NFL makes wrong call on Chargers' homecoming [Archive] - The Official San Diego Chargers Forum

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joelbolt

10-28-2007, 11:00 PM

SDRANGER619

10-29-2007, 06:08 AM

This lady is insane. This football game in SD was the best thing for the city to move forward.

Johnson

10-29-2007, 07:58 AM

This lady is insane. This football game in SD was the best thing for the city to move forward.

Here, here!!! What a day to be in San Diego and @ the Q. :Helmet:

Tjchargerfan

10-29-2007, 07:19 PM

The brain shrinks when no football team exists.

If LA had the NFL the article would nave been about the healing of the comunitty thanks to a ball game, plain and simple.

SDRANGER619

10-29-2007, 09:42 PM

She must know DelMarBoltFan. lol

kingbolt

10-29-2007, 11:53 PM

What a beeyatch. Life without sports would suck!

Merfinator

10-30-2007, 12:04 AM

That a'int a real woman!

JCDavey

10-30-2007, 12:10 AM

that's tj simers hiding behind a dress

What if the winds had turned or a sicko arsonist had ignited another firestorm and strained the area's already stretched defenses?

what a moronic writer

IVIystical

10-30-2007, 01:28 AM

As if the ashes falling from the sky weren't remains of someone's house, photo album, furniture.

As if this type of writing isn't a testimony to overexaggerated melodrama.

This woman is a moronic writer

SJSUPhil

10-30-2007, 05:18 AM

She doesn't even live in San Diego county, so her opinion is meaningless.

TONYD1

10-30-2007, 11:57 AM

JCDavey

10-30-2007, 12:00 PM

How can we all tell if it was the right call to play or not play. If only 20,000 show up to see it then it was the wrong call but since the stadium was full the right call was made.
Her what if an arsonist started another fire that could happen any sunday.
As it turned out the right decision was made to play. End of storyexactly

i mean what if a terrorist blows up any of the stadiums, then it was the wrong call for the nfl to have a game on sunday , this woman is stupid as hell

RAYRAY37

10-30-2007, 12:09 PM

She doesn't even live in San Diego county, so her opinion is meaningless.

60,000 plus that attended the game obviously felt different.

kutsie2

10-30-2007, 12:13 PM

This lady is insane. This football game in SD was the best thing for the city to move forward.
Amen to that!!! It gave this City a way to move on and begin the healing process that will undoubtedly take a very long time. It also was another way to honor those who battled those blazes (and if I haven't said it enough already.....THANK YOU!!!). Not to mention all the money that was donated at the stadium on Sunday. 60,000+ people proved just how wrong she is!!
:Bolt:

JoeMcRugby

10-30-2007, 12:19 PM

Interesting how two female sports journalists "from out of town" attending the same game had 180 degree different views of whether it should have been played.

From the Orange County Register:
_______________________________________

Chargers come to emotional rescue
The team's victory is a breath of fresh air for weary residents.
MARCIA C. SMITH
Register columnist

SAN DIEGO -- Wind-stoked wildfires have choked this region for a week, burning through hillsides, closing down freeways, blackening the coastal air with smoke and blanketing Chargers territory with embers and ash.

A week ago, when the blazes began whipping and beating against ordinary life and displacing thousands of residents from their homes, it seemed that Chargers football — its golden-foil, pompom-shaking frivolity, its lightning-bolt festivity and, at times of disaster, its triviality — should take a breather.

But on Sunday, as San Diego moved one day closer to recovery and normalcy, the Chargers returned to Qualcomm Stadium and extinguished plenty of pain with a cathartic 35-10 victory over the Houston Texans.

On this day, sports — specifically the regalia of the NFL — became this community's much-needed sanctuary from the stress, the sirens and the smoky coughs. The stadium, which had become the county's most-used evacuation shelter, became the site for much-welcomed reflection and healing.

For two hours and 49 minutes of football, there wasn't a news crawler running beneath a replay with information about the latest road or school closing. Phones weren't ringing with the newest evacuation notice. The sky, for once in what seemed like a long while, was clear and blue and sunny again.

Before the game, the giant message board behind one end zone blinked bright with "Smoking Is Prohibited in Qualcomm Stadium" — an odd site considering a gauzy pall of smoke from the distant fires hung around the upper tiers of this Mission Valley stadium.

"The smoke got to me a little and I was having trouble out there, breathing really hard," said defensive end Luis Castillo, who didn't need to make use of the dozen oxygen tanks the Chargers' medical staff had on the field. "Most of the guys were OK but you could definitely smell the smoke."

The Chargers never trailed and were leading 35-3 at halftime, and quarterback Philip Rivers threw his first TD pass of the season at Qualcomm, connecting with zone-splitting, deep-breaking Antonio Gates on a 49-yarder in the first quarter.

And new receiver Chris Chambers, acquired in an Oct. 16 trade with Miami, high-stepped into the right corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown, his first of the season.

And unheralded third cornerback Antonio Cromartie, a second-year player and a first-round draft selection (19th overall) out of Florida State, had two interceptions, including one which he returned for a 70-yard touchdown. He also recovered a fumbled snap in the end zone when Matt Turk was lined up in punt formation.

(Cromartie is only the second defensive player in Chargers history to have a two-touchdown game. The other is Speedy Duncan, who had a 100-yard interception return and a 30-yard punt return for touchdowns on Oct. 15, 1967, against Kansas City.)

And the Chargers won their third consecutive game after a 1-3 start

"This was one of those days when we as a football team knew what the fans had been going through all week with the fires, the tragedies and their emotions," Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman said. "We wanted to give them something back."

Emotions swelled before the game when the crowd of 60,439 climbed to its feet for the video tribute and public thanks to the San Diego firefighters, the National Guard and public safety personnel who aided in battling the blazes. Chills — and some tears -— spread through the stadium when four firefighters, the first carrying an American flag, led the Chargers out of the tunnel and onto the field.

Chambers jumped to the front of the players line "so I could show everyone that I want to be a leader on this team," said the seven-year pro who was on the end of Rivers' first completion (21 yards).

Merriman, the final player introduced, jumped out of the tunnel with his typical show-stealing histrionics as well as a new prop: a red firefighter's helmet raised high, his football helmet at his side.

"I looked up in the stands and I could see everyone just wanted to be happy again," Castillo said. "They were shaken by what happened and this game gave them a break. That's the power that sports has."

The most routine features of a football game suddenly semmed special and worth relishing Sunday. The coin toss was performed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who spoke briefly and ended his open-mic time with "Go, Chargers, Go!"

The Charger Girls, shaking their exposed navels and donning Halloween costumes, didn't receive their typical boorish shower of cat calls but applause. Spectators actually listened to the national anthem and sung along with Hailey Diabiasi, 10, of Huntington Beach.

"The win was big for us because we proved to ourselves that no matter what the circumstances are, this team can handle it…," said running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who was among nearly 50 Chargers players and staff with homes threatened by the fires.

He found stability in football this week in much the same way spectators found peace in the Sunday's game.

"When tragedy happens, people rally around sports," Tomlinson said. "Going through this now, we feel like we can bring some relief to San Diego."

The fires, which chased the Chargers into Arizona for last week's workouts, continue, as does the healing, a process that continued Sunday because the Chargers came home.

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/chargers-game-first-1911598-football-stadium

rkillerjoe

10-30-2007, 12:37 PM

The NFL was correct in playing the game in SD!!!! by the way I wish the media would quit crowning the patsys the champs !!!!

Pot Roast

10-30-2007, 12:38 PM

http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/columnist/2006-12/267136.jpg

I cant tell if she is smiling or if somebody cut her throat!

kutsie2

10-30-2007, 12:47 PM

It is really interesting how one can get it right (Marcia) and the other one can get it so wrong......guess Orange County is better than LA!! :)

Toad

10-30-2007, 01:13 PM

It is really interesting how one can get it right (Marcia) and the other one can get it so wrong......guess Orange County is better than LA!! :)

I wrote to her telling her my opinion of her article. I also linked the OC Register's article posted by Joe telling her she might be able to find a clue there.

She responded by basically saying she has a right to her opinion, and that's what she wrote. She failed to answer any of my questions relative to her own volunteer support for everyone during and after the fires.

She has no problem telling us what we San Diego residents, the NFL, San Diego authorities, the Chargers organization, not to mention the Texan fans, should all do.

Wow!

Amazingly clueless author. :rolleyes:

u8myburger

10-30-2007, 02:57 PM

i say we really needed to have a game here, not only because it would be a spirit lifter for us locals. but a way to raise some money for the city from profits to help pay for our firefighters and law enforcement officers pay checks. thats alot of overtime to be paying for lol.

TrabucoWR

10-30-2007, 04:34 PM

Maybe that lady is really Donna Frye after a few face lifts and a name change

SD4ME

10-30-2007, 04:39 PM

I wrote to her telling her my opinion of her article. I also linked the OC Register's article posted by Joe telling her she might be able to find a clue there.

She responded by basically saying she has a right to her opinion, and that's what she wrote. She failed to answer any of my questions relative to her own volunteer support for everyone during and after the fires.

She has no problem telling us what we San Diego residents, the NFL, San Diego authorities, the Chargers organization, not to mention the Texan fans, should all do.

Wow!

Amazingly clueless author. :rolleyes:

Well.......
I went the went the completely opposite route and attacked her ugly image, intellect and obvious turkey neck.

She responded with a snide comment about my well thought out message. I told her I couldn't beleive she typed all that out with all the hoagie crumbs underneath her keys.......
I know I shouldn't do things like that, but I felt like John Goodman's character off The Big Lebowski.

Good Days Last2

10-30-2007, 06:41 PM

Maybe she should lay off the MCD's and get up and do some service of her own before crowning herself queen of the NFL and SD county.

Maybe she should learn what sports does for a community rather than the ugly side of politics.

Maybe she should revisit what the Saints did for New Orleans or what the Giants and Jets did for New York after those respective incidents occurred.

What a robotic moron clamoring for some attention.

Tjchargerfan

10-30-2007, 07:00 PM

The womas says she has a right to her opinion, but fails or neglects to defend and reason it; she is obviously a sports-hater.

Palermo10

10-30-2007, 08:04 PM

As if this type of writing isn't a testimony to overexaggerated melodrama. As if the ashes falling from the sky weren't remains of someone's house, photo album, furniture.

Fox News has inquired about her services.

(it was too easy)

JoeMcRugby

10-30-2007, 08:11 PM

The womas says she has a right to her opinion, but fails or neglects to defend and reason it; she is obviously a sposts-hater.

Actually, she's a long-time sportswriter who (I believe) is the first woman to be inducted into the sportswriter's wing of the NHL's Hall of Fame.

I believe that she's dead-wrong on this issue, but she has a right to her opinion (as wrong as it is). At least she is responding to the e-mails. That's somewhat unusual for many sportswriters.

[EDIT] Yep, I was right about her being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_Elliott

Stone

10-30-2007, 08:27 PM

That a'int a real woman!
But the woman Kingbolt has sure is one.

LightsOutLVI

10-30-2007, 09:12 PM

Too early to have the Charger Girls out in costume??? Is she nuckin' futz?

SanDiegosOnFire

10-30-2007, 09:14 PM

I think the word "****" should be allowed in this thread.

Starts with a c, next letter is a vowel and ends with a t. (hope thats not against the rules)

Just1SuperBowl

10-30-2007, 09:48 PM

http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/columnist/2006-12/267136.jpg

I cant tell if she is smiling or if somebody cut her throat!

Just look at that picture ... how professional. Just because of that I don't wanna read her article or take anything serious from her.

usnidc

10-31-2007, 02:54 AM

And what about the economic impact of NOT playing hte game? How much money did the city and county make having the game? that money will go straight to paying the firefighters and other public employees...

SDC56

10-31-2007, 05:45 PM

Well shes obviously Likes the Oakland Raiders

Sundiego

10-31-2007, 07:52 PM

The Spanos and the NFL both donated huge sums of money to San Diego. The game provided TONS of relief for us in San Diego hit by the fire and a break to those who were NOT hit by the fire.

It was a fantastic decision and this lady who has probably never experienced any form of loss and seems to hate the Chargers and football in general has NO idea what she is talking about.

Tjchargerfan

11-01-2007, 07:57 PM

Actually, she's a long-time sportswriter who (I believe) is the first woman to be inducted into the sportswriter's wing of the NHL's Hall of Fame.

I believe that she's dead-wrong on this issue, but she has a right to her opinion (as wrong as it is). At least she is responding to the e-mails. That's somewhat unusual for many sportswriters.

[EDIT] Yep, I was right about her being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_Elliott

My, my she is not a sports-hater, but she likes hockey, and apareantly does not like football or is it a case if LA has no team the heck with football??

Like someone has already posted, the game was an economic draw.

Brian the Bold

11-01-2007, 10:21 PM

NFL makes wrong call on Chargers' homecoming
After a week of devastating fires in San Diego, Sunday should have been declared a day of community service. But league didn't want to move or postpone Chargers-Texans game. (Los Angeles Times) More... (http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-elliott29oct29,1,1680923.column?coll=la-utilities-sports)

If you disagree let the author know... Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com

Puke.

Stories like these make the L.A. Times unreadable. Glad I do not subscribe nor purchase this garbage.

Why joelbolt did you have to post this?

"That is my Chargers you're talking about, huh?! Yeah, I know you heard it! Don't mean you gotta repeat it! You repeat everything you hear?! I should wash your mouth out with soap. You go somewhere and you think about what you're saying. Yeah?"

SP17BOLT

11-01-2007, 10:48 PM

What a Stupid article...

MOCHARGERFAN

11-02-2007, 06:40 AM

Just goes to show that old saying has truth.
"Cant please everyone".

I feel having the game played at home did more good than harm.
And from the articles Ive been reading , I could be right.

FanSince1979

11-03-2007, 01:19 PM

Just a guess, but it I think that woman suffers from depression.

jmbstudios

11-06-2007, 12:25 AM

Wow inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame..

Thats right up there with the salt and pepper shaker museum!!!

I sent her an email with my 2 cents and let her know that she's an idiot.

That was a great day for San Diego!!

Tjchargerfan

11-06-2007, 07:02 PM