MAILBAG (just in time for the holidays)

Wow-whee!

I just had my Secretary bag all my mail from the past two weeks — she just brought it all in here.  ZOINKS– there is A LOT of mail! 

I guess I better get to opening and responding, huh? Okay, let me just pull out a handful and answer them on the spot.

Junk mail.

Junk mail.

Lost child handbill.

50% off my next purchase of a personalized photo throw rug …

Letter for jury duty.

Ahhh, here’s one.

When Will the Lunacy End?

Reader: I just heard the Texas Rangers signed Closer, Eric Gagne to a one year/8 million dollar contract.  Wow! I was hoping the Red Sox would get him for about $3 to 4 million.

 Fen, San Diego

Adam: No, that would be much too cheap for the Red Sox.  Supposedly Boston was prepared to pay Gagne’s agent in the ballpark of $40 million just for the rights to talk to the relief pitcher.  If accepted, they then hoped to try to negotiate a multi-year contract in the neighborhood of $10 million/year.   When informed the $40 million exclusive negotiating rights weren’t necessary, the Sox got frazzled and pulled out — threatening to turn their interest towards over-paying some unproven South African middle relievers.  Gagne’s people tried to reassure the Bostonians that they could sign Gagne without even throwing the $40 million rights fee into the package.   Boston refused, saying the $40 mil was mandatory and imposed a one week deadline for Gagne to accept their terms.   I guess Gagne and his agent got sick of the nonsense and quickly turned around and signed with Texas.

Ahhh, here’s another one — it’s in a light blue envelop. How quaint

What Will the Padres Do?

Reader: I have been very disappointed with San Diego’s off-season.  They came in bragging about how they finally have tons of money to spend and were looking for a big name to help boost attendance etc.  Instead, they are slower, older and believe it or not, even more anemic with the bat than before they started.  Do they even have anyone who can hit it out of the infield?

Mikey, Vista

Adam: Reports are out that the Padres are about to sign a 2 year deal with Absolutely Nobody.  The 2 year deal is reportedly worth $30 million…with a no trade clause that will totally crush any future flexibility in signing or trading for anyone of any significance.

What Are You Doing Tonight?

Reader:  Hey you,  had fun last night.  Bet you didn’t  know females were that flexible.  You up for a rematch? Why don’t you gi…

Leah, San Diego

Adam: Heh heh {BLUSH} OMG, Whoops! {crumble, crumble} How did that one get in here? {blush} Ahem.  Let’s just move on to the next one shall we?

 10 Yard Penalty:

Reader: I feel the NFL has become a pansy league.  You get penalized for almost everything these days.  Which do you feel are the worse rules?

Charles, Denver

Adam: I agree there are a lot of lame ones out there right now.  Atop the list are… the defensive holding call that results in an automatic first down (even if its 3rd and 45.  I’d rather it just be a big yardage-penalty like say 15 or 20 yards); the 15 yard penalty for whispering sweet nothings at the line- of-scrimmage (hey, come on, sometimes, players are just in the mood);  the 5 yard penalty for coughing without covering your mouth; the unnecessary roughness call for touching a quarterback anywhere above the belt or below the thigh…and of course, any penalty that helps the Broncos

Who’s At First…errr… Second?

Reader: I heard the Atlanta Braves released Marcus Giles.  Considering the Padres chased after him hard and almost traded Scott Linebrink for him, do you think he could wind up at Petco Park?

Cynthia, Chula Vista

Adam: Yes, if I were a betting man (I’m not — I just flip coins), but if I were, I’d bet the younger Giles was coming to San Diego.  He would come without the Padres having to give up their valuable set-up man and supposedly at a cheaper salary than if he would have been traded here directly from the Braves.   Plus, he really wants to play here and be with his brother! Now, the bigger question is — do you think it will be Giles, Giles and Gonzalez atop the batting order?  That’s three G’s    Just for fun, they should bat Greene clean-up.

Let me grab a few more letters here…

NP What?:

Reader: It was repeatedly reported this morning on NPR that the Chargers have clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  This is why I don’t rely on NPR for sports news.  I guess that’s not a question.  Sorry.

David, Hillcrest

Adam: Uhm, yeah.  Thanks (eyes roll) Dave.

Where Will Clemens Land? 

Reader: Do you think Clemens will return to the Show in 2007? If so, do you think he’ll land with Houston? Boston? or New York?

Terri, San Jose

Adam: The Yankees see Clemens as the final piece to their Retirement-Home starting rotation.  Mike Mussina (39), Randy Johnson (43), Andy Pettitte (34),  Clemens (44) are about 350 combined innings shy of walking to the mound with the support of cleated-canes.  In fact, the Yankee brass enjoys the idea of having the oldest pitching staff this side west of the Mississippi -over-60- Sunday-softball league so much, that they are quietly taking offers for youthful staff ace Chien-Ming Wang (only 26).  They are seeking another seasoned vet in return.   If they can’t find a suitor, and if the oft-injured, Carl Pavano doesn’t satisfy the coaching staff by March, rumor has it that the Yanks were thinking of asking former all-star, Ron Guidry, to leave his spot on the bench and fill in as their 5th or 6th starter.  Stay tuned…

Running Bases:

Reader: The Padres have had a disappointing off-season.  A lot of  subtractions, a few luke-warm additions.  Can you think of any late moves they could make to fill remaining holes in LF and 2B?  Do you think this guy Bud Black from Anaheim can steal as many bases as Dave Roberts did?

Daveson, Las Vegas

Adam: Sensing he couldn’t steal as many bases as Dave Roberts, Bud went ahead and stole Dave’s cleats.  He also ‘borrowed’ Roberts’ love letters from his wife and two rolls of TP from his guest bathroom.  He figured, if he couldn’t steal more bases than the former Padres, he could at least steal more stuff than the former Padre.    By the way, make sure you lock your car doors this year if you park at the stadium…

ps. I hear Allen Iverson is in the mix for the left field job

Okay, one more fan letter…

Fantasyland:

Reader: One of my three solid RB’s — Ronnie Brown — is probably out again next week, and it’s playoff time! Who should I start in my swing (RB/WR) position? My bench choices are… Laurence Maroney vs HOU, Cedric Houston at MIN, Chris Chambers at BUF or Greg Jennings vs DET? I’m leaning toward Maroney, despite NE’s unpredictability.

ps. For some reason, I passed over LT in the first round of my fantasy draft in order to select LJ. In other news, CHI defense is the second highest scoring “player” in my league. So who is more screwed up…. me for not selecting LT, or a league scoring system that allows a DEF to be the second best player? (…and BAL is third!)

Ennema, Boston

Adam: Ennema, I can’t believe my blog has fallen soo low that we are actually talking about fantasy football.  I’m so ashamed.  But since we’ve resorted– SHAME on YOU for picking Larry Johnson over LaDanian Tomlinson!  You deserve to be playing in a league that has Chicago’s Defense coming in as the second-best player in an offensive stat driven race.  Shame-on-you!  And oh by the way, I’d say go with Malroney.

Football Picks (Adam v COIN II)

You know…

I have to admit.  Life in the fast Blog lane has been great! 

Better, in fact,  than I could have ever imagined. 

The fan mail, the comp-tix, the hundreds upon hundreds of girls knocking my door down just for the chance to see THE keyboard (yes, the one and only) that makes all of this sports magic happen…I have no complaints.

But I do have to confess — I thought the only thing that could ever stop me from spitting out fine, quality blog-material would be Writer’s Block.  That, I figured, would be my kryptonite…my Achilles’ heel…my writer’s equivalent of smelling something foul, only to look at the bottom of your shoe and realize…DAMN!!! 

Anyhoo… as I was saying…I figured if anything got in the way of me producing a blog entry it would be Writer’s Block — NOT the Cable Company!!!!!

Yes, ladies and gents, the Cable Company.  The same Company that brings you TV and other boob tubular entertainment — also completely jacked up my internet connection!

And without internet hook-up, there is no blog.  Oh hum.

So, as a result, my weekly football picks entry will be super abbreviated (since I’m running out of time—the games kick off soon!!!)

Okay…so…. LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!

Adam vs the COIN part deux!

For those of you new to the From the Bleachers blog, this is how it works.  For each match-up, I predict the winner and then flip a coin (to select the Coins’ choice). 

Heads = home team                            Tails = road team

We then compare how we did … which hopefully for my creditability’s sake, results in my favor. Geesh!

Last week, for all you  curious readers, went down like this.

The Coin actually nailed a couple of remarkable upsets in selecting the Titans (over the Colts), the Cardinals and the Texans…and almost made us all look bad when he picked the Lions over the Patriots. 

I, on the other hand, struggled mightily — suffering one of my worse week’s of the year (I knew I should have busted out the tarot cards for pre-selection consultation).  Luckily for my sanity, I still finished atop the coin.

Last week:

The Coin:  7-9               Adam: 10-6

THIS WEEK:

Thursday:

Adam picked the Steelers (a last second change of heart, once he realized the Browns were starting their back-up QB)  Good choice Adam — as the Steelers crushed Cleveland 27-7.

The Coin picked: The Steelers

So going into Sunday’s action…

Adam: 11-6                    the Coin 8-9

THE BEST OF THE BEST:

Oakland @ Cincinnati:

The Bengals are one of the hottest teams in the league right now…I don’t see the Raiders slowing them down at all…especially in Ohio.

Adam says:  Bengals 27    Raiders 9

The Coins says: The Raiders

Apparently, the Coin thinks he’ll keep getting lucky by picking huge upsets.

MINNESOTA @ DETROIT:

OOOOOH, hope this games on TV   Both teams have high post-season aspirations — too bad ‘post season’ for them means, watching movies on the couch with the ‘fam.  (Heh heh watch, i probably just jinxed it and the Vikes will sneak in and capture the final NFC playoff spot LOL)

Adam says:  Vikings 20  Lions 13

The Coin says: Lions

For those of you new to Adam V Coin — he likes to pick opposite me in the early going.

BALTIMORE @ KANSAS CITY:

One of the better games of the week — and possible playoff preview!  That is, if the Chief’s loss to the Browns last week doesn’t come back and bite them in the you know what.  The Ravens are a better team right now than the Chiefs, but Kansas City’s tough to beat at home — and they NEED this win more than the Ravens do.  Plus, I’m rootin’ for KC (one of the few times you’ll ever hear me say those words together in a sentence).

Adam says:  Chiefs 16  Ravens 14

The Coin says: Ravens

Yep, the Coin is pissin’ me off…

NEW ENGLAND @ MIAMI:

This should be a very intriguing match-up.   Two injuries of note:  Junior Seau out for the year with broken arm,  and Miami’s missing their starting running back Ronnie Brown.  Before I reveal my pick — Did you know the Patriots are 5-0 on the road this season?  More importantly, did you know that the Dolphins aren’t as good as the Pats?  

Adam says:  Patriots 24  Dolphins 17

The Coin says: The Patriots

Even the Coin knows better than picking against the Patriots two weeks in a row.

ATLANTA @ TAMPA BAY:

Two teams playing Super Bowl Caliber ball right now.  But believe it or not, the Falcons are still in the heat of a playoff battle.  Let’s see if they can prove they belong?

Adam says: Falcons 3  Bucs 2  Falcons 23  Bucs 10

The Coins says: Bucs

The way the Falcs have been playin’, I can’t really fault the Coin for picking that way.

NEW YORK GIANTS @ CAROLINA:

This is actually a HUGE game –as both teams are battling each other for what could very well wind up being the last remaining playoff spot.  The Giants played better last week, despite a tough loss.  NY is also slowly getting healthy…Carolina played terrible in front of a nationally televised audience last Monday –and to make matters worse, will likely play without their starting QB.  The Giants are due!  I mean REALLY DUE!

Adam says: Giants 26  Panthers 17

The Coins says: Giants

The New Yorker in me would have kicked Coins’ a-s had it picked the cats.

INDIANAPOLIS @ JACKSONVILLE:

Many people are prognosticating a Jaguar upset over the Colts this week — stating amongst other things that the Colts aren’t as strong as last year and that they don’t play well against the Jags.  I think the fact that soooo many are starting to count the Colts out spells doom for the Jags — look for a Colt team with something to prove against an inconsistent, but dangerous team! (Though I will be rootin’ hard against Indy)

Adam says: Colts 28  Jags 14

The Coins says:  Jags

Of course — it wouldn’t be fun if the Coin agreed with me on such a big game. 

DENVER @ SAN DIEGO:

The Chargers are getting healthier on defense.  First Shawne Merriman returns last week – this week Luis Castillo is due back! And they’d love nothing more than to take out weeks worth of frustration on rookie Jay Cutler.  This is San Diego’s chance (with a convincing performance) to show once and for all they are the class of the division.  QB Philip Rivers is due — and needs to have a strong game this week to prove to himself, the team and to the league he is still for real…especially with San Diego battling a new round of injuries to their receiving corps.

Adam says: Chargers 27  Broncos 16

The Coin says: Chargers

San-dee-a-go…Supe-er-Char-gers!!!!  (even the coin can’t deny that’s one killer song)

NEW ORLEANS @ DALLAS:

This was the hardest game of the week for me to pick.  Should be a good one — and as much as I’m rooting for them, I just don’t think the Saints have enough to beat the over-hyped Cowboys in Dallas.  But, I hope I’m wrong.

Adam says:  Cowboys 27  Saints 23

the Coin says: Saints

I wish I had the same courage as the Coin to pick the Saints in this game.

BEST OF THE REST:

Adam says: Eagles 30   Redskins 17

Coin says: Eagles

Adam says:  Titans 23   Texans 16

The Coin says: Texans

Adam says: Seahawks 23   Cardinals 17

The Coin says: Cardinals

Adam says:  49ers 33   Packers 21

The Coin says:  Packers

Adam says: NY Jets  27  Bills 21

The Coin says: Bills

Adam says:  Bears 21   Rams 12

The Coins says: Rams

Well, that’s all of this week’s picks! Thanks for reading…enjoy the games everyone!!

ps.  I guess I unintentionally lied — this entry wasn’t THAT short after all.  Just slightly abbreviated  

FOOTBALL PICKS (Adam versus the Coin)

I NEED A GIMMICK.   

Some writers pick games and compare their results against other experts.   

One ESPN writer actually picks games and then to make it interesting, also has his wife pick games…and then they see who does better.   

I figure, I too, need a gimmick!  So after tens of minutes of deep-thought, I decided I will compete against a Coin.   

Yes, an ordinary American-brand 25 cent piece of mixed copper/nickel metal alloy (did you know that US Quarters stopped being made of Silver in 1965?).   

Cool huh?   

You see, this is how it works.  For each game, I will make my selection.  Then I will flip the Coin:  Heads means the Coin picks the HOME TEAM; Tails means the Coin picks the ROAD TEAM.  Then we will list and compare our respective picks. 

I just hope I do BETTER than my competitor here! 

Okay you ready?!   

[insert NFL Films / Sam Spence music here] 

—- GAMES OF THE WEEK —- 

SEATTLE @ DENVER:

Believe it or not, I think the Broncos take this game with Jake Plummer behind center.   But, as we all know, that’s not the case this week.  Seattle’s getting healthy again and I can’t see a rookie beating the NFC champs in his first ever big-league start  – during a primetime, national broadcast no less.  The game will still be close.  Denver is still one of the toughest home teams in the league and they desperately need a win.  I mean they need a win in a bad way after dropping two in a row to divisional foes (which ironically, a few years back, this would have been another AFC West showdown).  But it won’t happen this night. Look for Seattle to stack the line and force Jay Cutler to beat them with his arm. 

Prediction: Seahawks 23     Broncos 17

The Coin says:  Broncos 

Apparently the Coin thinks Cutler is more seasoned than I do. 

DALLAS @ NEW YORK GIANTS:

I have a bad feeling I will regret this pick.  After all, these two teams couldn’t be headed in two more opposite directions.   Tony Romo is the new Next-coming in the eyes of many and the Giants could make a good case for an episode entirely devoted to them on ER.  At full strength, or even three weeks ago (remember a few Monday night Football games ago?), this would have been a no-brainer pick for me.  The Giants talent-wise are a NFC Title contender … but the game isn’t on paper.  What this game is however, is the Season for the boys in darker-blue.  Yes, it’s that important.  A win gives them a sweep against “America’s team” and first place in the division (not to mention an end to a devastating losing streak).  A loss, though, could all but end their season’s aspiration.  Osi Umenyiora’s potential return could give the Giants a boost.  Then again, it might not. 

Prediction:  Giants 31   Cowboys 27 The Coin says:  Cowboys 

Figures, an American currency would pick “America’s Team”. 

HOUSTON @ OAKLAND:

NBC tried desperately to select this game as their Sunday night game of the week.  But CBS protested and threatened legal actions if their rivals continued discussions with the League concerning this match-up.  Fortunately, for all parties (and for all of us watching at home), the two sides agreed to a compromise with the help of the FOX Network – and agreed to work a deal to have the Seahawks and Broncos square of under the lights.   As far as the game, Oakland’s defense continues to show it belongs amongst the league’s elite…and should be enough to squeak out a rare victory.  But again, I wouldn’t take this pick to the bank (I mean it is the Raiders we’re talking about.)  

Prediction:  Raiders 19   Texans 10 The Coin says:  Texans 

Wow—the Coin seems to be purposely picking every game opposite of me.   

49ERS @ SAINTS:

Drew Brees has been Red Hot.  The 49ers wear red uniforms—sounds like a match made in heaven  The 49er defense has improved a bit of late, but the Saints have been proficient offensively this season and strong at home.  This is a game the Saints need if they are serious about winning their division.  Likewise, this is a must-win for the 49ers’ playoff push.  Actually, never mind, who we kidding?  It’s the NFC – they’ll still be in the hunt even if they lose. 

Prediction:  Saints 29   49ers 17

The Coin says:  49ers 

I swear I’m not just putting down the opposite of what I pick for the Coin. 

—– THE REST OF THE PACK —— 

SAN DIEGO @ BUFFALO:Last I heard, snow was forecasted for Sunday.  But despite playing in warm weather, the Chargers should be well-suited for the cold.  They have all the ingredients: dominant running game, a strong defense against the run, and a spark, sure to warm the team up coming in the return of Shawne Merriman.  In other words, it might be a keen time to play a little Martyball this week.  Note: I said a LITTLE Martyball!  This could be a dangerous game for the Chargers…but something tells me they know this and the coaching staff and team veterans won’t let them fall.   Buffalo is up and down – so if the UP-team comes, could be a close game.   

Prediction:  Chargers 26    Bills 13 The Coin says:  Chargers 

Finally, we see eye to eye. 

MINNESOTA @ CHICAGO:The Bears are coming off a tough defeat to the Patriots and will be hungry to show the Country that they’re still the Class of the NFC.  The Vikings, on the other hand, are not the same team they were at the beginning of the season when they almost knocked off the Bears at home.  Plus, this isn’t home sweet dome – this is frigid Soldier Field – where Rex Chapman plays a lot better.   Look for the Bears in a defensive battle. 

Prediction:  Bears 23   Vikings 9 The Coin says:  Vikings 

Man, you should hear the smack the Coin’s spittin’ right now.  

TAMPA BAY @ PITTSBURGH: These are two of the three teams giving me ulcers when it comes to picking games.  I just can’t get them right.  Two teams who are supposed to have good defenses, but don’t. They play good one week and then embarrass themselves the next.  Honestly, I kept thinking Pittsburgh had one last run in them – until last week.  It’s over, they’re done.  Unfortunately for me, so is Tampa Bay (0-5 on the road).   Steelers playing for pride, take this one… but does anyone care?  Heh heh, I’m surprised this isn’t the Monday night game this week  

Prediction:  Steelers 28   Bucs 20 The Coin says:  Steelers 

I’d say great minds, BUT…

ARIZONA @ ST. LOUIS:
Battle of one time St. Louis teams…the Cardinals are the ex-wife…and the Rams are the new adopted child.  Or something like that. Either way, this insignificant sub-plot will probably be more interesting than the game.   

Prediction:  Rams 34   Cardinals 19

The Coin says:  Cardinals 

If the coin talks about my Grandma like that one more time… 

INDIANAPOLIS @ TENNESSEE: Vince Young has already shown flashes of the magic he showed at Texas and it spelled bad news last week for the Giants.   These aren’t the Giants however.  Further, this isn’t the NFC East, for which Tennessee has dominated.  And even though the Colts are a little banged up offensively right now, they should still have enough to keep some distance between them and the Oilers…err I mean Titans. 

Prediction:  Colts 28   Titans 12 The Coin says:  Titans 

I guess when it comes to putting his money where his mouth is, Mr. Quarter felt it’s better to keep the horses on the racetrack. 

JACKSONVILLE @ MIAMI:
Jacksonville has been a terrible road team this season.  They’ve also played down to their opponents all year long.  So the question is, do they view the Dolphins as being a good team or not?  My guess is, yes, they do.  This is one has the makings of being one of the more interesting games this week – could be a good one!  (and also the game I found most challenging to pick.) 

Prediction:  Jaguars 19   Dolphins 13

The Coin says:  Jaguars 

If they met in the wild, a jaguar would rip apart a dolphin.   

ATLANTA @ WASHINGTON: The Falcons are due.  Michael Vick is pissed.  The Redskins are just plain lousy.  If Vicks’ middle finger still works, take the birds. 

Prediction:  Falcons 27   Redskins 14 The Coin says:  Redskins 

Hold on, I’m going to roll the coin down the driveway a few times– I’ll get right back. 

{Okay, it’s five minutes later:  I think we’ll find a much politer Quarter from here on out.} 

KANSAS CITY @ CLEVELAND: Did you know CBS picked this game as one of their HD games? Over SD vs Buffalo!  Oh well.  I don’t have HD anyways…   

Prediction:  Chiefs 24   Browns 14 The Coin says:  Chiefs 

Looks like I rolled some sense into my Coin. 

DETROIT @ NEW ENGLAND:
New England plays game number two on their new turf.  I hate seeing natural grass get replaced, but the stuff they put in looks pretty good – it’s hard to tell it isn’t real.   Sorry for the tangent, but I guess it was more interesting to me than this game is going to be. Prediction:  Patriots 27   Lions 7

The Coin says:  Lions  I think Coin is smoking crack. 

NEW YORK JETS @ GREEN BAY:The Jets need this win to keep any hopes of making the playoffs alive.  The Packers do too…though at 4-7 they don’t deserve to be in contention.  This game on the road will tell a lot about how good the Jets really are…if they lose, they aren’t good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as P-L-A-Y-O-F-F-S… 

Prediction:  Jets 21   Packers 16 The Coin says: Packers 

The Coin and the human differ in this battle of green-jerseyed teams. 

CAROLINA @ PHILADELPHIA:The Eagles’ season ended when Donovan McNabb went down.  Carolina should run all over Philly.  It’s Monday night, so it probably won’t be a good game  

Prediction:  Panthers 30   Eagles 13 The Coin says:  Panthers 

I’m glad we were able to agree amicably on the last pick. 

YEAR TO DATE:

Adam’s Record: 1-0

Coin’s Record:   0-1 

I picked the Bengals over the Ravens.   The Coin chose tails. 

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS FROM THE GRIDIRON: 

The Chargers picked up a big victory Thursday when the Bengals knocked off the Ravens!  (Thanks NFL Network and my local Cable Company from blocking me from watching the game!)  With the victory, San Diego moved up to the second seed in the American Football Conference (one game behind the top seeded Colts). 

Remember, in the current playoff system the top two seeds get the HIGHLY important first round bye.  And considering how tough and deep the AFC is, that’s HUGE!   Every AFC team that advances to the post season will be legitimate contenders! 

If the Chargers can maintain one of the top two seeds, then it also ensures they wouldn’t have to travel to notoriously bad-weathered (and challenging) cities such as Baltimore, New England, Denver, Kansas City, Cincinnati etc.  And it would also mean, they would be only one upset away from having the Road to Miami (aka the Super Bowl) go through San Diego. 

So Chargers fans, time to root harder against Indy, New England and
Baltimore (the biggest threats to the top two seeds).  Go BOLTS!  

Mad-dened by the Results

You know I was thinking last night….

No really, I was.

And I’m starting to really believe in the Madden video game curse. It’s a lot more legit than the Sports Illustrated curse…or even the Red Sox/Cubbie curse.

For those of you not in the know…this curse isn’t about winning and losing (though it does indirectly affect that).

It’s about something much much worse! It’s about devastating injuries.

The curse goes like this —– the star football player chosen to appear on the cover of the latest version of Madden gets injured!

Ladies and gentlemen — this is not a joke. This is very very very serious.

Just ask Shaun Alexander. Donovan McNabb…. Michael Vick. The list goes on and on. This curse is scary.

And all I can think about is: PLEASE OH PLEASE DON’T ACCEPT THE “HONOR” next season LaDanian! Please don’t put our LT on the cover of Madden 2008! I BEG YOU!

The curse actually isn’t exclusive to just injuries. If a player is fortunate enough to escape the doctor’s office, they then wind up having the worse years of their careers.

See: Eddie George (2001), Daunte Culpepper (2002…plus an injury to boot), Marshall Faulk (2003), Ryan Leaf (his career…oh wait. You say he didn’t grace the cover? My bag – I just figured…well, it’s an honest mistake).

Again — LT…we beg you! Don’t do it!

Speaking of doing it: Justice was partially served yesterday when Denver Bronco offensive linemen Tom Nalen was fined $25k for his dirty cut block on the Charger’s Igor Olshansky. Granted, Igor was fined $10k (and ejected from the final minute of the game) … but the fact that Nalen was fined more than Olshansky speaks volumes.

HOOP IT UP:

We haven’t talked Basketball in a while, so it’s about time to start a little on the court dribbage.

Starting in Los Angeles… where for at least one more day, LA once again belongs to the Lakers. Yes, I know, a 105-101 victory in the regular season doesn’t amount to much…but whens the last time the Lakers were in first place after 11 games? If I were a betting man, I’d say it was when a certain big guy roamed Staples Center.

The Clippers are legit though! They are a top 5 team in the West. And that’s saying something — being that they’re in a conference where any of 6 could do some damage come playoff time.

Actually, all 8 playoff participants this year will likely be threats to do some damage! And chances are the Clippers will contend for the Western Conference Finals.

PLEASANT SURPRISES:

• Utah Jazz. Going into tonight, they sport a league best record of 11-1. These are the Jazz folks…and no, Stockton and Malone aren’t lacing it up. They are a team of very good, but not great players –working together as one. And while they lack a Superstar, they feature studs like Carlos Boozer, M. Okur, Andrei Kirilenko and now even their point guard Deron Williams is averaging 8.9 assists a game. The Jazz won’t keep up this pace, but they will be a very unwelcomed guest for some unlucky team come playoff time.

• Orlando Magic: They’re 8-4…in first place (granted a weak division) and haven’t lost Grant Hill to injury… yet.

• New York Knicks: Already have five more wins than most thought they’d have all-year. Their record is 4-8.

• Cleveland Cavs: In first place and living up to expectations.

• Atlanta Hawks: They have the same record as Miami — so what if Shaq’s out and Miami is 3 games under 500…that’s a good year for the Hawks.

• Golden State Warriors: Nellie’s got them winning 7 out of 10 and the Bay Area thinking playoffs for the first time since…well EVER!

• New Orleans Hornets: It’s like an unwritten code that you have to view every sports team in Louisiana as Cinderellas — as a team that can do no wrong, as a team carrying it’s city on it’s back. But regardless of this code, the Hornets are actually playing really good ball right now.

• L.A. Lakers. They are 8-3…in first place, 3 games up on Phoenix…and don’t look now, but they are deep! Plus, they are taking advantage of having 8 of their first 11 games at home.

• LA. Clippers: No longer second fiddle to the Lakers (and no this doesn’t contradict what I wrote earlier) …and no, they’re not really a surprise — AND THAT’S what’s surprising about it.

ROTTEN EGGS:

• Phoenix Suns: In last place. Pee-u!!!

• Miami Heat: They deserve to be in last place. Not looking good for the Champs at this point…but does the regular season even matter for a Shaq-centered team?

• Chicago Bulls: Guess we all over-rated them. Ben Wallace is not even amongst the top 10 leaders in rebounds. But ironically Tyson Chandler is.

Hey did you hear — Commissioner Stern officially changed the type of poultry NBA players can eat on Thanksgiving. It’s now tofurky. The Players are complaining that the meat tastes like rubber and is slippery when wet.

Ironically, scoring on the road has increased

HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!!! Thanx for joining me in the bleachers and reading along!

MAILBAG

(originally from 11.22.06)

You wouldn’t believe the amounts of fan mail Sports Bloggers get. I’ve just been inundated with letters, emails, girl’s under garments – its’ been mind blowing! If I would have known I’d reach rock star status, I would have started writing this stuff years ago.

It’s totally worth not being able to go to the restroom on-line without being harassed by autograph-seeking sports fans (I now know what it must have been like for Michael Jordan)

Soooooo…thought I might share some of the mail I’ve received over the past week or so. I’ve included some of the best below, along with my responses (in BOLD) to them.

Enjoy! And feel free to keep the correspondences coming….

MAIL BAG:

Soriano to Chicago:

Reader: I’m kinda glad to see the Cubs are serious about winning. Their fans deserve a good team, and last year’s was beyond pathetic. But you’re right, it’s not good news for SD to see another NL team get so stacked.

But… what do they have for pitching, beyond Zambrano?

Maybe this will be the year that Prior and Wood finally live up to expectations.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Dave, Boston

Adam: Yeah, I agree, if any other National League team outside of the Pads deserves some success, it’s definitely the Cubs. They are the new Red Sox. The team with the worst current curse in all of professional sports… which of course started back in 1917 when the Cubbies traded away Babe Ruth to the Yankees for a couple of suitcases of cash (rumored to help finance a musical or an off off off off Broadway play). Oh wait…I have it all mixed up. The curse started in 1958 when some fan married a goat or a 3-legged lamb or something to that effect. I forget. But the point is, the Cubs are going all-out this season and will be stacked. Their line-up is looking powerful! They have one of the best pitchers in the league and…everyone in Chicago is looking forward to seeing how their beloved team will find a way to blow it again this year.

It also has Padres fans scratching their heads, wondering who their own team will sign. Their options are decreasing daily…

Bragging Rights:

Reader: Which conference is the best in the NFK?
Harold, Pt. Loma

Adam: I assume you mean in the NFL Harold? Like the last year and the year before and probably even the year before that (I lose track), the AFC reigns supreme. There are about 10 or 11 teams in the AFC who would be locks for the playoffs in the NFC. The Bears, Panthers and the Giants (when healthy) and maybe Dallas, and Seattle are the only teams who could even COMPETE with the AFC at this point … I don’t think New Orleans could, and Atlanta isn’t a lock for their own conference…or division for that matter. So the AFC is still the better of the two. But the NFC would still be the odds on favorite to walk away with the BCS Championship.

Go to Vegas with these Predictions:

Reader: I know it’s still early in the season and things can change a lot, but if you had to pick now, who would be your predictions for the playoffs? And who do you think will play in the NFC/AFC Championship games? Who will advance to the Super Bowl?

Jasmin, San Diego

Adam: Wow—that’s a lot of questions – you threw multiple questions into one letter. That’s cheating. Okay, nevertheless, let me try and answer this…

NFC – Chicago, Seattle, NY Giants, New Orleans, Carolina, Dallas
Sorry Atlanta – you’re good enough, but chronically inconsistent.

AFC – Indianapolis, San Diego, Baltimore, Denver, New England, Jacksonville.

Sorry Jets, Steelers, Cincinnati and most of all, KC. KC will go down to the wire with Jacksonville for the last spot. The Jets will compete but fall about 2 games shy. The Bengals have the potential to turn things around, but face a very uphill battle and a tough schedule.

Well since we don’t know the playoff seedings yet…I will pick the four teams (two in each conference) who I think are the best at this juncture.

NFC: Bears and Carolina.

I think the Panthers will turn it on in the “consistency” department. Their defense is strong. Steve smith makes them dangerous offensively. They have a veteran QB and a running game that could be dangerous with rookie Denagelo Williams taking hand-offs out of the backfield.

But, Chicago, despite Rex Grossman, has been the class of the conference thus far. They are winning even when they don’t play well enough to do so…and they consistently dominate the lines of scrimmage. Above all, they seem to have aura of DESTINY radiating from them.

Two weeks ago, I thought the Giants were the top team in the NFC, but injuries have changed that. If they can get healthy quickly, they will still be a threat. But some key players (Arrington, Toomer, Petigout) are out for the year. And of course, Seattle is still lurking…so they could be nasty come playoff-time).

AFC: San Diego and Indianapolis.

…Though both Denver and New England could knock off Indy. I’m not sold on the Ravens. Does Jacksonville have enough offensive firepower? Probably not. And like I’ve said before, the Chargers (when healthy) are the most balanced team in the league—capable of taking a game over on either side of the ball. I think baring injury or more off the field incidents, they will be tough to beat. Really tough to beat.

Super Bowl: Bears vs Chargers.

The Chargers just might be the best offensive squad we’ve seen in a few years now – they have so many weapons! (Including the best punter in football – helping San Diego pin opponents consistently inside the 20) They do have some weaknesses, but they are deep, potent and hungry. I think the defense will be extra juiced (no pun intended) when Merrimen comes back. I think he will be on a mission.

The Bears will have homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and will be tough to beat in December. I do think they are beatable though…and think SD is a team that can top them.

Got a Quarter for the dryer?:

Reader: The most amazing thing about last [week’s] win was that the Chargers pulled it off despite Denver’s secret plan to steal LT’s pants, dry them on high until they shrunk 3 sizes, then place back into his locker. All night, LT’s plumber’s crack would show up every time he got tackled. He was constantly pulling and tugging on his waistband. Stuff was flopping out all over the place! Despite all the readjusting, he couldn’t keep himself inside his pants!

Now, normally I’m not ass-watching during Football Night in America, but I did happen to catch the game with a bunch of women. And we just happened to have TIVO. So I got to see LT’s crack way more than I wanted to. Over and over again. In slo-mo. But at least I didn’t have to see Jake Plummer’s Plumber’s Crack! If this turns into a season of destiny for the Chargers, we will look back on yesterday’s game — The Great Denver Laundry Scandal of 06 — as the critical turning point.

From Fenathon, Hillcrest

Adam: heh heh — nicely put. I have nothing more to add to make this email any funnier. I like how you mentioned you watched the game with a bunch of “women” though. Yeah sure, nice touch Mister HILLCREST

Thank you:

Reader: Your blog is amazing. Absolutely, without a doubt, the most witty, intelligent piece of journalism I have ever read. I look forward to reading your clever thoughts every morning. To be honest, I usually enjoy the time I spend reading what you write so incredibly much that I re-read the blog later on in the evening too. Sometimes I forget a couple of the details…so it’s like reading it for the first time all over again. I think your sports blog should be required reading for all high school English and P.E. students…right along with selected works of Shakespeare and Tom Sawyer. Keep up the great work! You are an inspiration!

Adam to himself, San Diego

Adam: That might be the finest, most articulate email I have ever received. Thank you very much for your fair, unbiased and yet insightful commentary. I can tell by your words, that you are not only highly intelligent, and very knowledgeable about sports, but also a chick magnet. Probably extremely good-looking and very wealthy to boot. Thank you for blessing me with your readership. I am nobody without you…and that is the truth.

Football, football, football

(originally from 11.21.06)

“Are you ready for some football?” A Sunday Night Party! Is Sunday Night Football the new Monday night? Has there been even one good game on a Monday this season? I mean who picks these match-ups? Next week is Green Bay and Seattle…oooh, can’t wait. Last week it was Oakland and Seattle. The week before that it was like Tampa Bay versus one of the Arena Football League wildcard teams. These games are booooring! The Giants and Jaguars was actually one of the few games this year that should have been good (but of course wasn’t). Sunday clearly has the advantage in their masterful arrangement where they get to pick enticing games down the stretch. Look at the sweet showcases they’ve had in recent weeks: Patriots vs. Colts… Giants vs. Bears…Chargers vs. Broncos! These games are clearly worthy of being prime-time games.

The Raiders, on the other hand, who seem to be on every other week, haven’t been good since their first tenure at the Oakland Coliseum (okay, maybe not that long…but it sure feels that way). ESPN has to find a way to make these games more interesting. They already have a major obstacle to overcome in that they can’t match NBC’s dynamic broadcasting duo of John Madden and Al Michaels. I realize that it’s challenging having a flexible schedule on a Monday night, but maybe the NFL should put their best minds together [clunk—insert coconut sound here] and see if they can figure something out by the next television renegotiation. They need to make Monday night matter again! Otherwise, the aura of Monday Night Football might be a thing of the past. As is, viewers are already switching channels in time to catch HEROES… An Insider’s Peak Into My Own Notes Following the 10am Football Games on Sunday…and Then Again Monday Night:

• You know, I was just about to write how the inconsistent Aaron Brooks gets a bad rap. How despite his occasional mishap….his occasional interception…his seemingly occasional lackadaisical appearance on the field, that he also shows some occasional brilliance. His scrambling abilities, his arm and the way the Raiders seem to believe they have a chance when he‘s marching them down the field to win the game in the closing seconds against the Chiefs…

Then he goes ahead and throws an interception in the end zone (after a great drive) to seal yet another defeat for the silver and black. (Great effort btw from Randy Moss and his T-rex arm impersonation on the last play!) I was actually rooting for the Raiders (no, not a sign of the Apocalypse…just a repercussion of holding my breath too long as I ventured into a port-a-potty at my last music festival) considering Oakland is a hapless bunch and of no immediate threat to the Chargers’ playoff run; contrasting of course, with the Chief, a pesky tribe…that just won’t go away. A loss would have dropped them to 5-5 and provided the Chargers some breathing room down the stretch in what is clearly the best division in football. (Geesh…only 30 or so seconds away from an upset. Typical of the Silver and Yak) And by the way, if you’ve been doing something more productive…like washing your hair during Raider games this year (like most of us do), then you might not have noticed, but
Oakland’s defense has quietly morphed into one of the League’s top units. Seriously. Maybe even a threat to crack the top 5 or 6 overall. Too bad their offense may very well be the League’s worst. How many of you would take Ohio State’s offense over
Oakland’s? Come on, admit it. I’m serious – how many of you?

• Speaking of “D”…this was the weekend of the shutout!
  Chicago, Carolina and New England all flexed their defensive muscles. No word yet if their entire defensive squads will be suspended for four games for violating the League’s Offense Abuse Policy.

So while on the topic of top defenses…let’s do a defensive power ranking. This will be fun! TOP DEFENSES: (as of week 11)

1. Denver : it’s all about points allowed. Yardage-allowed is highly overrated as an indicator of defensive strength. But man, if the Broncos are this good on ‘D’, what does that say about SD’s ‘O’?

2. Chicago: probably the scariest defense in the league. 3. Baltimore: despite the addition of Steve McNair, the defense is still the team.

4. Carolina. Still the strength of this team…along with Steve Smith. That Julius Peppers cat stinks though He’s terrible

5. New England: Strong on D and still have the best coach in all of football. Don’t think they have enough this year to win it all…but would you want to face them comes playoff time?

The Best of the Rest:

6. Oakland 7. Jacksonville: should be much higher… two losses to
Texas, and a shootout loss versus the ‘Skins take their toll on the respect level. Getting defensive tackle Marcus Stroud back will help though. They looked solid Monday night.

8. Chargers: the bright side of playing without your best players? Improved depth. When the SD ‘D’ has been full strength—they’ve been lethal. Hurry back! When they do, SD’s defense could be ranked back in the top 5…until then, they should probably be ranked closer to like 22.

9. NY Giants: before the losses of Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Levar Arrington the Giants were playing as good as any team in the NFL.

10. Kansas City : reversal of identity. This year it’s their defense that is carrying them.

11. Atlanta: the whole team is inconsistent. The loss of John Abraham at the start of the season hurt.

12. Indianapolis: not dominant. Not strong against the run. But, let’s face it, Manning isn’t the only reason they have the best record in football.

13. Dallas: any team that has the audacity to call themselves “
America’s Team” doesn’t deserve a comment. Oh wait, whoops!

But holding the Mighty Colts to 14 points is impressive.

14. Pittsburgh: a definite drop off from years past…but still solid…and their rep is still worth something (I’m not sure what, but something).

On the Outskirts of Jumping up to the Best of the Rest:
Miami: Miami might have turned the corner a bit of late.
Seattle: not dominating, but could very well end up much higher as the season continues to unfold. Thus far though, very up and down. NY Jets: Eric Mangini should garner some Coach of the Year votes.
Minnesota: boring team. Average at best. But defense keeps games close.
Philadelphia: started off strong.

Respectable:

Cleveland: not dominant. Not flashy. Just smart, well-coached and hard-working.
New Orleans: just good enough…though the last two weeks weren’t good examples.Tampa Bay: Again, not as strong as in years past…but still holding their own.
St. Louis Rams: Giving them the benefit of the doubt here…they have shown flashes of being good. Then again, they’ve obviously shown lots more flashes of being not so good. Terrible against the run.

Washington: I told everyone who would listen, they were over-rated going into the season. But even I thought their defense would be better. If your team didn’t make this list…then they aren’t good enough. Sorry to break it to you. Feel free to write in your complaints or rationales for why you think
San Francisco or Arizona should crack the “Top D-list”…

• Is it too little too late for Miami? At one point, in the fourth quarter, their defense led the Vikings whole team 14-13. Yes, they’re closing in on respectability with yet another victory over an NFC North foe. But in the superior AFC conference, even if they didn’t lose again this entire season, they’d likely find themselves on the outside looking in.

• Drew Brees threw for over 500 yards! Wouldn’t it be cool if he could take the Saints to the Super Bowl? I don’t think his team is good enough…but they’re definitely the Cinderella team this year. And yes, he is the BEST free-agent signing of this off-season. Just slightly edging out
  Miami’s Daunte Culpepper. Ha ha lol. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (tissue please)

• Chargers 3-0 w/o Shawne Merrimen…who woulda thunk it?

MORE WHO WOULDA THUNK IT’S:

• Chargers 2-0 without both Merrimen and Luis Castillo.

• Chargers 2-0 when trailing by 17 or more points in the second half.

• Chargers undefeated in the Powder Blues.

• Chargers undefeated at home (the sign of a championship caliber team)

• Chargers scoring average thru 10 games played is well over 33 points per game. According to the SD Union Tribune, this is higher than the best scoring year of the Air Coryell days (30/game).

• New York has two football teams that don’t even play in
  New York …and a third, which plays upstate and dons one of the league’s ugliest uniforms. Hey Buffalo – go back to your past…you had much cooler uni’s then!!

• Today’s blog is coming to an end…

Ps. To my Readers: Yes, I know Oakland didn’t play
Seattle last week…and yes, I know Tampa didn’t actually square off against a wildcard team from another sport. It’s called Ironic-funniness people! Okay, it really isn’t called that…but that’s what it is

Chargers Do It Again!

(originally from 11.20.06)

I HAVEN’T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TALK FOOTBALL THE PAST FOUR OR SO BLOGS…SO I’M GONNA MAKE UP FOR IT TODAY. Awe yeah. So bust out your favorite team’s jerseys and your tofu sausages because we’re gonna get down and dirty. You ready? Good!

First item of business:

Rumor has it that the Chargers and Raiders have agreed to a deal for next week’s game where the Chargers will front Oakland a 21-3 first half lead. In exchange for the Chargers’ generosity, the Raiders have agreed to sing San Diego’s ‘Super Charger’ song in front of a live-espn- studio audience…in speedos… if they lose.

Why is San Diego open to such an unorthodox arrangement? Well, it’s quite simple really. The Chargers are eyeing a new NFL record of coming from behind from 17 or more points in three consecutive weeks. Apparently, San Diego not only feels confident they will once again be able to overcome such a large deficit, but sources also revealed that the real reason San Diego is offering Oakland an early lead is because they don’t believe the Raiders are actually capable of scoring 18 points on their own.

The record means that much to the organization!

Prediction:
Oakland – 21 Chargers – 45 … …with San Diego taking Monday off to fly to Bristol, Connecticut to rejoice in the Raider’s National TV debut (in speedos).

In other news: Shaun Alexander has been spotted recently with one-time figure skater Tanya Harding. Rumors continue to swell about what the two have been discussing. Some League sources reportedly are concerned with LaDainian Tomlinson rapidly approaching upon Alexander’s single season touchdown record…

The Commissioner’s office denied comment when asked about the possibility of increased security surrounding
San Diego’s star running back.

YOU PICK THE SUPERALATIVE…

Comeback Kids.

Second Half Kings.

Offensive Juggernauts.

Whatever you want to call them…you can call them good! Maybe great! The San Diego Charger offense is the league’s best …hands down! Better than the Colts. Much better than the Bengals or the Bears. Better than anything the NFC or any other AFC team can throw at you. 28 second half points against the league’s stingiest defense. This, on the heels of 40+ points in the latter half of their remarkable comeback against WKRP in Cincinnati.

They have comeback on consecutive weeks from deficits of 28-7 and 24-7. The first time any team has rallied for back-to-back victories of 17 or more points in league history. And they’re doing this without really exploiting one of the main weapons in their arsenal – Mister All-World Tight End Antonio Gates. (That’s a whole other story!)

A warning to the rest of the league – if the San Diego defense gets healthy and resumes their quality of play anywhere close to the level they were at when the season started, the rest of the league is in a whole mess of trouble.

THUMBS UP/THUMBS DOWN:

• Thumbs Down: The Broncos big-time dominated the Charger front seven in the second quarter – and this domination seemed to carry over into the third as well. The Chargers consistently missed tackles (in fact, the past two weeks the Chargers have been pathetic in the tackling department.). The Chargers ‘D’ was on the field for a big chunk of the second quarter and looked tired (The altitude I’m sure played a big role in that).

But at the same time…

• Thumbs Up: The Charger Defense. They have played poorly the past two weeks. But they’ve held ground at the very end of the games when it was absolutely needed and when it really mattered. Remember, this was the team’s biggest weakness last year. And they did so without two of their big guns.

Not to mention, the tremendous character the team showed as they struggled just to put enough healthy players on the field at the same time defensively.

• Thumbs Down: The Chargers need to use Gates more often. He seems to be an invisible man at times…and I’d like to see him involved offensively earlier in games. It just might help jump start this team in the first halves of games.

It would be nice if the team didn’t HAVE To make remarkable rallies every week

• Thumbs Up: Philip Rivers impresses me more and more every week. He had two interceptions (one of them deflected), but never got rattled. His composure is that of a 10 year veteran. Amazing.

• Thumbs Down: Was anyone else scared when the Chargers elected to purposely not score in the game’s closing minutes…instead electing to have Rivers take a knee to drain precious seconds off the clock? Luckily LT scored on the next play because that could have been disastrous if they came up empty and ultimately lost the game. I know it worked out for the best and the team was able to take a lot more time off …but I could have easily seen the Newspaper headlines. Yikes!

• Thumbs Up: LT –‘Nuff said.

• Thumbs Up: Rivers out of the shotgun. Anyone else notice how much less effective the offense was in the second half when Rivers took the snap directly under center? The shotgun formation seemed to open up the offense and allow Rivers more time to find open receivers. Great adjustment at halftime…it really helped counter an effective Denver blitz.

It also helped counter an ineffective campaign against global warming.

Log on to www.immakingthisupasigo.com for more details.

• Thumbs Up: Charger second half comebacks. And against an upper echelon team on the road, in front of a Prime-Time National Audience.

The Other Big Game of the Week:

• Is Tony Romo for real? It’s starting to seem that way, especially if you listen to the National Media. On the same vein, is Drew Bledsoe cursed? Maybe other teams should sign Drew, just so they can bench him and have the next Tom Brady…errr…Tony Romo magically appear?

• No disrespect to the Colts – but IMO, they were the worst 9-0 team in recent memory. Don’t get me wrong, they are very very good. But at no point did I feel they were dominant. I’m not even sure they are a lock to make the final four in the playoffs. They have a lot of holes… weak against the run, average running the ball, and they continue to show deficiencies against 3-4 defenses. But again, no disrespect to the Colts – they are still an upper echelon team in the NFL. They were just due to lose a couple of games along their journey.

• Donovan McNabb out for the Season!!!

I’m originally from NY …and even I feel bad for him and
Philadelphia. The man was headed for the Pro Bowl and having one of the best seasons of his career. Some guys get all the luck… Hmmm…maybe Terrell Owens will really rub it in and pay him a visit at the hospital?

• Wow—is it just me, or are the 49ers the team getting the most of out of nothing!! They’re coming on strong! But again—I ask HOW? Sure ain’t that intimidating defense! Keep this up and Mike Nolan may be a Coach of the Year Candidate.EXTRA THOUGHTS:

• The Charger’s Igor Olshanky should not ( I repeat – should not) have punched that Bronco offensive linemen. The timing was poor and it could have cost his team a victory. But at the same time, Igor is getting a lot of flack for responding to a cheap shot. Considering he is fresh off knee surgery, I don’t know if I can judge him on his emotionally charged, instinctual response to someone purposely diving at his knees. Those types of bush league antics could end a player’s career. I hope the NFL reprimands Denver for this.

But they probably won’t…and unfortunately Igor’s wallet will likely be a lot lighter next week. Finally News from The Diamond:

• Reports from Chicago say Alfonso Soriano has inked a deal with the Cubs.

Free agency is about a week old now—and it looks like the Chicago Cubs are already MLB’s biggest winners. In addition to landing a top notch manager in Lou Pinella, and re-signing Kerry Woods, they have now signed the off-seasons two biggest sluggers – Aramis Ramirez and Soriano. If Derek Lee is back healthy… Holy Sh-t!! Suddenly, that line-up is devastating!

• Soriano signing with Chicago is great news for the Padres As is Normar signing with the Dodgers oh hum…

What are the Padres going to do??????????!!!!!!!!!

More football coming up next time…and probably some more baseball…and perhaps a laugh or two

San Diego Fans

(originally from 11.19.06)

It’s amazing! The focus, the applause, the suspense, the tension. Every home game, at this precise moment, the fans at Petco Park go ape sh-t. Nuts! Crrrrazy! It’s an unbelievable spectacle. Truly a shining moment for every paying customer in a plastic seat.

The loudest, most involved moments of Padre home games… yep, you guessed it —the boat races and the baseball cap shuffle on the big screen. I’m so sad. Embarrassed really.

Let’s repeat this point again: the loudest, most involved moments of Padre home games are the boat races and the baseball cap shuffle on the big screen.

Why is this?
San Diego is known for it’s surf, sand and beautiful weather. After all, it is “America’s Finest City”. But I want it to be known as a Sports Town too! If you go back East….it is different.

The game actually matters more there than the games on the big screen (Ha ha – that’s a joke folks. Hmmm…or is it?) If you go to Yankee Stadium, they are known for being “great” fans—smart, loud, rambunctious…they’ll love you if you try hard and do well, they jeer you if you don’t.

Then there’s Philly, known for its hostility. Who else would boo Santa Claus? I mean come on, really?! Fans at Wrigley Field, on the other hand, will support their team through the best and worst of times…they’ll even throw an opponent’s homerun ball back onto the field.
St Louis is known for being wonderful baseball fans—very polite and fair. A delight to play for. It seems every city’s fans are known for something.
Los Angeles, unfortunately for them, are known as bandwagon fans who come late and leave early.

But what are San Diego fans known for? We need a better rep than fans “who go to the games if the surf isn’t good”. Yes, it’s an unfair stereotype…because there are some great fans in our midst…but then again, how many Charger games have you been to, where there were seemingly equal amounts of Steeler, Raider, ‘Niner fans in the crowd as Charger fans? Sometimes, its hard to tell who the home team is (granted, this was more the case prior to Team Pigskin being legitimate Super Bowl contenders).

I know from personal experience we are getting better…but collectively we still make a lot more noise when “Guess the Attendance” flashes on the big screen than we do during the game (But boy, do we get into the game then!!! It’s absolute pandemonium!). I say these things not to rip San Diego fans…because I am one of them (and as guilty as anyone of poor fanmanship). But rather because I’d love for us to rise to the top. To give our Padres and Chargers a legitimate home field advantage – to wreak havoc on opponents much like the cities of Seattle and Indianapolis provide for their football teams.

I want opposing squads to dread coming to San Diego! Are you with me?

Come on San Diego – let’s do this! Here are some ideas I had to help us attain this lofty goal:

• Megaphone Giveaways

Can you imagine how loud we’d be if everyone in attendance was handed cheap, little, plastic megaphones as they entered the gates? Nobody, I mean nobody, would hear the snap counts. We’d lead the league in forced-false starts. Our City would be going to Hawaii representing the fans in the Pro Bowl. Oooh…how ‘bout this next one?

• More Towel Waiving Days

Man, nothing looks better live or on TV then to see 30 to 60,000 towels swirling in the crowd. It’s an automatic pump. How can you not swirl your arms in circles without getting all energized?! It’s exercise baby. Plus there’s something about towel waiving that makes you want to scream and yell. It’s tribal! It’s getting you back to your animalistic-ness! It helps generate more noise in the crowd – and I think it’s subconsciously intimidating to look at for visiting rivals. (Though, I realize towels aren’t free…but sporting for a few more days worth of towels is the least Owners could do. Besides, it would likely lead to more home victories…which could lead to more playoff appearances…and would lead to increased popularity…thus more merchandise sold…thus more income. See its karma baby Okay, I got another one. How about…

• More Scoreboard Guidance

I have found that we, the Crowd, respond really well when we are guided. When the scoreboard says “Get Louder” dog-gone-it, we get louder.

When the stadium speakers blast a baseball rhythm or a choreographed clap, we tend to clap. It’s great. But, without this guidance, we seem to sometimes fall flat on our faces.

When you go to Giants Stadium in New Jersey, for example, the fans appreciate defense – you can just tell. They sense when its time to get louder…when its time to make noise to help give the “D” a lift. Cleveland’s ‘Dawg Pound’ gets off on making life-a-living hell for opponents. The Raider Nation is known for their intimidation. Eagles’ fans would boo their mother if she stood in the way of a first down. What these cities seem to have is an instinctual knowledge—an intuitive feel of when to get up and scream…when to boo…when to chant…when to cheer. San Diego – we need to learn these valuable skills.

Professional sports have been around a lot longer back there I suppose. Some say, they are older, wiser supporters who have been educated with the greatest of teachers—time and experience. But hey, our tans are better Oooh, oooh, I got another suggestion…

• Encourage Standing Up

In San Diego I sometimes feel like I’m blocking people’s views if I stand. Get up people –show some life!! If it’s a big play, get off your booty and show it! If you’re shorter than me, climb on your girlfriend’s shoulders

• A Better Understanding of Sports Fans Protocol.

I was at the two Padre playoff home games this year. Boy was I impressed with the opening day crowd. So refreshing. Seriously. The seats were electric—charged beyond belief. I had never seen a San Diego baseball Stadium so juiced (granted, my experiences are limited). It made me excited. As time went on, I realized something however–the timing was off. Often, in between pitches, people would rise to their feet, scream, clap and make lots of noise. But then everyone would stop before the pitcher delivered the next pitch. It was odd. We didn’t make noise while the pitcher was throwing. We didn’t try and rattle the hurler…or juice up our own batter. We would just get real quiet.

• More “Lets Go Pad-res” and “D-fense” Chants.

These get crowds across the Nation all jazzed and synced up. Remember, the power of the Crowd comes when we are united as one huge collective mind, focusing our energy on shared goals –positive support for our team…or the destruction of the other team. Hoo hoo ha ha!

• More Dancing Petco Animals, Chickens, Charger Mascots

These boys and girls do a great job getting the crowd pumped. And hey, if it takes people in fluffy Halloween costumes to help us establish a reputation of a place visiting teams don’t want to come to, then so be it. Let the jokes begin—we’ll get the final laugh when Raider/Dodger fans go home humiliated that they lost to a stuffed chicken and a few red and blue Petco dogs.

• Lets Follow the Clue from the Redskins and the Lakers –LIVE MUSIC

…An orchestra adds magic and energy. Colleges have fight songs. The Redskins have their “Hail to the Redskins”. This bonds everyone together. People sing, get pumped, take pride in their team and song. The Chargers already have their “Super Chargers” song – lets exploit its power more! Lets start up tradition where the crowd starts singing it…a band/deejay pumps it, lyrics are flashed on the Big ol’ Jumbotron. I was fortunate enough to go to the championship game of the World Baseball Classic at Petco. What a treat it was to see how the Cuban and Japanese fans supported their teams. There were percussions and chants and colors and flags. The fans were a spectacle in and amongst themselves. So much energy. It was great! American sports should follow suit.

San Diego—lets be a front runner in this—lets add more life and energy and color into the seats! (I’m also not opposed to adding cheerleaders at baseball games!!! In between innings on dugouts perhaps?) Awe yeah!

• Lets Not be Afraid or Embarrassed to Make Noise and Make Fools of Ourselves (as long as it as we aren’t violent or “harmful” to anyone)

And finally…

• If all else fails: why don’t we just put the boat races and hat shuffle on during the ENTIRE game…

Even More OSR’s

(originally from 11.18.06)

I know, I promised you a Guest Contributor for today, but my connects failed me. I thought we had a strong-in with a high level member of Charger Upper Management, but turns out, my lead was a ticket taker at Gate C…or was it Gate J? I can’t remember. Point is – I let you down miserably. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me? I hope so, but if not, to heck with you…I still have 2 other readers who love me. So there Good thing the mystery guest flaked because I’m in a loopy mood…and you know what that means…time for the segment we like to call—- (Drum roll please)

WOULDN’T IT BE COOL IF:

• The Padres picked a handful of days during the season and wore some of those retro-brown white and yellow jerseys that I used to think were hideous, but now think are super cool and have tremendous character?

• If Tony Gwynn was still on the roster and eligible for pinch hitting duty?

• If the Chargers occasionally flirted again with the idea of both LT and Michael Turner playing in the backfield at the same time? Man, that was awesome!

• If the Broncos lost their top defender to a four game suspension too…just to even the playing field a little bit?

• To make up for the one Monday night game this year (which was also shared with Washington/Minnesota mind you and pushed back so late that only four people on the East coast actually saw the game), that the NFL and ESPN collectively decided that San Diego and their high octane offense and explosive defense deserved to be on primetime every other week?

• If stadiums stopped changing their turf from natural grass to that new weird artificial turf that kind of looks like grass? That stuff looks weird to me. And what’s weirder, is that it looks real in some stadiums and really gloomy and unnatural in others. (okay, I admit as usual, I have too much time on my hands)

Okay – OPPOSITE DAY: Wouldn’t it be cool if:

Barry Bonds signed with Padres and hit like 255 dingers this year?? And broke the homerun record as a member of the Padre ball club? And hit like 95 long ones against the Giants? (okay, that one would actually be kinda cool) And Season ticket holders got to see Pedro Gomez reporting at Petco every night? And syringes were thrown on the field during road trips? And our clubhouse chemistry blew up? And the Baseball Writers of America vote San Diego as having the worst fielding leftfield in the history of Baseball? And Mark Grant and Matty V do-play-by-play of Barry sleeping in the dugout? And… NOT!!!!

Please PLEASE P-l-E-A-S-e DON’T SIGN BARRY!!! I BEG YOU. STAY THE F%$## AWAY!! NO CHEATERS IN SD!!! (okay, I mean, No Cheaters in SD who are a-holes. Ken Caminiti we all loved…and he tried his hardest…and was a great clubhouse presence…and he took us to the Series…and…) Hey on the Barry bright-side: at least we’d get to finally be a lead story on ESPN every night

Hey on an even brighter side: the drama between Barry and Ted Leitner would be priceless. We’re talking reality TV material here. (and we all know how well Barry does with Reality-ratings) Moving right along…

EVEN MORE OFF SEASON RUMORS:

Now remember, Adam’s Off Season Rumors (O.S.R) are rumors that are not necessarily based in truth…but should be! May not materialize on ESPN…but could! May not make fiscal sense, but they attempt to! But most important – they are the rumors that would happen if I was in charge (and/or just rumors that would be cool if they were real) Another drum roll please….

• If Ryan Klesko can’t find a full-time starting position with another club, I’d love to see him and the Pads work a deal where he would be their top bench guy (filling in at first and left). Based upon his postseason stretch play, he apparently has some pop left. Of course, I only want this, if he comes at a bargain price…even more ideally is if the Padres can use the DH on occasion. I’m not saying bring the DH to the NL (cuz I think the DH is lame)…but just a special favor MLB could throw San Diego’s way to make amends for the whole Ryan Leaf situation. Oh whoops, wrong sport. But still…that situation was that traumatic.

• I trust Kevin Towers…and respect Sandy Alderson!

Last years trades for Cla Meredith, Josh Bard, Gonzo, Chris Young were absolutely brilliant! So good in fact, that it made up for that “I-want-to-strangle-somebody” Loretta/Mirabelli trade.

But I’m upset Ben Johnson was traded. I think he has the tools to be a solid everyday player! I was upset when Ben Johnson was sent down earlier in the season so he wasn’t eligible for the post season.

I’m upset Josh Barfield was traded. I’m bummed we’re not bringing Dave Roberts back.

I’m confused that why in a ballpark where 30 homer hitters become 20 homer hitters……and in a ballpark where speed and strong gloves are vital….we seem to be getting slower and substantially worse in the field? Hmmmmm. Gone are: Barfield, Johnson and likely Roberts — 3 of the 4 fast guys on the roster last season. Hmmmmm. But hey, Giles is the leading candidate to bat leadoff. Go Speed Racer-Go!

• If we sign Barry Zito, would the Peavy/Young/Zito/Hensley rotation be the best in baseball?

• Does anyone else think that Zito’s last name sounds kinda like a type of pasta? (Zito parmsean…baked Zito) Okay, sorry that was bad

• Is anyone else hoping that David Wells will change his mind and come back next year? Can you imagine the rotation? What would it take to bring him back??? What if we lured him with an all-you-can-eat dive bar??? Open 24 hours/7 days a week? Maybe we could get the City to front the costs? I’m sure the tax-payers would be down … you know, for that and for a new stadium for the Bolts

• I’m praying Peavy doesn’t get dealt this off season. But if he does—it better be lopsided in our favor (you like how I write this blog as if I’m a part of the organization? Nice touch, don’t you think?). The Peavy for Lastings Milledge and Aaron Heilman rumors scare me.

• Considering the amount of money the Red Sox just bid on Matsuzaka, I don’t want to hear anymore Sox fans complain about how much money the Yankees spend. The only fans who have the right to complain now are those who teams come from: Pittsburgh, Kansas City,
  Milwaukee, Minnesota, San Diego, Oakland and sometimes Cincinnati, Cleveland, Tampa Bay and
  Florida.

• I’d love to see Mike Piazza back at a reasonable price. But I’m kinda of feeling like he’ll wind up in either
  Anaheim, Oakland (where he can DH in place of Frank Thomas)…or up north with Bochy.

• Who would you rather have on your team: Bonds or Terrell Owens? Just wondering…

Okay round-robin—same question: Winner of Bonds/Owens vs Ryan Leaf?

Man, I have too much time on my hands!

OSR’s (Part Deux)

(Originally from 11.17.06)

Last Blog we talked second base. You’ve heard of it – the position Sandy and Kevin feel is worth 7 pesos on the open market. Today, we start with Left Field … the position batting about .300, stealing 50 bases and being a team team-catalyst apparently isn’t good enough for.

With that said…lets continue with Adam’s OSR’s. Now remember, Adam’s Off Season Rumors (O.S.R) are rumors that are not necessarily based in truth…but should be! May not materialize on ESPN…but could! May not make fiscal sense, but they attempt to! But most important – they are the rumors that would happen if I was in charge (and/or just rumors that would be cool if they were real)

Drum roll please….

Left field:

Alrighty, to save everyone some time, let me just jump ahead and tell you who I don’t want.

• J.D. Drew (let him get hurt in Boston)
• Moises Alou (actually, I think he’s a great player. Just want someone a little younger)
• Any player who can’t hit 30 balls over the fence (unless his last name his Roberts).
• Cliff Floyd (snoooore)
• Oscar De La Hoya (because he doesn’t play baseball) j/k
• Melky Cabrera (actually, I love him. But I have a feeling seeing him in a Friar uniform would mean we’d be watching Jake Peavy in pinstripes)
• Moises Alou (okay, I thought about it some more and I could actually live with him in left if it were a 1 year contract, allowing the Padres flexibility to pursue what reportedly will be a better crop of free agents next year.)
• Barry Bonds (who would I hate if he left the Giants?)

We’ll talk Starting Pitching next time…or at sometime really soon. Hee hee…doesn’t the suspense kill ya?

OTHER THOUGHTS –

• Is Carl Crawford still available? IMO, he’d look really good in Padre beige and blue. Maybe in left? Normally, I’d be scared to hear Tampa’s asking price, but since we already played with the idea yesterday of Manny Ramirez coming to San Diego…

• Is anyone else frightened by the idea of Brian Giles batting lead-off?? I thought Lead-off batters were supposed to be fast??? Maybe its just me? At this point in his career, Giles seems like a solid number 2 hitter.

• If the Padres go through another rough patch with the bats next season, will Padres fans start chanting “MARTY-BALL”…urrr, I mean “MONEY-BALL”?

• If we don’t land Alfonso Soriano or Carlos Lee will Padre fans be satisfied?

• How many homers does Kevin Kouzmanoff need to hit to justify trading Barfield?

• Does anyone find it funny that on the same day: The Padres acquired two pitchers with the names of Ring and Bell? Ha!

• Considering many Padres fans are already struggling to accept the loss of two very popular players (Josh Barfield and Dave Roberts)…can you imagine what might happen if the team has the audacity to trade arguably the team’s most popular player in Khalil Greene?? I’m afraid, fans may start jumping from the nose-bleeds.

Tune in next time for some more OSR’s and possibly even a special guest contributor.