The Weekly Weddle: A Sweet INT

That one was for the haters.

So after two weeks of getting burned on the last play of the game (last week by Eddie Royal on a play that never should have happened, by the way), Weddle gets his head in the game and intercepts that one guy who's playing quarterback for the New York Jets. He's never in the media so I forgot his name, it's like Geroge Brett or something, but the letter "V" is somehow involved. Either way, it was a night of solid coverage and and a few hard hits in the secondary. Although he WAS knocked backwards by the Jets kicker in an attempt to recover an onside kick, he must have just lost his balance or something (one of those Merriman/Jones-Drew deals)

Anyways, midway through the third quarter said QB mis-reads a route with his receiver and lets the ball sail high. Just before it hits the ground, Weddle swoops in to make a diving catch. That's what the man does, he makes plays. Just in case you missed it, here's the clip (why this highlight is set to Icky Thump, I have no idea) :



Moreover, another blog known as Vegan Fish Tacos has espoused their own "Weddle Corollary" as it relates to players in the NBA Draft:

"The Eric Weddle Corollary: Players who do not have the 'sexiness' as draft prospects (typically because of physical attributes) but just love to play the
game and produce regardless.

(note: Eric Weddle was a defensive back for the Utah football team who had no draft hype originally but has already become a starter in his second year in the NFL)."

As you can see, Eric Weddle's influence reaches far beyond NFL Football. Tune in next week to read about Weddle and how he influences dark matter on the quantum level (if he so chooses)...

On football and favorite sons: A nonsensical ramble

"I do this for love."

My house was full of San Diego boys watching the Chargers yesterday, and I was in the other room watching the Red Sox for the first few minutes. For some reason, this got me thinking about how a city is like a family and the sports teams are their children. Bear with me.

See, a lot of times in families, there’s one kid who is perceived as having tons of potential, and that kid is pushed really hard to realize that potential, while the other kid or kids get coddled. At least this is what I’ve been lead to believe by a lot of historical fiction. My own family was nothing like that, probably because none of us kids had any potential.

Now in this sports analogy, the Boston family – where I grew up – is highly abusive and unhealthy. All teams suck unless they make the playoffs, and even then, they’re merely tolerated unless they win a championship. This recent Red Sox obsession? Believe me, it was nothing like this when I was growing up. Back when they couldn't make the post season, people followed them, but nothing like this. Same with the Pats.

But San Diego, I’ve noticed, is a lot like the family described earlier: The Padres are the loveable loser kid who people will watch regardless of what happens, and the Chargers are the kid on whom the city’s placed all kinds of expectations. As a result, when the Padres suck this year, people kind of laugh it off. It’d be nice if they were better, but oh well. But the Chargers start the season 0-2, and the city’s asking Philip Rivers to cut it a switch.

Here is the realization: Usually, the kid who is pushed by his family thinks his family hates him. They end up very successful but full of resentment and daddy issues and self-loathing. Often times, they go into politics. But seeing the way San Diego reacts to the Chargers, I see that this is backwards. That kid who’s been pushed is actually loved the most. San Diego is a football town, after all.

It's amazing how sports can sometimes clarify completely unrelated principals. In other news, I shouldn’t be allowed to have children.

A Gallon of Donkey Shit

I'll finish the sentence for you, Norv. "F*ck the NFL"

That's really all there is to say about the travesty that was the Broncos victory over the Chargers this Sunday. The shitty officiating decided the game, and it just made me think of how this league has gotten worse and worse every year. Holding fans hostage to awful officiating and shameful marketing is not a way to "grow your brand," Mr. Goddell.

Hey, but at least those pink Tony Romo jerseys are flying off the shelf :)

“On the last play, it was clearly a fumble. Ed came over to me and said he blew it. That’s not acceptable to me. This is a high-level performance game. That’s not acceptable to have a game decided on that play."

-Chargers head coach Norv Turner

Everybody meet Timz...

Timz > P.O.D.

Sunday's Chargers game is a big one, as it's the Bolts first re-match with the Denver Donkeys since the infamous "Rivers-Cutler Smack-Talking-Gate" incident last season. So here's just a little pre-Sunday hype for the SD fans here, with a twist of local music. The San Diego born rapper known as Timz is one of the few Iraqi-American (Chaldian, specifically) rap artists getting attention these days. In 2006, his "Super Chargers" was aired on local cable television, and since then he's dropped his first full-length entitled "Open For Business" and a 2007 Chargers Remix:



Here's another interesting clip of him on Hannity & Colmes (with Chuck Norris guest hosting, how random is that?) discussing the political nature of his album and the situation in Iraq:



Well that's it for now, everyone enjoy their NFL/NCAA football weekend. Don't drink and drive, practice safe sex, consume quaaludes in moderation blah blah blah.

"You can't have pleasure if you don't have pain, well we've had it now let's have champagne...no matter who you got he is not LT, he's not twenty-one let me see his ID"

-Timz

The Weekly Weddle: Torched?

Dante's touchdown gave my stomach an inferno. Or was that the fish & chips?

So the Panthers upset the Chargers in week 1 at home on the last play of the game, as a Jake Delhomme touchtown pass soared over the outstretched fingers of Old No. 32 Eric Weddle. The resulting acrobatic catch by tight end Dante Rosario with time expiring stunned everyone at the Q. Not only that, but the Oregon product Rosario had a career day to the tune of seven catches for 96 yards, much of it against Weddle's coverage.

Subsequently I have received varioius texts/e-mails saying things like "Sorry dude, Weddle sux," "Weddle is terrible" and "We should sign John Lynch." Trying times to be a Weddle fan, indeed.

However, it's my opinion that this first performance should be taken with a grain of salt. Despite tons of playing time last season, this was his first NFL start at safety. The pourous run defense and a sub-par pass rush (looking at you, Merriman) made it easy for Carolina to pick apart the Chargers secondary. In addition, a lot of tight end coverage responsibilty lies not only with the safety, but middle linebackers being in the right spot. Donnie Edwards had this down to a science, but it's clear Matt Wilhelm has miles to go (if he ever gets there), and Derek Smith is on his last legs. In an interview with XTRA-1360's Dave & Jeff in the Morning (check the podcast section), Eric talks about how he was actually positioned at linebacker on the play, expecting safety help over the top. It's a pretty interesting breakdown; EW in the end blames himself for not getting there in time.

So one loss in the books, and some Charger fans angry at Weddle. But just remember one thing as the season progresses, that will help you stick with E-Dubs through thick and thin:

ERIC WEDDLE IS NOT MARLON MCCREE!


We all know how this play ends. A dead man would have done a better job. Eff you Marlon.

Around the Web

We were so GOOD together! (sob)

-FYI, Cal Football Fan Fest is this Saturday. Come out to support the Asian American Bone Marrow Donor Program and maybe even meet Marshawn the dog! [Bears With Fangs]

-With John Smoltz and Tom Glavine both sidelined for the year with injuries, new Dodger Greg Maddux appears to be the "Last Man Standing" from those great 90's Braves ptiching staffs. And don't even ask me what Steve Avery and Mark Wholers are doing right now [Bugs & Cranks]

-It's been on TV, but in case you missed it, Chargers receiver Chris Chambers lobbies to be on your fantasy team by amazingly catching three balls thrown at him from behind. Pretty sure this is real. I mean, the guy has had only like, 15 years of playing football to practice this trick! [Bolt Hype]

-Clippers' center Chris Kaman declares that he "is not a traitor" for being on the German team for the Olympics. [ClipperBlog]

-Minnesota Twins pitcher Pat Neshek gives rave reviews to the recently released Topps Allen & Ginter trading card set. He pulled a Vlad Guerrero game-used jersey card, and special inserts of Cleopatra and the Mako Shark. [On the Road with Pat Neshek]

-Kevin Martin might be the only person that wishes Ron Artest was still on the Kings. That's only part of a nice interview with the rising star. [Sace Bee Kings Blog]

-Four words: Olympic. Lego. Sports. Villiage. So rad. [And One]

The Weekly Weddle: Hart Hearts EW

When trey-duece is on the scene, people go down.

For those readers out there that rely on PHN for the most in-depth, quality and comprehensive Eric Weddle coverage, fear not. The Weekly Weddle will resume it's semi-pseudo-weekly schedule with even more precision and accuracy than in the past.

First, let's take you around the Weddle-Web. The North County Times recently published a nice article about of incumbant strong safety Clinton Hart is meshing with E-Dub in the defensive backfield. It's pretty obvious that the departure of New England playoff goat Marlon McCree is helping both players become more effective in the defensive backfield.

And here's another good piece from the Daily Utah Chronicle about the advice he had for some current Univeristy of Utah players hoping to be playing in NFL regarding the combine and draft process.

Finally, we have a new feature here on the Weekly Weddle. This is the first of many Eric Weddle haiku poems to come:

Made great plays at Indy.
The league will come to fear him.
Pro Bowl in '08?

Random Stuff of Interest

Omar, thanks for all those years of stellar defense, but especially for covering the Goo Goo Dolls.

-With Omar Vizquel now the all-time leader in games played as a shortstop, one blog breaks down his case for the Hall of Fame. [Boys of Summer]

-Chargers fans should be excited about rookie DB Antoine Cason. His attitude, work ethic and passion to help the team win has impressed both coaches and teammates at mini-camp. [North County Times]

-Who's done a better job of falling on their ass, Mike Vick or Lindsay Lohan? Britney Spears or Isiah Thomas? Just the fact that someone attempts to answer these questions is admirable. [Rumors and Rants]

-The Celtics are now up two games to one on the Pistons, and some Detroit fans are questioning whether or not Chauncy "Big Shot" Billups should take a seat for Rodney Stucky. [The World of Isaac]

-A nice piece on the most exciting (or annoying to some) PA announcer in the NBA, Detroit's John Mason:



-Wharton Business School professor Justin Wolfers did some research which indicated that white refs were more likely to call fouls on black players and vice-versa. Not only that, he espouses that his data can be an effective way of beating the Las Vegas point spread. All white refs at a Jazz home game means bet the farm! [NPR.org]

-A miced up Ronnie Turiaf leads us to believe that he is not normal. But then again, who is? [Odenized]

-With the number seven pick in the NBA draft and a slew of impending free agents, the Clippers are entering what looks to be a fairly tumultuous offseason. However, the idea of drafting uber-athletic UCLA guard Russell Westbrook is exciting, as his game has some Rajon Rondo-esque qualities but with better defense. [ClipperBlog]

And of course anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I'm a sucker for youtube highlight packages set to rap music:



Finally, your Inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:

“Nice to meet you. I'm not gay.”

-Recently retired and future Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, responding to rumors about his sexual orientation

Welcome Antoine Cason

Here's a sweet highlight package of new Chargers draft pick Antoine Cason put together by a U of AZ fan on YouTube, including the two touchdowns he scored en route to an upset of U$C last year.



And of course, your Inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:

"I only had a high school education and believe me, I had to cheat to get that."

-Sparky Anderson, Hall of Fame manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detriot Tigers

Lights Out gets his wheels torched

Who jacked me? WHO?!?!

Somebody stole Shawne Merriman's car and set it on fire:

"Police are looking for the thief or thieves who stole Chargers' linebacker Shawne Merriman's prized Mercedes Benz and then torched it.

The 2006 sports coupe, valued at more than $180,000, was engulfed in flames when officers discovered it about midnight Thursday in Emerald Hills off Bethune Court, said San Diego police spokesman Gary Hassen. "

It is unclear whether authorities will let Mr. Merriman tackle the perpetrator and perform his "Lights Out" dance upon capture.

After Loss to New England, NFL sends Chargers to Olde England

The 600-foot tall Jamal Williams robot, set to invade London next fall. It craves destruction, chaos and French Fry Burritos.

The NFL has just recently announced that next season's Saints home game against the Bolts has been moved overseas to England, and will be played in Wembley Stadium as the Giants and Dolphins did this year. Last time we treated/subjected them to the infamous giant Jason Taylor robot hanging out with Christian Slater. PHN has already received several insider reports about the game, one of which is that the 2008 animatronic Jamal Williams robot, will indeed, fart fire. We also learned that London was NOT Commissioner Roger Goddell's first choice for this season's international suare. Here are some of the other venues that were considered:

Tokyo, Japan

The Marketing Plan: Pay Ichiro to attend game wearing Mariners jersey, add Human Tetris to halftime show.

The Snag: Fans are still bitter over Bill Parcells' "Jap Play" comment, and Arizona Cardinals stealing logo design from Japanese national flag:


Rome, Italy

The Marketing Plan: Use cross-promotion dollars from Papa John's to convince Italians that American pizza is truly superior.

The Snag: The only NFL players fashionable enough to be allowed in the country are Tom Brady and David Garrard.

Sydney, Australia

The Marketing Plan: "We can beat the bloody hell out of each other, too!"

The Snag: Slim possibility for local ratings, Russell Crowe's "Fightin 'Round the World" airs on Sundays.


Berlin, Germany

The Marketing Plan: Free admission as compensation for inventing the Bratwurst.

The Snag: Populace is bitter at America for NBC not re-casting David Hassellhoff in new Knight Rider series. A certain dictator was also a Cowboys fan, apparently.

Hope everyone had a great weekend, and have fun with those Super Bowl plans!

PHN Playoff Breakdown

B-B-B-B-Baby you aint seen nuthin yet

First, let's get the NFC Championship game out of the way. After breaking down film and talking with myriad experts, I have formulated a solid prediction of the Green Bay vs. New York Giants game: Stuff will happen, somebody wins, final score something-to-something. Great, now we can move on to the epic Clash of the Titans (if you ask the national media, there's really only one Titan in this game). Unlike other blogs and mainstream media, we at PHN actually go INSIDE the game, to bring you key matchups that will determine the outcome of the game.

Matchup number 1: Philip Rivers' Mouth vs. the entire Gilette stadium

Let's see, I'm gonna tell Vrabel he's a pig-humper, multiply that times 2...

This is probably the most important matchup of the game. The Chargers are 2-0 in contests where Philip trashes the opponent and/or it's fans, and I would even go so far as 3-0 if you count the "come an git sum" hand motions to Raider fans in Oakland. While the health of his knees are will determine whether or not he plays, it's the health of his tongue and vocal cords that could very well determine the outcome of this game. "Ya'll go home and eat sum flippin clams, yeeee haaaa!" How someone's trash talking is this effective sans profanity, I have no clue.

Matchup number 2: Eric Weddle vs. Wes Welker

It's no secret, when teams take away Rand Moss, Wes Welker is the main man. His three yard catches followed by a 5-yard Blanka-style roll eat up crucial yardage and keep drives going. Readers of this blog know I'm a huge Weddle fan, he has the speed, strength, versatility and awareness to at least hang with Welker in the slot. No doubt they will sometimes blitz Weddle to create some confusion (hard to do with Brady), but if E-Dub can stick with the Welk, it will be a huge part to stopping the Patriots.

This guy's a little bee-snatch

Matchup number 3: Moss vs. Crime Time

This is huge. This could be the Chargers secret weapon, the ability to leave Randy Moss in single coverage and focus on rushing Brady and stopping the other Patriots receivers. Cromartie winning this matching could mean the difference between touchdown scoring bombs, and 5 play drives ending in a punt. The man is a physical freak of nature, maybe the best athlete in the NFL, and a protype DB to stop Moss. But will the Cro-Man bite on the cleverly designed Patriot routes and double-moves? Probably so, but it's going to be fun to watch them go up for jump balls.

Grand Larceny!

Matchup number 4: Refs vs. Chargers Defense

Anybody that has watched the Patriots this year can attest to the fact that merely brushing a New Enlgand receiver with a hangnail downfield or subjecting Tom Brady to your extreme halitosis can result in a game-changing penalty. And anybody who watched the Colts game saw that it was one of the worst officiated games in recent memory, with most of the calls going against the Bolts. E-Weezy gets called for a hold killing a Cromartie return, while just the day before Welker springs Maroney for a big run with a blatant fist-full of jersey. How Phil Luckett is still employed after fucking up a coin toss, we'll never know. Far be it from a blogger to speculate on hidden NFL agendas and how they play out on Sundays, but a lot of what we've seen this year reeks. The Pats will not change their game plan, but the Chargers need to make sure and time their hits right to avoid the piss-colored hankie.

Matchup number 5: LT and Gates/Buster Davis vs. the Ghosts of Chargers Past

It's no secret, Rodney HGHarrision and Senior Seau are both old and slow. Just go back and look at Senior trying to cover Bryan Westbrook against the Eagles, it looked like a bad game of tag. The Bolts need to exploit these weaknesses on offense. Circle routes and middle screens to LT may be effective, and pretty much anyone in the slot will be able to burn Harrison, including Gates and rookie Buster Davis. They were both able to burn supposed Denver "shutdown corner" Champ Baily in two earlier games versus the Donkeys. And of course, Charger fans all remember the nice send-off we gave Senior, and his "I'm not retiring, I'm graduating" speech, only to come back to the Pats the year after a heartbreaking playoff loss to them. Strange bedfellows, indeed. But he is a U$C Trojan, so what else did you expect?

Goodbye Junior, time to institute the "Early Bird Special" at your restaurant

Whew, that was intense. Not to say that these will be the only important matchups of the game, but these are the ones that stick out in the minds of the PHN NFL editorial staff (basically, me). Please enjoy the game, and feel free to check these predictions on Monday, and leave a comment about how swart we are!

And one final note on the NFC game, let's not forget about this ultimate d-bag moment:

Chargers beat Colts, Weddle is a maniac

The road to the endzone goes through 32. Believe it!

Monday Linkage

LT jumps for in for a TD, gets his first career playoff victory over the Titans

-San Diego Union Tribune columnist writes about the relief of Charger fans after the win. Good to see some fans dishing out ceviche at the tailgate. [signonsandiego.com]

-UC Santa Barbara falls to the Matadors of Northridge (as they probably will in the Big West tournament), but the Gauchos are still off to their best start in 15 years. Swingman and Bay Area prep star Alex Harris is also leading the conference in scoring. [UCSBGauchos.com]

-The Chicago White Sox made a move to acquire a big bat by trading for A's outfielder Nick Swisher. The question is: can Billy Beane re-tool again, especially after trading ace Dan Haren. [A's Drumbeat]

-Former Dodgers GM and current Padres front office assistant Paul DePodesta discusses Moneyball, team chemistry and building a winner in Petco. [Gaslamp Ball]

-Matt Vasgersian shows love to the blogosphere while announcing the Fiesta Bowl. [Awful Announcing]

Have a great week everybody, and here is your PHN Inspirational Sports Quote of the Day:

"Show me a man who is a good loser and I'll show you a man who is playing golf with his boss."

-LA Times sports columnist Jim Murray

Oh the Weddle outside is frightful...

And the Siler's so delightful...

And since the Denver Donkeys blow...


Let it Cro, Let it Cro, Let it Cro...

(Thanks to BoltHype for posting this sweet Cromartie highlight mix)

The day is finally here, Happy Chist-kwannza-kah!

LT doing the right thing for x-mas. Go Bolts!

Chinga Te, El Maddon!

As many of you know, there is a long, star-studded list of NFL players that have fallen victim to the so-called "Madden Curse." From Garrison Hearst's grizzy ankle fracture in the playoffs to Shaun Alexander's injury-riddled, underachieving season in 2006, he who adorns the cover of the famed EA sports video game basically gets screwed. Any if we had known about this, we wouldn't have even bothered with an election:

Say Chowder!

With this year's cover boy, Vince Young, clearly immune to any kind of bad fortune (I mean, the guy wins basically every game while throwing for 60 yards and two interceptions), the curse had to befall another unfortunate individual.

And this past week the Madden Gods struck down Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo, who glossed this year's first edition of "Madden Espanol," where everything from game menus to announcing is in Spanish. Last week against the Vikings, Castillo tore tendons in his right ankle, and is expected to miss six weeks, if not more. The struggling Chargers need all the help they can get, and now who knows if they have the manpower to even make the playoffs. At least Chiefs running back Larry Johnson looks like he'll be hanging out with Jay-Z for the rest of the year instead of playing NFL Football due to injury, so the Bolts (believe it or not), are still in the driver's seat when it comes to the AFC West.

EA Sports, if you're reading this, here are some suggestions to for next year's El Maddon cover: Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Bill Belichik, Al Davis, Champ Baily. ALL Latino, swear to god.

San Diego=Mediocrity

Pathetic. Just Pathetic. After that loss, I was finally forced to admit that our fair city is a breeding ground for medocrity. The remainder of this rant goes beyond sports, but I will merely say that if Thomas Edison grew up anywhere in San Diego, he would have somehow found a way to work as a waiter for 20 years, foregoing the whole "light bulb non-sense" for some tasty waves and a cool buzz.

Charger players, enjoy riding your H-2 to Stingaree for your free dinner tonight. It's the least our city can do in exchange for that Shit Bisque you served us this morning.*

*The above does not apply to LT.

Jon Gruden

The only man who could possibly save this team. Thank you Chargers, that was utterly gutless.

And thanks to Tom Brady for calling his coach the greatest of all time like, two months after Bill Walsh dies. A$$hole.

Weddle me this, Weddle me that

The first day of NFL football saw much of America in a drunken stupor before "normal" people made it out of their Sunday service for punch and generic brand Oreo cookies. I was busy worshipping an admittedly false idol by the name of Eric Weddle. Yet my ebay jersey had not arrived, and I wondered if this would have some kind of negative karmic impact on E-Dub's performance. Another auspicious decision was benching him on my co-managed fantasy league in favor of the Madbacker, Bart Scott. The force known as Weddle-Mania was about to be put to the test.

Thankfully, Eric had an impressvie debut in the Chargers victory over the Bears. He put pressure on Grossman by blitzing (even racking up his first NFL sack), provided solid coverage on 3rd downs and limited receivers yards after the catch. Even Peter King gave the boy props in his column as a "not good, but great addition" to the Bolts. Shocking, as Weddle involves niether Mike Vick, Roger Goddell, the Patriots, Jacoby Ellsbury or Starbucks coffee.

But of course, you're nobody until someone makes a fake myspace page of you. Next up this Sunday night is the Revenge Game against Tom Moynahan, Benedict Seau, Hormone Growth Harrison and company. As an answer to Ellis "Sorriest Corner in the League" Hobbs doing the Lights Out dance on our 50 yard line after last year's playoff loss, I am told that the if Chargers win, Aaron Boone will come out bearing all 26 Yankees World Series rings and dine on a McLobster sandwhich at midfield

This isn't just regular Chargers fever, my crotch itches way more than usual. Justice will be swift and merciless, GO BOLTS!

The Weekly Weddle: Fitzgerald Crushing Edition

After week three of the preseason, it looks like Clinton Hart has earned the starting spot at strong safety, with E-Dub playing on third downs and nickel and dime packages. The secondary is struggling to gel as a unit, but new defensive co-ordinator Ted Cottrell (aka Tedrick the Entertainer) has yet to unveil his aggressive new blitz schemes that will include more action from the safties and cornerbacks. I honestly didn't catch much of the game, but Eric statistically led the team in tackles with five solo and one assisted. It seems that the Cards passing attack will be up a notch from last year, and there were numerous completions to the Anquan Boldin/Larry Fitzgerald tandem in which Eric helped limit the yards after catch.

Something that was not included last week is the definitive piece of Eric Weddle journalism, "Why not give Eric Weddle the Heisman?" by Doug Robinson of the Desert Morning News. It's also reminder about the radness of college football.

And finally, I somehow missed the San Diego Hall of Champions Luncheon, at which the guest speakers were Chargers GM A.J. Smith and none other than E-Dub, go figure! This is a great picture of Eric, A.J. and HOC founder Bob Breitbard posing with the bat Ted Williams used to hit .406 in 1941.

Happy Tuesday, and here's looking forward to the next preseason game, a Super Bowl preview between the Niners and Chargers!