"I may not know when to blow my whistle, but take a look at my arms."






I have so many thoughts about yesterday's exhilarating Chargers game that I could literally write 5,000 words about it.  However, I'll try to keep it concise by very briefly touching on a few issues:

Hochuli's Call:  Mind-bogglingly horrendous, indefensible and may ultimately result in the Chargers missing the playoffs this season.  However, with that said, it's not the reason San Diego lost the game.   

Chargers Defense:   This is the primary reason for the loss.  Not doubling Marshall and allowing him to catch 18 passes, next to no pass rush, getting lit up for 31 points in the 1st half and not wrapping up the ball carrier.  The coaches and players simply need to step it up.  

The Two Point Conversion:  Even if Mike Shanahan felt his defense had nothing left and he didn't want to take the chance of losing the coin toss, the decision to go for it was a bold one.  Shanahan probably has the Broncos head coaching job as long as he wants it, but he definitely would have been skewered if Cutler's pass had fallen incomplete. 

Malfunctioning Equipment:  The refs mistakenly ruled that Champ Baily intercepted a pass in the first quarter when replays clearly showed Chris Chambers' elbow and body touched the ground.  Evidently, the replay feed wasn't able to be seen on the on-field monitor by Hochuli and the call couldn't be overturned.  This led to the first touchdown of the game as the Broncos got the ball deep in Charger territory on the 29-yard line.  This kind of stuff always seems to happen to Norv Turner.  The guy just can't get a break. 

Panic Button:   I'm not pushing it yet, but my left index finger is about two centimeters away.  Injuries, ill advised defensive schemes, coaches not making the proper adjustments, poor defensive play and bad breaks have led to the team's current predicament.  An 0-2 start isn't a death knell, but if the Chargers find a way to lose next Monday night against the Jets then it's really time to turn the lights out on the season...  







With the Dallas win and Philly cover, the SDSG moved to 19-12 on the season without point spreads and 18-12-1 against the spread...  









As Sarah Palin (more on her a bit later) has repeatedly said over the past couple of weeks, "Thanks, but no thanks."  In a very surprising decision with a dozen games left in the season, Milwaukee Brewers Manager Ned Yost was kicked to the curb.  In what has to be an unprecedented move so late in the season, General Manager Doug Melvin felt that Yost wasn't the right guy for the job even though the team is tied with the Phillies for a wildcard berth.  So after Jim Gantner, Don Money, Bill Spiers, Ed Romero, and Billy Bates all passed, Dale Sveum got the gig for the next two weeks.  Since the Brewers haven't sniffed the post season since 1982, I'll be rooting for my home town team to make it back to the promised land... 








My nine year old daughter brings me constant joy on a daily basis.  However, I can only imagine how I'll feel when she gets her first kill... 

"What, you mean everyone doesn't have one of these?" 







DWTS gets started in less than a week (September 22nd) and it's time to take another quick look at the odds for each "celebrity" to win it all:


"Celebrity"            Opening Odds      Current Odds 

Kim Kardashian          30:1                   15:1 
Lance Bass                   4:1                      4:1
Toni Braxton                 5:2                     5:2
Brooke Burke                2:1                     6:1  
Maurice Greene          40:1                   35:1
Cody Linley                  35:1                  30:1
Susan Lucci                  20:1                  20:1
Misty May-Treanor       7:1                    7:1
Rocco Dispirito            30:1                  40:1
Cloris Leachman       100:1                150:1   (and now 2:1 that she'll die dancing on live tv)
Jeff Ross                       75:1                100:1  
Warren Sapp            18:1                     8:1    (Big Warren is moving up the board) 
Ted McGinley               45:1                  40:1