Chargers are destined for a tequila sunrise in Miami
I haven’t seen the Chargers yet, but I just love them.
I watched USC quarterback Matt Barkley on Saturday but don’t understand why everyone is gushing.
FIRST, THE Chargers, and maybe someone can explain to me why the Raiders are still considered a part of the NFL.
The Chargers begin the season needing only two wins to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7 in Miami.
They have already clinched the AFC West Division title, certainly no argument coming from Denver, Kansas City and Oakland, and with such a huge advantage playing so many lousy teams, the Chargers will have the best record in the AFC at season’s end.
That will earn them a first-round bye, while securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Maybe this explains why Shawne Merriman has already hit the Tequila, or allegedly so, at the very least the celebrating already underway.
Ah, there is nothing like the NFL to get the blood boiling, Raiders Coach Tom Cable reportedly screaming a few weeks back, “I am going to kill you, I am going to kill you,” after hitting one of his assistant coaches.
I know this, Cable never hit anyone while working at UCLA, and come to think of it, none of his offensive linemen at UCLA ever seemed to hit anyone either.
The NFL season begins Thursday, ends Sunday for teams like Tampa Bay and Detroit, and I’ll be there Monday night with the Chargers in Oakland rooting on my fantasy team quarterback, Philip Rivers.
You didn’t think I was going to say JaMarcus Russell.
The Raiders are 24-72 the last six seasons and even UCLA is better than that. No one has done a better job of sabotaging his own legacy than Al Davis, once considered a giant, but in later years proving to be so small. A loser, as well.
Since leaving L.A., the Raiders have been coached by Mike White, Joe Bugel, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin and Cable. Commitment to what?
It could be worse, the guy now coaching the Broncos could have been spotted by Davis first.
The Broncos gave up more points than any other team in the AFC last season, and now they will be playing catch-up with Kyle Orton at quarterback.
The Chargers just might be one of the biggest favorites in NFL history when it comes to winning a division title, which is probably what it’s going to take to make Turner a winning coach.
In the NFC, no one is very good, which explains how the Cardinals made it to the Super Bowl last season.
The Bears with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte look interesting, while the Vikings with Bret Favre do not. The teams in the East will beat each other up, so there goes the home-field advantage.
The Seahawks probably win the West and the Saints the South -- the best Super Bowl opponent for the Chargers being New Orleans with former San Diego quarterback Drew Brees.
The Chargers win the Super Bowl, the team owner accepts the Lombardi Trophy and says it will go on display in L.A. if the city of San Diego doesn’t immediately provide a new stadium.
The folks at UCLA, noting they have all kinds of room in their football trophy case, offer to display it.
NOW AS for Barkley, it almost looked as if the New England Patriots were trying to position themselves over the weekend to draft him to replace Tom Brady.
The Patriots traded Richard Seymour to the Raiders for a first-round pick in 2011, which will obviously be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Unfortunately, Barkley will not be eligible for the draft until 2012, which means he might end up playing for the Raiders. It’s no fun being an adult sometimes.
By then the kid ought to be pretty good, no doubt living up to the hype, which right now seems too much.
He was playing against San Jose State. The Trojans protected him by running the ball on third down. They had him wheeling away from trouble and hitting wide-open receivers with safe throws. We still haven’t seen him make a good throw when everyone knows he has to make a throw.
As statistics go, Barkley’s were inflated, compliments of an offensive game plan designed to baby him.
But then what do we get in the final analysis -- giddy chatter about how great the kid looked, raising expectations to an absurd level. The problem with raised expectations, the fall feels much steeper.
As it is, USC fans don’t need any help when it comes to raising expectations to an absurd level.
I think the kid looked his best while handing the ball off to a group of running backs who appear as if they can carry USC a long ways. Ditto the defense.
If this is all about getting Barkley ready to play for the Raiders one day, no reason to rush it.
THIS FROM Jim Meser in an e-mail: “Shawne Merriman [allegedly] chokes his girlfriend? I thought the Chargers always choked in January.”
SO MANY e-mail writers touched by the guy in the TV booth, like this from Ken Dixon: “My grandfather raised me on Dodgers baseball. I remember being a kid with him in the car and listening to Vin. I lost my grandfather in 2000, yet Vin keeps his spirit alive for me.”
THIS FROM Ed Kaz: “Perhaps you could convince Vin not to retire. If you do, I’m sure everyone, with the exception of Jeff Kent, will take back all the rotten things they have said and written about you.”
Jeff who?
FINALLY, THIS from Rebecca Colson: “I always tell people that I have spent more time with Vin Scully than with any other man and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I’m going to have to ask Scully about that.
--