Sunday, October 01, 2006

Marty Ball rubs off on Cam

Watching today's (Sunday, Oct. 1st), loss to the Ravens was like watching four games from last year -- ahead in the Fourth Quarter and coming up with a loss.

I can't even count the times since Marty has been in San Diego that I have been screaming at my beloved Chargers for "sitting on a lead." Its wide open offense to get the lead but no matter how slim the lead, if its a lead, Marty shifts in to the mode of "just don't lose."

For some stupid reason, I thought this year would be different. It seemed Marty has truly turned the play calling over to Cam Cameron and Cam had shown some flashes of wanting to use all of the weapons at the Chargers disposal and open up the attack.

BUT ...... Either Marty is still approving or disapproving of the plays, or Cam has spent so much time listening to Marty's old school mantras that it has rubbed off on him.

To paraphrase the great Keshawn Johnson, "Just throw the damn ball."

People can say what they want about the players having to make the plays, but the Coaches have to call (or at least allow) plays to be called that allow you to be the attacking Offense. Ahead by 4 points is no time to shut down what has been working all day.

Look at the penalties. Look at the missed assignments. THOSE ARE COACHING PROBLEMS!!!

Marty continues to live off of his "winningest active coach" stats and takes a team that has the potential to be really, really good and makes them mediocre. The San Diego Chargers will never be feared by any team in the NFL, nor get any respect from the national media until they become a team that continues to attack on offense and wins the close games. Right now the media treats any San Diego Chargers game reporting as, "oh, by the way ...."

I must admit Rivers looks like he could develop into a good QB but everyone who loves him and has anointed him as the next Dan Foutz better understand he is a rookie. As a rookie he is going to make mistakes but COACHING has to teach him not to make the mistakes at critical times.

"Throw the damn ball. Receivers - catch the damn ball."

Monday, August 28, 2006

Double standards for Rivers?

When Drew Brees went down in the final game of the season last year, Philip Rivers came in and turned the ball over TWICE. In last Saturday's pre-season game, he turned the ball over THREE TIMES.

Does anyone remember Marty yanking Brees out of games for turning the ball over? Does anyone remember Marty benching Drew for turning the ball over? Does anyone remember Marty in Drew's face after turn-overs? Does anyone remember Marty stating "You can't play for me if you turn the ball over."?

Hell yes you remember it!!!

Then why is Philip Rivers being given a pass? Is his ego so fragile that his Daddy, A.J. has told Marty not to yell at him? Since Marty fell in love with Rivers while coaching his College All Star game, is Rivers untouchable?

It appears so.

There is already the built-in excuse that Philip is a rookie and will make rookie mistakes.

What will all of this cost the San Diego Chargers football team? I think it forecasts another season of typical Chargers football organization "settling" for mediocrity yet another year. (Agree or disagree? Vote your position on the ChargerTom.com Poll.)

I'm not moaning about releasing Drew Brees -- I'm just talking about a double-standard being applied to Philip Rivers and whether it is good for Rivers and/or good for the San Diego Chargers; I think NOT!!!

Having retired in the Dallas, Texas area, I am bombarded with Cowboys stories day and night. I find it pretty funny that the local and national media is screaming that Bill Parcells has lost his power and control by letting Scumbag Owens get away with not practicing. And supposedly the owner, Jerry Jones, backs Owens. Now the talk is that Parcells will lose control of his team too.

Gee, that sounds just like the same scenario in San Diego!?!? Marty (for whatever reason), is letting Rivers get away with unacceptable "habits" and the Manager (A.J.) is backing his boy, Rivers.

This can't be good.

I am NOT anti-Rivers but I am also not so in love with him that I refuse to see the truth. He looks like a deer in the headlights to me. Anybody can make a few "great" pass completions, and I mean anybody. From what I have seen in the pre-season, he makes mistakes that he should not be making and his passing accuracy and game management is shaky at best.

You know what? I hope I am wrong. I hope I am wrong for the long run, because right now I am not wrong and we are two weeks from the real games.

Are we headed for ANOTHER year in the middle to bottom of the pack? A lot of that depends on Philip Rivers. What do you see?

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Summertime Blues

A horrendous 9-7 season has ended. The stunner of Drew Brees departure is easing. The Draft is over. Rookie Mini-Camp is over with a Veterans Mini-Camp coming up next month.

The City of San Diego decided they are willing to let one of only 32 NFL teams in the Nation leave town; after 45 years!!! Oceanside or Chula Vista/National City think they can compete with Las Vegas, LA, and San Antonio to get the Chargers. The County will try to come up with a proposal.

A.J. Smith still carries the title of Genius and Marty remains as stubborn as always.

Ryan Leaf's a Coach? And Doug Flutie retired.

Living on a Lake in Texas with the temperature hovering around 95 degrees and no real news or excitement coming out of the NFL right now, it's time for a break from the Chargers.

I have some of my children and their families coming to visit for awhile. One of our Grandsons will spend a month with us. Additionally we will be off to my High School Reunion and when the Summer begins to wind down (and Texas REALLY gets HOT), we will take a trip to Yellowstone National Park.

We will be home and "ready for some football" come September first. Season tickets for TCU football and NFL Sunday Ticket for the Chargers will bring us back to "normal."

I appreciate all of the Raider fans reacting to my last Blog about why I hate them. They continue to show their stupidity by thinking I would allow their ignorant rants to be published on the Blog!?!? A couple were actually from civil, intelligent, mature, and courteous Raider fans and their comments are posted.

In light of all of the above, I am giving myself permission to only update the ChargerTom.com web site as significant Chargers stories develop.

I will continue to monitor for transactions involving Chargers players and ex-Chargers, including Coaches, but unless something really important or really interesting comes up, the site will not be updated until Training Camp in August. This will be the first time in over 14 years of publication that I will be taking a couple of months absence from the web site. SEE EVERYONE IN AUGUST. GO CHARGERS!

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Why am I such a Raider Hater?!?!

I think one of the most amusing things I have ever done was create the "Official Raider Haters Universe" page on my web site.

It drives Raider fans and web site snobs absolutely crazy.

Unbelievably the majority of the "web site" snob critics are Chargers fans with their own web sites or who spend their days writing on Chargers forums and their criticism is that the "format and style" is not as "professional and attractive" as their sites. ITS SUPPOSED TO BE CRUDE TO MATCH THE THEME DUMMY!!!

It also accomplishes its primary mission of giving a few smiles and chuckles to fellow Raider Haters and stirs up the passion in Chargers fans and fellow Raider Haters world wide.

Who could ask for more?!?!

In spite of the fact that I state on the web page that Raider Fans should not bother to send me emails with rants about how many Super Bowls they have won IN THE PAST, or what their overall record against the Chargers is -- THEY DO IT ANYWAY. That ought to tell you something about their ability to read and comprehend!

They don't seem to realize that their emails simply confirm all of the jokes on the Raider Hater page have them as real life examples. Number one -- they can't SPELL. Number two -- most are Homophobic because accusing me of being gay is a running theme? Number three - they almost always threaten to kick my ass. Number four -- they are so mad that you can tell their rage is going faster than they can type and most of what they say in incoherent, and Number five -- they defend their pathetic football team and organization in spite of the current facts.

Yes, it is easy to see that I do, in fact, hate the Raiders. But the REAL truth of the fact is that I hate the Raider FANS.

Until my retirement a few years ago, I was a Chargers Season Ticket Holder for many years and attended lots of games before buying my first Season Tickets. As a matter of fact, I watched the Chargers play at Balboa Stadium when I first joined the Navy in 1961. Even though I retired in Texas, I still have the DirecTV Sunday NFL package and fly my Chargers flag in the front yard every game Sunday. And thousand of people know about the ChargerTom.com web site and its devotion to MY Chargers.

As far back as I can remember, the Chargers-Raiders games have been just like going inside an out-of-control insane asylum.

My experience has been that Raider "fans" are, for the most part, not "fans" of the Raiders in the football sense, but are "fans of the gang mentality" that has been created. Most of their fans didn't grow up watching the Raiders play football and learning to admire their team and wanting to support them. Instead, most grow up watching the local gang bangers, drug dealers, and other intimidating thugs dress up in their Raider gear. So naturally when they began to grow up and these types of people were their role models, the Raider gear and being a "Raider fan" was just part of the overall persona they took on.

I have been to Chargers games at home, opposing EVERY team in the NFL over the years. I have been to Chargers games in the stadiums of other NFL teams during away games. I have never seen the fans of any other team have a mission to "take over" the stadium -- except the Raider fans. That's because its not about their team, its about maintaing THEIR image as gangsters.

As bad as the reputation of fans in "Philly" is, and as fanatic as the fans of "America's Team" the Dallas Cowboys are, none of them set out to attend a game for the PURPOSE of causing hate, discontent, disruption, and mayhem. The Raider fans do!

See how many fights there are in the parking lot and stands during a Raiders game. See how many innocent families are injured by their fighting. Listen to the language used in the stands in front of women and children. Watch them sneak down to sit in expensive seats when they only paid for nose-bleed. Smell the pot and see the booze being consummed in the stands. Watch that they ALWAYS run in packs. And notice that win or lose, the parking lot will contain broken beer bottles, overturned trash cans, and damaged cars -- all compliments of the Raider "fans."

I have lived all of this, and much much more, for forty plus years and I KNOW what I am talking about and its getting worse.

Now for the punch line ....

I do NOT maintain the "Official Raider Haters Universe" web page because I hate the Raiders -- I do it because I think it is funny and I hope to give others a laugh or too also. ITS FUNNY - thats why!!!

There are pages and complete web sites devoted to poking fun at the President, the Republicans, Celebrities, gas prices, ugly people, beautiful people, and everything in between. I'm just poking fun at the Chokeland Faiders and their band of thug fans.

Lighten up people -- its HUMOR!!!

Monday, March 20, 2006

Brees is gone and ....

I haven't written in the Blog for awhile because the Drew Brees debacle had me full of mixed emotions and feeling like it was Groundhog Day all over again with the Chargers.

Drew is gone now and Philip Rivers is the annointed Quarterback of the San Diego Chargers. It will take awhile to let the feelings of disappointment subside and then I am sure I will suck it up and pull for my beloved Chargers once again.

You know, that is the problem. I love the Chargers but what that really means is that I love the "team" -- the "players." It surely doesn't mean I have any love or respect for the Chargers organization or the "administration."

After the recent CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) shake-down, it became so apparent that the owners and their administrative staffs really do NOT care about the fans in the seats. The way the NFL is set up as a business, common fans, like you and me, mean nothing to them. The luxury boxes, "Gold Clubs", and corporate sponsorships, plus stadium naming rights, TV revenue, and revenue sharing ensures the owners will make tons of money. If the team goes 0-16 and not one person buys a "regular" ticket to go to the game, they will still make millions of dollars.

When a team owner says they are "losing money," its simply that they are not making as much as some of the other owners. No owner "loses" money.

Since I now live in the Dallas, Texas area, I am enundated with Cowboys news. The Cowboys are THE sports news on a daily basis; there is no "off-season" here. Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys, is a snake oil salesman. He makes money marketing EVERYTHING he can think of to sell to someone. He recently said the Cowboys wanted a new 650 million stadium and he had cities all over North Texas competing with one another to build one for him.

The city of Arlington won out and will pay half of the price of the new stadium. Jerry won't pay the other half -- his "sponsors" will. He will just sell more "official Cowboys whatever" licenses to corporations and their additional revenue will pay his half.

Sorry -- I did get off track. My point is that Drew Brees leaving San Diego and Philip Rivers being the new Quarterback is NOT about who is the best. Its not about "damaged goods." Its not about "what's best for the team." Its sure as hell not about what the fans want!!!

Its about an owner who doesn't have a clue about how to manage a football team and yet another General Manager who wants to flex his power and doesn't care what anyone thinks about his moves, including his Head Coach.

Spanos has been there before. Remember Bobby Bethard and remember Bobby Ross and remember going to Super Bowl for the first time and then blowing up the team and then blowing out the coach and then drafting Ryan Leaf, and then ....... REMEMBER???

My 45 years as a San Diego Chargers fan has taught me one thing for sure. Don't get too attached to ANY player, and don't get your hopes too high on the team's chances at success.

I will pull for Philip Rivers to be our savior and lead us to the promised land as I always have. I will put faith in A.J. Smith's personnel calls and I will blindly believe in Schottenheimer's stubborness and "Marty ball." I will continue to promote the Chargers on my web site every day. I will continue to purchase Chargers memorabilia and sport my Chargers gear every where I go. I will continue to bleed Blue and Gold.

Drew Brees will get his team to the Super Bowl before the Chargers even sniff it.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Drew Brees or not Drew Brees, that is the question?

It was supposed to be a great off-season. The Chargers would resign all of their free agents, pick up a couple of great additions from Free Agency, and draft an O Line right tackle starter and we would continue our improvement on the road to the Super Bowl.

Ooooops. Marty played Drew Brees in the last meaningless game of the season and with our current Offensive Line playing like a sieve, he got hurt and required surgery.

As he went in for surgery, A.J. said the Chargers wanted him through a long term contract -- Brees said he wanted a long term contract .... then ....

Now A.J. says Brees can go on the free market because the Chargers consider him damaged goods. They will move on with "his boy" Philip Rivers.

The truth is, I don't know if Drew Brees is a good/great NFL Quarterback? I don't know if he is average and should move on? I don't know if he could lead the team to a Super Bowl?

But what I DO know is that I am sick and tired of the San Diego Chargers being a mamby-pamby organization dedicated to constantly "starting over," particularly at Quarterback.

It was a long and painful haul between Dan Fouts and Stan Humphries. Stan's run was cut short by the "mamby-pamby" organization too. No Offensive Line players for two years got Stan a ton of concussions and forced him to retire.

I was at Stan's retirement "ceremony" at the Murf. HE gave the farewell speech; no Chargers management person said a word. He and his family were driven off the field in a car and a few minutes later, he and his family came walking back out of the tunnel and across the field to return to their seats. The car had just taken them outside the tunnel and dumped them off. How classless of the Chargers organization.

Sorry I got off track but I have seen so much ....

As for Drew Brees I am very angry at the entire situation that the Chargers have heaped upon yet another Chargers Quarterback. Yea, its business but the Chargers run a lousy business.

I gotta' cool off before I can write some more. What do you think about the Brees fiasco?

Welcome to the SuperChargerTom Blog

Ok here is the latest addition to the ChargerTom.com web site. This is where I can ramble on about my Chargers and you can voice your feelings and opinions too.

I have been a fan of the San Diego Chargers since 1961. I am not a fan of the current ownership, the administration, or even the coach. Couple that with my contempt for the San Diego City Council and City Attorney Mike Aguire and you have the recipe for venom soup!

Here I will vent my frustrations, voice my opinions on team situations, and beg for success for the team as a whole. Most of all this is a place for YOU to have a voice for your emotions too. We may often disagree but we will agree to disagree because we both mean well for the Chargers.

This is not a "message board" and is not a pure "topic driven forum" either. It is simply to be a place where you can put in writing what you are feeling about anything to do with our San Diego Chargers and have it publised for the world to see.

This Blog will only serve our purpose if you help direct traffic here through word-of-mouth, through your posting on other message boards and forums, and by posting a link on your own web site.

Chargers fans need the world to hear them -- this is the place to do it.