First off, Happy Birthday 29th Ladainian Tomlinson! Enjoy the last of your twenties :)

Read: Ladainian Tomlinson - Wikipedia

Which player's gutsy performance was more impressive? Tiger Woods winning the US Open with a bum knee, or Kellen Winslow's 1983 playoff performance against the Miami Dolphins?

Woods’ performance in the face of injury was gritty, but it was nowhere near the performance of the San Diego Chargers’ tight end Kellen Winslow in the NFL playoffs against Miami in 1982. That was the game when Winslow caught 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown, and blocked a field goal to send the game in overtime. He did those things while playing with a pinched nerve in his shoulder, and suffering from dehydration and severe cramps. Oh yeah, and dodging people who were trying to knock the snot out of him. He also received three stitches in his lower lip during the game after taking a shot.

Read: Not so fast! No doubt, Woods is good, but ...


The Sporting News quickly runs down all 32 teams:

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: LB Anthony Waters, fully healed from ACL surgery that ruined his rookie season, is moving like a man who understands his assignments. The physical Waters spent his year off learning the defense, and he's improving daily. Coaches hope he'll ease the pain of losing ILB Stephen Cooper (suspension) for the first quarter of the season.

Read: AFC team reports rundown


Jason Taylor is still looking for a trade out of Miami, and San Diego is still one of his desired destinations. I don't see this trade happening, what with Shaun Phillips emerging as a potential Pro Bowler. But the Chargers and Dolphins seem to have a good working relationship so I guess anything is possible...

None of the sources would give out the complete list, which has roughly 12 teams on it. San Diego, New England, Dallas, Jacksonville and Philadelphia are among the teams Taylor is interested in, but all have at least two of the following three traits in common: They have a chance to go deep into the playoffs, are in close proximity to Florida or California or reside in a top television market.

Read: Match not made in heaven

Former Chargers linebacker Steve Foley is suing Officer Aaron Mansker for battery, excessive force and negligence. Ladainian Tomlinson is set to testify on behalf of Foley, describing the positive impact Foley had on his football career. Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman might serve as witnesses.

Read: Opening statements in Foley civil trial to begin

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Bill Williamson has a nice piece over at ESPN.com where he breaks down the current balance of power in the AFC West and why the draft has been the primary reason the Chargers remain at the top of the heap.

"San Diego, player per player, is probably as good as anybody in the National Football League and is probably one of the top-five teams," said Denver coach Mike Shanahan, whose team was outscored 64-6 in two games against the Chargers last season. "Personnel-wise, I would say they're right at the top, No. 1. That's saying a lot."

Read: Draft hits and misses have shaped AFC West hierarchy

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Unfortunate news for those in the sports blog community, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has decided to ban any and all bloggers from the locker room.

Right now we have a situation where a blogger that works for the Dallas Morning News would like continued access to the locker room. Prior to last week, I had no idea this person's primary job at the Morning News is to blog. I hadn't seen or read it. He was just one of the 4 or 5 people from the Morning News in the locker room post game. When it was brought to my attention I immediately made it an issue. Why ?

Not because I don't want this blogger in the locker room doing interviews. What I didn't like was that the Morning News was getting a competitive advantage simply because they were the Dallas Morning News. I am of the opinion that a blogger for one of the local newspapers is no better or worse than the blogger from the local high school, from the local huge Mavs fan, from an out of town blogger. I want to treat them all the same.

Unfortunately, there isn't enough room to allow any and all bloggers in the locker room. There also are no standards that I have been able to come up with that differentiate between bloggers to the point where I should or should not credential one versus the other. My experience in reading blogs has favored bloggers not affiliated with major media companies, but that could be my unique bias.

Cuban does go on to say, on more than one occasion, that he is supportive of the blogging community but it seems that this is such a new form of media that standards do not yet exist. In an effort to remain fair (in his eyes), he came to the conclusion that no blogger would be allowed to enter the locker room.

One last little thought. Some out there will take this as my not "liking" blogs. Ridiculous. its the exact opposite. What I don't like is unequal access. I'm all for bloggers getting the same access as mainstream media when possible. Our interview room is open to bloggers. We take interview requests from bloggers. I'm a fan of getting as much coverage as possible for the Mavs. What I'm not a fan of is major media companies throwing their weight around thinking they should be treated differently.

While I can understand that bloggers are somewhat of a new animal, the medium and format is obviously catching on. Blogs are some of the most popular and enjoyable destinations on the internet. Everyone these days is starting a blog, and thats a good thing. Heck, just about every mainstream media outlet now has some form of blog.

I don't know what its going to take for bloggers to get some sort of credentials or credibility in the eyes of the big ball clubs. Perhaps some sort of collation should be formed?

Because, as Cuban accurately states, the barrier of entry into the blogosphere is so low, its difficult for the sports teams to keep track of who's legit and who isn't. Instead of making a catch-all rule as drastic as the Mavericks, perhaps a ball club could have a review process in which they decide whether to credential a blog or not?

All I know is that this format is catching on. People like to get their news/opinion fix in an on-demand, digestible form and blogs are one of the best ways to do that. Going forward, I hope teams take a more open approach to bloggers...

You can read more at Cuban's blog.

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The Chargers are know that having Antonio Gates at 80% is better than not having Gates at all and are hopeful he'll be cleared to play on Sunday against the Colts.

“It’s definitely going to be a game-time decision,” Gates said Thursday after missing his second straight day of practice. “I’m not going to make any decisions before that. We’re just going to wait to see how it feels on Sunday.”

Peyton Manning versus Antonio Cromartie is going to be quite a sight to behold. Cromartie abused Manning earlier in the regular season by picking him off three times in the game. How does Peyton feel about going up against the guy who made the All-Pro QB look human?

"I'm probably the wrong guy to ask," the quarterback said. "He's an excellent player and he certainly had an excellent game that night."

The fans in Indy are getting a feel for what it took for the Chargers to win seven straight games after struggling at 5-5. Many signs for the turnaround point to a team-meeting in which LT addressed the guys in the locker room and implored them to step up their commitment to winning.

"When L.T. talks, you want to listen," inside linebacker and leading tackler Stephen Cooper said Thursday after practice. "He's a big part of this team. He's really the focal point of this team."

If you need Chargers themed wallpapaers, application skins, or simply want to talk Chargers with other fans, BoltsPlanet has you covered.

Another great Chargers fan site is BoltTalk where their claim to fame is their weekly podcasts. Tons of stuff there including formus and news.

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In between blogging about the election process, the World Series of Beer Pong, and the latest and greatest Floyd Mayweather, the Deuce has complied a list of beers which best fit each of the playoff teams' personality. While the Tennessee Titans may best be characterized by the brutal Steel Reserve beverage, the Chargers on the other hand are a much more sophisticated brew.

San Diego Chargers
Arrogant Bastard Ale
This beer, like the Chargers, could be one of the best beers in its league but it isn't. Actually some of the other Bastard beers are actually far better, but this one just gets around a lot more. Anyway, its got quite a rich flavor and you wont be disappointed drinking it. The same can't be said for watching the Chargers, one week they look unstoppable, the next week they get stopped. If it weren't for their arrogant bastard GM switching coaches last year they might be taken a lot more seriously. Sure no one has won with Marty, but NO ONE wins with Norv.

Everyone loves Stone Brewing Company down here as well they should. Whenever a beer warns you that you aren't worthy of drinking it and probably wont even like it, you know its something special!

Deuce of Davenport | Sports News, Commentary, Humor, Videos: Beers Around The NFL Playoffs

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The Jaunt, an active sports blog covering franchises nationwide, have put together a lengthy and quite in-depth overview of the San Diego Chargers.

They profile just about every aspect of the Chargers, from the stadium, uniforms, and mascot to the sex appeal of the Charger Girls.

Check 'em out here:

http://the-jaunt.blogspot.com/2007/08/jaunt-nfl-franchise-overview-2007_26.html

Fan Base: So close yet so far; nice try, but no cigar. However you want to say it that's been the life of a Chargers fan in recent years. Since 2004 San Diego Chargers have been among the best teams in the NFL... on paper. The Chargers roster is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but that ability has yet to translate into post season success. Despite the talent the Chargers are among the worst teams in fan attendance. Somehow not even having LaDainian Tomlinson, the best player in the league, is not enough to draw a big crowd.

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EDIT: There is a link to the right of this post. It will take you to the news section

I'm happy to introduce a cool new feature to the site. In an effort to make BoltHype an even better gateway to top-notch Chargers content, I've added a whole section dedicated to Chargers news from around the web.

Simply scroll down to the bottom of the front page. There you will find dynamically updated links to news stories about the Chargers, gathered from the various sports websites. So when you need your Chargers fix, be sure to check the bottom of the page and you'll find plenty to read!


I'll be adding a graphic to the top of the home page to make naviagating to the news section that much easy. Be on the look out for that!

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Why anyone would do work when they could be reading about Chargers football is beyond me. Oh yea, bills. Stupid bills. No not those Bills. These bills. Enjoy the following Chargers stories on your lunch break I guess.


Apparently Coach Norv Turner likes what he has at Wide Receiver. And with good reason. Unlike Dwayne Bowe and Calvin Johnson, rookie Craig Davis is actually signed and is progressing nicely. Not to mention Vincent Jackson should be much improved this season and Malcolm Floyd is dangerous when healthy.

A harrowing fact last year was the number of close games the Chargers were able to win. I blame most of those close wins on Marty's head. There was some shoddy play calling many times last season. Sure the team went 14-2, but could have just as easily went 11-5. Coach Turner is going to make sure the team doesn't get over-confident to the point where they fail to finish games.

We all know AJ Smith's stance on his players. "You are a Charger for one year at a time" he says. With all of the off-the-field distractions that happened last year, its not surprising to see guys like Steve Foley and Terrance Kiel no longer with the team. AJ is sending a strong message to the team that if you screw up your opportunity to be a Charger, don't expect second chances.

There is no question in my mind that Luis Castillo is one of the elite defensive linemen in the game today. He is approaching the level of guys like Richard Seymour and Trevor Pryce. What he is able to do to disrupt an offensive from the defensive line position is amazing. Castillo, in his relentless pursuit to improve as a player, is working extra hard this offseason to get quicker off the snap and stay injury-free.

Ah yes, power rankings. Nothing inspires debate among hardcore NFL fans like power rankings. Even though we may not always agree with a list, we still love to look at them. FOX Sports, in their training camp rankings, has the Chargers as the third best team in the league. Can't really complain with that, as you can make a strong case each for Indy, New England, or San Diego as the cream of the NFL crop.

Speaking of New England, there are some Patriots fans that think the the Chargers secondary can't matchup with Tom Brady and his receivers (Moss, Welker, Stallworth). That offensive power, plus the addition of pass-rushing force Adalius Thomas, is going to be enough to stop the Chargers' quest for a Super Bowl this year. I don't know about that...

When it comes to fantasy football running backs, its Ladainain Tomlinson and everyone else. However, according Inside Bay Area, this might be the best year ever to have the last pick in the draft because you are likely to still get a quality running back. That's a testament to the level of talent in the league right now at that position with guys like Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, and others.

The Chargers are the kings of the mountain in the AFC West. The Denver Broncos are doing everything they can to reclaim that throne. But its definitely an uphill battle they are facing, especially when the Chargers scored 173 more points than the Broncos did last year.




san diego chargers

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Hungry for some Bolt reads? Munch on some tasty football talk then!

Contract done, Davis “ready to go to work"

Coveted safety will always show up

Chargers: No help needed?

Chargers Confidential in Eli Country

Team report: San Diego Chargers

Football Outsiders: Ranking the LBs

san diego chargers

Snack on these tidbits from across the wide reaches of the interweb

USAToday: Chargers Inside Slant

Face In A New Place: Norv Turner

Paul Oliver joins Super Bowl contender, overrides failure

Chargers camp preview (EPSN Insider - free)

Chargers burning question: Will they miss "Martyball"?

san diego chargers

For your reading entertainment, a list of San Diego Chargers news and notes from every corner of the web:

RB rankings: Teams 1-10

Bolts mull supplemental picks

Tomlinson has record-setting night at ESPYs

Chargers can’t be anything less than Super

Chargers rookie charged with assault in South Carolina

Scouts Inc.: Team quarterback rankings



san diego chargers

Remember your favorite writer, Mr. Don Dumas? Well he's back with 411 Mania's Pre-Season Power Rankings:

Its only June, but everyone wants to know where their team stands heading into the 2007 NFL season. Well, I am here to let you know how your team stacks up in comparison with all the other teams in The League. My list takes last season's performance, the draft, and all other off-season transactions into consideration. Keep in mind, these rankings will fluctuate throughout the season so don't go jumping off the Bay Bridge quite yet (Raider fans)—your team has a lot of time to improve. Then again, don't go popping the bubbly yet either; teams can fall from grace rather quickly (Steelers ring a bell?). So, here it is:

A British website called InTheNews.co.uk describes what American Football is all about, and describes a couple of Chargers as some of the best athletes in the world:

Elsewhere on offense LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers is an amazing athlete and looks set to break every record going for running backs. He possesses speed and physical strength and also has good hands when throwing the ball.

Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers is a linebacker with immense power and tackling ability but can also get to the quarterback like a defensive-end. A combination of strength and speed is ideal for any defensive player.

Shawne Merriman shares some of his pass-rushing techniques with the guys on NFL Network's Total Access.


san diego chargers