You Heard it Here First

The NFL playoff field is now set, and since we nailed our prediction that the Chargers would finish 14-2, we're starting to feel kinda cocky, prediction-wise.
The Chargers are going along just swimmingly, but we just can't pick them. There are plenty of reasons for this and we'll go into them in detail when we know their first playoff opponent.
So, it's as good a time as any to predict the Super Bowl, and we'll go ahead and call it right now:
The Ravens and Eagles will meet in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, with the Ravens winning* by at least 13.
* -- This prediction based on the assumption that Ray Lewis does not get jailed on murder charges during Super Bowl week.

ESPN Sucks

In the highly anticipated clash to determine the undisputed No. 20 team in the country, Cal pounded Texas A&M 45-10 Thursday night in the 29th annual Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium.
But enough of that.
Can't ESPN get anything right?
"The Worldwide Leader" had Erin Andrews working the sidelines at the game, but inexplicably, she wasn't shown on camera nearly enough during the broadcast. Instead, ESPN had Andrews do voice-over reports a couple of times. Because, you know, you don't want to miss any of the action in a 45-10 game.
WTF?
What's the point of having Erin Andrews at a game if you don't let viewers see her repeatedly and often?
Erin Andrews describing what she ate for lunch would've been more compelling than listening to play-by-play in a 45-10 game.
Who was directing the broadcast, Richard Simmons?

The Minor-League Town Poll

The Holiday Bowl has jumped the shark.
	Agree
	Somewhat Agree
	Strongly Agree
	Violently Agree
	Disagree
	Somewhat Disagree
	Strongly Disagree
	Violently Disagree
	No Opinion
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Expectations

It's been interesting watching the Chargers undergo a transformation this season.
They opened the season as a gutty little underdog just hoping to somehow make the playoffs. And now, four months later, they're the powerful favorite to win it all and nearly everybody's late-season choice as The Best Team in Football.
Watching that transformation has been nearly as interesting as watching the transformation of Charger fans.
Four months ago, football fans in "America's Finest City" would've been dancing in the streets over the prospects of a Chargers wild-card playoff game in Buffalo.
But things are different now.
Over the past nine weeks -- all Charger victories -- an increasing sense of entitlement has settled over San Diego.
Now, Charger fans don't just hope to get to the Super Bowl -- they expect it.
And this season, with the NFC being roughly as good as the Mountain West Conference, getting to the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl are one and the same.
So, anything less than the Vince Lombardi Trophy is going to be a bitter disappointment to Charger fans this season.
With these increased expectations, Charger fans seem to be losing their sense of perspective.
Being The Best Team in Football is no guarantee of anything. Being the No. 1 seed and having home-field advantage is no guarantee of anything. The playoffs rarely play out according to form.
Road teams actually do win playoff games from time to time. It's been known to happen. We don't think Tom Brady or Ray Lewis are waking up in a cold sweat, worrying about a possible playoff game in San Diego.
Frankly, we're worried about Charger fans and the emotional letdown they're setting themselves up for. No San Diego team -- in any sport -- has ever been such a clear favorite to win it all, and we're worried about the emotional well-being of our fellow San Diegans, should the Bolts not reach the Super Bowl. We sense there's going to be a city-wide case of mass depression, the likes of which this town has never seen.
But don't worry, Charger fans. There's always Aztec basketball. Surely they won't disappoint anybody.

The USD Report

The University of San Diego defeated UC Santa Barbara 81-63 on Friday night.

And that's all for this edition of The USD Report.

Join us again next time for The USD Report.

Statement Game

With Thursday night's 64-54 loss to Washington State, the Aztecs fall to 0-2 in statement games this season.
This latest undressing comes two weeks after a 21-point home loss to Arizona.
The only statement this team seems to be making is: "Maybe we're not that good."

The Minor-League Town Poll

Which bowl game has the gayest sounding name?
	Poinsettia Bowl
	Holiday Bowl
	Fiesta Bowl
	Emerald Bowl
	Rose Bowl
	Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl
	Gator Bowl
	Outback Bowl
Free polls from Pollhost.com

The Minor-League Town Stat o' the Day

Number of people in San Diego, including those named Giles,
who are excited about the Padres' signing of Marcus Giles:

16

The Minor-League Town Poll

Did you watch the Poinsettia Bowl?
	Yes
	No
	Yeah, right
	The what?
Free polls from Pollhost.com

And the Aztecs Have Chuck (Third and) Long

Jim Harbaugh (pictured above), whom San Diego State considered not good enough for the Aztecs head coaching job a year ago, is good enough for Stanford.
How much of a mess is Aztecs football right now? Not only are the Aztecs stuck with a coach who is clearly in over his head, but they're still paying off the man he replaced, Tom Craft.
Yeah, SDSU athletic director Jeff Schemmel is a shrewd evaluator of talent.

Yeah, LT is Great, But ...

As Charger fans celebrate another win and another tremendous performance by LaDainian Tomlinson, we prefer to look at the big picture.
And what we see ain't pretty.
With the Chargers rolling along, winning every week, it had been difficult to spot a weakness on this team.
But that weakness is becoming crystal clear now.
He wears No. 17.
Quarterback Philip Rivers looked absolutely horrific as the Chargers won in spite of him Sunday night, 20-9 over the Chiefs, to remain in the driver's seat for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Rivers, who as a youngster played excitable neighbor "Ricky" on "My Three Sons," completed just 8 of 23 passes (a horrendous 35 percent) for only 97 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer rating was a Rex Grossman-like 12.4.
But more troubling than just his stats was Rivers' demeanor and lack of composure.
Your quarterback is supposed to be your calm, steady leader. Rivers is anything but calm and steady, often pouting and whining to refs in the rare event when a call doesn't go the Chargers' way.
And when he struggles, he really shows his lack of leadership.
With 8:18 left in the third quarter Sunday, Rivers threw a wobbly third-down incompletion and stormed off to the sidelines, tossing his helmet on the way.
"Rivers is furious," said Al Michaels on the NBC broadcast.
At this moment, we thought, "Man, this kid looks like a certifiable basket case."
NBC's Andrea Kremer said that Billy Volek and Charlie Whitehurst had to come over and calm Rivers down so that he could listen to the coaches' instructions and make adjustments. When your second- and third-string quarterbacks show more leadership qualities than your starting QB, something's wrong.
Then with 10:09 left in the fourth quarter, while scrambling to his right, Rivers threw an ugly interception right into the arms of Kansas City's Greg Wesley.
NBC quickly cut to a reaction shot of Rivers as he was was walking off the field. The guy looked completely lost out there.
After Rivers' schizo performance on Sunday, how many of his teammates do you think are wondering right now if they can count on this guy come playoff time?
Your quarterback has to be a guy that teammates have trust and faith in. And that goes double in the postseason. Good luck with that, Philip.
Quarterbacks win playoff games, not running backs. As good as LT is, a team with a good run defense (like the Ravens) is certainly capable of shutting him down.
And after watching this ugly QB performance, we now know how it's all going to turn out.
When the Chargers lose in the playoffs, it won't be because of Marty Schottenheimer, as conventional wisdom has it. It will be because of Philip Rivers.

The USD Report

The University of San Diego defeated Campbell 81-69 on Thursday night.

And that's all for this edition of The USD Report.

Join us again next time for The USD Report.

Chicken Bleep

We can't tell you how excited we are over the news that the San Diego Chicken has been named Grand Marshal of the Holiday Bowl Parade.
After taking a moment to calm ourselves down, our initial reaction was: the Holiday Bowl has a parade?
You can bet we'll be camping out real early for this one. We wouldn't want to get squeezed out of a good seat by any of the six people who go to the Holiday Bowl Parade.
Last time we saw the Chicken, he was prancing around during the Chargers-Steelers game on "Sunday Night Football" in October. And the way NBC's Al Michaels gushed upon the arrival of the Chicken, you'd have thought Brett Favre walked into the booth to deliver a pastrami sandwich to John Madden.
We've never gotten the Chicken's "humor." We know we're in the minority with that.
But hey, if a 58-year-old man prancing around in tights is your idea of a good time, knock yourself out.
Try this: Next time someone is raving about the Chicken, ask them to explain why he's funny. Should be an interesting conversation.
But be careful. In this town, to say anything negative about the San Diego Chicken is nearly as sacrilegious as saying something negative about Tony Gwynn.
The Chicken is a San Diego icon, or so they tell us. Why? Who knows, but he's been doing the same thing for 32 years, so bestowing icon status on the Chicken is kind of like giving the Irving Thalberg Award for lifetime achievement at the Oscars. He's getting up there in age and you almost feel sorry for the guy.
But this is the same town that made The Flan a beloved local icon, so clearly it doesn't take much.

The Minor-League Town Poll

Who will the Chargers beat in the Super Bowl?
	Chicago Bears
	New Orleans Saints
	Dallas Cowboys
	Seattle Seahawks
	New York Giants
	Themselves
Free polls from Pollhost.com

The Minor-League Town Stat o' the Day

Number of times the words "Super Bowl" have
been uttered in San Diego over the past four days:

89,642

There's No "D" in enver

Tell us again, why was this Denver Broncos team ever considered a Super Bowl contender?
And wasn't it just a few weeks ago that this Broncos defense was being compared to some of the best defenses ever?
Yeah, OK, let us know how those comparisons are coming along.
On Sunday, the Broncos brought their stellar defense to San Diego and we were all privileged to witness this world-class group in action as Denver's defense put on quite a clinic on how to hold a team under 50 points.
Which would be good if this were a college basketball game.
LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers were so confused by this defense, that LT ran into the NFL record book as the Bolts clinched the AFC West title with a 48-20 victory and handed the Broncos their fourth straight loss.
LT scored three touchdowns to break the NFL single-season record with 29 TDs. In his past nine games, LT has scored 26 touchdowns.
But seriously, how about that Broncos defense?
We've seen girls water polo teams who play tougher defense.
As the Chargers celebrated their division title, the Broncos (7-6) can ponder what went wrong this season. Since Denver is clearly dead, these guys will have plenty of time in the offseason to do things like catch up on movies. We've got a suggestion.
And while we're burying the Broncos, we can't overlook the rest of the division.
Tell us again, why did so many people think the AFC West was a tough division? While the Broncos are one of the most overrated teams in recent memory, the rest of the division has proven to be just plain pathetic, turning an allegedly tough division into one of the weakest divisions in football.
How soft is this AFC West right now?
The Chargers could have won this division this year with Ryan Leaf at quarterback. Seriously.
That's how bad it is.
So now the Bolts are 11-2 and we won't pat ourselves on the back too much about our prediction from nearly a month ago.
And with the Colts' loss to Jacksonville on Sunday, the Chargers are now alone as the top seed in the AFC and they can clinch home field throughout the playoffs if they win out.
But some words of caution:
In recent years, seems like the top seed in the AFC never gets to the Super Bowl.
And more importantly, once the playoffs start, the Chargers won't be playing AFC West teams anymore.

AARPadres

The Padres finally acquired a big name in the offseason, agreeing to a one-year, $10 million deal Tuesday with 67-year-old right-hander Greg Maddux.

Just what we need around here, another senior citizen going too slow on our roads and highways.

Splitsville!

We're pretty broken up over the news that Scripps Ranch High graduate Adam Brody and gal pal Rachel Bilson have reportedly called it quits.
Life & Style magazine has the Exclusive! report on the breakup of "The OC" stars. The mag says that Brody "showed up solo to a party on Nov. 28 for the U.S. premiere of Volkswagen’s concept car Tiguan in LA."
That raises the question: they throw parties for a car?
And Rachel, if you need a shoulder to cry on, don't hesitate to drop us a line.

It Is the Cold and Flu Season

The number of California teens using over-the-counter cough medicines to get high has soared in recent years, according to a study released Monday.

Terrence Kiel was unavailable for comment.

Wake Us When The Playoffs Start

You'd think a 24-21 game that included a nearly successful onside kick in the final seconds would be a thriller.
You'd be wrong.
After watching the Chargers' victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the only feeling we're left with is a sense of drowsiness.
Maybe we can thank the 10 a.m. kickoff for that.
But really, this 3 1/2-hour yawner was more dull than a Sandy Alderson press conference.
The most interesting thing about this game was the unveiling of the new cold-weather uniforms for NFL officiating crews. The refs' new threads feature weird-looking black pants (pictured above) that look like they might have been inspired by watching too much Dodgeball on ESPN8, The Ocho.
The fact that the refs' wardrobe was the highlight of the day tells you what kind of day it was.
It was an odd game that seemed at times like nobody wanted to win.
Perhaps in a preview of things to come in the playoffs, Philip Rivers tried his best to give the game away, but Bills quarterback J.P. Losman was even more generous.
Rivers, who as a youngster played excitable neighbor "Ricky" on "My Three Sons," fumbled three times but thanks to his teammates' quick hands, only one of them was recovered by Buffalo. Losman, on the other hand, was intercepted twice and also lost a fumble.
For a game such as this, we won't bore ourselves to death with details, but a couple of things worth noting:

• Tight end Antonio Gates finally is starting to earn his paycheck. The big fella with the Oprah-like rear end was the game's leading receiver with seven catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, only his sixth score of the year.
• To give you an idea how every little thing has been going the Bolts' way this year, with 4:35 left in the third quarter, they reached a milestone. When Kris Dielman was called for a chop block, it marked the first time all season that the Chargers have had a first down negated by a penalty. For some teams out there (take a bow, Raiders), a streak such as this wouldn't last past the first quarter of the season opener.

Of course, Sunday's win coupled with the Colts' loss means the Chargers and Indianapolis are now tied for the AFC's best record at 10-2.
That might get some Bolts fans to start making travel arrangements for Super Bowl XLI in Miami.
But the only thing this game will inspire us to do is take a nap.

San Diego State 17, Colorado State 6 (No, Really!)

Clearly inspired by the 12 fans in attendance at Qualcomm Stadium, the Aztecs went out and won their season finale Saturday night.
Faced with the prospect of becoming the first 10-loss team in the program's 86-year history, these Aztecs instead can hold their heads high tonight because they won't go down as the worst San Diego State football team ever. No, these 3-9 Aztecs will merely be remembered as just another bad SDSU team.
As for Colorado State, how far has that program fallen? This particular embarrassment might be too much for the good folks of Fort Collins.
We expect to hear any day now that Colorado State is pulling the plug on its football program.

The USD Football Report

The University of San Diego defeated Monmouth 27-7 on Saturday afternoon.

And that's all for this edition of The USD Report.

Join us again next time for The USD Report.

Nice Schedule

Only in San Diego would they play a CIF football championship game at 10 a.m. on a Monday.
Spectacular planning there.
If we don't make it in time for kickoff, feel free to start without us.