Open Mike

Padres Fans, Save Your Money!

2008-10-17T03:17:00Z

A note to Padres fans: Don’t waste your money in 2009.

There are rumors circulating that the Padres are in talks to trade Jake Peavy. You read that right. The morons, I mean, front-office brass of the Padres, want to trade their ace, Jake Peavy. What does this mean for the organization? It means they are too cheap to ever win a championship.

Peavy is going into his second year of a 6-year deal. He is scheduled to make $8 million in 2009, $15 million in 2010, $16 million in 2011, $17 million in 2012, and he has a club option for $22 million in 2013. The organization has said they are only a few pieces away from contending, but want to dump Peavy now? They would only have to pay $8 million next year for him! I can think of other players who have made more and done significantly less for the team. Ever heard of Brian Giles?!!!

The story about the dreaded Padres gets better. They want to re-sign Trevor Hoffman and Brian Giles. Giles made over $9 million last year to hit a whopping 12 home runs. Terrible. And Hoffman made $7.5 million dollars last year for 30 saves, 4 blown saves, a 3-6 record, and an ERA of 3.77. What the hell is wrong with these morons, I mean, front-office?

The stunning part of this whole deal is that the Padres may also include Khalil Greene in the Jake Peavy deal. He will make $6.5 million next year. Can you see the writing on the wall? This team is getting cheaper and dumber! Are the fans this dumb? I certainly hope not. Save your money Padres fans, because it looks like John Moores will be doing the same.

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is open.

Norv Turner Must Go!

2008-10-07T06:03:00Z

Norv Turner is killing the Chargers. Who is to blame for the slow start each week? Norv Turner. Who is predictable when it comes to play-calling? Norv Turner? Who is the worst motivator of all-time? Norv Turner.

It took just a little over a year for the real Norv Turner to show up. He is one of the worst coaches of all-time. Don’t believe me? Here is his record as an NFL head coach: 71-90-1. That is a .441 winning percentage. That does not win championships. That gets you fired! And that is what Chargers fans need right now.

How can you have so much talent and not win games? Every week the Chargers get down in the game early and have to claw their way back. And every week we talk about how Norv makes great adjustments at halftime. How about we try something different for once? Don’t get down early! Norv Turner is unprepared every game. This would never happen under Marty’s watch. He was the best motivator for that team. They slipped up in his final playoff game, but we all know (except for A.J. Smith and the Spanos family) that the players blew that game…not Marty!

The Chargers need help fast. The season is falling apart quickly, and the schedule really gets tough in the next 3 weeks. Fire Norv! Bring back Marty!

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is open.

CHARGERS 1ST QUARTER REPORT CARD

2008-10-03T00:26:00Z

1ST QUARTER REPORT CARD

NAME: SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

DATE: OCTOBER 2ND, 2008

It is time for the 1st ever, Open Mike, 1st Quarter Grade chart for the San Diego Chargers. After years of hearing my mom complain about having to give grades to students in her 3rd grade class, I figured I could suck it up for a few hours and give it a try. Time to get out my red pen!

CHARGERS OFFENSE

I am slightly confused with this offense right now. They rank #1 in the NFL in points scored per game, but there are some concerning issues. In the 4 games so far, each game they have started out like a fat horse getting out of the starting gate. Do they not know what time kickoff is? Is there a chance they like to let the other team score first so there is some sense of urgency? Are they trying to give me a heart attack each game? Philip Rivers has looked great. There have been a few sketchy throws, but remember, he had freakin’ ACL surgery 8 months ago! He probably shouldn’t even be playing right now! The biggest question mark is LaDainian Tomlinson. His toe injury has definitely slowed down his game. However, is this really the problem? Or, has he lost a step? Man, I hope not. He only broke 100 yards the last game because he sealed the deal with a 41 yard touchdown run. Take that away, and it’s another poor running day for LT. Overall, the offense needs to start out quicker and get LT going. We’ll know a lot in the next 4 weeks if LT has lost that step. GRADE: B

CHARGERS DEFENSE

I have one word to describe the defense, UGLY. Actually, I have some other words, but I am not allowed to post them. The secondary is getting burned constantly. The line is getting almost no pressure up front. And Antonio Cromartie is getting beat more times than a red-headed step-child! YIKES! Here are some stunning rankings: 32nd in pass yards allowed per game, 28th in total yards allowed per game, and 27th in points allowed per game. OUCH! Thank god the offense has scored some points to get this team to a 2-2 record. There is good news though. The defense stepped up with 6 sacks last week…even though it was against the weak-ass Raiders offensive line. The defense also played decent against the Jets. They did give up a lot of passing yards, but that was mostly late in the 2nd half when the game was out of reach. GRADE: D+

SPECIAL TEAMS

Darren Sproles is the man! Stay healthy my friend. Please, stay healthy! What can you say about this kid? He just won the Special Teams Player of the Month Award. He has a kickoff return average of 32.4 yards per return which ranks him 2nd in the league. He also tied a team record with that 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Broncos. The kick return team has been excellent. However, the kick return coverage has been awful. What the hell has happened? They haven’t looked this bad in years! They rank 26th in the league in kick return average…which pretty much sucks because it gives the opponents almost a sure opportunity to score points. As our former sports producer used to yell all the time, “It’s all about field position!”. This has to improve if the Chargers expect to go far into the playoffs. GRADE: C

HEAD COACH

I miss Marty. That’s right, I said it. Marty always had the team prepared to play. With Norv it seems like the team is going through the motions. However, he has been a great coach when it comes to making adjustments at the half. His pre-game planning sucks, but he knows how to fix it. But, if the team wasn’t so bad in the first half, adjustments wouldn’t need to be made. I just wish he was a little more animated when it came to firing up the team at game-time. He runs the offense well and doesn’t do anything too stupid. Get this team to the Super Bowl, and I will shut up about Marty. GRADE: B

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is Open

NOTE TO CHARGERS FANS: GET OVER IT!

2008-09-16T05:41:00Z

ED HOCHULI DID NOT COST THE CHARGERS THE GAME AGAINST THE BRONCOS! IT WAS THE PATHETIC DEFENSE! DID HOCHULI MAKE A MISTAKE? YES. AND HE ADMITTED IT! DID THE CHARGERS ALLOW ALMOST 500 YARDS OF OFFENSE BY THE BRONCOS? YES…AND NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THAT! THAT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING DISPLAY OF DEFENSE. THE SECONDARY GOT LIT UP…ALL DAY!

IF YOU GIVE UP 39 POINTS IN THE GAME, YOU DON’T DESERVE TO WIN. I DON’T CARE THAT THE OFFENSE CAME BACK. I DON’T CARE THAT THE TEAM FOUGHT BACK ON THE ROAD. I DON’T CARE THAT JAY CUTLER “FUMBLED”! THE DEFENSE DID NOT PUT ANY PRESSURE ON THE QUARTERBACK. I NEVER HEARD JAMAAL WILLIAMS’ NAME CALLED. I NEVER HEARD LUIS CASTILLO’S NAME CALLED. THE ONLY NAME I HEARD CALLED ON DEFENSE WAS ANTONIO CROMARTIE…AS IN “PASS INTERFERENCE, ANTONIO CROMARTIE. HOLDING, ANTONIO CROMARTIE. FACEMASK, ANTONIO CROMARTIE.”

NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT THE END OF THE GAME AGAIN. ONCE ED HOCHULI MADE THE BAD CALL, THERE WERE STILL 3 MORE PLAYS TO GO. THE CHARGERS STOPPED THE FIRST PLAY…A 7 YARD RUN TO THE 3 YARD LINE. BUT, ON 4TH AND GOAL, THE SECONDARY GOT BURNED AGAIN. ERIC WEDDLE GOT BEAT…JUST LIKE LAST WEEK AGAINST THE PANTHERS. FINALLY, ON THE 2-POINT CONVERSION, WEDDLE GOT BEAT AGAIN. I AM TIRED OF HEARING HOW GREAT WEDDLE IS! AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, HE HASN’T DONE A DAMN THING THIS YEAR! WHAT A GREAT ACQUISITION IN THE DRAFT A.J. SMITH!!!!

THESE PLAYERS NEED TO STOP BELIEVING THE HYPE. STOP LISTENING TO THE MEDIA REPORTS ABOUT HOW GREAT THEY ARE. AT THIS PACE, THEY WILL BE LUCKY TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. IT IS TIME TO STOP WHINING ABOUT THE OFFICIATING! PLAY LIKE REAL MEN...NOW!

AGREE? DISAGREE? THE MIKE IS OPEN

Good Luck Maddux!

2008-08-20T01:27:00Z

Another future Hall of Famer leaves San Diego…only this time the player is near the end of his career (anyone remember Ozzie Smith?). Greg Maddux is leaving to go to the Dodgers. He waived his no-trade clause so he can play for a contender. Wouldn’t you?

Now for the fun part! I would almost bet my salary (which really is miniscule) that the Padres will get 2 minor league pitchers in return. This backwards organization knows they need hitters in their system. Yet they always do the stupid thing and get more pitching. Pitching can win championships, but there needs to be some freakin’ offense. How many times have the Padres lost this year because they can’t score runs? I would bet it was every time!

The funny part about this trade is that there is a great chance the team will only get cash in return. This is extremely common when you are the Padres. They spend no money, and then trade guys for cash. The team is scared to spend, and it is finally biting them in the ass. Attendance is way down this year. The fans are not stupid. They know mediocrity when they see it. And they are certainly seeing it this year. Padres fans will not waste money to see this junk and now the organization needs to make a decision. It is time to spend on free agents and bring back the fans. Or they can do absolutely nothing and continue to lose fans and money.

Getting back to Maddux. He really wasn’t worth $10 million dollars, but what he brings to the clubhouse can be priceless. His leadership and attitude is what this team needed and now it is gone. Adios Greg. Thanks for your year and a half here. You surely deserved better. It’s not your fault that the Padres are a joke. It’s not your fault that you have 11 no decisions. It’s not your fault that you leave here with a 6-9 record this year. You can blame the front office for all of that.

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is open.

Brian Giles: What a Joke!

2008-08-11T00:25:00Z

Is it just me or is Brian Giles an idiot for deciding to stay in San Diego? His career is winding down. He gets an opportunity to play for a possible champion. He turns it down to stay with the Padres?!!! Giles is the perfect example of the type of player that Padres management has brought in here. He doesn't care about winning a championship. He only wants to collect a check and play in San Diego. Are these the types of players we want to root for? Do we want a bunch of overpaid athletes that are coming back to their hometown of San Diego to finish their careers? What an absolute joke!

Maybe Giles just doesn't understand. He will not get another chance to play for a champion. The Padres are not contending this year. And judging by the spending of this organization, they will not contend for a long time. He should have taken this one opportunity to win. His career is almost over and his chances of getting a ring are dwindling by the day. I know, all the Brian Giles lovers will tell me he is batting close to .300. Well, guess what, I don't care. His 8 home runs are a joke. His 42 rbi's are a joke. His 9.67 million dollar salary is a joke. Brian Giles is stealing money from the Padres.

The worst part about this is that the Padres are now on the hook for the final year of his deal…which is nearly 10 million dollars. They could have received a couple minor leaguers in return and maybe get some help for their farm system. Instead, Padres fans will have to add another year to a possible rebuild of the organization. There will be no extra money to spend on free agents. (Not that they were going to spend anyway.) But, you get my point. Giles is done. The Padres are done. Any chance of a championship in San Diego is done…for a long time.

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is open.

San Diego Chargers: Super Bowl XLIII Champions

2008-08-01T07:27:00Z

It is that time of year again. Time for hard-hitting linebackers to roam free. Time for running backs to glide around the field. Time for quarterbacks to air it out. Time when grown men prepare to hold the Lombardi trophy and cry like little kids at the end of the year.

It is football season. It is dream time. The players dream of a championship. The coaches dream of a championship. The front office dreams of a championship. And best of all, the fans dream of a championship. Is this the year, we ask? I say yes.

THE CHARGERS WILL WIN THE SUPER BOWL THIS YEAR. You can count on it. You can even bet on it (not that I condone gambling). I am guaranteeing it. If they lose…wait, that is not happening. Here is why you should bet the house, Chargers fans! (once again, not condoning gambling)

It is early in training camp, but there is a quiet confidence out there. The players are so focused on the season they are only willing to talk about the first game of the year. In years past there has been a tendency to look ahead. Not with this team. Been there, done that. They are having a tough enough time talking about the first preseason game. It is only about one thing…one day at a time. No looking ahead. You prepare for today. Then you prepare for the next day. They are not looking past anything and that’s because they learned a lot from last year.

They were one of the preseason favorites last year and they got caught up in it. A slow start (1-3) left them in a big hole. It took a closed-door meeting to get the players to focus and play for tomorrow. Before you knew it, they had advanced to the AFC Championship against the hated Patriots. Man, I hate that team! And those fans! With a healthy Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates , and LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers would be defending champs. Dumb Patriots fans still won’t admit it! Man, I hate that team! And the fans! Have I mentioned that already?

Back to this season. Tomlinson is healthy. Rivers says he doesn’t even know what knee he had surgery on. Gates has been seen running on his surgically repaired toe. Chris Chambers now understands the offense and Rivers knows where to find him. Vincent Jackson is a year wiser and 10 pounds stronger. The offense is ready.

As for the defense, well, they are flying around in practice as if it were game time. Merriman actually looks stronger. Is that even possible? Eric Weddle is ready to be the starting safety. Antonio Cromartie looks as if he could have 15 interceptions this year (if the opponents are willing to try!) Quentin Jammer has quietly become one of the best cornerbacks in the league. READ THAT SENTENCE AGAIN, CHARGERS FANS! There is a reason Cromartie made all of those picks last year: quarterbacks were afraid of Jammer. The defense is ready.

It is time to dream of the first championship in San Diego. Sorry, but the Gulls and Sockers don’t count as champs. Get out your checkbooks. Mortgage the house. It is time for the first championship in San Diego. Philip Rivers keeps telling us “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” The gun has shot off. The marathon has begun.

THE CHARGERS ARE WINNING THE SUPER BOWL? BET ON IT! (not that I condone gambling)

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is open

"Hey Padres, Show Us The Money!"

2008-07-24T01:59:00Z

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Who is this *** and why does he think he can write about sports.” Well, let me tell you. I watch an average of 9 hours of sports each day, and while this may sound like a dream to you, it’s my job. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a dream job. But there are times when it’s more like a nightmare…especially when you are forced to watch Padres baseball. Remember the 22-inning marathon against the Rockies on April 17th? 22 innings, 11 hits, and 1 run for the Padres! That is tough to watch. The only enjoyable moments of that debacle were the announcers getting a little bit loopy.

In the 9 years I have been here, the Padres have amassed an astonishing 669-730 record. That computes to a .478 winning percentage. UGLY. What is wrong here? Well, let’s try to figure it out.

I think it basically comes down to money. A wise person once told me, “There are 2 kinds of owners in sports. One that doesn’t like to lose, and one that doesn’t like to lose money.” Unfortunately for all Padres fans, ours does not like to lose money. As sad as it is these days, if you want to compete, you have to spend money. Look at the success of the Red Sox, Yankees, Angels, and even the Cubs this year. Even if these teams don’t win the World Series each year, at least they are sending a potential World Series contender on the field each day. Also, these teams are selling out almost every, if not every, home game. When was the last time the Padres could say that…um, probably never.

I think the San Diego fans have been patient enough. We were promised a competitive team if the Padres got a new ballpark. The ballpark is here and the competitive team is not. This is the 5^th year in the “new” ballpark and the Padres have played in 7 postseason games with a forgettable 1-6 record. And we all know there will be no playoff games this year.

Now let’s make one thing clear. This is not an attack on the team itself. I love watching competitive baseball. But that is not happening here. I feel bad for the Padres. The players are not to blame. General Manager Kevin Towers is not to blame. CEO Sandy Alderson is not to blame. We can only blame John Moores. And there is a solution here. He needs to sell the team.

Agree? Disagree? The Mike is open.