LA Approves Stadium Plan, Buffalo Freaking Out...???

((HT: WGRZ-TV Buffalo))

The HQ has figured for a long time that LA would get an NFL team, but not an expansion one...

There are plenty of ideas in play and while we like San Diego getting back to where they once belonged... Minnesota, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Oakland, and Buffalo are always being mentioned as moving fodder...

Ben Hayes caught up with ESPNLosAngeles' Arash Markazi and grilled him on the particulars about Buffalo and the pick-six...


Fox 5 and Walter Makaula in San Diego also pursued the idea as well...

Looks like the Ron Rivera era begins in Carolina on Tuesday

Ron Rivera/Courtesy: boltsfromtheblue.com

((ht: signonsandiego.com))

Well, Jerry Richardson and the Carolina Panthers didn't take long. They let go long time coach John Fox at the end of this season after a 10-year run with a lot of early success and not much the past two years.

Now comes word that it will be Rivera time in Charlotte, if and when next season starts. The Panthers have brought in San Diego defensive coordinator and perennial coaching candidate Ron Rivera for a second job interview. According to the San Diego Tribune newspaper, unless he says something incredibly stupid today, Rivera will be announced as the Panthers new head coach tomorrow.

Your story from Signonsandiego.com is RIGHT HERE

If indeed this move happens in the morning, we wish Rivera a lot of luck. Though it won't be of the Andrew Luck kind. He's gonna need some help. The Panthers were the worst team in the NFL last season. The foundation of the team is gone and they don't really have the money to overhaul it.

We guess, on the good side, he's got a young, high draft pick QB in Jimmy Clausen and some good defensive holdover players. But the NFC South is a "MF" of a conference to play in when you are facing the Bucs, Falcons and Saints...all 10-win teams this season.

Here's Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com saying it will be done.

BREAKING: Anschutz To Purchase Piece Of Chargers

((HT: FAN590 Toronto))

THE FAN 590's Bob McCown, on his afternoon "Prime Time Sports" program is reporting that billionaire Philip Anschutz either has or will be purchasing up to 35% of the NFL's San Diego Chargers, with the intent of moving the Chargers to Los Angeles.

The Spanos family announced their intent to sell that portion a while back, and now it looks like the first stage of removing the Chargers from the Qualcomm Stadium lease issues in the past years.

Here's some sound from 2009 involving California assemblyman Nathan Fletcher and his attempts to ask AB 81XXX be amended to forbid the City of Industry's environmental regulations exemption from being leveraged to lure any existing California-based professional sports team to the new City of Industry stadium.

His amendment failed by a vote of 29-22...


And an interview with The Voice of San Diego's Liam Dillon on KPBS-TV's "The Reporters" discussing the legal issues of a new San Diego stadium last football season...


More when we know more...

DEVELOPING STORY: Junior Seau Drives Off A Cliff, In Hospital

Junior Seau has some issues.

According to Oceanside, California police, Seau was arrested around midnight Sunday on a charge of felony spousal assault with injury allegedly involving his live-in girlfriend.

San Diego sheriff's Lieutenant Phil Brust says Seau was released from jail around 3:30 a.m., about five hours before the crash.

After Seau was released, he drove his 2005 Cadillac Escalade off a cliff in Carlsbad, California. According to police on the scene Seau was pulled from the wreckage with cuts and bruises and taken to a hospital in La Jolla.

Richard Doan, who answered the phone of a woman who works for Seau's foundation, says Seau is shaken up but appears to have escaped serious injury.

Here's early returns from our friends at CW6 in San Diego...


More when we know more.

Photos Courtesy: Boston Herald, Ryan Sattley

Chargers and Padres Visited By DEA

((HT: San Diego Union-Tribune/Schrotenboer))

When Chargers D-Back Kevin Ellison was arrested last month, the amount of pain medication in his possession raised a few eyebrows with the DEA. Ellison has since been waived and picked up by Seattle ((natch...)), but the DEA visited the offices of both San Diego sports franchises to check on the files.

The DEA served "administration inspection warrants" to both teams, and they went rummaging through Lord knows what since the warrants are under federal seal at present.

In a statement, the DEA said it was “in an attempt to verify the correctness of controlled substance inventories, records, reports and other documents required to be kept under the Controlled Substances Act and for the purpose of protecting the public health and safety.”

Well, there you go then...

Team coverage, with a bunch of full screened statements and no one coming on camera to talk, comes from our friends at Fox5 in San Diego...
 

Ellison's agent maintains that his client is not a part of the investigation at all.

Don Coryell moves on....

One of football's greatest minds moved on last night.

Don Coryell. Air Coryell to those of us who were growing up in the late 70's and early 80's passed away last night at the age of 85. His health hadn't been very good the past few years.

Coryell was an innovator and creator of one the truly great offensive football systems in NFL history. His run in San Diego with Dan Fouts as the quarterback were among the most impressive ever and still stand as a model today.

Read more from signonsandiego.com RIGHT HERE

((Don Coryell/Courtesy:cbs8.com))

His offense had guys like Charlie Joiner and Kellen Winslow and John Jefferson, guys who put up just insane, pinball like numbers. The Chargers had some success during that period, making the playoffs, but never quite made it to the Super Bowl.

Coryell also coached the St. Louis Cardinals back in the early 70's and at San Diego State previous to that. He's a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

This clip is hard for life-long Miami Dolphin fan to digest, but is still considered one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history. The Dolphins vs. the Chargers in the 1981 AFC Division Playoffs. Thanks You Tube:

No more L.T. Shuffle...Tomlinson Released

Another message that Professional Football Running Backs have a short life-span was confirmed today. The San Diego Chargers released there most popular player, all-time leading rusher and scorer, LaDanian Tomlinson.

Tomlinson, who is now 30 years old and in his 9th season, has seen his productivity and playing time decline over the past couple of seasons was also the highest paid player on the team. He was also apparently due a $2 million dollar bonus come March.

The story from SignonSanDiego.com RIGHT HERE

((Tomlinson leaves the Chargers//Courtesy: KC Alfred/San-Diego Union-Tribune))

L.T, a surefire Hall of Famer, now is looking for work. The market place for Free Agents in the NFL will never be more lucrative than it will this season. However, the marketplace for 30+ year old Running Backs may not be quite as high. It's an unfortunate turn of events for someone identified throughout his career with one team. As many who follow the NFL know, when players leave that team at this point in their career, rarely are they as successful as they were earlier on.

Check out this "Behind the Scenes story on Tomlinson...Courtesy: The You Tube

The LT Slide

We really don't have any reason to post this video other than the fact that it is pretty damn funny...at least in a Sports kind of way. Since we have been busily reporting Carousel and other coaching related issues...I feel it is only appropriate to throw something mildly amusing in there. In this case it is something related to the NFL Playoffs.

Enjoy the video of the most famous of the San Diego Chargers Running Backs and maybe even think about this as you see him play against the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.

So without further delay...we here at OSG HQ give you something that we stumbled on (hopefully we just aren't the last people to see this). Enjoy..."The LT Slide!!!"...Thanks You Tube:

Merriman incident is Bizarre...

We know now that San Diego Chargers Linebacker Shawne Merriman is in trouble for allegedly attempting to choke MTV Reality Star Tila Tequila. Does anybody else think that this whole thing is just plain weird? Not the allegation of possible violence, but rather that Merriman apparently has some sort of relationship with this person. I always wondered how someone becomes a "Reality" star...but eh...I'm getting old too.

A story from the L.A. Times appears here .

Some opinion from the San Diego Union-Tribune here.

((The loving couple photo//Courtesy: nbcsandiego.com)

San Diego Police are still investigating the incident, one which they aren't quite sure exactly what happened. They do know that Tequila (real name Nguyen) was in the driveway of Merriman's home when they pulled up and that she was intoxicated and claiming injury. She was transported to a local hospital and wanted to make a "Citizen's Arrest". They don't know if Merriman was intoxicated or what exactly happened, but because of the "Citizen's Arrest" complaint, they were compelled to arrest him.

Merriman, spoke briefly upon bonding out of jail, his lawyer saying "At no time did Mr. Merriman assault her; at no time did Mr.Merriman keep her against her will. His intentions were nothing but good"

This sounds like it will keep the entertainment media hopping for the next few days. It's probably also the last thing the Chargers need as they close in on their opening game this coming weekend. No doubt there will be more to this story and we will keep track of it....I think.

Chargers Prospect Shot In Philadelphia

((HT: WPVI-TV/Denise James))

Curtis Brinkley, once a star football player for Philadelphia's West Catholic High School and who recently signed with the San Diego Chargers, was shot while sitting in his car on a city street.

The wounded 23-year-old was found just after midnight Friday by a police officer, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Police say Brinkley was sitting in his car at the intersection of Spring Avenue and Ashbourne Road in Elkins Park. That's when the gunman walked up to Brinkley's car, shot him repeatedly, then ran back to a waiting car and sped off.

Somehow, Brinkley managed to hit the gas and start driving.

The 2004 West Catholic graduate drove about a quarter of a mile, then stopped at the intersection of West Cheltenham Avenue and Oak Lane Road.

A police officer, who was responding to reports of gunshots in the area, found Brinkley parked near a Sunoco station.

The officer took Brinkley to Einstein Hospital.

His family says he was shot in the shoulder and the leg and is awaiting surgery. His relatives say they are glad his injuries are not life-threatening, but are concerned they may impact his NFL prospects.

The gunman remains on the loose.

Investigators have not yet indicated if they have a motive in the shooting.

However Brinkley's uncle, George Brinkley, says his nephew was on his way to pick up his sister, and may have been shot by the sister's boyfriend, who she had argued with.

"She called her brother. He wasn't there, he wasn't a party to whatever happened. He comes and picks her up. From what I understand, [the boyfriend] saw a guy picking her up, and started shooting."

After graduating from West Catholic, Brinkley went on to play for Syracuse University until last year. In April, Brinkley signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers.

Brinkley is supposed to go to camp next month as one of 18 rookie free agents vying for one or two spots on the roster.

"This is a setback," George Brinkley said. "Hopefully the NFL, the Chargers, will understand the circumstances. It wasn't like he was around some unfavorable people. He was going to pick up his sister. He was innocent, not knowing what's going on, then he gets hurt."

Here's Denise James at Einstein Hospital with the latest

Vaughn Martin Drafted By The Chargers

((HT: The Score))

Our friends at The Score TV Network in Canada caught up with UWO undergrad Vaughn Martin after being drafted by the Chargers. Here's the interview to get your post-draft reaction from north of the border.

Merriman Acknowledges Return Of Senses...Out For Year...

First, it was New England Patriots QB Tom Brady that sent fantasy football owners scurrying for their waiver wires this week. Now, any of them that had the San Diego Chargers defense may have to go looking elsewhere...

After only four opinions, and ignoring them all, Bolts LB Shawne Merriman ((pictured, thanks Getty Images)) has decided he will not play in the 2008 season after all- opting for season-ending surgery on his left knee. The ACL and PCL were torn in a game against the Tennessee Titans last December.

Quoting Jay Glazer and foxsports.com
"Shawne informed me he did not feel right and thought it best to shut it down," Smith said in a statement. "The road to winning the AFC West just got more difficult, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Shawne is a great player and an inspirational leader. He will be missed. We wish him a successful surgery and a speedy recovery."

More from San Diego when they recover from their collective faint...

Curious Case of The Schottenheimer

You know, I guess this really isn’t a good time to be a Head Coach in Sports anymore. Well, check that...maybe it is, I don’t know. I always thought that my business (TV) was wacky, crazy and didn’t make any sense, but geez…Coaching takes it to a whole different level.

Curious Case of The Schottenheimer

Okay, anyone who thinks that the owner and the General Manager of the San Diego Chargers are idiots, please raise their hands. They just fired, well after the “Coaching Carousel” came to a halt, a head coach who basically rebuilt a struggling, moribund franchise and made it one of the most exciting in football.

I’ll grant you “Marty’s Curse” otherwise known as the playoffs, probably factored into things but come on…this just reeks of stupid. This was done after roughly 65% of the Coaching Staff found other jobs. Charger Owner Dean Spanos blamed that as a “Primary” reason for the change. Come on “DEAN”…are you really that stupid? Did you ever think that the coaches left…because they got better opportunities? Gosh, maybe Cam Cameron or Wade Phillips would stay out of the kindness of their hearts instead of…oh…taking Head Coaching jobs. Come to think of it…Rob Chudzinski and most of the others got promotions too. But no…in Dean’s world that meant that his coach (Marty) had problems.

Another part of this apparently was the team General Manager…A.J. Smith. Apparently, he felt, the rebuilt Chargers were all his doing. He and Schottenheimer feuded…sometimes publicly on personnel and other issues. Okay, great – it’s not like that doesn’t happen with other teams. But apparently, he couldn’t exist with someone who didn’t think he could be “The Man.”

Act Like Grownups…

Never let it be said that those in Football management always act like adults. They don’t. With these folks, you are dealing with egos that sometimes are too big for the stadiums that they play in. They truly believe if they’ve had “any” success…that it was from their genius. Yeah…right.

The Curious Case of the Schottenheimer boils down to this: Ego. In the long run…Marty will be fine, in fact, probably better off. The Chargers…not so much. Sure, they’ll find someone to coach LaDanian Tomlinson and their other stars, but I’m betting they won’t be as successful. I mean come on…who’s left to Coach these guys…Norv Turner? (Webmaster's Note: This was written on February 13. I've been swamped and haven't posted it. Phil is our resident Carnak.)

--Phil Cantor

“The Time has Come, my song is over, thought I’d something more to say” Time- (Pink Floyd)