Sports Media Saturday

The NFL Pro Bowl is this Sunday, the third consecutive season in which the league’s all-star game will be played a week before the Super Bowl. A lot of fans complain about the boring play in the Pro Bowl, as an exhibition game for a contact sport that carries with it a high risk of injury is typically not conducive to a high-level of performance. Still, last year’s game was the highest rated of any Pro Bowl game in 11-years, with an 8.6 rating.

Blame it on the popularity of the NFL, or blame it on a lack of serious alternatives for sports fans on competing channels, but the Pro Bowl is a ratings winner. Compare last year’s 8.6 rating to that of other sporting events and you might be surprised at how popular it really is.

2010 World Series Game 5- 8.8 rating
2011 World Series Game 1- 8.7 rating
2011 World Series Game 7- 14.7 rating
2011 MLB All-Star Game- 6.9 rating
2011 NBA Finals Game 6- 13.3 rating
2011 NBA All-Star Game- 5.2 rating

The NFL Pro Bowl consistently beats ratings for the all-star games of other major sports, and compares to ratings for all but the most dramatic of championship series games for other sports. That being said, I wouldn’t blame anyone for skipping the Pro Bowl broadcast, especially my fellow San Diego residents who will be able to enjoy 70-degree weather outside.

For those of you who can’t spend a Sunday without watching some football (and I’m not judging you), Pro Bowl coverage starts at 4 PM PT on NBC, with Dan Hicks, Mike Mayock, and Doug Flutie (seriously?) calling the action from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In other NFL news, the NFL Network recently announced plans to provide over 100-hours of live coverage from Super Bowl XVLI (that stands for 46) this week in Indianapolis. Highlights from the coming week include over four-hours of exclusive coverage of Media Day on Tuesday (starting at 6 AM PT), the Walter Payton NFL Man Of The Year press conference featuring nominee Philip Rivers on Friday (6 AM PT), the Hall Of Fame announcement show on Saturday (2:30 PM PT), plus extended coverage of all of the NFL Network’s normal programming, as well as extensive pre-game and post-game coverage before and after the Super Bowl next Sunday.

Time Warner Cable subscribers can stick to ESPN, which will also have wall-to-wall coverage leading up to the Super Bowl.

Pass The Remote

-Hoping to go into a sports-induced coma on Sunday? Before the Pro Bowl, you can watch coverage of the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open from Torrey Pines, starting at 12 PM PT on CBS.

-If golf isn’t your think, the NBA returns to the ABC network this Sunday with the Chicago Bulls facing the Miami Heat in Chicago. Tip-off is at 12:30 PM PT.

-The local sports tweet of the week comes from Dallas Latos, wife of former-Padre pitcher Matt Latos. Last Sunday, Dallas tweeted, “Take this how you want but driving past Petco park feels a lot like accidentally running into an ex boyfriend.” I think that probably explains the feeling after being traded pretty well.

Did you catch an interesting sports media moment? Email it to me at jswilliams75@aol.com, and follow me on Twitter: @JSWilliams75

GM A.J. Smith Eyeing Courtney Upshaw At Senior Bowl

It’s never too early to begin discussion on the NFL Draft and especially not with the calendar on the precipice of changing to February. Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith was in Mobile, Alabama for the annual Senior Bowl to take a look at some top players from the collegiate level.

As always, the Bolts GM didn’t shy away from commenting on his intentions and what he was looking at during his time in Mobile. When asked about where his focus was for this year’s draft, according to U-T San Diego, Smith said: “I’m focused on pass rush every year. Are we looking for that now? Yeah.”

Obviously Smith loves nothing more than to play mind games with his general manager brethren when it comes to the draft and this year may be no exception. Still one has to wonder just how insincere he could actually be considering the team’s real struggles to apply pressure on opposing quarterbacks this past season. Defense is the consensus in these early stages as the Bolts’ big need area, but as fluid as the draft can be, Smith may change his mind a few times between now and April.

That being said, the front office has been talking about adding more ‘impact players’ on defense for quite a while which generally means players who can get to the quarterback. Shaun Phillips has been a solid starter for the Chargers since being drafted in the fourth round in 2004, but hasn’t been as effective without a star rusher on his opposite side. The draft choice of Larry English just hasn’t worked out and the team desperately needs to get back to the days when they had two strong rushers coming off of the edge in the 3-4 look.

The player that GM Smith was reportedly eyeing at the Senior Bowl was Alabama Crimson Tide stand-up outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw. There are undeniable similarities between Upshaw and one time Bolts’ star Shawne Merriman as far as physique and raw power are concerned and the fact that many of Phillips’ best years came with Merriman lining up at his opposite could weigh heavily into the desire to land Upshaw.

Coaches and scouts alike marvel at Upshaw’s technique and many have used words like ‘thick’ to describe his appearance. At 6’2” 273lbs., Upshaw has the prototypical build of a 3-4 rush end and his chiseled look is more than merely aesthetic. NFL coaches have marveled at his raw power during the practices in Mobile and even though many scouts doubt his status as an elite athlete, his ability to be effective on the field is indisputable.

One man who knows Upshaw’s abilities first-hand believes that he will thrive at the next level in a 3-4 system. Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban lauded the defensive MVP of the BCS national championship game against LSU and his NFL experience is trusted by many scouts around the league. Of Upshaw, Saban said: “He’s a guy that’s really hard to block. He’s a good pass rusher. He’s got great size and strength to play outside linebacker and be a designated pass rusher on third down. People are always looking for those kind of guys, and I think he’s going to fit well with a team, especially a 3-4 team.”

There is no doubt that the Bolts will keep their options open this early in the pre-draft process, but Upshaw would make a lot of sense with the 18th overall selection should he still be available at that point in the draft. Other buzzworthy possibilities include South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram as well as Boise State’s Shea McCellin, but both of these guys are considered to be a tier below Upshaw as far as potential is concerned.

As the scouting process heats up, look for GM Smith to really zero in on which prospects he desires the most and not be all that secretive about his plans to land one of those sought-after commodities. When asked whether he believes this draft could produce a top-level pass rusher, Smith responded saying: “I think there is. I think there are a couple interesting people.”

Those comments alone should be enough to suggest that the Bolts will land at least one top-tier sack artist in this year’s selection.

Now it’s your turn. How do you feel about GM Smith’s less than secretive practices when it comes to scouting players prior to the draft? Do you believe that drafting a rush end should be the number one priority in April or should another position take higher standing? Is Courtney Upshaw the ideal fit in the Bolts’ 3-4 system or do you see another player as a better match? Please fill up the comments section below with your thoughts!

Attractive Free Agents The Bolts Could Pursue... On Offense

After examining the defensive side of the ball last week for possible free agent acquisitions that the Bolts should consider making, it only seems fitting to switch sides and inspect the offense. Although this portion of the team is often called the strength of the club, an unbiased evaluation shows that the offense deserves just as much scrutiny as their defensive counterparts in many regards.

General Manager A.J. Smith may not be inclined to look at free agents carrying sizeable price tags very often, but in the make-or-break year that 2012 appears to be, the sense of urgency could force him to be a bit less frugal this offseason.

Protecting quarterback Philip Rivers has to be the number one concern for the Bolts moving forward as he was forced off of his spot far too many times during the 2011 campaign. With the possibility of guard Kris Dielman, center Nick Hardwick, and left tackle Marcus McNeill all at least seriously considering retirement, the offensive line will likely require a bit of an overhaul in the near-term. Thankfully there are several possibilities to fill these potential vacancies and GM Smith should take a hard look at all of them.

NATE LIVINGS of the Cincinnati Bengals will be available when free agency begins and although he isn’t at the tips of many tongues when it comes to the best interior linemen in the league, his solid play is commendable and could be a huge asset for the Bolts if added. He is very durable starting all 16 games for the second straight year with the Bengals and would help solidify what could become a somewhat shaky interior front line in San Diego.

DAN KOPPEN or TODD McCLURE would make a lot of sense for the Chargers should Hardwick decide to retire as each has a number of years in the league and could bring some sought-after leadership to the Bolts’ locker room. Koppen made the Pro Bowl once with the New England Patriots in 2007 and won two Super Bowls during his time there while McClure has been a solid player with a knack for staying healthy, missing just three games this past season for the first time since 2001 that he missed a start. Hardwick will be a free agent should he decide to return and if he wants to remain in the league the Bolts should be ready to give him a nice salary in order to keep him around for the remainder of his career.

JARED GAITHER will be a free agent when the offseason officially begins and he must be a priority for the team to retain. His performance after being claimed on waivers was outstanding and he proved that he has the tools necessary to be a consistent starter in the league.

MARIO MANNINGHAM is not a big name receiver, but he could provide that agile slot threat the team desperately needs to add a short to intermediate receiving game to the big-play offense. The Bolts banked on Buster Davis being that player once upon a time, but his failure left them without a consistent game-changer in the slot that could provide Rivers with yet another weapon to spread the ball around via the air.

BO SCAIFE or JACOB TAMME would provide interesting threats behind Antonio Gates at tight end, but the team’s priority has to be on keeping Randy McMichael if at all possible. Age has been catching up with Gates given his injury issues over the past few years and a developmental project would be ideal to groom behind him. In the meantime, an insurance policy is necessary should he again be shelved for a significant amount of time and any of these players would provide a solid spell in a pinch.

MIKE TOLBERT’s name should go without saying on this list of offensive priorities, but unfortunately the front office has yet to get him signed. With Ryan Mathews’ durability questions, Tolbert is a must-have in order to maintain balance on offense. His short-yardage ability is one of the best in the league and breaking the plain on the goal line is his specialty. GM Smith needs to put a lot of energy into re-signing Tolbert as soon as possible and preferably prior to free agency getting underway. We don’t want to see another Darren Sproles situation where a minimal amount of money loses the team a true impact player.

This is put up or shut up for many members of the Bolts both players and front office so the offseason could be very interesting. If you see any omissions or possible players on the open market that you feel the team should pursue on offense when the time comes, please fill up the comments sections below with your suggestions!

Sports Media Saturday

It was announced earlier this week that the San Diego Chargers have agreed to extend their broadcast relationship with ClearChannel. ClearChannel will continue to broadcast all Chargers games for the next three years, simulcast on KIOZ Rock 105.3 FM and ClearChannel’s local sports station, KLSD-XTRA Sports 1360 AM.

ClearChannel, the area’s largest broadcast entity, has built quite a franchise around the Chargers locally. Game days feature broadcasts that start five hours before kickoff, including a fantasy football show that often serves as a pre-pre-game show, and then the Countdown To Kickoff pre-game show. Following Chargers games the broadcast continues with a post game show and two more hours of Chargers talk. Aside from game days, XTRA Sports 1360 carries a weekday Chargers-centric show year-round, and many ClearChannel stations regularly feature Chargers players throughout the week.

According to Countdown To Kickoff co-host Eddie Pappani, there are currently no plans to make changes to the broadcast next season.

News of the new contract between the Chargers and ClearChannel stands in stark contrast to the uncertainties surrounding the Padres and the future of their broadcasts. More specifically, the Padres TV broadcasts.

As the Padres’ television rights agreement with Cox Cable expired following the 2011 season, it was widely assumed that a new contract with a larger entity, frequently assumed to be Fox Sports, was imminent. Fox wants the Padres and has the money to greatly increase what the team was receiving from Cox Cable for the past 15-years.

The deal is surely complex, and must pass through increased scrutiny from Major League Baseball for approval, so we wait to find out where Padres games will be shown on TV in 2012, and also who will be announcing those games (although it has been previously reported by the Union-Tribune that Padres CEO Jeff Moorad expects the same announcing team to return for this season). New uncertainties surrounding the approval of the sale of the Padres to a group led by Moorad only serves to make a new TV right agreement more difficult to finalize.

For radio broadcasts of Padre games, the team returns to XX 1090 AM Sports Radio for a ninth consecutive season. Announcers Jerry Coleman, Ted Leitner, and Andy Masur return as well, and will be joined by former Major League pitcher and Cox Channel 4 commentator Bob Scanlan.

Pass The Remote

-The divisional round playoff game featuring the New England Patriots versus the Denver Broncos may go down in history as one of the least competitive playoff games of all time. Regardless, based on the hype leading up to last Saturday night’s matchup featuring the popular Tim Tebow, TV ratings for the game set a record for a Saturday night divisional round playoff game. Considering that the game was a blowout well before the first half ended, ratings for the game were still high on an evening normally short on audience members, but the build up surrounding the game was not enough to save it from coming in 4th overall when compared to the rest of the divisional round games from last weekend.

-The Green Bay Packers-New York Giants divisional round game on Sunday afternoon actually set the record for most-watched divisional round game in NFL history, with an audience estimated at more than 45 million viewers.

-Make note that Sunday’s championship round playoff games have a slightly different TV schedule than fans are used to. The first game of the day features the Patriots at home versus the Baltimore Ravens with kickoff at 12 PM local time on CBS. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms have the call. The second game has the Giants traveling to San Francisco to face off against the 49ers, kickoff at 3:30 PM with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman calling the game on Fox.

-Local radio host turned syndicated powerhouse Jim Rome is leaving his ESPN TV gig behind to join the CBS Sports Network. Reportedly, Rome will host his own show while also contributing to coverage of many different sports across multiple platforms. Jim Rome Is Burning, seen on ESPN2, will air its final episode January 27. His new show, Rome, is scheduled to debut on April 3 on the CBS Sports Network.

Did you catch an interesting sports media moment? Email it to me at jswilliams75@aol.com, and follow me on Twitter: @JSWilliams75

Chargers Rookie Class In Review

One season removed from an NFL Draft is considered too early to effectively evaluate an NFL draft class. There is still plenty of time for draft picks from 2011 to grow into successful NFL players, or to completely fall on their faces, rarely contributing on the playing field. That doesn’t change the fact that the Chargers need impact players now. Did they select any impact players in the 2011 draft? Let’s take a look at the Chargers first three-rounds and find out.

1st Round (18 overall): Corey Liuget DE
No one had Liuget pegged to go to the Chargers in the first round, mostly because no one had Liuget dropping past the middle of the first round, and also because he was deemed a better fit at defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. Leave it to the unconventional AJ Smith to select an inside DT and ask him to play defensive end in a 3-4.

Liuget performed well enough in his first season to be considered the definite starter heading into 2012, but he has a lot of room to improve his game. He had a sack, occasionally got into the backfield to disrupt things, but mostly spent his time clogging a gap, allowing linebackers to make a play. You can’t call him an impact player based on his 2011 performance, but he was another guy to add to the defensive line rotation. Still, I have to ask if he is a significant improvement over anyone else on the defensive line. And you have to wonder, could he be more effective in a 4-3 defense? Someday we may find out.

2nd Round (50): Marcus Gilchrist CB
Gilchrist did not receive a lot of attention in the draft, with “experts” pegging him to go anywhere from the 2nd to 4th rounds. In training camp he showed he was a quick learner and a smart player, and when given an opportunity to play he played surprisingly well in one game, dominating the Dolphins early in the season, but later was consistently toasted in starts against the Chiefs and Packers. An inconsistent year from a rookie cornerback is hardly cause for alarm, especially when the secondary as a whole seemed to take a step backwards. Gilchrist could be starting again sooner rather than later.

2nd Round (61): Jonas Mouton LB
The linebacker from Michigan was considered by many to be the biggest reach by Smith in the entire draft. Draft analysts gave him low scores for beating blockers and being an effective run stopper, but the game tape suggested he was a solid college level performer on a bad defense. Mouton was seen by Chargers staff to have tremendous upside, but an early injury shelved him for the year.

At this point it’s hard to tell if Mouton was worthy of a 2nd round selection, but consider some players who were selected after him:
Marcus Gilbert: 13 game starter at right tackle, and is projected to move to left tackle as soon as next season.
Randal Cobb: Solid contributor to the Packers offense in his rookie season, especially on special teams (2 TD kick/punt return).
Justin Houston: 56 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season, coming on very strong at the end of the season
Martez Wilson: 10 tackles and a sack, not a major contributor to the Saints defense.

3rd Round (82): Vincent Brown WR
The SDSU alum was a favorite of San Diego sports fans, and after battling through injuries in training camp he showed he can hold his own in the pro’s. If he can shed that injury bug, he will receive a lot of playing time next season as either the slot receiver or the starter when Malcolm Floyd inevitably gets hurt.

3rd Round (89): Shareece Wright CB
Wright overcame a lot in college to earn his 3rd round selection. He proved to be a hard worker in camp but failed to make a significant contribution on defense. Wright’s biggest headlines came from comments he made on Twitter that seemed to encourage the team to move to Los Angeles (his hometown). While his contributions were fairly insignificant, were there other players more worthy of a late 3rd round pick? Linebacker Sam Acho, had a solid rookie season for the Cardinals; linebacker Casey Matthews did little for the Eagles. I’m not sure that either of them would have fared much better on this Chargers defense.

2011 may turn out to be a solid, yet unspectacular draft for the Chargers. Luiget should start for years but may never reach impact-player status. Gilchrist will likely be a future starter at cornerback or safety depending on the team’s needs. Could he be another Quentin Jammer, who needed a few years to grow into his position? Mouton has a lot of potential, and you have to hope that he can improve under the tutelage of Takeo Spikes. He has the potential to play inside or outside, although the team seems to have him pegged for an inside role. Brown has great hands and may have been the highlight of the Chargers’ draft in the 3rd round. And I’m not expecting a lot from Wright, but the Chargers have had worse players in their secondary.

One year removed from the 2011 draft, what is your opinion of the Chargers most recent rookie class?

Follow me on Twitter: @JSWilliams75

Attractive Free Agents The Bolts Could Pursue

While much of the talk about the Chargers of late has been regarding a potential move northward to Los Angeles, the team has put that rumor mill on hold until at least the end of the 2012 season. The on-field talk however needs to be addressed immediately if this team wants to avoid a slip back into the pool of mediocrity and a third consecutive year without a playoff berth.

The majority of fans are still a bit perplexed as to how or why Norv Turner hung onto the position as the club’s head coach, but he has the locker room behind him (somehow) and will look to use that solidarity as a building block for next season. Still there is no denying that General Manager A.J. Smith has his work cut out for him as the team has some clear needs at crucial positions. And even though the Bolts aren’t generally a franchise geared toward free agency, the need for instant impact players could force the GM to look in that direction this upcoming offseason.

There’s no doubt that defense needs to be at the forefront of the Bolts’ offseason priorities so let’s take a look at some potentials acquisitions the club could make.

First and foremost, the Chargers desperately need someone, anyone, to come in and help them apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks. It seems safe to say now that first round draft pick Larry English is not going to be that guy so the club needs to move on and find a viable option.

ANTHONY SPENCER is my personal preference out of the available 3-4 outside linebackers in this year’s free agent pool. He has been overshadowed with the Dallas Cowboys playing alongside Demarcus Ware, but his skill set cannot be discounted. Spencer is stout and disciplined against the run while fast enough to come around the edge and get to the quarterback on a routine basis.

ROBERT MATHIS will turn 31 years of age soon, but he is still going strong even for an abysmal Indianapolis Colts’ defense. Mathis accrued 9.5 sacks in 2011 and has a proven track record of getting a quarterback off of his spot. He has played in a 4-3 system his entire career, but standing up in a 3-4 set could actually benefit him and add a few years onto his NFL lifespan.

As evidenced by the way the Oakland Raiders ran over the Bolts midway through the 2011 campaign, the Chargers’ run defense is anything but consistent. Adding a top notch defensive end could really give the depth needed to put this unit over the top.

CALAIS CAMPBELL is without a doubt the most attractive option at this spot and his eight sacks with two forced fumbles showed that he can be an effective 3-4 end. Campbell is strong at the point of attack and boasted an enormous wingspan to engulf offensive linemen and take up blockers allowing his teammates to get free and make plays on the edge. This asset is one of the most overlooked in the 3-4 scheme and could make him a sought after commodity when free agency begins.

The back end of the San Diego defense is where things really fell apart down the stretch with Eric Weddle running around doing the job of two or three players at times leaving the team defenseless in many areas. Putting another solid starting safety into the mix could take a lot of pressure off of the corners and make the secondary as a whole look so much better.

LARON LANDRY has the hard-hitting attitude that the Bolts have been missing since Rodney Harrison departed and would make a great addition to a defense lacking that real fear factor player. Steve Gregory looked helpless at times during the 2011 campaign and the strong safety spot really must be addressed. Plugging a player of Landry’s big hit ability in the middle of this defense could really elevate the play of the other ten guys on the field.

Chargers fans know all too well how our wish lists are often dashed by the beginning of free agency, but for some reason it feels like this year could be different. Jobs are on the line in 2012 and the sense of urgency has to be there to win now for the Bolts before that elusive championship window closes.

Now it’s your turn to give some suggestions. Which potential free agents do you see the team pursuing? Do you think there will be any big splashes made by the Bolts’ front office this offseason or will it be business as usual with very few additions outside of the NFL Draft? Could any of the players mentioned above vault this team right back to championship contender status in 2012? Please fill up the comments section below with your thoughts!

Sports Media Saturday

As the Denver Broncos prepare to face the New England Patriots on Saturday (broadcast time at 5:00 PM PDT on CBS), Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has become the biggest story to hit the NFL post-season since Joe Namath guaranteed a win over the then Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. The last thing you need is another story talking about the Broncos surprising divisional championship and subsequent playoff win behind the much maligned play of their 2nd-year quarterback. But ESPN believes otherwise.

The World Wide Leader’s coverage of Tebow leading up to Saturday’s divisional-round game in Foxsborough, MA has been interesting, if not bordering on obsessive. For example, on Thursday ESPN’s Sports Center set a show record (according to DeadSpin.com) with 160 references to Tebow in one 48-minute show (excluding commercials). That equates to one mention of Tebow’s name in every 18-seconds of programming.

Locally, Tebow talk was prevalent across the dial, but there was no bigger story then Tebow and his heroics on the Scott And BR Show on XX 1090 radio (1090AM). Scott and Billy Ray Smith talked all things Tebow with the quarterback’s friend and Pastor of The Rock church, Miles McPherson, as well as Tebow’s high school football coach, Craig Howard. In fact, when they weren’t interviewing a number of athletes and analysts in the lead-up to this weekend’s playoff games, Scott could not stop talking about his admiration of, or dare I say love for, Tebow.

Whether you are craving more Tebow coverage or you are running in the complete and opposite direction, it’s not difficult to surmise why he is getting so much attention. Love him or hate him, he is what people are talking about.

Twitter announced that tweets about Tebow’s overtime touchdown against the Steelers last weekend set a sports-tweet record with 9,420 per second. Even Tebow’s favorite Bible verse, John 3:16, was trending this week following his 316-yard passing performance in Sunday’s win over the Steelers.

Google’s “Hot Searches” followed a similar trend on Monday, with “John 3:16” topping the list, followed by “Tebow” and “Tim Tebow”. As of Friday, Tim Tebow was still trending in the top 20 searches in the country.

While Tebow has had the attention of fans and media alike, not everyone is following the story.

“I don’t pay attention to the hype too much, about their team or other teams,” said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, when asked if Tebow had earned the increased spotlight placed on him in recent weeks. “I don’t hear a lot of that stuff.”

He is not paying attention? Brady must be the only one.

Pass The Remote

-If 17 mentions of Tebow (whoops, now 18) in this article (just once every 36 words) weren’t enough, here is one more. Calling Saturday’s game featuring Tebow and the Broncos versus the Patriots will be the team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms.

-Believe it or not, there are three other divisional-round playoff games this weekend. The early game on Saturday features the San Francisco 49ers at home against the New Orleans Saints, at 1:30 PM PDT on Fox, with Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston calling the action. The early game on Sunday has the Houston Texans traveling to Baltimore to face the Ravens at 10:00 AM PDT on CBS featuring the team of Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf, with the Green Bay Packers squaring off against the New York Giants, in Green Bay, at 1:30 PM PDT on Fox. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have the call.

-National TV ratings for the BCS Championship Game, featuring a rematch between top ranked Alabama and LSU, seemed to reflect the consensus opinion of the game itself. The 24-0 Alabama win scored its lowest overnight rating for a championship game in the 14-year history of the BCS.

Did you catch an interesting sports media moment? Email it to me at jswilliams75@aol.com, and follow me on Twitter: @JSWilliams75