The Chargers missed the playoffs despite having the NFL's No. 2-ranked offense and top-ranked defense. Still, Dean Spanos told the San Diego Union-Tribune that both Norv Turner and A.J. Smith will return next season. Ownership backs AJ and AJ backs Norv.
"The easiest thing in the world is to start over. Who the hell do I go hire? Blow the whole thing up? We're a pretty good team but we have to make the right moves," Spanos told the newspaper. "We've fallen. It could have been our draft picks or our free-agent moves. But we have a good core, and I don'’t care what anybody says, I'’m not afraid to make changes. If I thought it was warranted, I would do it. We have a good foundation here."
The Chargers' run of four straight AFC West titles came to an end Sunday when they were embarrassed by the lowly Bengals. The Chargers stumbled to a 2-5 start due to an unfathomable number of special teams blunders and turnovers, and never recovered.
"I like A.J., even though he's a bit goofy," Spanos told the newspaper. "I trust him. He'll tell you he's made mistakes. Who hasn't? But he takes chances. Sometimes you lose the bet, but if you'’re going to win a world championship, you've got to take chances. I learned that from my father in our business. A.J.'s committed 100 percent to this organization."
"It's personal and I take responsibility every game we lose," said Philip Rivers, who threw a crucial interception Sunday. "I understand it takes all of us to win a game, but certainly as a quarterback you feel like you have more of a hand in a win and a loss than anybody else who touches the ball every play.
The Chargers lost five games to teams with losing records: Seattle, St. Louis, Cincinnati and twice to Oakland.
"It starts in the division," Rivers said. "When you get swept by Oakland, you're probably not going to get in."
The Chargers have had a startling regression under Turner. He inherited a 14-2 team when Marty Schottenheimer was fired after the 2006 season because of the his dysfunctional relationship with AJ. Turner won two playoff games after the 2007 season, one playoff game after the '08 season and then the Chargers took a face-plant in a home playoff loss to the New York Jets after last season, when San Diego finished 13-3.
"It wasn't coaching. Sometimes the best thing in the world is to make very few changes," Spanos told the newspaper. "There's an image out there that Norv is my puppet. Just the opposite. The man knows what he's doing. People may have the opposite opinion. The coach is coming back. Other teams make decisions to go in another direction. I did -- four years ago. I know it's frustrating to the fans, but I believe in this coach."
Now the Chargers are out of the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
Welcome to the San Diego Sports' Fan Blog. A completely fair and VERY biased opinion of San Diego sports, mainly of the Chargers and Padres. Your comments will be greatly appreciated.....
Brad Hawpe to play first base for the Padres
It was reported Friday that the Padres have agreed to a one-year contract with Brad Hawpe to play first base.
Hawpe will replace three-time All-Star Adrian Gonzalez, who was traded to the Boston Red Sox earlier this month. Hawpe has mostly been an outfielder in seven big league seasons, with a handful of starts at first base. He was released by the Rockies in August and signed by the Rays.
The Padres had to go outside the organization to replace Gonzalez because Anthony Rizzo, one of the prospects obtained from Boston, isn't expected to be ready for perhaps a season.
Kyle Blanks, once considered the heir apparent to Gonzalez, had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in late July and is expected to be sidelined until perhaps midseason. Before he got hurt, Blanks had been moved to left field to give him playing time.
Hawpe hit a combined .245 with nine homers and 44 RBIs last year. He was an All-Star in 2009 with Colorado, hitting .285 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs.
The Padres had to go outside the organization to replace Gonzalez because Anthony Rizzo, one of the prospects obtained from Boston, isn't expected to be ready for perhaps a season.
Kyle Blanks, once considered the heir apparent to Gonzalez, had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in late July and is expected to be sidelined until perhaps midseason. Before he got hurt, Blanks had been moved to left field to give him playing time.
Hawpe hit a combined .245 with nine homers and 44 RBIs last year. He was an All-Star in 2009 with Colorado, hitting .285 with 23 homers and 86 RBIs.
Tolbert, sprained neck and shoulder
Chargers lose to the Bengals, ends playoff hopes
Source: UT
It was a fitting way for the season to effectively end. The Chargers’ 34-20 loss to the Bengals on Sunday was a metaphor for the season. The Chargers got down early and ultimately imploded. Poor play late hurt them as much as a stumble early.
The season of screw-ups is finally ending, they will not be in the playoffs for the first time since those following the 2005 season.
Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati was typical of most Chargers defeats this season.
Two dominating victories prior to Sunday had given the Chargers hope. Now they can’t even hold their heads high in failure.
This loss had a familiar flow.
The Chargers got down 13-0, appeared ready to take control in the third quarter and then gave the ball and the game back to the Bengals and, ultimately, gave the AFC West title to the Chiefs.
“This game sums up our season,” said tight end Antonio Gates, who watched from the sideline due to a foot injury. “I think about our season, I think about how our day went. We started off slow. Then we start playing. When we’re playing well, there isn’t a team in the National Football League that can beat us. But it’s trying to put everything together to try to give ourselves a chance to prove (that).”
A team that will likely finish with the league’s No.1 offense and No.1 defense could also finish with a .500 record. (As a point of reference, the previous four teams to accomplish that finished a combined 51-6 and won two Super Bowls.)
What the Chargers (8-7) thought was a wakeup call in the Dec. 5 loss to Oakland turned out instead to be a recurring nightmare. When they needed to continue to be at their best, the inconsistency came back out.
Opinions differed on what happened, with the harshest assessment coming, as it often does, from cornerback and captain Quentin Jammer. “They outplayed us the entire game,” Jammer said. “They played faster than us. They were more focused than us. Their defense outplayed our defense. Their offense outplayed our offense. The bottom line was, you could see it, they came out and played faster than we did. “Lack of focus on everybody’s part. That’s the only way I can see it. I can’t see it any other way. I’ve seen us come out and play football, and we didn’t do it … I don’t know how you lose focus on a game that has playoff implications. But we did.”
The Chargers got routed – worse than the final score indicated – by a team that might pick second in next year’s draft. They gave up big plays, many of which allowed the Bengals (4-11) to convert eight of 14 third down tries. The offense could not sustain drives.
But the Bengals were allowed to control the game from the start.
Vincent Jackson dropped an exchange from Mike Tolbert on a reverse on the Chargers’ first play from scrimmage. Jackson recovered the ball but did so 19 yards behind the line of scrimmage, at the 1. The Chargers punted two plays later, and Mike Scifres didn’t get all of a kick into a strong wind.
The Bengals took over at the San Diego 32-yard line and scored on a five-play drive.
Cincinnati went up 13-0 early in the second quarter eight plays after another windswept punt.
Failure to score on three plays from the 1-yard line late in the second quarter forced the Chargers to settle for a field goal. But the Chargers’ defense continued to stop the Bengals, and a 23-yard touchdown run by Ryan Mathews midway through the third quarter cut the Chargers’ deficit to 13-10. And another Cincinnati punt with two minutes remaining in the third quarter gave the Chargers the ball at their 21 with a chance to tie or go ahead.
But after moving to the 47-yard line, Philip Rivers’ pass over the middle was intercepted by Rey Maualuga and returned to the Chargers’ 21. The Bengals increased their tenuous lead to 10 points four plays later.
The Chargers drove to the Bengals’ 10-yard line but got just a field goal. Still within one score, though, they appeared about to stop the Bengals on the ensuing drive.
But a quick snap on third-and-seven caught cornerback Antoine Cason flat-footed, and Carson Palmer’s perfect bomb to Jerome Simpson resulted in a 59-yard touchdown and essentially ended the game.
“That’s a tough way to have it all slip through your hands,” safety Eric Weddle said. “… We weren’t playing well, but just to give it up like that, I don’t know if I’ll ever get over that.”
Poinsettia Bowl, Aztecs beat Navy 35-14
Just hours after Qualcomm being flooded, the San Diego Aztecs beat Navy 35-14 in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl with a great performance by freshman RB Ronnie Hillman. The win gave the Aztec's the first bowl victory in 41 years.
Hillman rushed for 228-yards, ran for three touchdowns and caught another as the Aztecs totaled 555 yards of offense. WR Vincent Brown also had a great game, catching eight balls for 165 yards and a touchdown.
The Aztecs led wire-to-wire with a balanced attack that accounted for 279 rushing yards and 276 passing yards, averaging 8.7 yards per play. Navy was limited to 235 yards on the ground by the Aztecs' defense, which pitched a second-half shutout.
Aztecs' QB Ryan Lindley was interception-free going 18-of-23 for 276 yards and two scores.
Hillman was names offensive MVP, he set the Poinsettia Bowl rushing record. Safety Andrew Preston was named defensive MVP with 10 tackles. Vincent Brown also set the Poinsettia Bowl record for most receiving yards, he had six catches for 143 yards.
The win gave the Aztecs, playing in their first bowl game since 1998, their most victories since the 1977 team went 10-1. It also snapped a three-game losing streak in bowl games.
The win gave the Aztecs, playing in their first bowl game since 1998, their most victories since the 1977 team went 10-1. It also snapped a three-game losing streak in bowl games.
The Aztecs scored first when Hillman broke free on a 22-yard touchdown run on the Aztecs’ second offensive possession. Hillman accounted for 37 of the 59 yards on the drive. SDSU stretched the lead to 14-0 in the first quarter on a 53-yard touchdown pass from Lindley to Brown. It was the longest touchdown pass Navy had allowed all season.
For all the talk about Navy’s running game, it was the passing game that gave the Aztecs fits in the first half. Ricky Dobbs (107 yards rushing, 147 passing) connected twice with Greg Jones on big plays. The first was a 30-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter that cut SDSU’s lead to 14-7. The second, a 40-yarder in the closing minute of the half, set up Dobbs’ 1-yard touchdown run make the score 21-14 SDSU at the break.
Navy opened the second half with a long drive that was thwarted on fourth-and-goal at the SDSU 3 when Dobbs couldn’t connect with Bo Snelson. Both coaches called that a critical turning point in a scoreless third quarter.
Navy opened the second half with a long drive that was thwarted on fourth-and-goal at the SDSU 3 when Dobbs couldn’t connect with Bo Snelson. Both coaches called that a critical turning point in a scoreless third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Hillman scored his first receiving touchdown of the season after Lindley faked a handoff to fullback Brandon Sullivan. Hillman slipped out uncovered for the 15-yard TD and a 28-14 SDSU advantage.
He added a 1-yard touchdown run with 6:07 to play.
He added a 1-yard touchdown run with 6:07 to play.
Congratulations to the SDSU Aztecs for a great performance.
Poinsettia Bowl will go on despite stadium flooding
"We have every intention of kicking off at 5:06 p.m.," said executive director Bruce Binkowski. "The stadium grounds crew will work round the clock to make sure they get in the game."
As of Wednesday, the field appeared to be under perhaps 10 inches or more of muddy water and a large portion of the parking lot was flooded as well. The parking lot is next to the San Diego River, which overflows every time it rains hard.
It rained so hard Tuesday that the two teams practiced in hotel ballrooms. SDSU held its Wednesday walkthrough on campus while Navy found a nearby high school with a turf field.
The soaking wet conditions left coaches Ken Niumatalolo of Navy and Brady Hoke of San Diego State vowing to splash through the mud, if that's what it takes. Hoke agreed, especially since the Aztecs are playing in their first bowl since 1998.
"That's part of football and part of what we've all grown up and played in that weather and had fun in that weather," Hoke said. "We plan to have fun again tomorrow night."
Navy (9-3) is coming off a 31-17 win against Army. SDSU (8-4) has enjoyed a turnaround under Hoke, the second-year coach who has instilled a sense of toughness that didn't exist under previous coaches Chuck Long and Tom Craft.
Hoke said practicing inside didn't hurt the Aztecs' preparation for Navy's triple option, which is led by quarterback Ricky Dobbs.
The Aztecs will counter with an offense led by running back Ronnie Hillman, the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year, and quarterback Ryan Lindley. Hillman set the MWC freshman single-season record with 1,304 yards, with 14 touchdowns. Lindley has thrown for 3,554 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Soggy conditions or not, this should be a good game. GO AZTECS....
John Abbamondi was hired as the new VP of the Padres
The San Diego Padres hire former St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager John Abbamondi as the VP of strategy and business analysis.
Abbamondi was the Cardinals' assistant GM for three seasons after spending four years with Major League Baseball's labor relations department, where he rose to senior director of labor economics.
A former U.S. Navy pilot, John Abbamondi is a graduate of MIT and Stanford's business school. He will start work with the Padres next month.
Abbamondi was the Cardinals' assistant GM for three seasons after spending four years with Major League Baseball's labor relations department, where he rose to senior director of labor economics.
A former U.S. Navy pilot, John Abbamondi is a graduate of MIT and Stanford's business school. He will start work with the Padres next month.
Padres sign 2B Orlando Hudson
Hudson, 33, spent the 2010 season with the Minnesota Twins and hit .268 (133-for-497) with six home runs, 24 doubles, five triples, 37 RBI, 80 runs scored and 10stolen bases in 126 games played. He started 123 games at second base last season, where he has a career .986 fielding percentage in 1,121 games. The switch-hitter is a two-time All-Star, most recently with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2009, and four-time Rawlings Gold Glove award winner.
Padres traded for SS Bartlett and close to a deal with 2B Hudson
Source: Padres
Hours after it was reported the Padres were closing in on a two-year deal with free-agent 2B Orlando Hudson, the team completed a trade with the Rays that landed SS Jason Bartlett and a player to be named later.
The Padres will send relief pitchers Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos and Brandon Gomes and infielder Cole Figueroa to the Rays for Bartlett, 31.
Bartlett, who is arbitration-eligible and due a raise from the $4 million he made last season, hit .254 with the Rays with four home runs and 47 RBIs. He missed two weeks with a strained right hamstring.
"I'm excited. I never got to the big leagues over there. I've heard the NL is a lot different," Bartlett said. "My wife and I love the beach. We're all excited. Hopefully I can be there for a while. I'm ready to go."
To acquire Bartlett, the Padres had to give up two relievers in Russell and Ramos who appeared at the Major League level in 2010. Gomes and Figueroa spent all of last season in the Minors.
Russell, who was obtained in the 2009 trade that sent Jake Peavy to the White Sox, had a 4.02 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings last season for the Padres. The right-hander spent most of last season in Triple-A Portland.
Ramos, a left-hander, had an 11.88 ERA in 8 1/3 innings for the Padres. He was 6-7 with a 3.28 ERA in 30 games, 15 of them starts, for Portland.
Gomes, a 26-year-old right-hander, was 7-2 with a 1.87 ERA in 51 games for Double-A San Antonio. Figueroa, 23, hit .303 with four home runs and 66 RBIs for Class A Lake Elsinore.
With Bartlett, the Padres acquired an everyday shortstop who has developed into a steady player the last three seasons with the Rays. He returns to the Padres who drafted him -- in the 13th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft -- before trading him to the Twins 13 months later.
Bartlett spent four seasons with the Twins before being traded as part of a six-player deal before the 2008 season to the Rays. The Rays lost to the Phillies in the World Series that season. In 2009, Bartlett hit .320 with 14 home runs and 66 RBIs in 2009.
"His value is in that he does everything well. He brings a ton to a team. He's a winning player," Hoyer said. "I don't think it was a fluke that the year they went to the World Series he was the team MVP, despite not having gaudy numbers."
Last season, the Padres used four players at shortstop: Everth Cabrera, Jerry Hairston, Lance Zawadzki and Miguel Tejada. Tejada has signed with the Giants and Zawadzki was released. The Padres still have hope of resigning Hairston in a utility role.
As for Hudson, that deal has yet to be officially announced, though Hudson said on MLB Network Radio that he had agreed to a pact. The Associated Press later reported Hudson will sign a contract for two years and $11.5 million.
On Friday, Hoyer wouldn't comment on the report about Hudson's impending signing.
The Padres aren't finished yet. The team is still considering several free agents to fill first base, a position left vacant when the Padres traded Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox for four players. Hoyer will also look to find a backup catcher to spell Nick Hundley.
Chargers crushes the 49ers, 34-7
The Chargers crushes the 49ers, thanks to the return of Vincent Jackson and the top ranked defense.
VJ caught a career-high three touchdown passes, Philip Rivers surpassed 4,000 yards passing for the third straight season and the defense had 6 sacks to win and stay alive in the AFC West race.
With Gates and Floyd out for the game because of injuries, Vincent Jackson sure stepped up. "Since I've been here, it's like I had never left," said Jackson, who had his first three TD grabs of the season, of 58, 11 and 21 yards. VJ seems to be in mid-season form after being out for 10 games.
The Chargers came within minutes of having consecutive shutouts for the first time in their 51-year history.
Rivers and Jackson came out early in the fourth quarter with the Chargers leading 31-0.
Rivers was 19-of-25 for 273 yards, giving him 4,141 for the season. He tied Hall of Famer Dan Fouts' team record set from 1979-81. Jackson had five catches for 112 yards.
On the fourth play from scrimmage, Rivers wound up and threw deep. The 6-foot-5 VJ slowed down and reached out over 6-foot Nate Clements' head to make the catch at about the 15 before outracing the cornerback into the end zone. VJ also exploited a mismatch against linebacker Takeo Spikes for an easy 11-yard catch just before halftime. VJ also pulled in a 21-yarder early in the fourth quarter, getting the ball just past the pylon.
Mike Tolbert had a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter and Nate Kaeding kicked field goals of 25 and 39 yards.
The 49ers only score came on Brian Westbrook's 3-yard run with 4:26 left.
Jeff Reed kicked a 38-yard field goal but Chargers' Antonio Garay was whistled for unnecessary roughness for trying to gain leverage, giving the 49ers first-and-goal at the 10. Smith scrambled and dived at the left pylon on third down and it was ruled a touchdown. The Chargers challenged and it was reversed, with Smith ruled down inches from the goal line. On fourth down at the 1, Siler threw Anthony Dixon for a 2-yard loss.
"I just read the play and got in there," Siler said. "I think it takes the energy and the momentum out of a team when you do something like that."
The Chargers' defense was stellar, holding the 49ers to 192 total yards, 131 yards passing and 61yards rushing.
Michael Crabtree had just three catches for 17 yards and Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis didn't have a catch until the waning minutes, finishing with one for 4 yards.
Next up, the Bengals.
Aztecs squeezes by Cal Poly
Facing a Cal Poly team picked to finish fifth in the Big West that had already lost to Montana State, Sacramento State and Division II Cal State Monterey Bay, the Aztecs did not particularly play well. Punctuated by the 0-of-18 performance behind the three-point arc. With 14 seconds left, Cal Poly was within just two points before D.J. Gay iced the game at the free-throw line.
“Things happen,” Fisher said. “We played like the score would indicate. We played just well enough to get a win. That’s not acceptable but it happened.”
The Aztecs fashion themselves as a good shooting team, but this was the second time this season they’ve had an oh-fer from three-point range, they were 0-of-7 against Wisconsin. What happens if they have another nightmare shooting performance, against a better team?
This is where Fisher is at his best, knowing that shooting is all about confidence and that confidence often is as much about perception as reality.
“My job is to make sure we believe we’re good, that we know we’re good, and then to play that way,” he said. “I think sometimes you have a game like this and you start to doubt yourself. You start carping on all the things you’re not doing, and pretty soon you can be paralyzed a little bit about a concern or fear that, here we go again.”
Blackout lifted
The Chargers announced Thursday’s game against the Niners will be televised locally. The team sold enough tickets by Tuesday’s extended deadline to avoid a blackout. hoo..hoo..
2,000 tickets remains for Niner's game
The Chargers were given an extension until 5:20 p.m. Tuesday -- 48 hours before kickoff -- to sell about 2,000 remaining seats for Thursday’s game to avoid a local television blackout. It is the Chargers’ home season finale.
Padres signed RH Dustin Moseley
Source: AP
Moseley went 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA this year in nine starts and seven relief appearances with theNew York Yankees. He earned the win in the opening game of the AL Championship Series against Texas Rangers.
Moseley spent the previous four seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Right-hander Dustin Moseley and the San Diego Padres have finalized a $900,000, one-year contract.
Moseley went 4-4 with a 4.96 ERA this year in nine starts and seven relief appearances with theNew York Yankees. He earned the win in the opening game of the AL Championship Series against Texas Rangers.
Moseley spent the previous four seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization.
Chargers stomp KC, 31-0
Chief's QB Matt Cassel didn't travel to San Diego after having an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday. It looked like the rest of the team stayed home, as well, with the way they played.
Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes and the Chargers remained remains in the AFC West race with a 31-0 win Sunday over the division leaders, Chiefs. The Chargers move in to second place with the Raiders' losing to Jacksonville, which dropped the Raiders to 6-7 and put the Chargers just one game behind the KC. A loss would have eliminated the Chargers from the division race.
The Chiefs were such a non-factor that they were held to 67 yards, the second-fewest in their history, and suffered their first regular-season shutout loss to the Chargers.
"Defensively, I'm not sure that you could play any better than that," said Chargers coach Norv Turner, who gave game balls to the offensive and defensive lines.
"It's a playoff game and we can't lose," Rivers said. "We know that. We can't look to January because there's no guarantee we are going to get there. But it's playoff football from here on out, and it still may not be enough."
The Chargers outgained the Chiefs 426 yards to 67. San Diego allowed only five first downs -- one in the second half -- to tie its team record. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, third in the NFL with 1,137 yards rushing coming in, was held to 40 yards on 10 carries.
Rivers was 18 of 24 for 226 yards and the Chargers ran for a season-high 207 yards a week after being held to 21 in a 28-13 loss to Oakland.
Darren Sproles bounced back from a concussion to catch five passes for 51 yards and run six times for 53 yards. Fullback Mike Tolbert gained 66 yards on 16 carries and scored once, and rookie Ryan Mathews had 65 yards on 16 carries and a score.
Said Chargers right tackle Jeromey Clary: "They've got fresh legs and they're all different styles of runners. Mike Tolbert is the bowling ball, Mathews is the bowling ball with a little bit more speed than Tolbert and Sproles is just good speed. They're tough to prepare for."
The Chargers are above .500 for only the second time this season. It was their first shutout since winning 27-0 at Oakland on Sept. 11, 2006.
The Chiefs were shut out for the first time since a 34-0 loss at Carolina on Oct. 5, 2008. They had only 16 yards and one first down in the second half. Croyle dropped to 0-10 as an NFL starter.
"I think if Cassel played we were going to play great anyway," Chargers safety Eric Weddle said. "That was just our mentality. Maybe they would have put up a little more yards, but I don't think one guy would have made a difference in a 31-0 game."
Rivers led the Chargers to a 21-0 halftime lead. He threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Floyd on their first drive and hit him again with a 9-yard TD pass with 40 seconds before halftime. In between, Tolbert ran 8 yards untouched for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, were outgained 256 yards to 51 yards in the first half and had only four first downs compared to San Diego's 17.
Rivers was intercepted and lost a fumble on consecutive drives in the third quarter.
Nate Kaeding kicked a 48-yard field goal Mathews scored on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter.
It was the Chiefs who started the Chargers out on what's been a mediocre season by beating San Diego 21-14 on Sept. 13. Rookie Dexter McCluster returned a punt a team-record 94 yards for a touchdown, the first of many special teams blunders.
Darren Sproles bounced back from a concussion to catch five passes for 51 yards and run six times for 53 yards. Fullback Mike Tolbert gained 66 yards on 16 carries and scored once, and rookie Ryan Mathews had 65 yards on 16 carries and a score.
Said Chargers right tackle Jeromey Clary: "They've got fresh legs and they're all different styles of runners. Mike Tolbert is the bowling ball, Mathews is the bowling ball with a little bit more speed than Tolbert and Sproles is just good speed. They're tough to prepare for."
The Chargers are above .500 for only the second time this season. It was their first shutout since winning 27-0 at Oakland on Sept. 11, 2006.
The Chiefs were shut out for the first time since a 34-0 loss at Carolina on Oct. 5, 2008. They had only 16 yards and one first down in the second half. Croyle dropped to 0-10 as an NFL starter.
"I think if Cassel played we were going to play great anyway," Chargers safety Eric Weddle said. "That was just our mentality. Maybe they would have put up a little more yards, but I don't think one guy would have made a difference in a 31-0 game."
Rivers led the Chargers to a 21-0 halftime lead. He threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Floyd on their first drive and hit him again with a 9-yard TD pass with 40 seconds before halftime. In between, Tolbert ran 8 yards untouched for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, were outgained 256 yards to 51 yards in the first half and had only four first downs compared to San Diego's 17.
Rivers was intercepted and lost a fumble on consecutive drives in the third quarter.
Nate Kaeding kicked a 48-yard field goal Mathews scored on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter.
It was the Chiefs who started the Chargers out on what's been a mediocre season by beating San Diego 21-14 on Sept. 13. Rookie Dexter McCluster returned a punt a team-record 94 yards for a touchdown, the first of many special teams blunders.
The Chargers more than returned the favor.
Aztecs beats Cal in a historic win...
When the Aztecs basketball team was ranked for the first time when the preseason poll came out, coach Steve Fisher told his players to wait until Dec. 9 to see how good they really were.
He told them to put it in their locker and look at it again on Dec. 9, the day after a pivotal game at Cal. Well, it's Dec.9 and the Aztecs are off to the best start in their 90-year school history.
The Aztecs surpassed their 1984-85 and 2006-07 teams that opened the season with eight straight wins and gave Fisher his best start in 20 full seasons as a head coach.
San Diego State wore down the Golden Bears (5-3) with their athleticism in the second half to win a road game against a Pac-10 school for the first time since December 1982 at Oregon. They had lost 20 straight road games to Pac-10 teams and hadn't beaten any team on the road from one of the six big conferences since knocking off Northwestern in December 1996.
It also allows Aztecs fans to dream a little. All that stands between this team and a 15-0 record (and almost certain Top 10 ranking) are five lower-level Division I opponents and Div. III Occidental.
“We’re a good team,” Fisher said. “To come in here and win the way we did lets a lot of people know that. It continues to create validity of who we are.”
The Aztecs did what they have in several games this season, which is lulling teams into a false sense of security in the first half, playing their bench liberally, missing open shots, muffing dunks, losing the handle on rebounds, getting in foul trouble, blowing leads.
The Aztecs shot five air balls and led by two points in the first half, then SDSU shot 17-of-24, a preposterous 70.8 percent, in the second half and went on to win by 20. That’s what happens when your bench goes 10, even 11, deep. Opposing team’s starters play heavy minutes to stay close and get tired, that's when the Aztecs pounce.
Even the official scorekeeper couldn’t keep up. The stat sheet initially said the final score was 79-57, when it really was 77-57 and gave Kawhi Leonard 22 points instead of 20.
Congratulations SDSU Aztecs for the great win...
Bartlett trade in limbo
A trade to send shortstop Jason Bartlett from the Rays to the Padres is off, for now, because the teams couldn't finalize the deal.
The Rays' trade for a pair of young pitchers in Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, a pair of right-handed pitchers, to go to the Rays are in limbo for now.
Bartlett, 31, hit .254 with a .675 OPS in 135 games for the Rays last season.
The Rays' trade for a pair of young pitchers in Cesar Ramos and Adam Russell, a pair of right-handed pitchers, to go to the Rays are in limbo for now.
Bartlett, 31, hit .254 with a .675 OPS in 135 games for the Rays last season.
SDSU head coach Brady Hoke staying...
It’s all part of the Aztecs “football excellence plan,” announced Monday, much of which was made possible by a potential $5 million “challenge gift” from donor Ron Fowler and family. The first $1 million of that donation is scheduled to arrive by early next year, with more coming in later years depending on whether other donors match Fowler’s pledges.
Hoke said he was “humbled” by it.
Padres signed RH Pitcher Aaron Harang
Former Reds right-hand pither Aaron Harang and the Padres have finalized a $4 million, one-year contract. The deal also includes a mutual option for 2012 with a buyout.
The 6-foot-7 Harang spent the past 7½ seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, winning 16 games in 2006 and 2007. But he has struggled last season, going 6-7 with a 5.32 ERA and bothered by back spasms. Harang said he's healthy and eager to pitch for the Padres.
Aaron Harang is 32 years-old, he is from San Diego and went to college at San Diego State. He joins the Padres on the same day they finalized a deal to send Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox for three prospects and a player to be named.
"I think the big thing is, we just need to find out who's going to step up now and try to take over that role," Harang said. "I know Adrian was the guy, but the cycle has got to change at some time or another, and hopefully we'll find some guys. Obviously it was a good, solid team last year. They had some scrappy players, and that's what you hope steps up, some scrappy players."
Welcome back home, Aaron...
Kevin Correia signs with the Pirates
Correia, has been a reliable pitcher for the Padres, posting a 12-11 record with a 3.91 ERA in 2009, but not as well last year going 10-10 with a 5.40 ERA. Kevin missed nearly two weeks during last season when his brother suffered an accidental death in a fall from a cliff during a hiking trip, but still managed to make 28 appearances and log 145 innings. He earned $3.6 million last season.
Good luck, Kevin...
Adrian Gonzalez, a Red Sox
Source: ESPN.com
The Boston Red Sox introduced today that the former San Diego Padres All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, as its latest member.
The source said that the two sides have left open the possibility of continued discussions toward a long-term deal for Gonzalez after the trade is in place.
Padres general manager Jed Hoyer -- who used to work in Boston's front office -- has said for some time that the Padres wouldn't be able to afford the kind of big-money contract Gonzalez would command if he hit the free-agent market.
Gonzo's name was in the mix for the Red Sox for more than a year. The Padres' front office is very familiar with Boston's prospects, as Hoyer, assistant general manager Jason McLeod and new top executive Josh Byrnes all once worked for Boston. One baseball source suggested that eventually a compromise in the seven-year, $22 million per season range might get the deal done.
The Red Sox will ship minor leaguers -- outfielder Reymond Fuentes, right-handed pitcher Casey Kelly and first baseman Anthony Rizzo -- and a player to be named later to San Diego in exchange for Gonzo.
Gonzo is a three-time All-Star who hit .298 with 31 homers and 101 RBIs last season. In five seasons with San Diego, Gonzalez has 161 homers and 501 RBIs. Including parts of two seasons with Texas, he has 168 homers and 525 RBIs.
Padres general manager Jed Hoyer -- who used to work in Boston's front office -- has said for some time that the Padres wouldn't be able to afford the kind of big-money contract Gonzalez would command if he hit the free-agent market.
Gonzo's name was in the mix for the Red Sox for more than a year. The Padres' front office is very familiar with Boston's prospects, as Hoyer, assistant general manager Jason McLeod and new top executive Josh Byrnes all once worked for Boston. One baseball source suggested that eventually a compromise in the seven-year, $22 million per season range might get the deal done.
The Padres have said they anticipate a payroll of about $40 million.
Congratulations Gonzo, us Padres' fans will miss you. Thank you for all the great hits, the big homers and the great defensive plays that you've given us. Good luck with the Red Sox and the rest of your career.
Chargers got man-handled by the Raiders
But yesterday's man-handling by the Raiders was a shocked, putting a serious crimp in the playoff hopes for the Chargers.
Jason Campbell who has beed pretty bad this year, ran for one touchdown and threw for another, and Oakland's running game, which had been non-existent in consecutive losses, piled up 251 yards.
The didn't start well for the Charger, as they turned the ball over two time in the first quarter is which the Raiders turned in to touchdowns.
The Chargers, which had gotten two straight 100-yard games from Mike Tolbert, had just 21 yards rushing, tied for seventh-lowest in team history. Tolbert had only 16 yards on seven carries.
The Raiders swept the season series for the first time since 2001.
The Chargers (6-6) are tied with Oakland for second in the division, two games behind the Chiefs with four to play. If the Chargers lose to the Chiefs next Sunday, their playoff chances would be pretty much over. Kansas City surprised San Diego 21-14 on opening night and would hold the big tiebreakers if it beats the Chargers again.
The Chargers, which had gotten two straight 100-yard games from Mike Tolbert, had just 21 yards rushing, tied for seventh-lowest in team history. Tolbert had only 16 yards on seven carries.
The Raiders swept the season series for the first time since 2001.
The Chargers (6-6) are tied with Oakland for second in the division, two games behind the Chiefs with four to play. If the Chargers lose to the Chiefs next Sunday, their playoff chances would be pretty much over. Kansas City surprised San Diego 21-14 on opening night and would hold the big tiebreakers if it beats the Chargers again.
The Chargers' streak of 18 straight December victories -- which tied an NFL record for most victories in any month -- has ended with yesterday's loss. The Chargers had been tied with the 1970-74 Miami Dolphins, who won 18 straight in Novembers.
The Chargers corrected their problems during a four-game winning streak, but then reverted to the form that showed during an ugly 2-5 start. Darren Sproles fumbled a punt early in the first quarter and the Raiders recovered at the Chargers' 18. On fourth-and-1 from the 9, the Raiders fooled the Chargers with a fake up the middle by fullback Marcel Reece while Campbell ran it in for an easy touchdown.
On the next Chargers possession, Philip Rivers overthrew Malcom Floyd and the ball went right to a Raiders' safety, who returned it 15 yards to the Chargers' 41. Campbell completed the drive with a 4-yard TD pass for a 14-0 lead.
The Chargers cut the gap to 21-13 on a 33-yard field goal by Kaeding in the third quarter and Rivers' 4-yard scoring pass to wide-open Antonio Gates with 9:59 left.
The Raiders scored a TD again with 4:35 left in the game making the final score 28-13.
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