.

"Or," he said. "I can't give information either way."

He added this was the first time SDSU has asked for his input, although it's the fourth coach SDSU has hired since he turned pro following his junior season in 1993.

"Chuck did a good job getting us out of the cellar as far as academics, but he didn't get it done on the field," Faulk said. "They did what they had to do."

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Tuesday, December 2 -- 7:32 pm

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Chargers Running on Empty

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A few weeks ago I wrote there was no reason to panic over the Chargers' slow start, and that the true gauge of the Bolts' team chemistry was reading running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Tomlinson was the one who stood up a year ago and got his teammates to follow then-new head coach Norv Turner's message that the team could either sulk or keep working.

The Chargers won their final six games to win the AFC West title and advanced with two playoff wins to the AFC Championship game before falling to the New England Patriots.

Well, this year the Chargers sulked more than they went to work.

Tomlinson was part of the sulking as he openly questioned game plans that didn't emphasize running the ball.

The trouble is, LT wants the Chargers to play power football and they're not a power football team anymore.

That's not to blame LT for the Chargers falling to 4-8 with Sunday's

22-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on a day former Bolts back Michael

Turner rushed 31 times for 120 yards for the Falcons.

There isn't a superstar player in the NFL more honest or more humble than Tomlinson. But this year the confluence of his honesty and the reality that the Chargers aren't a power football team meant the team couldn't duplicate last year's turnaround.

The Chargers long ago needed to be more creative with their passing game.

Yes, the team's defense has failed them this year without Shawne

Merriman providing a pass rush and wreaking general havoc, but the defense is still better than the Denver Broncos' soft unit. The

Broncos, though, have overcome their deficiencies by unleashing their passing game with Jay Cutler.

The Chargers now trail the Broncos by three games with four to play after the Broncos improbably won at the New York Jets, proving once again there is no team (not even Tennessee) to fear in the AFC playoffs.

If the Chargers win three straight and the Broncos lose two of three, then the regular-season finale between the Broncos and Chargers on Dec.

28 will decide the AFC West title.

It's not hard to imagine the Broncos losing two of their next three against Kansas City, Carolina and Buffalo. But it's now harder to imagine a Chargers team clinging to playing power football winning three straight.

The irony, though, is a wider open Chargers' passing game that utilized

LT, Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester in space out of the backfield would have eventually opened up the running game.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:57 pm

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Chargers Fall to 4-8

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The Chargers fell to 4-8 Sunday, losing to the Atlanta Falcons 22-16 at Qualcomm Stadium.

-- SAM HODGSON

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:43 pm

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Weber: SDSU Football Record 'Unacceptable'

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As an SDSU alumnus, I get mass-produced e-mails every now and then from the university's president, Stephen Weber.

He had this to say today about the future of the school's football program:

SDSU Community:

Our expectation for Aztec athletics is a simple one: that it reflect the excellence of San Diego State University. In many ways we have made significant progress toward that goal under Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel; Aztec football, however, has been a troubling exception.

SDSU ranks second in the country in undergraduate applications (behind UCLA). We rank first in the country in research among universities with 14 or fewer doctoral programs (we now have 16). SDSU’s six-year graduation rate n the standard measure used by universities n increased 23 percentage points in the past seven years. The SAT scores of incoming full-time freshmen are up 60 points. Conversely, our football program has compiled a losing record of 2-10; that is unacceptable.

Many good and important accomplishments took place under Coach Long. He greatly improved the academic performance of our athletes. His teams were almost uniformly good citizens on and off the field. Both are necessary in a successful coach; neither is sufficient.

Football is a competition; success is ultimately measured by winning. Nor, I would note, is this competition unique to athletics. Students compete to gain admission to San Diego State. Our faculty compete successfully every day as they seek grants and contracts in national competition with other great universities; they compete successfully as they submit their research to highly competitive national journals. We can expect no less of our athletic programs.

With my complete support, AD Schemmel has commenced a search for a new head football coach. I want to express my appreciation to those donors who stepped forward to ensure that we can make this coaching change without using student fees or state funds.

What will we expect of our next coach? That he will run a clean program, that his teams will represent San Diego State well on and off the playing field, that he will attend to the academic success of our student athletes n and that our team be competitive.

In the past decade, San Diego State has emerged as one of the nation’s top urban research universities n with dozens of nationally-ranked academic programs. We can and will re-establish a winning tradition for our football program with the goal of winning championships and attending bowl games.

During the course of this long season, I have heard from many of you who n while not happy with our team’s win-loss record n have remained loyal supporters of Aztec athletics. Thank you for your interest in, and support for, Aztec athletics.

-- SAM HODGSON

Date: 11/24/08

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Down to the Wire

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The San Diego Chargers suffered a last-minute defeat to the Indianapolas Colts Sunday night at Qualcomm Stadium.

Colts Kicker Adam Vinatieri put up a last-minute 51-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game, leading the team to a 23-20 victory.

-- SAM HODGSON

Date: 11/23/08

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Cartoon Characters Notwithstanding

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This may be a year of losers in San Diego sports, but at least we don't turn out jerks or cartoon characters. Our sports personality doesn't venture to the dark side.

David Boston's brief tenure with the Chargers and Milton Bradley's pit stop with the Padres are rare exceptions. Another one is Kellen Winslow II, the Cleveland Browns' tight end from Scripps Ranch High.

I'm reminded of this because the same week I heard Fox Sports NFL analyst Brian Baldinger credit Stephen Neal's return from a shoulder injury as a reason for the New England Patriots' improved offensive line play, the hype was building for a UFC 91 (whatever that is) bout between Brock Lesnar and Randy Coutre. That's another reason to appreciate the career of Neal, a San Diego High alumnus with three Super Bowl rings.

What's the connection, you ask?

Neal finished his college career as a two-time NCAA champion heavyweight wrestler at Cal State Bakersfield by defeating Lesnar in the 1999 NCAA final. Neal went unbeaten as a junior and senior to finish with 88 straight victories.

From there, Neal won the 1999 World Championships heavyweight freestyle title. What that means is in an Olympic year, he would have been the gold medalist.

He gave the Olympics a shot in 2000, but two-time Olympian Kerry McCoy avenged his loss to Neal in the 1999 World Championship qualifying by defeating Neal in the 2000 Olympic qualifying final.

Next, Neal set about fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL, even though Cal State Bakersfield didn't have a college football program. Neal, a 6-foot-4, 305-pounder, is in his seventh NFL season and Baldinger says he is a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive lineman, although he's never been voted into the game.

Note to frustrated San Diego State fans: If the Aztecs hadn't disbanded their wrestling program, Neal would have gone to SDSU as a scholarship wrestler and walk-on football player.

After the NFL, Neal wants to be a college wrestling coach. McCoy, his old rival, is the wrestling coach at Maryland after serving as Stanford's head coach. In other words, real wrestlers don't sacrifice their dignity to go into World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE.

Neal could have easily cashed in on a contract with the WWE, but he wasn't done testing himself as a legitimate world-class athlete. His response when uniformed people asked him if he was considering the WWE was, "I'm not interested in acting."

Now let's compare Neal to Lesnar's career path after college at the University of Minnesota.

Lesnar became a fake wrestler with the WWE. What self-respecting athlete would become part of the WWE? Then he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent, but he was quickly cut from training camp.

He went back to the WWE and now he's fooling the gullible American public as a UFC fighter. Are these the same people that watch Jerry Springer? I heard something about how Lesnar beat Randy Coutre, an all-time UFC champion or something like that. Then I learned Coutre is 45 years old! What kind of sport is that? Who's next: Mike Tyson?

The sad part is Lesnar can laugh all the way to the bank.

Maybe if Lesnar had a little San Diego in him, he wouldn't be the cartoon character that he is now with WWE and UFC.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Monday, November 17 -- 5:10 pm

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Hoffman Contract Impasse Nothing New

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The long-time Padres icon was angry. He couldn't believe after all these years the team was asking him to accept such a pay cut.

Tensions mounted between management and a player that was considered the face of the franchise.

Trevor Hoffman?

Yes, that scenario is playing out now. But actually I'm thinking back to 2001 when the Padres came close to not signing Tony Gwynn for his final season.

Allow me to recount a story Gwynn told before he went into the Baseball Hall of Fame with the unique distinction of having played his whole career with one franchise.

“I was thinking, 'I spent 19 years here and this is how they treat me?" Gwynn said back in 2007.

If wasn't for Tony Gwynn Jr., Tony Gwynn Sr. might have played his final season in another uniform.

"When I got home," Tony Sr. said, finishing that story, “I talked to my family, and my son said, 'Dad, it's not about the money with you anyway. What's the big deal?'"

Gwynn said the time he smiled with pride that he was being counseled by his namesake.

"I said, he's right," Gwynn said, "and I signed a couple days later."

I don't bring this story up with the expectation Tony Jr. will again step in to mediate a contract impasse after the Padres announced they had pulled Hoffman's contract offer of $4 million off the table.

After all, Tony Jr. is out of the country playing winter league baseball right now.

I do bring it up because these are similar circumstances but with a different management. Maybe this is a sign of the times more than a sign of a new direction the Padres are taking.

Hoffman isn't getting the deal he wants from owner John Moores and Chief Executive Officer Sandy Alderson, but Gwynn went through his last contract battle with Moores when Larry Lucchino was still running the team. Theo Epstein, now running the Boston Red Sox, was a Lucchino understudy at the time Gwynn was upset with the Padres' offer.

Maybe big-league sports are finally hitting a tipping point when money isn't so loosely thrown around.

For the past three decades, TV money has fueled the excessive contracts. The question of whether teams could afford the contracts was answered by the next deal a player signed with another team for more money.

The Padres have apparently put a price tag on Hoffman's priceless value to the franchise. Hoffman should be around this franchise in the future as an ambassador. He's paid his dues since he came here in 1993 fostering good will in the community in the name of the franchise.

At the same time, Hoffman needs to realize what he's giving up by taking a few extra bucks to leave the Padres on bad terms.

They need to meet in a middle ground or they're going to squander the relationship they've developed with each other and the community.

Hoffman can still pitch for the Padres. He's not what he used to be, but he's still worth bringing in to close out games for another year.

Hey, Tony Jr. -- any ideas how to settle this?

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:43 pm

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Suspended at USD: Senior Center; Team's Optimism

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This is what University of San Diego senior guard Brandon Johnson says he told fellow All-West Coast Conference pick Gyno Pomare when he learned the Toreros' senior center was suspended indefinitely.

"You can't put what I said to him," Johnson said. "It was R-rated."

USD men's basketball coach Bill Grier said Saturday night after the team's exhibition game win over Cal State Los Angeles that he has suspended indefinitely Pomare and sophomore forward Clint Houston for violating team rules in two unrelated incidents.

He added he suspended the players, as opposed to an automatic school suspension, which suggests there are no legal implications.

The suspensions take some of the luster off of the start of the 2008-09 season that begins Saturday at UNLV, a team on the bubble of being nationally ranked.

Pomare, a 6-foot-8, 240-pounder from Oceanside's El Camino High, is a two-time All-WCC pick that averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Houston is a backup that played some of his best games at the end of his freshman year.

USD is coming off a season that included the Toreros' first win in an NCAA Tournament game. Pomare scored 22 points in the upset of Connecticut and then 20 points two days later in the second-round loss to Western Kentucky.

USD advanced to the NCAA in Grier's first season by winning the WCC Tournament title.

Grier, who turned down Oregon State to remain at USD, was succinct when asked if he was disappointed by the actions of Pomare and Houston.

"Very," he said, declining to elaborate more on the suspensions.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:43 pm

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Chargers Edge Out Chiefs

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The San Diego Chargers narrowly defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday 22-21 at Qualcomm Stadium.

With the win, the Chargers advance their record to 4-5 on the season. The Chiefs were 1-7 coming into Sunday's game.

-- SAM HODGSON

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:43 pm

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The Obamas' USD Connection

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Late last week I asked University San Diego basketball coach Bill Grier if he deserved some of the credit should Barack Obama carry Oregon in the presidential election.

He waved me off with a laugh.

"I want no part of that question," he said, walking back onto the court.

Grier didn't make any public endorsements, but by turning down the Oregon State job, he did raise the Obama campaign's profile in Oregon.

Last April, Oregon State targeted Grier as its new basketball coach.

Grier, an Oregon native, was attractive to the school after he led the Toreros to the NCAA Tournament and an upset of Connecticut in his first season at USD.

The job was reportedly his for the asking, although Grier never said he officially turned down an Oregon State offer when he announced he would return to USD. By avoiding my Obama question, he didn't shed light on that job offer or publicly inject himself into politics.

A little later Oregon State hired Craig Robinson, who woke up today a "First Brother-in-Law" to the President-elect. Robinson's kid sister is Michelle Obama, our next First Lady. Robinson, who played at Princeton, was an assistant at Northwestern and a head coach at Brown.

Robinson introduced Obama at campaign appearances in Oregon, and at the Democratic National Convention, he took advantage of introducing his sister by wearing Oregon State's colors and mentioning his school as the pointed to the Oregon delegation.

Who knew Grier's coaching decisions held such national influence?

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:43 pm

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Chargers Replace Cottrell with Rivera

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The Chargers, running of time in their 2008 season, made an aggressive move Tuesday to become a more aggressive defense.

The Bolts fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell on Tuesday and replaced him with linebackers coach Ron Rivera. They knew they needed to do something with their scheme, but head coach Norv Turner said he also decided to make a change on their staff.

The Chargers are 3-5 after Sunday's loss to New Orleans in London and have a bye week that allows additional time to adjust to the changes under Rivera.

"There are a lot of things that went into the decision," Turner said.

"There are areas that we just have to play better and we have to improve. Over the next ten days those are the areas that we are going to address. Hopefully we can not only show improvement right away but continue to improve over the next eight games."

The Chargers were playing too far off receivers while the front seven was failing to get pressure on the quarterback. The left New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards too much time to sit in the pocket and find open receivers.

Players had been hinting they wanted to play a more aggressive style of defense than Cottrell was drawing up in game plans. The Chargers, known as a physical defense in 2007, suddenly were considered a passive defense.

"I think our guys played it the best of their ability," Rivera said.

"Unfortunately we didn't make the plays when we had opportunities.

That's an unfortunate part of the game. We've just got to look at it and evaluate it and see which defenses we feel were better than the others and also look at what position the players were in. I think that's important because you want to continue to put the players in the best position to make plays."

By position, Rivera meant players weren't in the right position on the field.

Rivera coached a 4-3 defense with the Chicago Bears, but he said the Bolts will remain a base 3-4 defense this season. Don't be surprised, though, to see some 4-3 formations in certain situations.

Rivera interviewed as a head coach candidate in 2007 when the Bears didn't renew his contract after their Super Bowl season in 2006. One reason he accepted a step down as a linebackers coach with the Bolts was the former Cal linebacker wanted to learn the 3-4 system to build is resume as well as return to his West Coast roots.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a shift to a 4-3 defense next year, though. The Chargers went from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in 2004 because they felt they had more linebackers than linemen.

But that's next year. Without Rivera playing a more aggressive style, the Bolts were faced with the task of outscoring their opponents to make the playoffs.

The Chargers should beat Kansas City (twice), Oakland, Denver and Atlanta among their remaining games. That gets them to eight wins.

How they split games at Pittsburgh, home against Indianapolis and at Tampa Bay will determine if they can get away with winning the AFC West with a 9-7 record or need to get to 10-6.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Tuesday, October 28 -- 7:41 pm

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Chargers: Time to Open Up the Offense

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The NFL season is so long, teams can look bad for a stretch and still come back to win a Super Bowl title, but the Chargers' defensive deficiencies are so glaring the Bolts may have reached the point they need to chart a new course for the offense.

Throw the ball. It's becoming painfully apparent after San Diego's

37-32 loss to New Orleans Sunday in London that the Chargers must outscore teams to win games. They can't gain the tough yards on the ground consistently enough to control the clock and finish drives.

Conventional wisdom, of course, is you have to establish the run. But the 2008 Chargers, with no pass rush to help the defensive backs, are starting to remind of the 1981 and 1982 Chargers.

Once the late Gene Klein foolishly traded away Fred Dean, a future Hall-of-Famer, the Bolts' defense went into decline without his pass rush. But the Chargers still won by outscoring teams to make the playoffs in the 1981 and 1982 seasons.

The 1981 team might have pulled off a Super Bowl season, but that was the year of the Ice Bowl at Cincinnati.

The Chargers' record dropped to 3-5, but if anybody thinks the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (4-3) aren't going to lose at least six games this year, they aren't paying attention. And don't think the Oakland Raiders (2-5) or Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) are going to finish with 10 wins.

The Chargers should win their remaining four division games against the Broncos, Raiders and Chiefs (twice). That gets them to seven wins.

If they can outscore two or three of their other opponents (at Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Atlanta and at Tampa Bay), they can still win the division with nine or 10 wins.

I'm not going to blame the coaches, although the players are hinting they want to see more man-to-man press coverage of the wideouts. Most of time when a team struggles it's a matter of the players just not being good enough.

This defense, without linebackers Shawne Merriman

(injured) or Donnie Edwards (let go after the 2006 season), don't seem to have enough physical play to carry the the Chargers. They aren't forcing turnovers or getting sacks as they have in the past.

The Bolts have to compensate by opening up their offense with more formations that spread the field. It's not textbook football, but this team is missing too many pages to go by the book.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Monday, October 27 -- 12:57 pm

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Have a Heart, Lakers

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I know professional sports is a cold-hearted business without much room for loyalty or sentimentality.

But did the Los Angeles Lakers have to cut San Diego State alum Brandon Heath one day before the Lakers played their annual exhibition game at the Sports Arena on Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats?

Couldn't they wait one more day to let one of the Aztecs' all-time greats make an appearance? After all, they don't have their final roster cut down until Oct. 27.

The exhibition game a chance to appeal to San Diego's fans, and in this case it should have been a feel-good moment for San Diego State's fans.

Cutting Heath unceremoniously is a move I'd expect from the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise that Donald Sterling hi-jacked from San Diego by driving it into the ground and then pleading he had to move it to Los Angeles for financial reasons.

Sterling is a guy from whom you'd expect a classless move, but we see the Lakers in San Diego as the good guys of the NBA.

At first, I was willing to dismiss the Lakers' move as simply a matter of it being pro sports. It's a business. But then I went to the Bobcats' locker room to interview Charlotte's Jared Dudley and ask him about his San Diego homecoming in the same game. Dudley, a backup forward from Horizon High, was granted a chance to start the game -- his first start of the preseason in his second NBA season.

And better than that, Dudley says veteran Gerald Wallace asked head coach Larry Brown to start Dudley in place of him. After all, it's just an exhibition game.

"I think Gerald talked to coach and they decided to let me start," Dudley said. "Gerald is an unselfish leader on our team, and it says a lot about our team that he would take upon himself to let me start."

I've pretty much quit watching the NBA since the game changed into a pushing-and-shoving match after the era of Magic, Larry and Michael. The Lakers' trip to San Diego didn't do anything to win me back, and I don't think I'm alone in that regard.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Monday, October 27 -- 12:57 pm

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Simple Question, Difficult Answer

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Sometimes I'm not sure if the Chargers try to make things too simple or too hard.

Why keep pounding LaDainian Tomlinson into the line of scrimmage when he's playing on a bad toe that limits his unique cutback ability? And why keep pounding him when there aren't holes against run blitzes or eight men in the box? Instead, let's see LT out in space to open things up.

Is it because the Chargers are being too stubborn to prove they can run the ball or because they're trying too hard to set up the pass?

I'm not sure which one it is, but I do know that it looks too much like the predictable play calling of Cam Cameron when he was Marty Schottenheimer's offense coordinator before Norv Turner took over last year as the head coach.

One reason Cameron failed as Miami's head coach in his 1-15 season in 2007 is he never adapted his offense to a lack of talent.

Look how new Dolphins coach Tony Sparano has squeezed two wins over the New England Patriots and the Chargers by adding the "Wildcat" formation to the playbook. It may be a gimmick, but it worked.

The Chargers don't need to panic, despite their 3-4 record as they head to London for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. But they do have to find more ways to spread the ball around if they're going to do more than make the playoffs.

Look what happened with the sudden production from wide receiver Malcom Floyd -- touchdowns the last two games -- once that happened the Bolts were forced to use him with the injuries to Chris Chambers and Buster Davis.

The Chargers need to spread the field more with combinations of Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, Chris Chambers, Buster Davis, Malcom Floyd, Legadu Naanee and Darren Sproles on the field.

And that's not even mentioning some guy named LT, who, you might recall, rushed for 1,645 yards and caught 100 passes for another 725 yards in the 2003 season.

That was a year the Chargers finished 4-12. Were they being creative by finding additional ways to get Tomlinson the ball? Or were they simply just giving him the ball as much as possible?

Come to think of it, that puts us right back where we are today. Are the Chargers making things too simple or too hard?

We'll know more by the time they come back from London, enjoy a bye week and then play at home Nov. 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Monday, October 20 -- 1:21 pm

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If the Chargers Listened

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Look what can happen when Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, head coach Norv Turner and the players don't listen to the "echo birds."

That's a term I borrowed from that noted NBC 7/39 football philosopher, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. It refers to fans chirping on Internet message boards and sports talk radio shows.

The Chargers are now 3-3, and if they're not careful, they'll find themselves a full game behind the Denver Broncos (4-2) in the AFC West standings after the season's first six games with 10 to play.

When are the Chargers going to wake up? Imagine if NFL referee Ed Hochuli had swallowed his whistle in the Bolts' loss at Denver. Then the Chargers would find themselves 4-2 and the Broncos 3-3.

If the Chargers would learn to play as consistently as New England's players, they'd find themselves only a half game behind the Patriots (3-2).

And if Turner would learn to coach as smartly as Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the Bolts and quarterback Philip Rivers, playing with injured ribs, wouldn't have lost on the road to the Miami Dolphins, 17-10. Instead, the Bolts might have lost 38-13 like the consistent Patriots and their genius coach did at home against the Dolphins.

If the Chargers would learn to be explosive as Indianapolis and quarterback Peyton Manning, they wouldn't find themselves a half-game behind the Colts (3-2). They would also have two wins at home in three tries this year instead of just one home win like the Colts.

If the Chargers would schedule as smart as their next opponent, the Buffalo Bills (4-1), they would have opened their season with four wins against teams with a combined record of 6-15 (Seattle, 1-4; Jacksonville, 3-3; Oakland, 1-4; and St. Louis, 1-4). No, the Chargers weren't that smart. They lost their three games to teams with a combined record of 10-7 (Carolina, 4-2; Denver, 4-2; and Miami, 2-3).

If the Chargers wouldn't listen to the "echo birds," they'll find themselves having scored only 178 points while giving up 139 after six games. They should be more like that team they'll face in London in two weeks. The New Orleans Saints (3-3) have scored 172 points and give up 133. And the Saints are just one missed field goal at Denver from being 4-2.

If the Chargers' front office would take some risks and sign talented bad actors like Terrell Owens and Pac-Man Jones, they might be 4-2 like the Dallas Cowboys. But A.J. didn't listen to the echo birds, and now his Bolts have one win less than the Cowboys. The Cowboys, after all, are a team that almost lost two in a row at home before they survived a scare against the winless Cincinnati Bengals.

If the Chargers had been to a Super Bowl just a couple of years ago like the Chicago Bears, or had the tradition of the Green Bay Packers, they would have 3-3 records like those two NFC North teams.

There are 16 teams in the AFC, the road the Chargers must travel to the Super bowl. Here's how the Chargers' three wins stack up in the conference:

-- 7 teams are behind the Chargers with two or fewer wins;

-- 4 teams are equal to the Chargers with three wins;

-- 3 teams have one more win than the Chargers with four;

-- 1 team, the Tennessee Titans, has a 5-0 record to build a two-game lead on the Chargers.

If the Titans go on to finish 16-0 and win the Super Bowl, then the echo birds will have been right. A.J., Turner and the players should try to be like Titans coach Jeff Fisher and his players.

Oh, by the way, Fisher's career winning percentage in 13 season entering this year is .537 (115-99).

What if the Chargers -- 45-19 with three AFC West titles since 2004 -- would learn to be more like other NFL teams and coaches?

Football coaches are constantly trying to keep up with the innovative offenses and defenses that make it a more competitive league than when dynasty like the Green Bay Packers and Vince Lombardi ruled.

Vince Lombardi and his Packers were the only coach and team that won all the big games.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Sunday, November 30 -- 5:43 pm

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Belichick Sold on SDSU-Bred O'Connell

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New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn't exactly a chatty guy. He tries to say as little as possible when dealing with the media, even when obligated.

Belichick doesn't suffer fools, and 35-some years ago he no doubt nodded in agreement with Spiro Agnew when the then-vice president defended the Nixon Administration with his famous quote attacking "nattering nabobs of negativity."

But Kevin O'Connell, the Patriots rookie quarterback from San Diego State, was a subject Belichick didn't mind expanding upon just a few days before the Patriots' nationally televised game against the Chargers Sunday night at Qualcomm Stadium.

The question was about how well O'Connell, a third-round draft pick, was prepared for the NFL. Belichick's lengthy answer amounted to a filibuster.

"Kevin had had a lot of experience in the passing game, and I think that was certainly to his benefit," Belichick said. "Four years of a lot of passes in a passing league. Most of those, however, were in the shotgun.

"Kevin has had to work on the transition from always being in the shotgun to just being in the shotgun a small percentage of the time, getting his mechanics and footwork under center, play-action and things like that which are considerably different reading it from there than it is from six yards from the line of scrimmage, drop back passes all the time, throwing different types of routes.

"It's a different offense, different throwing mechanics, different ball handling, a little different way of reading defenses. But he's made good progress and Kevin has worked hard at it. He's a smart kid.  He's picked things up pretty quickly the things that are new to him. He's coming along."

On Sunday, O'Connell will dress in his old locker room -- NFL visiting teams use the Aztecs' locker room at Qualcomm -- and trot out onto his home field the last four years.

The difference will be he's wearing a blue and silver Patriots jersey with No. 5 instead of his familiar red and black No. 7.

"It's interesting; I never thought about coming back to this stadium as a member of the Patriots playing against the Chargers," O'Connell said. "I'm really looking forward to it."

O'Connell was supposed to spend his rookie year as the No. 3 quarterback learning from a future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. But a knee injury that ended Brady's season in the opener has O'Connell one snap from taking over as New England's No. 2.

It says much about the Patriots' confidence in O'Connell that they didn't go out and sign a veteran quarterback to back up Matt Cassell, the new starter. Second-year pro Matt Gutierrez, who was let go after training camp, was re-signed as the No. 3 quarterback.

"I was looking forward to watching Tom play and watching him take me through a week, Monday through Sunday," O'Connell said. "Now I'm enjoying watching Matt in the role of leading the team. The main thing for me is to get acclimated as much as I can with what we do."

O'Connell made his NFL debut in the Patriots' third game, a 38-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He came in late in the game was 3-of-4 for 25 yards without needing to test his running ability against NFL speed.

"I was happy with the way I played, but I definitely have a lot to work on," O'Connell said. "Things can get going very fast. There are so many things going on for every snap and you have to have a good mindset for knowing what you're doing."

O'Connell was home for an Aztecs game two weeks ago when the Patriots had a bye, and he was invited to take part in the coin toss before San Diego State's win over Idaho at Qualcomm.

"I've been able to keep in touch, and I was excited with how they played well early this year," O'Connell said. "They could have come out of it 3-1. For the most part, they're still a young team, but I think they can surprise some people before the year is over."

As a Patriot, O'Connell returns home with a team Chargers' fans have learned to hate the last two seasons, but he says he has confidence in San Diego sports fans.

"I think I've been around the city long enough that some Chargers fans will have a soft spot for me," O'Connell said. "I'm sure there will be a chorus of boos for the uniform, but I'll have plenty of family and friends there."

If Belichick likes O'Connell enough to offer a lengthy quote to the San Diego media, then we can expect that this won't be his last homecoming in a Patriots uniform.

-- TOM SHANAHAN

Thursday, October 9 -- 5:33 pm

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