Kent Ninomiya San Diego Chargers

The Ghost of Ryan Leaf - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-12T03:14:00.002-05:00

Check out this fabulous article by Mike Sando of ESPN.com. It give Chargers fans a lot to think about. First... that Ryan Leaf still haunts us. Second... that a lot of good things might not have happened had we not blown our wad on Leaf. Most notably that we might never have drafted LaDanian Tomlinson. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Peyton Manning tossed more touchdown passes in his first 10 NFL games than Ryan Leaf threw during his career.
A decade after Indianapolis made Manning the first player drafted in 1998, leaving Leaf for San Diego at No. 2, the Chargers have recovered. Their playoff victory over Manning's Colts in January proved as much.
But the most regrettable draft outcome in San Diego sports history continues to reverberate well beyond Southern California. Leaf's quick demise impacted the quarterback fortunes of four franchises, demonstrating how draft-day mistakes can carry unintended consequences.
If Leaf had performed to expectations, Michael Vick might never have found his way to Atlanta. Drew Brees never would have flourished in San Diego, perhaps diminishing his chances of landing a long-term deal in New Orleans. The New York Giants might have been unable to swing a draft-day trade with San Diego -- or anyone else -- for franchise quarterback Eli Manning. Philip Rivers certainly wouldn't be lining up under center in San Diego.
"The one big thing with Ryan, I think he had the ability," former Chargers GM Bobby Beathard says of Leaf.And Bobby Beathard, the Chargers' general manager during the 1990s, would be fielding fewer questions about Leaf and more about his role in building seven Super Bowl teams across four decades.
"I thought then and I think today, more sure than ever, that Bobby Beathard belongs in the Hall of Fame," Colts president Bill Polian said. "You never hear his name mentioned simply because of that one pick, and to me that is a tragedy. No one, including [former Giants general manager] George Young, has done what Bobby Beathard did in his career."
Few players have undone as much as Leaf managed to undo.
"The one big thing with Ryan, I think he had the ability," said Beathard, who is retired and living in California. "When he came to the first minicamp, even the veterans were saying, 'Man, this guy can throw.' But he self-destructed. It was all the other stuff that interfered with everything he did."
Jon Niednagel was right. The brain-typing consultant had warned the Chargers against drafting Leaf, claiming the quarterback's makeup was a poor fit for the position and a terrible match for then-coach Kevin Gilbride. Beathard said he listened, but he didn't know enough about Niednagel to heed the warning. And he figured no human could possibly clash with easygoing assistant June Jones, then the team's quarterbacks coach. Leaf proved otherwise.
"Guys can be jerks, but I've never seen a guy that worked harder at alienating his teammates," Beathard said. "Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison, they came to me and said, 'Bobby, this guy is killing me.'"
Leaf's final NFL numbers said it all: 21 starts in 25 games, with 14 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and 65 sacks.
The Chargers, back in the market for a quarterback before Leaf turned 25, considered drafting Vick first overall in 2001. Contract negotiations stalled, however, and the Leaf experience was still a powerful deterrent to taking a quarterback early. The Chargers sent the first pick to Atlanta for a package that included the fifth pick, used for running back LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers, led at the time by late GM John Butler, then took Brees in the second round.
The Leaf Effect
Ryan Leaf's inability to become the Chargers' franchise quarterback impacted the futures of four notable quarterbacks.
1. Michael Vick -- Playing in Atlanta ultimately couldn't distance Vick from the negative influences of his past. Might things have turned out differently for Vick in San Diego? The Chargers decided against taking a quarterback early in the 2001 draft, and no one could blame them.
2. Drew Brees -- With the Leaf fiasco behind them, the Chargers armed Brees with a strong ground game and an all-world tight end. Brees took full advantage, eventually earning a long-term deal from New Orleans in free agency.
3. Eli Manning -- The Chargers wanted Manning, but the quarterback balked at the idea, reportedly over concerns about the organization's ability to win. No one did more than Leaf to raise those concerns.
4. Philip Rivers -- Leaf should have been in his prime when the Chargers acquired Rivers' rights from the New York Giants in the draft-day trade that sent Manning to the East Coast.
Brees had yet to emerge as a long-term starter when San Diego used the first overall choice in 2004 for another quarterback. Butler's successor, A.J. Smith, drafted Eli Manning, then sent him to the Giants for the rights to Rivers, chosen fourth overall. San Diego had used the draft to land three franchise quarterbacks in seven years.
All because Leaf bombed. And because the Colts wouldn't give San Diego a shot at the quarterback the Chargers wanted most: Peyton Manning.
Beathard had contacted Polian to inquire about the top pick's availability. Told the choice wasn't for sale, the Chargers settled for the second overall pick, acquired from Arizona for the third and 32nd picks, plus a 1999 first-rounder and two players.
"Bill told me at that time that they weren't sure which quarterback they were going to take," Beathard said. "I never knew if that was true or not, but Bill I think was being kind to say that even to this day. I do know who we would have taken. We would have taken Peyton because of my familiarity with his parents and the family. But that didn't mean there was anything bad that way with Ryan at the time."
Predraft talk painted Leaf as the more dynamic athlete and Manning as the more polished product.
"Manning-Leaf was really split when you talked to people," said Colts coach Tony Dungy, who was with Tampa Bay at the time. "We weren't looking for a quarterback, but I remember that era, and it was really split."
Polian said he knew Manning would be the likely choice about three-quarters of the way through the evaluation process. But he made no public declarations.
"I'm not a big proponent of going to college workouts because so many are scripted by the agents," Polian said, "but we worked out both guys personally without a script.
"It was obvious -- very obvious -- after the workout that Peyton far and away had the stronger arm, threw a tighter ball. Everything you had heard, all the scuttle, was that Leaf was the far better athlete, Peyton was a product of the system, Peyton had a weak arm. Just the opposite was true when you watched the workout. It drove home the idea that you better go through the process."
Had the Chargers stayed in the third spot, they would have considered Andre Wadsworth, Charles Woodson, Fred Taylor and Grant Wistrom, according to Beathard.
"I loved Fred Taylor," Beathard said. "I really thought that guy was something. He was such an instinctive running back."
Taylor went ninth overall to Jacksonville, where he has 10,715 yards rushing and is coming off a Pro Bowl season at age 32. Woodson and Wistrom have also enjoyed long, productive careers. Wadsworth went to Arizona at No. 3, but knee injuries derailed his career almost before it began.

If Ryan Leaf had performed to expectations, the careers of (from left) quarterbacks Drew Brees, Michael Vick, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers could have started quite differently.
"Afterwards I thought, 'I wonder if that trade hadn't worked out and we took Wadsworth, maybe Wadsworth wouldn't have been hurt and maybe he would have been a good pass-rusher and that would have worked out,'" Beathard said.
Had San Diego held onto its 1999 first-round choice, which Arizona used for receiver David Boston at No. 8 overall, the Chargers probably would have drafted defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, who slipped to Tampa Bay at No. 15.
"McFarland was amazing," Beathard said. "He was a guy that could be taken way up probably higher than even the eighth pick and be a good pick, if he controlled his weight."
In the end, the Chargers simply couldn't pass up a shot at a franchise quarterback. And Beathard was well qualified to make the call.
The longtime personnel evaluator helped bring future Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien to the Washington Redskins as a sixth-round choice in 1986. Beathard made Stan Humphries a sixth-round choice two years later, eventually bringing him to San Diego, where Humphries led the Chargers to their lone Super Bowl appearance.
While Humphries was still developing in 1993, Beathard used the Chargers' eighth-round pick that year for Trent Green, another future NFL starter.
Coaches showed little interest in developing Green, who lasted only one season in San Diego. When Humphries' body broke down, leading to his retirement after the 1997 season, the Chargers suddenly needed a franchise quarterback.
"One scout in our organization said, 'Let's take another position early and then get Brian Griese, who is not that type of quarterback, but he's smart and we can better ourselves with him until a great one comes along,'" Beathard said. "We talked about it briefly, but we thought, 'No, if you can get a franchise guy, we have to do that.'"
Griese went to Denver in the third round in 1998.
In Leaf, the Chargers thought they were getting a player who would impact the NFL for 10 or 15 years -- as a player, not as the man whose failure impacted so many others. Leaf, 31, would be entering his 11th season if all had gone to plan. Instead, he is quietly serving as quarterbacks coach at West Texas A&M.
"It has come out nicely in that Ryan has gotten his life back on track and is in coaching and by all accounts doing well, and that is good, too," Polian said. "When you talk about judging the two guys, people want to say Leaf didn't have any talent. Of course not. He had the charisma and leadership. He was just immature. He was not ready to come into the league and handle the burden of leading the franchise to a Super Bowl championship."

Racist Expression? - Kent Ninomiya

2008-03-28T01:11:00.001-05:00

What is all this about the cover of Vogue being racist? Take a look at the image here on the right. The offended say LeBron James' expression combined with his arm being around Giselle Bundchen's waist �??reinforces the criminalization of black men.�?? What?! Since when is an expression racist? People often see what they want. Perhaps the offended want to see racism here. It's not as though Giselle was in black face or LeBron was flashing gang signs. It's just a picture of two people on a magazine cover! There is enough REAL racism out there to worry about. When a big deal is made about imaginary racism like this magazine cover, it distracts from a real problem in our society. It also gives society an excuse to turn a blind eye when racism does rear its ugly head. When you cry wolf too many times, no one listens when the wolf really comes. Let's call racism what it is. Let's not call it racism when it isn't. Kent Ninomiya

Super Turnout - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-05T13:28:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The slugfest that was Super Bowl XLII attracted more viewers than any other Super Bowl in history. Nielsen Media Research says 97.5 million viewers tuned in. Likewise, I predict more voters will take part in this presidential election than any other in history. Just like the scrappy underdog Giants taking on the seemingly invincible Patriots hoping to cap off a perfect season, the Obama-Clinton matchup is intriguing. It captures the imagination of even the most apathetic citizen. We have had black candidates before. We have had women candidates before. We have never had one of each battle each other at the top of the polls. This is the first time in history that a woman and an African American have a legitimate shot at the White House. It's exciting to many, threatning to some, interesting to all. Expect record turnouts on this Super Tuesday and an even higher turnout for the general election in November. We are witnessing history and everyone wants to be in on the action. Kent Ninomiya

David Slays Goliath - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-04T12:01:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - It was as unlikely as the wife of a former president or a black first term senator becoming president of the United States. The New York Giants defeat the then undefeated New England Patriots by a mere 3 points in the closing minutes of Super Bowl XLII. This Super Bowl was indeed a "super" football game just as Super Tuesday promises to be a "super" political contest. History shows that both tend to disappoint. The Super Bowl is usually a blow out and Super Tuesday often is a coronation rather than a competition. However, 2008 is turning out to be a "super" year for head to head battles. That is very good news for the news business where conflict is king. It gives us plenty to talk about and analyze and get wrong. That's right... "wrong!" How many of the experts picked New York to win the Super Bowl? Not many gave them a prayer. Remember the New Hampshire primary? The experts said it would be the end of Hillary's campaign. I don't like the cliche "that's why they play the games," but it really is appropriate here. We can expand that to "that's why they hold the primaries." Kent Ninomiya

Charger Reflections - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-26T15:52:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - It took me a week to pull myself together enough to write about the Chargers loss to the Patriots in the AFC championship game. My devistation was equal to my anticipation of a trip to the Superbowl. To make my pain worse, the Chargers could have won that game. If they were blown out and out played then I could shrug it off. Instead they kicked field goals when they should have scored touchdowns. Players expected to play didn't and the ones expected to sit played below their abilities. Then there's the coaching decision to punt the ball back to the Patriots late in the fourth quarter when trailing by 9 points. We could have just handed them the AFC championship trophy right then. Yes, a game they should have won hurts much more than a game where they were just beat. Kent Ninomiya

ESPN Suspends Jacobson - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-23T14:27:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Suspending TV talent for off hand remarks seems to be in vogue these days. Now it's ESPN's Dana Jacobson who is on the hot seat. The co-host of "First Take" on ESPN2 is reportedly serving a one-week suspension for comments made at a January 11 roast of ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. Jacobsen is said to have made vulgar comments about Notre Dame as a joke. Jacobson is a Michigan graduate who often kids Notre Dame alumnus Golic about the rivalry between the schools. Apparently it went too far. Jacobson reportedly made a number of apologies the next day to Greenberg and Golic, and issued a statement saying, "I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I've caused ESPN and Mike and Mike." The apology wasn't good enough for ESPN.

The question I have is: would Jacobson have been suspended if the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman had not been disciplined for her comments about Tiger Woods recently. Then Golfweek ran a cover of a noose to exploit the controversy. Editor Dave Seanor got fired for approving it. It seems to be a feeding frenzy on TV talent.

I watch Dana Jacobson on a regular basis. She is a classy professional who presents herself well while doing hours of live television involving contentious debate. She was making jokes at a roast. Did she go to far? Maybe, but come on, it was a roast. A McCarthy style witch hunt is brewing in the broadcast industry where everyone is hypersensitive about what they say and intent is determined by public opinion days after the fact. We need to be careful not to lose our freedoms of expression and press by pandering to "pile on" outrage. They are just words. Let's not make them about something they're not. Kent Ninomiya

Is Rivers Ready? - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-19T20:37:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The Chargers say Philip Rivers injury is worse than they thought. They are now listing him as doubtful for Sunday's AFC Championship game with the Patriots for his injured knee. If he doesn't play, or can't play well, the team's fate will ride on the shoulders of seldom used Billy Volek. The back up was impressive last week as he held off the Colts and increased San Diego's lead at the end of the game. Volek has a history of stepping in and stepping up. Over the NFL's past 39 seasons, no quarterback has thrown for more yards in his first 10 starts than Billy Volek. Of course Volek has made only 10 starts in his eight seasons. In 2004 he started for the injured Steve McNair in Tennessee. Volek passed for 918 yards and eight touchdowns in two games. He's just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 400 yards in back-to-back games. Will Volek be able to step up again and lead the Chargers to the Superbowl? Can he rise to the occasion and out shine perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time? If history shows us anything it's that Billy Volek makes the most of his time in the spotlight. This will be the brightest light to ever shine upon him. Kent Ninomiya

Chargers Hungry - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-18T16:55:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - What I love most about the Chargers being in the AFC Championship game is all the national attention they're getting. Being a smaller West Coast market, San Diego is often neglected by the sports networks. The prevailing view is that they don't have the national fan base the Patriots or Giants or Bears have. Well, they can't neglect them now. The Bolts are front and center in every sportscast. It's glorious to be able to turn on any TV anywhere in America and see my Chargers covered. However, even though they can't be neglected this week, they can be dismissed. All the so-called experts are declaring San Diego done for. The odds makers have them 13 point underdogs. The Patriots have all but been crowned the greatest team of all time. I beg to differ. Let's remember last year. The Chargers were in the spot the Patriots enjoy now. They came into the playoffs with a 14-2 record and #1 seed only to be dethroned by the Patriots. The Chargers entered that game at home cocky and comfortable. They became a victim of their own overconfidence. This year the Chargers are hungry. The started the season with a new coaching staff and a 1-3 record. They battled back to finish strong and take the first two playoff games despite devastating injuries. This team has heart and this team wants it. As eager as I am to see the Chargers ruin the Patriots' destiny of a perfect season, I am even more eager to see the so-called experts eat their words Sunday night after the game. Remember, Indianapolis was an 8 point favorite but San Diego took care of them with backup players. They are ready for the Patriots. Kent Ninomiya

Interesting link - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-16T15:54:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - I would like to recommend an interesting blog. It's by OldSchool, a guy with a good grasp on sports issues. Lately he's been addressing the Roger Clemens steroids accusation issue. Check it out! Kent Ninomiya
http://oldschool.tblog.com/

What's Wrong with Rivers? - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-16T15:54:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - What is wrong with Philip Rivers? Here he is on the verge of achieving a life long goal of playing in the Superbowl and he's acting like a playground bully. Rivers was shown on national television trash talking Indianapolis Colt fans at the end of the AFC divisional game. The video was repeated over and over on ESPN for days. You would have thought Rivers would have learned his lesson the last time this happened. He was caught jawing to the Denver Broncos at the end of the regular-season finale. The Chargers are not the Raiders. They have always been seen as the clean cut good guys. Rivers is doing everything he can to change that image. He is making the team look like a bunch of classless punks who need to be taught a lesson.

By all accounts teammates are embarrassed by Rivers. The team's biggest star LaDainian Tomlinson says "I think we're perceived as a trash-talking team, and I hate that. That's never been my style, to really trash talk. The only thing you can do about that to change is to just play the game and quit talking about different things. Eventually it will go away, but you have to win also. The problem is that if you trash talk and you lose, people say that, 'This team, all they can do is talk and they can't back it up.' I've heard that this year already."

Rivers is proving himself to be an immature jerk. The tragedy is he is surrounded by class professionals who are forced to work with him. Instead of the classy guys raising him up, Rivers is bringing them all down. The last thing the Chargers need is to give other teams more motivation to beat them. Rivers invites people to knock him on his ass. Let's hope he wises up and grows some humility and self esteem.

Chargers Wanted It More - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The Chargers battle their way to an impressive victory over the defending Superbowl champion Colts with clutch performances by Darren Sproles, Michael Turner, and Billy Volek. Who?! Most of the Chargers' headline starters were sidelined with injury including LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, and Lorenzo Neal. Antonio Gates played with his dislocated toe but wasn't very effective. The backups were extremely effective and stepped up when they needed to. Darren Sproles rushed 56-yards for a touchdown on the last play of the third quarter. Michael Turner carried the ball 17 times for 71 yards. Billy Volek led the Chargers 78 yards on eight plays and scored his first career touchdown with a 1 yard quarterback sneak with 4:50 remaining. It sealed the lead and the victory for San Diego. Meanwhile the Colts had all their stars on the field. Payton Manning came out firing and even had Marvin Harrison back on their home field after resting for a bye week. The Colts had no excuse. Even the referees seemed to want the Colts to win. They took points off the board just before the half on a questionable holding call when the Chargers ran back a punt for an apparent touchdown. There was also a phantom pass interference call they saved an important Colts drive. It had me thinking NFL conspiracy. However, the Chargers just wanted it more and muscled it out until the end. The refs and the Colts couldn't overcome the Chargers will. It was a glorious moment for a San Diego fan. Kent Ninomiya

Good News Bad News - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-12T16:37:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Some good news and some bad news for the Chargers going into their playoff game with the Colts tomorrow. Pro Bowl Tight End Antonio Gates is not practicing while he rehabs his dislocated left big toe, but All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal is practicing and is expected to play. He missed a month after breaking his lower left leg. Neal was certainly missed by LT who rushed for only 64 yards last week. If Gates can't play, he'll be replaced by Brandon Manumaleuna. He's still a threat but he's no Gates who was San Diego's leading receiver for the fourth straight season, with 75 catches for 984 yards and nine touchdowns. The defense will need to step up if they expect to beat the rested Colts. Perhaps they can repeat their 6 interception performance from earlier in the season. Kent Ninomiya

Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-10T14:06:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Here's a link to a blog you might find interesting. The author seems to have a good grasp on some pressing sports issues of our time. http://oldschool.tblog.com/post/1969970957#comment_anchor

Golf Channel Controversy - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-09T03:27:00.002-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - This entry may seem out of place for this blog, but I don't have a golf blog and it is an important topic that applies to all sports. Should someone lose their job and career for saying the wrong thing? Is it right that years of unblemished service be wiped out by a single off hand comment? The answer is... it depends. Last Friday, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman said young pro golfers trying to catch up to Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley." Naturally this comment sparked outrage since Tiger Woods is part African American. The anger further intensified as Tilghman was allowed to appear on the air all day Saturday as if nothing happened. She issued an on-air apology Sunday and said he apologized directly to Tiger Woods, however she remained on the air that day. The Golf Channel issued a statement saying "we regret if any viewers were offended by Kelly's choice of words."
Tiger Woods is apparently taking the high road and not making an issue out of it. Woods' agent is quotes as saying "It is a complete non-issue. Kelly and Tiger are friends. It might have been a poor choice of words, but there was absolutely no ill intent whatsoever."

It is entirely reasonable to assume that Tilghman did not mean to offend anyone and is not a racist. It was most likely a slip of the tongue and she did not realize the context of the word "lynch" when she said it. So then, what should be her "punishment" if anything? The Golf Channel is obviously concentrating on intent. Since she has no ill will then it's a simple matter of apologizing. The fact that their viewer base is primarily white and not overall offended by her remark anyway also limits their motivation to dole out any punishment. To some this makes the Golf Channel seem apathetic and racist. Other groups out there are horribly offended and want Tilghman's head. It doesn't matter to them that Woods himself says he's not offended and is willing to drop the matter. They want to make an example out of Tilghman as if punishing her will stop others from making slips of the tongue in the future.

I have worked in television for more than 20 years now. Many comments have passed my lips that came out differently than I intended them. When you talk for a living on live television you sometimes say stupid and inadvertently offensive things without realizing it. Is that a punishable offense? One time in San Francisco I was chatting on air with my co anchor about a man who found several stolen Oscar statues in a trash dumpster. His reward for returning them was an invitation to the Academy Awards ceremony in the next day or two. I commented that I hoped he had time to find something nice to wear since the Academy Awards are all about what people are wearing. The man happened to be African American. One viewer was greatly offended by my comment and wrote a letter accusing me of being a blatant racist. He said I claimed African Americans are too poor and stupid to dress themselves. I have quite honestly never had that thought in my life and was not thinking about the man's race at all when making the comment. I was talking about clothes. Despite this the viewer was irate. I personally expressed my regret to the viewer if my comments offended him and explained that I did not mean what he believed I did. It did not satisfy him and he continued to be angry and convinced I was a racist. Nothing I could say or do would satisfy him. He just wanted to be offended.

I have also been on the other side of misspoken words. I was hired to be a primary anchor at a television station in Minneapolis and partnered with an African American woman. The general manager who hired me was a visionary. He was willing to create an all minority main anchor team in an overwhelmingly white market. When asked about this, he said when it comes to anchors it didn't matter the color of their skin or the "slant" of their eyes. Columnists and Asian American groups around the country took it upon themselves to be offended by the "slant" comment. Some called for the general manager's firing. They didn't bother to ask me if I was offended. I wasn't. I knew this man to be honorable and brave. He took a huge risk hiring me and was in no way a racist. His words came out wrong. That's all. The story diminished what should have been a hugely positive story about the landmark all minority anchor team in Minnesota. Those who were so offended missed an opportunity to focus on a positive accomplishment by being petty and negative.

The bottom line here is that words are powerful, but they're just words. A sum of a person's character and accomplishments can not be reduced to a single inadvertent comment no matter what it is. If there's a pattern of offensive behavior or words, that's different. If it's a single off hand statement then it should be judged in the context under which it is said. Making a big deal about an innocent statement harms the movement for equality. If the mainstream sees minorities as over sensitive and unreasonable then they will ignore legitimate complaints. Likewise, the mainstream needs to understand that offensive comments do harm us all and use these incidents as opportunities to focus on removing them from our lexicon. There is work to do on both sides. Kent Ninomiya

Are the Colts Beatable? - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-08T11:48:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Can the San Diego Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts in Indiana? That answer to that question is an unwavering depends. The Chargers beat Payton Manning's squad earlier this season but only because he was having a horrible game. The Chargers are a little beat up with Antonio Gates questionable due to a sprained big toe and LT coming off an anemic performance against Tennessee. They are also coming off a high from getting their first playoff victory since 1995. Will that deflate their desire for this upcoming game or fire them up for more? The Chargers are certainly hot winning their last 7 games straight. Even embattled quarterback Philip Rivers showed glimmers of brilliance driving his team down field when LT was stumped. It will depend on whether the Chargers show up ready to play. They can certainly beat the Colts if they believe they can. I am predicting a Patriots loss to the Jaguars this weekend so this could be their most challenging test before the Superbowl. Kent Ninomiya

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2008-01-07T03:27:00.000-06:00

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Monkey off their back! - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-06T22:05:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Chargers win! They get the monkey off their back by breaking a 13 year curse. They haven't won a playoff game since the Chargers were in the Superbowl in 1995. That's four losses in a row. We saw glimmers of their true selves today in their 17-6 victory over the Tennesee Titans. Still there is reason for concern. The high powered offense was downright anemic most of the game. Down 6-0 at halftime?! Philip Rivers was screaming at everyone again yet failing to hit his receivers. Antonio Gates left in the second quarter with a sprained toe and is questionable for the next game with the Colts. Usually reliable Nate Kaeding missed an easy field goal. LT only rushed for 42 yards! Yes they finally won a playoff game but they have far to go. The Colts are next and the Patriots are probably after that. Celebrate briefly then get back to work. Kent Ninomiya

are the pros better? - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-03T00:04:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Make no mistake. Sports is entertainment. It isn't just sports. It is entertainment. It is live entertainment. It is TV entertainment. It is the subject of movies and fictional programming. In many ways it is the purest of drama. It is more exciting than any script and more real than any reality show. It also offers us a wonderful variety of genres within every sport. Over the weekend I found myself watching several football games at the same time. I flipped back and forth from channel to channel after virtually every play. Some of the games were professional NFL match ups while some were college bowl games. When compared side by side the differences in the games are striking. The pro game is cleaner and streamlined. Defensive players make tackles, receivers run their routes, quarterbacks throw the ball where they intend to and kickers rarely miss. It's almost too sanitary and downright boring when compared to the free for all of a college game. Even a good college team gives you the feel of a playground picked squad sometimes. The ball is tossed up for grabs, fumbles and bad snaps happen at unexpected times, blocked kicks and big plays abound. I watched a team intercept the ball only to give it right back with an interception on the next play then get it back on a fumble a few plays later. No lead is safe when a high powered offense is on a roll. It's very exciting and any team can beat any other. This upset laden season proves that. Given a choice give me the college game any day. I morn the end of the season. Kent Ninomiya

Happy New Year! - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-01T22:50:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope your 2008 is fullfilling and fruitful. Let's all treat each other well and work toward peace and harmony. Kent Ninomiya

Norv Turner - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-01T00:56:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The Contra Costa Times has an interesting take on the Chargers as the team enters the playoffs. While everyone is talking about the players seeking redemption for their three previous first round playoff losses... they are looking at the coach. Norv Turner indeed has something to prove as a coach. They write: As the final seconds of his team's 30-17 victory against the Raiders wound down Sunday, San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner strode onto the field, searching out Lane Kiffin for the obligatory coaches' handshake.
Before Turner reached Kiffin, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha stopped him and gave his former Raiders coach a hug. Next up in the reception line was Raiders cornerback Fabian Washington. Nose tackle Warren Sapp gave his old coach a slap on the back as he ran by.
"It was impressive to me the number of players that I was with their first and second year -- rookies, guys that were young players -- who came up to me after the game and wished me good luck in the playoffs and had good things to say," Turner said.
"And that means more to me. We wanted to win the game for team reasons, for what's right for our team. It's not a (situation) where there's animosity or anything. As I said at the time, it didn't work. It didn't work. We all move on."
Those well wishes, Turner said, meant much more to him than any revenge he garnered in beating the Raiders in his first game in Oakland since being fired after the 2005 season.
Of course Turner doesn't have much time to worry about paybacks. He's moving on to the playoffs with an 11-5, AFC West championship team that has won six straight games and 10 of its last 12.
For Turner, those 11 wins mark a career single-season high. But that's nothing compared to what he might accomplish in the coming weeks if the Chargers keep winning.
You see, Turner has long been the NFL's poster boy for the so-called Peter Principle. You know, the principle that a person, in whatever occupation, tends to ultimately rise to his level of his incompetence.
In Turner's case, you have a stellar NFL offensive coordinator who keeps getting hired -- miscast? -- as an NFL coach, first by the Washington Redskins, then by the Raiders and this year by the San Diego Chargers.
Turner was 49-59-1 in seven seasons with the Redskins, making the playoffs just once. He was fired after 13 games in 2000. Turner was 9-23 with the Raiders, getting axed after going 4-12 in 2005.
Thus ended the potential feel-good story of the local boy, who was raised in Martinez and played quarterback for Alhambra High School, leading the local NFL team back to glory.
That firing only added fodder for critics who believe Turner, for all his Xs and Os wizardry, doesn't have what it takes to be a successful NFL coach and lacks the leadership skills or the dominant personality it takes to lead an NFL team.
Now that the Chargers are in the playoffs, Turner has a chance to rid himself of that albatross. Getting to or winning the Super Bowl would do the trick. Even winning two playoff games and reaching the AFC title game would probably quiet some of Turner's critics.
Turner has already earned the respect of many of his players this year by the way he overcame a disastrous 1-3 start after replacing the fired Marty Schottenheimer. During a 30-16 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, Chargers fans began chanting "Marty! Marty!"
"He never flinched, and we never saw him flinch," Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said. "And that's what allowed us to continue to believe in what we were doing."
Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo said Turner "grew and matured" as a coach as the season progressed. Turner certainly grew to understand the key to winning in San Diego is to keep handing the ball to running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who wrapped up his second straight NFL rushing title Sunday.
Fortunately for Turner, new defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell's group started playing better and more aggressively, too, helping fuel the Chargers' surge.
"We're on the up escalator instead of the down escalator like we were last year," Chargers center Nick Hardwick said.
Peaking for the playoffs has been one of Turner's biggest themes. Last year under Schottenheimer, the Chargers finished 14-2 but blew an eight-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to New England 24-21 in the divisional playoffs. Exit Marty.
Often this season, Turner has been criticized for not being Schottenheimer. Now that the Chargers are in the playoffs, not being Schottenheimer is a good thing.
Schottenheimer has won 61.3 percent of his regular-season games but just 27.8 of his games in the postseason, where he's 5-13 overall and 0-2 with the Chargers.
Turner's body of postseason work is small, but he's 1-1. A few more postseason wins in the coming weeks, and Turner might even get some respect as a coach and not just a coordinator.

playoffs - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-31T00:56:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - So it's going to be Tennessee and San Diego in the first round of the playoffs. San Diego secured the #3 AFC seed by beating up on the hapless Raiders. Tennessee got in by beating Indianapolis. I must admit to being disgusted by the way they got in. Indianapolis rested most of their starters including Payton Manning. They nearly won anyway. If they wanted to they could have put Manning in during the final drive and scored the winning touchdown, but they didn't. They didn't care since they've already secured the #2 seed and a first round bye. Meanwhile Cleveland won their game today but needed a Tennessee loss to get into the playoffs. It must have been excruciating for them to watch Tennessee take their playoff spot while Indy phoned it in. I know, resting starters is a time honored tradition heading into the playoffs, but when the fate of other playoff teams are at stake it's a shame. Tennessee should have had to beat one of the NFL's best teams at their best to earn a playoff spot. They didn't earn it. Let's see how they do against the Chargers... who will be at their best. Kent Ninomiya

Neal repeal? - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-29T01:14:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya. Could the Chargers be getting Lorenze Neal back for the playoffs? That's what the San Diego Union Tribune is suggesting. Check out this from the December 28, 2007 edition: Seeing Lorenzo Neal walk without issue, 17 days removed from surgery to place a plate in his fractured right leg, is an amazing sight in itself.
But get this: The Pro Bowl fullback actually might be ready for the playoffs.
�??It's going to be really close,�?? Neal said yesterday after another day of rehabilitation. �??My goal is to practice next week.�??
The Chargers said all along they hoped Neal would be ready for the postseason. Such a timetable just seemed so optimistic. But Neal is running on a treadmill and in the pool. He is walking with limited soreness. If he can't play the first weekend of January, he believes his return could come the second weekend if the Chargers are still playing.
�??Every Sunday, you're going to have to play with some injuries,�?? Neal said. �??You work hard, see where you're at. If I'm not ready to play next week, I won't play. I'm not going to jeopardize the team for self-gratification. If I feel like I'm not going to be effective or going to hurt myself and jeopardize the chance to play the next week, I won't do it. But you've got to realize every time you step on the field, there's a risk of injury.�??
And just as LaDainian Tomlinson had hoped, Neal is �??healing like a young man,�?? despite the fact yesterday was his 37th birthday.
�??Youth doesn't merit over heart in football,�?? Neal said. �??If I was a tailback, yeah, I wouldn't be playing. If I'm a corner and need to run up and down with receivers, I wouldn't be able to do that. This position I play, it's the burst (that is important).�??

Ryon Bingham - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-27T01:53:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya. I am happy to see the Chargers working to keep the heart and soul of the team intact. Defensive linemen don't get a lot of glory but they win games for you. Watching the Charger defense dismantle the Broncos last Monday drives that point home. (ESPN) The San Diego Chargers, who have been proactive the past two years in signing core players to contract extensions, have locked up three-year veteran defensive lineman Ryon Bingham through the 2010 season with a new deal. Bingham, 26, signed a three-year extension on Christmas Eve before the Chargers' victory over the Denver Broncos. Financial details of the extension were not yet available.
Without the extension, Bingham would have been eligible for restricted free agency in the spring. He was in the final year of his original rookie contract and earned a minimum base salary of $435,000 for 2007.
A seventh-round pick in the 2004 draft, Bingham has become a productive defender for the Chargers this season, as his playing time was significantly increased by the severe ankle injury suffered by starting end Luis Castillo nearly two months ago. Castillo, who returned to the field in a part-time role on Monday night, missed six games. During his absence, Bingham split time with Jacques Cesaire in the lineup, and started one game.
In 15 games this season, Bingham has 37 tackles and 1½ sacks and has emerged as a very good player versus the run in the San Diego 3-4 front.
A former Nebraska standout, Bingham spent his 2004 rookie season on injured reserve after rupturing his left biceps tendon in training camp. He was on the San Diego practice squad for most of the 2005 campaign, then was signed to the active roster for one game.
Last season, Bingham appeared in all 16 games as a backup.
He and Cesaire, who signed an extension last season, provide the Chargers excellent depth and versatility in their defensive front. Both are former college defensive tackles who are good fits at end in the base 3-4 scheme.

Merry Christmas Everyone! - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-25T14:13:00.001-06:00

Since I can't send a Christmas card to everyone, i'd like to use this blog to hand out my best wishes to all of you this holiday season. Thank you all for your support and interest. May you have a happy and fruitful new year as well! Take care, Kent Ninomiya