Tomlinson to Star in Nike Ad
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Chargers running-back LaDainian Tomlinson will get his first starring role in a Nike commercial this summer. Tomlinson has been filming the commercial with teammates Antonio Gates, Shawne Merriman, and Philip Rivers lately. The commercial is being directed by famous filmmaker Michael Mann. The commercial is set to hit the air this August.
This is great for the city of San Diego, the Chargers, and for Tomlinson. A symbol of everything that is right about the NFL in a time when the league is making headlines for all the wrong reasons, players like Tomlinson should be at the forefront of the NFL’s marketing plan. LaDainian Tomlinson is a a workhorse, an amazing talent, and a great man. Keep a look out for his commercial.
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San Diego’s New D-Coordinator Searching for First Super Bowl
Tim Sullivan wrote a rather interesting article today for the San Diego Union Tribune, detailing the career path of new Defensive Coordinator Ted Cottrell, who has been a part of the NFL for more than 30 years in some capacity or another. Cottrell, a former NFL player and something of a journeyman, has led quite the life up to this point, where he is now in a position to finally claim that Super Bowl ring that has eluded him in the past.
The article is very well written and any Chargers fan will enjoy it. With the new coaching regime comes new names and faces, and knowing things like “our defensive coordinator was almost an FBI agent,” will score you big points at any sports bar in the San Diego area. Cottrell, who will be 60 when the season starts, has a great life story.
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Durkin Training Bush, Others
According to a report in USA Today, Reggie Bush has spent the off season training with sports training guru Tood Durkin. Durkin is the trainer to Bush’s teammates NFL MVP Ladanian Tomlinson, as well as former Chargers QB and MVP runner-up Drew Brees. Bush began training with Durkin and Tomlinson during his final season with the University of Southern California Trojans. But this off season, he has reportedly picked up the intensity of his workouts.
Reggie Bush has always been an amazing competitor and champion. His days at USC as a Heisman Trophy winner and two time national champion showed us that he had the heart of a true great. Reggie’s dedication to becoming a better player, to becoming one of the greats, is truly admirable. In a time when the NFL seems to be getting headlines for all the wrong reasons, it’s these types of stories that deserve more coverage.
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Chargers still in Stadium Talks with Oceanside
Charger Special Counsel Mark Fabiani met with city officials from Oceanside, California last Tuesday to further discuss the possibility of devising a plan that would allow for a new state-of-the-art Super Bowl equipped stadium to be built within the city limits. The Chargers are pursuing plans in both Oceanside and Chula Vista after the city of San Diego pulled their names from any possible stadium plans.
The Chargers are in dire need of a new stadium, as the NFL has stated that there will be no more Super Bowls held in San Diego in their current facilities. The city is widely regarded as one of the very few that is actually capable of hosting the massive event with relative ease, not only to the host city, but also to the fans, the teams, and those covering the game.
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National City Drops Stadium Bid
National City has dropped out of the running for the new location of the San Diego Chargers’ new stadium, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. This leaves two cities in the outlying areas surrounding San Diego as potential spots for a new stadium - Chula Vista and Oceanside. The City of San Diego has already gone on record as saying they will not build a new stadium within the city limits.
With Los Angeles making bids left and right to try to get a team to move to L.A., I would think that now is not the time to be jerking around your insanely popular football team, especially just as the brass seems to have finally figured out how to put together a winner. But then again, what do I know? I’m just a blogger.
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Turner to remain a Charger
Backup to LT, Michael Turner, will be a Charger for at least one more year, or so it would seem, according nfl.com. Turner resigned with the Chargers late last month, and as of right now it appears there will be no deal to trade him to any other teams. The Chargers appear open to trading Turner, but may be asking too much for him, as far as other teams in the league are concerned. Turner will make more than 2 million dollars next year. Not bad to be somebody’s backup.
This works out very well for the Chargers. Worst case scenario for them, they have a more than passable backup runner if anything were to happen to LaDanian Tomlinson. Best case scenario, a team desperate for a running back may have to shell out a few extra draft picks to the Chargers next year for a player San Diego barely uses. Though Turner can’t really complain about getting paid so much and not having to take an NFL style beating week in and week out, you have to think that a competitor like Turner would like a chance to show what he can do as a starter.
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Former Charger Great Can’t Walk Away
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, as reported by ESPN.com, former Charger legend Junior Seau will be back for his 18th season in the NFL after inking a deal with the Patriots. Having grown up watching Seau crush people with animal aggression and blinding speed, Seau’s last few seasons have just been sad. Watching him bounce around a league at the age of 38, which makes him nearly 100 in linebacker years, it’s hard to recall the sheer terror he used to inspire in opposing quarterbacks.
Maybe it’s not my place, and I don’t want to make it seem as though Seau was monumentally unproductive. The Patriots wouldn’t be signing him if they didn’t believe he couldn’t still play. But in a sport as dangerous as professional football, and at a position as physical as linebacker, does a man pushing 40 really need to continue to put his body on the line day in and day out? At what point does love for the game venture from admirable to obsessive?
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Former Charger now a Falcon
Former Charger and unrestricted free agent Leaner Jordan will be competing for a backup tackle spot with the Atlanta Falcons next season, reports espn.com. 29 year old Jordan has been in the league for seven seasons, beginning his career in Carolina before becoming a Jaguar, and then a Charger.
Atlanta makes his fourth team in eight seasons. At 6′ 4″ and 320 pounds, Jordan will make a suitable backup for a team that, under a new coaching regime, is attempting to bolster its blocking corps. The Falcons have been working to get bigger up front during this offseason.
Jordan made nine starts for the Chargers in the 2005 season. His experience with man blocking schemes will come in handy as the Falcons make the switch from zone blocking to man this season.
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Ex-Charger Pleads Guilty
According to SI.com, former San Diego linebacker Steve Foley plead guilty on Thursday, May 3rd to a misdemeanor charge of driving with a BAC above the legal limit. I remember this story because it happened in the town of Poway, California, which just happens to be where I live.
You may remember the story because it involved a drunk Steve Foley allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road at allegedly insane speeds and then literally getting shot up by some police officer who is apparently very very afraid of unarmed black men.
I don’t want to make light of the crime of drunk driving, but last time I checked, it’s not a crime punishable by getting shot at by the cops. My favorite part about this story is that they fined him less than two grand. Yeah. That’ll teach him. Because it’s not like he was an NFL linebacker or anything. That two grand is really gonna hit him where it hurts. Hit him right where it hurts. Just a like a bullet. In his leg.
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Post Mini-Camp
San Diego Chargers opened mini-camp under new coach Norv Turner, open to the public with a recovered quarterback Philip Rivers. Michael Turner has still not been traded and will be joining LaDanian Tomlinson and free agent Kris Dielman this next season and all are upbeat about the new coaching system. Rivers commented, “I think he fits right into the team perfectly. He knows what he’s doing. He’s been around. He knows what it takes to win.”
Tomlinson had a remarkable, record setting season in 2006-07 and this new Charger team is ready to go even further. “If you look at the season over the course of the whole season it was a heck of a year and we accomplished a lot,” Rivers said, “Obviously what we had was good and I think all we can do this offseason is make it better.”
When asked about his sprained right foot Rivers joked, “It’s been a long offseason, I’ll tell you that. It’s hurt my golf game a little bit.” Seems like the team is getting in prime condition for this next NFL season and you won’t want to miss a single game. Get your game day tickets from StubHub.com.