Thugtown, USA: A Series Is Reborn

Just when you thought it was safe for a gal to have a Charger player as a boyfriend, Shawne Merriman is back in the news.
The star linebacker was arrested early Sunday morning for allegedly choking and restraining his girlfriend, MTV "star" Tila Tequila.
Stay classy, Shawne Merriman.
Chargers general manager Albert John Smith -- who answers to the colorful nickname "A.J." -- no doubt was thrilled about having his Sunday breakfast interrupted by this. The team's public relations staff issued a statement, in which A.J. allegedly says: "It’s disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shawne Merriman. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course."
By "monitor the situation," they mean, do nothing until they're forced to, if the legal process dictates.
Of course, if Merriman were not a star player, the response from the team wouldn't be quite the same. If he were the 53rd man on the roster, well ... he'd no longer be the 53rd man on the roster.
This latest "issue" of alleged thuggery is just the most recent in a long line of athletes gone bad stories involving Chargers and Padres players, as we've chronicled here in our just now resurrected Thugtown, USA series.
As you may recall, there was Jake Peavy's "situation" with airport security personnel in Mobile, Ala.
And then there was the heartwarming story of former Padre Marcus Giles getting handcuffed, detained and escorted from Qualcomm Stadium for allegedly getting into a fight at a Charger playoff game.
Oh, and we'll forever be grateful to Terrence Kiel for his contribution involving codeine-based cough syrup.
And it didn't take long for this Charger to get in trouble.
Jake Peavy made a return appearance in Thugtown, USA after an incident involving a brown foreign substance.
The playoffs are always a great time to get arrested, as Vincent Jackson demonstrated.
Now this latest "issue" involving Shawne Merriman leaves us with one question. Does this mean Merriman is now out of the running for NFL Man of the Year Award?