So the fans vote of the greatest Chargers is in, and it's a pretty solid list for a team that's never won a Super Bowl -- and only been to one. I'd put these guys up against a lot of other teams.
My picks are only a slight variation.
Quarterback: Dan Fouts, though Philip Rivers might pass him by the time he's done.
Running back: LaDainian Tomlinson has done the most for the Bolts and will be in the Hall of Fame but Chuck Muncie might have been better.
Receiver: Lance Alworth and Charlie Joiner.
Tight End: Kellen Winslow, but Antonio Gates if he gets healthy might have more staying power.
Offensive line: Ron Mix, Russ Washington, Ed White and Don Macek were among the best in the NFL ever.
Defensive line: Jamal Williams is the best, easily. Fred Dean did his best work for the 49ers.
Linebacker: Junior Seau by a mile.
Defensive backs: same with Gill Byrd.
Punter: Mike Scifres gets the very close nod over Darren Bennett for consistency.
Placekicker: John Carney goes down as one of the NFL's greatest.
Coach: Not Norv? Come on! Bobby Ross got the Bolts to the Super Bowl, but Don Coryell was around for longer, built the franchise and would have made the 1982 Super Bowl but for frigid conditions in Cincinnati in the AFC championship game. And if they'd made it, they would have crushed the 49ers.
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BTW, how does 9-3 sound? If the Bolts can survive the road trip in Denver, the next two games are against truly pathetic franchises, the Chiefs and the Browns. I heard someone on TV say the Browns have scored something like five offensive touchdowns in their last 30 games. That can't be correct, can it? Even if the specific numbers are off, the point is they really suck offensively.
Dec. 13, they play at Dallas. This has been a yo-yo year for America's team, snicker, but there's no denying their talent.
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Boy, college basketball is not an easy game. After successful openers, both San Diego State and USD men's teams fell on the road to pretty decent clubs in Northern California.
SDSU couldn't buy a hoop in the early-going and lost by 22 at St. Mary's. Yes, the Aztecs have talent. The question is whether we fans have patience. It will take time for all the new guys to mesh. Tyrone Shelley and Billy White were clearly hobbled by their injuries, so it might be a while before they're in game shape. Look for a couple more non-conference setbacks before they get things rolling.
USD looked so good against Stanford with contributing big men and Brandon Johnson looking like his old self. At Pacific, the big men added next to nothing and Johnson played just 20 minutes after hurting a hamstring. The Toreros are going to struggle against physical opponents this season.
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