Notes on a Scorecard - Sept. 20, 1994
The topic on the table is the San Diego Chargers’ surprising start. . . .
“They’re for real,” Lee Hamilton said about one of only four unbeaten teams in the NFL. . . .
Hamilton is the Chargers’ play-by-play radio announcer, but also the outspoken host of a talk show on XTRA and always tells it the way he believes it is. . . .
“This is the best-balanced team, offensively and defensively, in the AFC West,” he said. “They’re throwing deep, shoving the ball down people’s throats on the ground, and getting all kinds of turnovers and sacks.” . . .
On the way to their first 3-0 start since 1981, the Chargers have won division games on the road at Denver and Seattle and will play another Sunday against the Raiders at the Coliseum. . . .
“I told people at the start of the season that this franchise would be good,” Hamilton said. “I thought they had the potential to be 10-6. I’ll hold to that.” . . .
In Bobby Ross’ first year as coach, 1992, they won 11 of their last 12 games and finished 11-5. In 1993, they slipped to 8-8. . . .
“Last year was an aberration,” Hamilton said. “The year before, they had one major injury. Last year, they had 11. They played a first-place schedule and five of their losses were by a touchdown or less. They had an injured quarterback.” . . .
The coach, Ross, quickly has regained respect in San Diego, where capacity crowds are expected at Jack Murphy Stadium for the rest of the season. . . .
“Bobby is a demanding guy who accepts nothing but perfection in practice,” Hamilton said. “Game days are easier for the Chargers than practice days. He keeps hammering them. His team doesn’t believe it has accomplished anything yet.” . . .
In three games, the Chargers have thrown opponents for losses or held them to no gain 27 times. On Sunday, Leslie O’Neal sacked Rick Mirer three times, which was twice more than the Raiders got to him a week earlier. . . .
“They’re blitzing from everywhere, which they’ve never done before under (defensive coordinator Bill) Arnsparger,” Hamilton said. “That forces a lot of turnovers. Of course, this is a gambling defense and it has a propensity to give up big yardage on third-down plays.” . . .
The quarterback, Stan Humphries, is well and delivering bombs after having been bothered by a bad shoulder last season. . . .
“Humphries is the equal to Jeff Hostetler,” Hamilton said. “He’s mobile, tough, fiery and has a gun for an arm. The Chargers went through 17 quarterbacks trying to find a replacement for Dan Fouts. They went to Canada, the unemployment line, and the draft. Then they stole one from Washington.” . . .
Sounds like a nice matchup Sunday at the Coliseum. . . .
“It should be awesome,” Hamilton said. “The Raiders are a lot of fun to watch on offense. The Chargers would convince a lot of people they’re for real with another win on the road.” . . .
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How strange it is to find a Bill Parcells-coached team, the New England Patriots, leading the NFL in points scored and next to last in points allowed. . . .
Notre Dame is the only football team among the big three in the state of Indiana that isn’t unbeaten. Of course, the Irish haven’t had the opportunity to play Cincinnati and Miami of Ohio, like Indiana, or Toledo and Ball State, like Purdue. . . .
Asked how he has reacted to Nebraska winters, Brenden Stai, the Cornhusker senior guard from Yorba Linda, said, “It hasn’t been bad. They used to call me ‘Polar Bear’ in California because I swam in the ocean in the winter.” . . .
The way the Oilers and Cougars are going, Houston must miss the Astros. . . .
Brandon Loyd, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Oklahoma who reportedly is in the Mark Price mold, has made an unwritten commitment to UCLA. . . .
Best confrontation in the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs might be between Ron McAnally’s Call Now and Wayne Lukas’ Flanders in the Juvenile Fillies. . . .
The Yonex U.S. Badminton Open will be played this weekend at Pauley Pavilion. Did you know that badminton is the world’s fastest racket sport and that the shuttlecocks reach speeds of more than 200 m.p.h.? . . .
Bruce McNall’s home in Bel Air has been put up for sale. The asking price is $5,590,000. . . .
It should have come as no surprise that Sports Illustrated left such obvious choices as Willie Mays and Wilt Chamberlain off its list of the 40 most influential people in sports the past 40 years. The more controversial the choices, the more attention they receive. . . .
I wonder who would dominate a scrimmage between the Arizona Cardinals’ offense and the Denver Broncos’ defense.