.lockout no more.

Thank goodness the lockout is OVER and DONE WITH. The 2011 NFL preseason starts this week and I am so excited that football is back! My Chargers play the Seahawks tonight. Although the team has had some expected changes, I am excited to see how my boys are shaping up. I'll definitely share my thoughts in the coming weeks not just about the Chargers but, other NFL related topics as well. For now, I'm a happy camper. :) BOLTS baby!

.its go time.

.jetsetter.

Greetings blog friends! I apologize for leaving you without a new post for quite some time. I have been extremely busy with work and a bunch of other things. I’ve been traveling a bit so that has kept me away from the computer. Where am I now you wonder?

Well, I’ve been in Dallas for a few days now. This is my first time in the Texas (other than previous layovers at the airport) and since I am here for work, I am not able to venture around the city too much. What I have noticed so far is that it is a bit on the humid side compared to California. On my first night in Dallas, we tried out the Cadillac Bar for dinner which serves Mexican cuisine. The restaurant was in an area called the West End. I had the most delicious Shrimp Tacos. They also had warm chips and excellent salsa. We also tried the fresh guacamole which was yummy as well.

Since I’m a sports fan, being in Dallas definitely makes me think of the Cowboys. Too bad there isn’t a Cowboys game scheduled during my stay. I imagine it would have been an exciting experience to watch them play in their own home stadium. Speaking of the Cowboys…is it just me or is this years NFL season been full of major ups and downs since day one? Lets see…

• Brett Favre leaves retirement and is now a New York Jet.
• Dante Culpepper sends a letter to every NFL team asking for employment, then retires after no team bites.
• Tony Romo has a broken pinky and asks his coach to play him anyway despite doctors suggesting he miss 4-6 weeks.
• Tom Brady, John Kitna, and rookie Rashard Mendenhall are all out for the season and placed on IR.
• The signings of Shaun Alexander to the Redskins and Roy Williams to the Cowboys.
• The Chargers losing to Miami but winning against New England, how backwards is that?!
• Kellen Winslow admitted to the hospital, released, and then rests at home with an undisclosed illness.
• Adam “Pacman” Jones is now currently suspended (again) indefinitely (at least 4 weeks).
• Peyton Manning admits to having 2 knee surgeries over the off season rather than 1 that was reported.
• The Lane Kiffin vs. Al Davis drama brings out the inner bitterness in Shanahan.

Oh and did you hear this:

“John Madden will not be in the booth for the Seattle at Tampa Bay game, NBC told The Associated Press on Monday. Madden, 72, travels by bus to all games he covers. Missing the game will keep him from making three consecutive coast-to-coast trips but will end his streak of working 476 consecutive games. Madden was in Jacksonville, Florida, then in San Diego. He would have had to return to Florida this Sunday. With no game the following weekend to avoid competing against the World Series, Madden would have then headed to his San Francisco Bay Area home.”

Now that’s pretty big news. Did you know that Mr. Madden is afraid of flying which is why he has to take a bus everywhere he goes? That’s a ton of mileage! Anyhow, I honestly think I can go on and on but the list above is plenty. What a crazy NFL season it’s been since the start! I seriously can’t predict who will be the final 2 teams in the Super Bowl but I can’t wait to see what happens!

Anyway, just to give you an update on my FFL, I am currently in 2nd place with 1 loss. Hopefully I can continue to maintain my position in the rankings and make it to the playoffs. By the way, I noticed some preseason Basketball which was pretty cool to see. I’m curious if we’ll see any drama with that league once the season gets closer to opening up. Oh last thing; I heard Magic Johnson was signed on as an NBA analyst for ESPN and ABC, good for him! I’m looking forward to seeing his commentary.

Ok, that’s it for now.
Peace & love,
-C

.mnf + plaxico + my must see tv.

This weeks Monday Night Football game was pretty awesome. First off, you had the 0-2 Chargers at home up against Brett Favre and his new green team, the Jets. The anticipation was crazy! There were so many questions leading up to the game. What if the Chargers lose and go 0-3, what then? How would Rivers hold his composure playing against one of this childhood idols, Brett Favre? Would LT be able to play with his sore toe? It turns out the game was more than anyone could have asked for. From the opening kick to the final few minutes, it was the kind of game that kept even the casual football fan glued to the TV. It was actually really nice to see Brett playing ball again. You can't help but have respect for the guy. He looked happy which was cool to see. As you may know, in the end the Chargers were able to turn up the heat and take control of the game for the win. All in all, it was one of the better MNF games I've seen in a while. Welcome back Chargers and *high five* to Cromartie for an awesome performance!

Quick FFL update. Lucky for me, I was able to come from behind on Monday night and continue on my winning streak in my fantasy league. Surprisingly, Rivers has been a great pick. Since we play 2 QB's, Cutler and Rivers have been a high scoring combination. I'm still in first place and it feels good. :) I'm thinking that people aren't happy campers in my FFL. :o/ Speaking of fantasy football, what's up with Plaxico Burress getting suspended for 1 game? That headline pinched me a bit when I heard about it since he's a starter on my team. Thanks Plax, appreciate it. I'll have to say that I was very impressed when I saw Drew get on Sportscenter ASAP for damage/PR control. What a smart agent you have! I love the sense of urgency! Unlike the NBA rookies (not going to name names on this particular blog) who recently got caught doing bad things and we don't hear from any of them, nor do we hear from their agent or publicist for DAYS! I personally thought that was poor judgement on their agencies and/or management's part. Especially since when the players finally released statements, they claimed their non-involvement and innocence! A press conference style apology would have done these kids wonders but oh well--that opportunity came and went. You'd think they'd have learned from Kobe!

Anyway, enough about that because that will be a blog in itself! Stay tuned for more on the NBA Rookies; I'll be writing about that soon. On to must see TV! This week in TV, it is pretty special because (aside from the MNF game) a ton of shows are on this week. I've been waiting all summer for a few of my favorites. You can bet I'll be watching Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, (my all time favorite), the Office, and probably LOST (if I can muster the patience). I just finished watching the Heroes premiere on my DVR. I have to say that I'm pretty overwhelmed with the 2 hour episode. It seemed like so much went on, almost like an entire season crammed into 2 hours! The ending was pretty interesting so I'm curious about next week. For all you MTV junkies, I'll admit to watching the Hills and Making the Band 4. Right now, I'm looking forward to tomorrow so I can watch Grey's. Now you know what keeps my interest on TV when I'm not watching sports!

.my fan girl moment.

Quick FFL update. I won my week 2 match up with 195.35 points. What's crazy is if Moss gave me more than the 2.20 points he posted for me, I could have broken the 200 mark. So, my season record so far is 1st place with 379.80 and 2 wins. Bring it on! :op

Ok, moving right along. :)

Speaking of football, it's clear that the Chargers haven't had the best start this season. They've managed to dig themselves into a deficit that caught most sports analysts and fans off guard. I mean we all know that the Chargers were projected to do extremely well this year. There was (and still is) Super Bowl talk. Game 1 versus Carolina was a bit of a surprise loss, only because you'd figure they would have a decent shot given that the game was at home, Steve Smith was benched (due to a suspension) and the reality that Delhomme is no Peyton. Game 2 is a different story. That game should have been a W for the Chargers but unlucky for them a botched ref call and the gutsy 2-point conversion for the win by Shanahan which "people can't stop talking about" got them into their 0-2 slump.

In light of this challenging predicament, I've decided to reflect on the good times during training camp, right before this season began. In early August, a few gal pals (Cheryl + Jaymee + Michelle) and I had one of the best experiences we could have ever wished for. We were invited (thanks to Chris "fairyboy" Shtino) to a private session of Chargers training camp to have dinner with LT. Yes, LT as in LaDainian Tomlinson. Because we were VIPs, we were able to see the Chargers team up close and watch them run play after play until it was finally time for dinner. Before we met with LT, the gals and I were able to visit with a few Chargers for photos and autos. Rookie Antoine Cason was a favorite of mine since he was very down to earth. I also had a variety of players including VJ, Jammer, and Sproles sign a ball for me as a keepsake. One of the highlights prior to meeting with LT was being introduced to Norv Turner. What a cool coach he was!

Once LT finished getting cleaned up after his practice session, he came out to meet us in our private tent. At first, I wondered if it would feel awkward to be around one of the best Running Backs in NFL history. I mean, what would we talk about with him and how would he act around us? All worries aside when he arrived. He greeted us with a big warm smile and introduced himself to us (all the while calling us by our names). After this, we all sat around a small round table with LT and had dinner. We ate yummy Polynesian Cuisine while chatting it up with LT for about an hour. He was so funny and definitely made us all feel really comfortable. He told us about some of his personal experiences at a few classic games from previous seasons. He talked about his feelings on his current team including an outlook on his future in the NFL. LT even told us some juicy gossip which I won't disclose since this isn't TMZ. :)

Anyway, below are some photos from one of the coolest experiences of my life. Enjoy!

By the way, if you think it's silly we're all wearing LT jerseys... for your information LT LOVED it and commented on how cool it was we were representing the 21. It made him a happy camper!

Peace!

-Christine (aka: LT fan for life!) :)

.finally! some sports talk!.

As most of you may already know (from my first blog posting); I'm a sports fan! I'm sure you've been wondering when I'd bring up a sports related topic to discuss. Since I had you wait 5 long blogs for this, I have not 1 topic but 3! So, here we go:

Topic #1: Merriman to forgo surgery and will play with knee injury.

At first glance, the headline makes you wonder how long into the season before his knee gives and he’s “Lights Out” for good. After all, 4 different doctors have told Merriman that he needs surgery. More than likely all 4 doctors told him that having the surgery sooner rather than later was the wise option. What could Shawne Merriman be thinking…? I believe that he visited multiple doctors because one by one, they did not tell him what he wanted to hear. Could doctor #4 have given him some kind of hope that surgery wasn’t absolutely necessary RIGHT NOW? Of course! Why else would he play despite the possibility of jeopardizing his future? I understand that he is passionate about his career, football, and the Chargers. But, is it worth endangering your entire career in the sport that you love so you can play for 1 season? Honestly, it really doesn’t matter what I think. The fact of the matter is—he’s playing and that’s that. Most people think he’s crazy but some of his teammates are ecstatic! My thinking is that the Chargers feel that they currently have the best team they’ve had since Rivers turned QB1. Maybe Merriman knows something that we don’t. Maybe he knows this year could be THE year. If Merriman wants to be the NFL’s equivalent to Tiger Woods playing injured, so be it. My only hope is, he and the Chargers DO have their best year EVER and the Chargers win the Super Bowl. And if by chance, the Chargers do make it all the way to the big dance; I pray that Merriman’s knee holds up long enough for him to participate in what could be the most important game of his career and finish as Tiger did at the Masters. After all, Tiger won the biggest game of his life and then had surgery—let’s hope Shawne can do the same.

Topic #2 – MLB to use instant replay on a limited basis—strictly on home run calls.

Bud Selig loves it and now we will find out if the rest of the Baseball world agrees. Instant reply in Baseball isn’t my idea of fun but I knew it was bound to happen. Technology is on the rise faster than ever these days. Businesses and schools have taken advantage of modern computers and programs to better their efficiency and accuracy. Sports are not an exception to this by any means. A perfect example is the touch pad timing technology used in the Olympic Games which calculated Michael Phelps had won the 100m butterfly thriller by one one-hundredth of a second. Or how about the photo finishes we see at Horse Racing events and the replays we see at NFL games to confirm if a player's knee touched the ground before the ball fumbled? Currently instant replay is limited to home run calls in Baseball and that I can handle. Besides the worry that it will lengthen games, I really don’t think it will be a bad thing. I’m sure it won’t take more than 5-7 minutes which could be shorter than waiting on a coach to finish yelling and spiting at an umpire because they disagreed with a call. On the other hand, if instant replay is extended to base calls, then I’d be an unhappy camper. You see, my feeling is that you get so much excitement from watching a play unfold (especially those that are close calls). Isn’t it great to see an awesome play and then seconds after, the umpire waves his hand to confirm safe or out? Most times after the signal, you are either jumping for joy or upset the call wasn’t in your teams favor. Now that edge of your seat excitement is what Baseball is all about. I would hate for instant reply to ruin those moments, especially since the sport has been successful and entertaining without instant reply for so many years.

Topic #3 - Source: De La Hoya, Pacquiao agree to Dec. 6th in Vegas

Pay-per-view must be excited about this one! Obviously, people are going to want to see this fight. I can imagine Vegas being packed! If it's true...as T.O. would say, "Get your popcorn ready"!

*first blog ever* - im excited! :)

Dear Bloggers,

I love to write which is why I have no idea why this is the first time I've decided to start a general blog. I'm kind of excited! Let me start off with an important factoid. For those of you who don't know me, I L-O-V-E sports. Mostly I enjoy Football, Baseball, and Basketball. On any given morning, you can bet that SportsCenter could be heard in the background as I get ready for work. I am opening up to other sports such as MMA (mainly because of my good friend DG). Show your support peeps by checking out his site: http://www.knoxxgear.com/.

Back to my blog.

Although this is the first time I'm blogging about anything I want, I did at one point have a sports blog on ESPN. Because I'm a native San Diego girl, I felt empowered to write about my feelings towards the Drew Brees trade from the Chargers to the Saints. Yes, I know it's been a long while but at the time I remember feeling pretty strongly about it. Happy for San Diego, no. Happy for Drew, yes.

Hang on, now that I think about it... I wonder if it's still floating around in the ESPN blog world. Let me check, brb.

... Ok, I'm back.

You're never going to believe this! It wasn't on the ESPN blog site; my trusty memory realized the home page didn't look familiar at all. Then it hit me! It was actually Fox Sports Blog, how could I forget? I tried logging into my account but I couldn't remember what email addy I used so it rejected my attempts. Good news is... I searched the "Drew Brees" blogs... low and behold, I found it! I had to LOL because it was dated Sept. 21, 2006. I told you it's been awhile!! Anyway, I HAD to paste the link here. For good 'ol times sake.

Drew, this is for you! http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/brown_eyed_girl/2006/09/21/Miami_may_be_wishing_for_a_Brees_in_place_of_their_lingering_storm
And yes in case you're wondering, I do have brown eyes!

-c