The Chargers kicked off the 2013 NFL season with one of the most exciting and disappointing games in recent memory. After jumping out to a 28-7 lead against the Houston Texans, in what looked like a coming out party for Mike McCoy and the “new” Philip Rivers, the team went flat.
The Chargers ended up losing 31-28, giving up 24 unanswered points and starting McCoy’s tenure as the team’s head coach in embarrassing fashion.
After the game, the NFL admitted that a penalty that helped the Texans in the fourth quarter was not called correctly. No, the Chargers don’t get the win. All they get is an apology from the league and a promise that they’ll try to be better in the future. Meanwhile, San Diego sports fans can carry on feeling cursed.
You’re reading the Sports Report, our weekly compilation of news and information for the San Diego sports fan.
Football, Football, Football
• The San Diego State Aztecs have started 0-2, after being blown out by an Ohio State team that lost its starting quarterback early in the first quarter. That’s not exactly the way Rocky Long was hoping to start the season. SDSU has a week off before welcoming the Oregon State Beavers to Qualcomm Stadium in another game that they stand almost no chance of winning.
• Chargers rookie linebacker Manti Te’o hasn’t practiced in over a month, and the local media is starting to wonder whether his injury could worse than the team is letting on. There’s been a lot of heat between the media and McCoy about transparency when it comes to injuries, and losing in Week 1 isn’t going to get the fans on his side. This situation could quickly get hairy.
• The competition doesn’t get much easier this week, as McCoy’s team travels to Philadelphia to face the three-ring circus that is the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Considering San Diego’s biggest weakness is depth, this is exactly the team that the Chargers do not want to face right now.
‘Fall training’ Continues for the Padres
• A September full of meaningless games means that the Padres are testing out a few prospects to see how they react to big league baseball. First baseman Tommy Medica got off to a good start by hitting a home run in his major league debut.
• Many fans are wondering why Dean Anna, a utility infielder who’s having a career year with the Triple-A Tucson Padres, has not been called up. Gaslamp Ball did its best to explain why the team is playing Ronny Cedeno instead of an exciting rookie, but everyone agrees that Anna should get a shot at some point.
• Geoff Hancock at Padres Public dug into the numbers and found there isn’t much of a difference between Will Venable, who recently signed a two-year contract extension for $4.25 million per year, and Chase Headley, who is demanding $10 million per year. It’s an eye-opening article every Padres fan should read.
Stories You May Have Missed
• Google Glass is starting to come out with apps, and “Blue” is one that makes watching baseball (at the stadium) easier and more fun. I get the feeling that we’re only a few years away from every sports fan wearing Google Glass to their favorite sporting events.
• “Canelo” Alvarez is an incredibly young boxing phenom with an incredible story, so it makes sense that he’s become a national hero in Mexico and has grabbed the attention of the entire boxing world.
• Alex Rodriguez, MLB’s greatest villian, has somehow become the hero of the 2013 New York Yankees and is dragging the team that doesn’t want him around to an improbable playoff push. Love him or hate him, A-Rod is always entertaining.
• GIF of the Week: In the first half of Monday’s game, Philip Rivers was on fire.
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I’m John Gennaro, contributor to Active Voice and managing editor of Bolts from the Blue. You can tweet me @john_gennaro or e-mail me directly at boltsfromtheblue@gmail.com.
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