No, to answer your question.  Novak will not beat out Tweety.  Even though there was more than one person responsible for our latest implosion, I cannot understand AJ’s position on this one.  As Whit pointed out, he has his “guys.”  Jammer, who has lately looked like his pre-2007 self, was one of those guys.  Even though he committed countless pass interference penalties and gave up crucial plays in the ‘04 and ‘06 playoff implosions, AJ extended his deal.  You could say Norv is also of AJ’s “guys.”  In the eyes of our GM, he’s bulletproof.  For AJ to say “one more fuck up and you’ll be in trouble” about Kaeding is insulting to the fans.  Winning is all about the bottom line.  The guy doesn’t have it between the ears.  To me, its representative of a larger denial of problems.

But there will be enough new blood out there that maybe they can spread something new.  Two weeks from today is the NFL’s “Back To Football” campaign.  But since we play tonight and not until late Monday of the opening weekend, I figured I’d trot out this graphic.  As I mentioned a few weeks back, all of my closest friends are in New Orleans today to celebrate my buddy DJ’s 40th.  They will actually be attending the preseason game tonight while I do the chemically and economically responsible thing by having a family weekend.  However, even though I will also be missing Tom Twomey’s trip to the Indy game, I still pledge to be at the playoff opener.  What if we miss the postseason, the devil’s advocates ask?  Then the year was a super bust.

To go to a game in January will be no small feat with Sam expecting in early February.  But my plan works perfectly for this, the “show me something” season.

I would love to see LT and Cro fail and be able to use my “Rex Ineffective” nickname for their new coach.  But if we fail again, it doesn’t matter.  Let’s be honest, if I was in New Orleans tonight, I might let my envy get the better of me and try to steal the Lombardi Trophy.  Some of the optimism I felt at the beginning of 2010 can only be restored in 2011, I won’t lie about that.  But I pledge to try to look forward and not behind us this year.  So before I depart for the weekend, with wife and child in tow, I leave you with an excerpt of my work-in-progress novel.  I am titling it Drunk On Sunday: A Lifetime Drifting Against The Grain.  This should not be confused with the hardcore band Drunk On Sunday, of whose existence I just discovered.  I am considering putting the”Chargers Chapter” right after the Grateful Dead one, so that the subsequent exaggerated anecdotes make more sense.

An Obsession, But It’s Pleasin?

I might as well get this out of the way.  Along with being a huge Deadhead (but as I’ve already pointed out, not in all the stereotypical ways that the term suggests), am gigantic San Diego Chargers fan.  I could write an entire book on this pain-inducing pursuit and perhaps someday I will.  As you’ve probably deduced, I have a tough time with moderation.  I could try to put a positive spin on it and say that I can’t do anything halfway, but the reality is that it’s not something I can even control.  When I say that I am a huge fan, I mean that I am actually affected by the outcome of a game over which I have absolutely no affect on—deeply.  I’m self aware to know how absurd this is, but I am sometimes also unable to stop myself.  Much like love of the Grateful Dead, my football fanaticism doesn’t follow the usual patterns.  I don’t wear face paint or anything like that.  However, my mood is often dictated by the travails of a team that throughout its history has either been untalented or underachieved.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Chargers’ disappointing exploits, look them up. The one year they may have been the best in the land, there was yet to be a Super Bowl to prove it.  There have also since been allegations of steroid use to further taint that season.  The year they miraculously made the Super Bowl, they were stomped by one of the all-time great squads.  From 2004 to 2009, they won 12, 13 and 14 of their 16 regular-season games, respectively.  In those seasons, they promptly imploded in their own stadium with a rash of missed field goals, fumbles, interceptions and mind-boggling personal fouls.  When you add my dedication to this heartbreaking football team to all my other obsessions, it’s a pretty tough load to carry.  I just thought I’d let you know.

That’s all for now.  Today happens to be not only the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, but of one of the best Dead shows ever played in Veneta, Oregon.  Click on the link to hear it or download it.  I am also happy to announce that I will be starting up my weekly column over at Glorify The Past next week.  This year’s edition will be entitled Pissing Lightning Bolts, after a line I heard Elisabeth Shue utter in Piranha 3-D.  How was the film, you ask?  Well, avowed Charger fan Jerry O’Connell gets his dick bit off and then eaten in three dimensions.  Yeah, I thought that was appropriate too.

RLW

Sorry I couldn’t approve any comments until last night.  I was at the Gov’t Mule show in Philly.  Afterwards, we discovered that there was a DVD player at the hotel pool.  I had to quickly buy a copy of Die Hard at the CVS across the street.   Normally, I’d be prepared for such an event.  I’ve watched the 1st half of the preseason opener on DVR.  My observations thus far:

Mathews is awesome.  We still give up a lot of passing yards.  Jammer didn’t look good.  Vasher got burned so often, I thought Cromartie was still on the team and wearing #31.  Clarey can’t stay still.

LT needs to stop talking, especially to  Pro Football Talk.   When he heard about Rivers and Gates alleged comments (they claim Acee took them out of context), he initially had no comment and said he was moving on.

I know Whit loves these “Fanhouse” articles.   PFT is almost as ghetto a source as Yahoo!  I don’t like us alienating McNeill, but maybe this is like 1994.  We lost guys like Miller, but ended up with guys who wanted it and gelled.  This still doesn’t explain why we have kept Tweety, however.  I will have a full post tomorrow after I wade through the second half.

RLW

It’s what nobody asked for–a new podcast.  However, I received an e-mail from the mypodcast people that they would take down all the old episodes at this address.  However, I realized that I could just as easily upload them to my site.  If anyone really wants to be able to download my annoying voice that badly, just e-mail me and I can send it to you.  That way you can have my senseless ramblings on your iPod as well.

That being said, I will let the old episodes expire on the other site since they are all pretty time-sensitive in material.  At least they are sensitive in some fashion.  This past weekend, my buddy Mark and I finished off a bottle of this treasure I purchased in Cozumel.  Check out the pic of the woman on the neck on the bottle.  That is one angry lady.  I also watched the “Wake Up Ron Burgundy” outtake movie.  If you haven’t seen it, the script is at that link.  The best part about it is the “Many Months Of Burgundy” datebook that comes with it.  Here are some excerpts.

Also, here is the Sports Center audition from 1979:

Also, even though it is the 15th anniversary of Jerry’s passing, I had to repost this Skynyrd pic since it really is the greatest photo of all time of anything.

Preseason begins on Saturday.

As if you didn’t know.

RLW

Yeah, LL Cool J in Wildcats.  I saw LT’s tattoo when you posted it initially Whit.  It looks like it was done with magic marker.  The Organization, even without Jim Steeg, claims they are getting me a Rivers ball to replace the Tomlinson one.  I inferred that I would let Sarah do some awful things to it.  I saw this piece today.

I was happy to see Gates and Rivers say they felt like things were a little easier without having to placate LT.  Look, AJ did the classy thing and kept him on.  God knows I begged him to do it.  Once he was hurt in the opener at Oakland, the idea was to keep him fresh for a possibly playoff push.  I thought he’d tear it up, but he looked old.  When I saw that he wasn’t surprised by the Chargers’ “comments,” I figured he meant the universal praise of Ryan Mathews.  Since I haven’t really read much about Tomlinson, and won’t allow myself to do so, I didn’t know about Gates’ and Rivers’ initial comments.

Speaking of classy, check out my buddy DJ’s preparation to crash the Will Ferrell premiere dressed as Ron Burgundy.  Guess I missed the boat not showing up at the Dinner For Schmucks premiere in my Fantana gear.

Also, just for shits and giggles:

Enjoy Jerry Week.  Apparently, they are really serious about his biopic.

Here’s some cool videos.

I guess Justin Timberlake is more than a one-hit wonder with Dick In A Box.

RLW

The ceremony is about to begin,

Again.

Sammy, Sarah and I returned from our family cruise yesterday.  Besides picking up a few bottles of tequila, I purchased something that appeared on my credit card statement as “Mayan Art.”  It’s all in the eye of the beholder.  I saw “Ryan Mathews! Full pads! Watch the video! ” on the U-T site and realized it looked like a porno listing.  Of course I still watched the clip.  Acee reported that many players suggested that they were going “back in time” to the days of a young LaDainian Tomlinson. Read the rest of this entry »