This Makes Things... Better?

News came out today that former Charger Antonio Cromartie fathered seven children by six different women in five states, four in bed, three in a car, two in California, one he actually likes, and zero condoms (Hint: only the first three numbers are true, and possibly the last). The New York Jets organization has fronted Cromartie half a million dollars to settle an upcoming paternity suit before training camp. And suddenly, the Charger organization's reasons for the trade have become a little clearer. There had been rumors of Cromartie being a trouble maker before (anyone remember the bottle throwing incident back in November?) but this suggests that the former Charger may have been as stupid as he was reckless.

Now I'm going to use this to deal with a much bigger issue that has angered me for a while. And that's the concept of the "high character team." Everyone seems to think that character and chemistry are these magical concepts that guarantee winning regardless of talent. You want to know what happened to the Chargers when Cromartie was traded last week? Net character went up, and net talent went down. The end result? The Chargers are a worse team now than they were at the end of the season. As long as guys in the locker room aren't killing each other and everyone is willing to do their job, chemistry means nothing. People always point out success stories like the 2009-10 Saints or the 2007-08 Boston Celtics as teams that got along really well and won championships, but the fact is it's the other way around. It's simply easier to get along when you're winning. You know who's a great group of guys? The Indiana Pacers. Players like Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Granger are by all accounts some of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. But they still suck, because Granger is the only guy on the team capable of putting the ball in the basket. Antoine Cason could be the second coming of Gandhi, but if he can't cover a receiver as well as Antonio Cromartie (which he can't) the Chargers secondary just got worse.

Wow. Awesome.

Two seasons removed from the greatest 10 game stretch any cornerback has ever posted, Antonio Cromartie is headed to the New York Jets. So... Yeah. Really smart, AJ. With the window closing on a team that many pick for the Super Bowl each year, you've traded a key piece for a 2011 3rd round pick that becomes a 2nd round pick if he plays well, so at least there's that. It's your show now, Cason. Try not to perform like another promising former Wildcat.

I dislike this team. A lot.

UPDATE: The Bolts also released DT Jamal Williams, because he wasn't one of the best nose tackles in the NFL when healthy or anything. Oh wait. He was.

Something Happened Today that We Already Knew Was Going to Happen

Today the San Diego Chargers released an aging and underperforming running back, thereby saving $3 million in salary and another $2 million bonus that was due to him in March.

He just happened to be the greatest Charger in team history.

Moment of silence.

Tomlinson released by Chargers [ESPN]

Meh.

According to the Bolthype blog - my favorite because Rop Zepeda was nice enough to send me a lengthy email with blogging advice (ahem, Joel Price from Charger Blog and Ray from Bolttalk) - the Chargers are likely to draft Defensive Tackle Dan Williams out of Tennessee. Williams fills a need on the defensive line where a man called Jamal Williams used to play. He is also seemingly a very nice prospect whose teammates in Rocky Top (that's where the University of Tennessee is located, layman) called him "unblockable." But that's not saying much considering the quality of UT's offensive line. Offensive Tackle Cory Smith once described coach Lane Kiffin as "a real tough assignment. Very shifty."

But the quality of the Williams pick is not the issue here. It's simply another safe defensive pick from a Chargers front office that refuses to take risks on playmakers. It's what I call the Larry English Effect, and here it is in movie form.

Two young men, TYLER and DAN, are sitting on a couch watching a San Diego Chargers football game. TYLER is young, dashing, and clearly very intelligent. He also has a very nice haircut. DAN does not matter.

TYLER sees Larry English lying on the top of a running back two yards past the line of scrimmage. English has clearly not actually made the tackle, but will be credited with it.

TYLER

Larry English! First round draft pick doin' work!

DAN

Yup.

The game continues.

That happened a total of 23 times this year. And while English is not a bust by any means (he is a solid player and should start for the Bolts for years to come) he does not excite and he definitely will not win you a Super Bowl. On the other hand C.J. Spiller and Jahvid Best - while they do represent risks - have the potential to be number 1 or 2 guys on a championship contending team.

So in conclusion... Grow a pair, A.J. Smith, and for once in your life take a risk with that 28th pick.

Chargers Unlikely To Pass Up Tennessee's Dan Williams [BoltHype]

I Don't Ask For Much...

Please, A.J. Trade up, whatever you need to do, just get this guy. If he doesn't work out you can blame me. Just get him.

Three More Years of This?

Norv signed a three-year contract extension yesterday, so clearly not enough of you bought our shirts.

As a staunch proponent of people being good at their jobs, this really rubs me the wrong way. There's this weird tradition in the NFL where you reward mediocrity, but forget success rather quickly. It's why we see Super Bowl-winning coaches get fired because they're at odds with the owner, a perennial playoff punching bags like Norv get extensions. And it sucks. It really does. Norv is brilliant in the regular season, imaginative in his play calling, and completely unable to prepare a team for the post season.

So, San Diegans, look forward to three more AFC West Championships, and exactly zero more Super Bowls. That's the way it'll always be with Norv.

All hail the Wet Blanket.

It's Not Your Fault, Nate

It's not your fault Nate.

NATE: Oh, I know

It's not your fault.

NATE: I know

It's not your fault.

NATE: I know

It's not your fault.

NATE: Don't fuck with me here!

It's not your fault.

NATE: I know!

It's not your fault.

NATE: (Cries)

Redemption Failed

Well okay I'll admit it, I was wrong. They couldn't do it.

Once again the New York Jets came into San Diego and dashed the Chargers Super Bowl dreams and the consensus in San Diego one day removed from the game is that Nate Kaeding should be ran out of town.

And frankly, I would have to agree with them. Up until yesterday's performance, I would have argued against anybody who said that Nate Kaeding wasn't the best kicker in the NFL.  Coming into the game yesterday Kaeding had made 67 straight field goals from inside the 40 yard line. He was 32 for 35 on field goal attempts throughout the season and his 91.4 field goal percentage was the best in the NFL.

You wouldn't have known that yesterday, Kaeding missed all three of his field goal attempts, one, to be fair, was a 57 yard attempt before halftime, but the other two were only from 40 yards out, a spot where he has kicked like clockwork from, for 67 straight attempts.

The final blow was his third field goal attempt with 4:38 left in the fourth quarter when he missed a 40 yard attempt that proved to be crucial after the Chargers rallied for a touchdown after stopping the Jets.

Not one of these attempts looked like they were going in when the came off of his foot. Anyone watching could instantly see that.

Regardless of Nate Kaeding's sullied efforts, it was the Chargers failure to capitalize when they had the ball that ultimatley cost them the game. In the first half the New York Jets faced six punts on six possessions and the Chargers only managed to score once, on a touchdown pass to third string Tight End Kris Wilson.

"We moved the ball and challenged them in ways they haven't been before, but we just didn't turn those into points" said Quarterback Philip Rivers, who threw an unusual two interceptions on the day, including one that put the Jets on the Chargers 20-yard line and set up a short touchdown drive for Mark Sanchez and company.

Ladainian Tomlinson also failed to get anything going on his 12 rushing attempts for a meager 24 yards and zero touchdowns.

Sadly, the man that was once the most feared player in the NFL has now failed to rush for a single 100-yard game this season. This also marks his first NFL season where he has rushed for less than 1000 yards.

The biggest post-season question will in fact be the fate of Ladainian Tomlinson. Sources are saying that L.T. has most likely had his last carry donning the blue and gold. The problem is no team is going to want a Running Back who performed like he did this season. I can't remember how many times this season that I saw Tomlinson run up the gut for a gain of 2 yards, I was frustrated, but I can imagine that no one is more frustrated than Tomlinson himself. He wants to go out and help his team, but there will be no place for him if he keeps on rushing for a 730 yards on the season.

Now that the off-season is upon us, we here at "We'll Always Have Oakland", will do our best in bringing you up to date coverage on Chargers off-season news, but will also be incorporating any sport we want to talk about.

It's our blog, we can do what we want.

Anyways, I'm going to close the season with the one thing that my father says to me every year when the Chargers lose in the playoffs.

Only 31 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Lazy Sunday

The Utah Jazz visit the Denver Nuggets tonight on ESPN, and since nothing else happened today, you should all get your sports fix there. Basketball is a beautiful sport, people. Not like football. Football sucks. I'd never even dream of watching a football game, let alone actually rooting for a team.

No Better Time Than Now

They did it. 


I jokingly said after the loss to the Denver Broncos on October 19th, that the San Diego Chargers, 2-3 record at the time and 3.5 games back in the AFC West, were going to run the table, finish 13-3, and secure home field advantage in the playoffs. 


Never in my imagination did I think they were actually going to be able to pull this off. The Chargers chances of even having a winning record were dwindling. 


Now as I sit before you, Friday January 15th, 2010, the San Diego Chargers are 13-3 and are facing the New York Jets at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.


After the loss to the Broncos, Philip Rivers and crew said to keep the faith, and not give up on the season. Usually in San Diego sports terms "keep the faith" means please come to our games, we need money but don't really feel like playing anymore. As it was with Padres' 1999 season after their World Series year when they had fallen far short of expectations. In fact their team slogan was "keepin' the faith." So when I, as a Charger fan, hear these words  realize that they are cue to abandon ship and wait for next year.


However, Rivers and company astonishingly came through. And thankfully I can start instilling a little bit of trust in the San Diego Chargers organization.


Every season begins with quest for Super Bowl glory. For the Chargers this year more than any I have witnessed is their best chance at it. They are working as a unit, Rivers has countless targets to throw to and the Chargers defense is playing better than they have all year. 


The Chargers will go into the game against the Jets this weekend with something to prove. They need to redeem themselves for that loss back in 2005, back when Nate Kaeding actually missed field goals.


Other than the Jets, the teams that have fettered the Chargers Super Bowl dreams in previous years will not be involved. No Patriots, no Steelers, the only thing that stands between them other the the Jets is an Indianapolis Colts team that the Chargers have had great success with over the last six years.

I'm saying it now like I said it before, the Chargers are going to win  Those 11 straight wins need to turn into 13 straight wins. With 13 straight wins the Chargers are headed to Miami.

So THAT Didn't Really Work Out

I'm not a huge Bill Simmons fan (lie), but one of his ideas seems pretty damn attractive right now. He has brought up the possibility on multiple occasions of bye week teams being allowed to choose their opponents for the second round of the playoffs. In this case, the Colts would have chosen the Jets, who are overall the weaker of the two teams. This leaves our beloved Bolts with the Ravens who HAVE A SECONDARY THAT WE WOULD PUT UP A BILLION POINTS ON!!!

But we mustn't dwell on the past. This is the playoffs, and there is a game at hand. A game with an opponent that matches up almost too well with the Chargers. On the defensive side of the ball, the one thing the Jets do really well is stop the pass, whether it's with Rex Ryan's exotic blitz packages or Darrelle Revis, who makes receivers disappear. You may have noticed this season that the Charger offense is completely predicated on the pass. What you can do to the Jets with the right personnel is run on them. Unfortunately the Chargers have no running back. So while the pass game may still have a decent day because Rivers is excellent at avoiding the blitz and there are other receivers for him, like Floyd and that Gates guy, this is unquestionably a bad match-up.

It only gets worse with the defense. The Jets offense is based completely on the run. They have a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez who they hide as best they can by simply running it down opposing throats and only asking him to throw short passes. The Chargers defense, on the other hand, shuts down the pass fairly well and allows running backs to pass through them like a freaking turnstile. More bad news for the Bolts. There is, of course, some upside to this match-up. Because if the Jets were so amazing they wouldn't have a bye, now would they? If Ron Rivera were smart - and he might be - he would stack the box, send the blitz at Sanchez on passing downs, and count on not giving up the home run play, which Sanchez hasn't shown he can deliver. But that's just if he was smart. Which he might be. Or might not. Probably not.

Be loud on Sunday, Qualcomm. You're all we have.

Jerk.

Way to start sucking when we actually wanted to play you, Brady. I hate you so effing much. Jump off a bridge. Not a tall one. Just hurt yourself in some way. Asshole.

More to come on the Jets later in the week I guess, but here's a prediction.

Possibly The Greatest Thing Ever.

Good news everyone. The Super Bowl no longer matters. LaDainian Tomlinson has already secured us the best moment of this NFL season. Please disperse.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha

October

December

jaribfiqurniauorfi... Oh sorry Nick, I was just choking on that irony.

Eh.

Nothing really matters this week, but how can I deprive my reader(s) of some sort of story? So here's some stream of consciousness ramblings that probably have nothing to do with football.

I was listening to ESPN's NBA Today podcast the other day, and the guest was David Thorpe. You may know Thorpe as the guy who "analyzes statistics" and "studies game tape" in order to make fair judgments, but more often than not ends up confirming his own biases and making a fool of himself. Thorpe was discussing a column he wrote in which he declared LeBron James a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant. Now, I don't have ESPN Insider access, so I don't know the details of Thorpe's analysis. But, while talking about response to the piece, Thorpe mentioned that the comment section beneath his work was mostly negative. Realizing his error, Thorpe declared that it was probably negative, because he definitely did not read the comments. So why, may I ask, is Thorpe so frightened of the common man's response to his writing? Are they that far beneath him to acknowledge them is to essentially admit defeat? That's just sad. And that is why mainstream sports writing is failing to connect with people. It's a very simple Marxist philosophy. The proletariat (sportswriters) are attempting to serve the rest of the proletariat when their actual audience is the bourgeois (common man). The people taking over the sports media are people like Bill Simmons and Will Leitch. People who write for their audience, and not for their colleagues.

It's a sad day when I'm more inclined to believe the Gilbert Arenas Twitter than The New York Times for news about Gil and Javaris Crittenton reportedly pulling guns on each other in the locker room. Actually... It's a happy day. NYT blows.

I saw The Damned United today, further cementing my belief that the English are better than us at everything except producing athletes who actually look athletic.

More to come on this since I enjoy it and you don't really care...