Now That The Chargers Have Bailed, Will San Diego Support The Aztecs??
Who needs the Chargers?
Perhaps some long time, die hard, generation to generation junkies whose life revolves around the National Football League.
Or maybe those fanatic and frenzied Fantasy Football Leaguers who live and breathe the NFL.
Can’t Get Enough!
The game’s popularity has certainly reached a pinnacle where Sunday has become Monday and Thursday, and later in the season, Saturday.
And I am not saying there is anything wrong with that.
It’s all good!
What’s played on the gridiron professionally is exciting entertainment that has been consumed by a country perhaps looking for a diversion.
Good Riddins
So when the Bolts left their home of five decades, a saddened and somber community had trouble coming to grips with their departure.
Sixteen years of failed efforts to find a location and construct a new state of the art stadium.
Their beloved team was actually leaving.
Neither Could Ripley!
Many couldn’t believe it.
Some still can’t.
Tons of memories. But so little success.
Only One Measly Trophy
The Chargers won their only title in 1963, crushing the Patriots 51-10 in American Football League Championship Game.
They lost their lone Super Bowl appearance in 1994 to San Francisco, 49-26.
Serious Drought
They haven’t won the AFC West title since 2009, their last of four in a row.
So it was on to Los Angeles, where the transplants have received more cold shoulders than open arms.
All those fair weather, band wagoners didn’t exactly create a stampede to celebrate the Chargers homecoming.
The band box they call StubHub Center had plenty of available seats at Sunday’s home opener.
Nobody’s Listening
All the hype from the Spanos family about how they were going to win over the locals fell on deaf ears.
The 405 wasn’t exactly a parking lot.
It was just an ordinary Sunday around the South Bay Curve.
The crowd was anything but ordinary.
Where Was Everybody?
A uninspired gathering of 25,381 showed up amid all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Chargers return.
San Diegans purchased twice as many season tickets last year!
Hard Rock Stadium
And to add insult to injury, half of those attendees wore Miami powder blue.
In my May 12, 2017 article entitled: ‘The Chargers: Draft Day Winners! But Will They Be Victorious On The Field?’, John Lopez of Anaheim made this bold statement:
“It’s not going to be like Qualcomm when the other teams’ fans took over the stadium.”
There was no enemy invasion last weekend when 43,040 witnessed host San Diego State’s stunning 20-17 upset of then No. 19 Stanford.
Rashaad Perry, who leads the nation in scoring, barreled his way to 175 yards on 32 rushes.
That earned him his third straight Mountain West Conference ‘Offensive Player Of The Week’ award.
Ironically his roommate, corner back Kameron Kelly, was honored defensively.
Perhaps fitting that Kelly’s late interception secured the win. Before that highlight play, Kelly recorded a pair of sacks and forced a fumble.
Lots Of Help
But there were plenty of ‘Best Supporting Actor’ nominees.
Quarterback Christian Chapman was successful on 21 of 29 passes good for 187 yards.
And he cleverly led the Aztecs on a decisive, 11 play, 75 yard drive to the end zone.
On that march, Chapman completed four of five critical tosses, including a pair of third down completions to Mikah Holder (16, 11 yards).
He then sealed the deal with an eight yard strike to David Wells.
The quarterback was all smiles afterwards.
Local Kid Makes Good
A product of Carlsbad High School, Chapman knows all about the nightmares of the past.
As a kid growing up, he witnessed 11 straight losing seasons.
“I’m from here.
“How many people came up to me and said, ‘So glad you stayed home. Hometown guy.’
“To do it in front of my hometown people, no better feeling than that.
“A big win for us. I love it,” Chapman sighed.
It Took A While
The Aztecs’ last victory over a Top 25 team came on October 10, 1981 when No. 12 Iowa was victimized, 52-31.
This time the upset gave coach Rocky Long’s juggernaut a third straight victory to open the season, matching last year’s start.
Pretty impressive when you realize the Aztecs have only had three 3-0 beginnings in the last 36 years.
Two PAC-12 Wins
Two of those triumphs came at the expense of the PC-12, a Power 5 Conference.
In addition to the aforementioned Stanford, SDSU went to Tempe, Arizona and beat up on the Sun Devils, 30-20.
Now it’s time for the two time defending Mountain West Conference champions to get serious.
The Aztecs begin defense of their 2016 title Saturday in Colorado against the Air Force Academy.
Just What The Doctor Ordered
And it just might be what ‘America’s Finest City’ needs.
A highly successful football program, AT ANY LEVEL!
“This is something San Diego wanted.
“Sadly, the Chargers (left), but the Aztecs gained some ground around here.
“It’s that ‘one city, one team’ thing.
“Everybody is so excited about it. We’re excited about it,” Penny stated.
A Little Respect
The pollsters obviously were impressed.
The Aztecs have cracked the AP Top 25 rankings, settling in at No.22.
Looking over their shoulder they see two undefeated PAC-12 programs, Utah and Oregon, as well as the SEC’s LSU Tigers, in their rear view mirror.
Should Go Bowling!
Pundits like CBS’ Jerry Plum are planting the seeds for perhaps a significant bowl appearance.
He envisions the Aztecs colliding with power house Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.
Plum’s analogy is that Florida State would be bumped from bowl consideration because there non-conference schedule doesn’t include a Stanford caliber team.
That may be putting the carriage before the horse, but you get the idea.
If the Aztecs plow through the MWC unscathed, they would certainly be in line for a MAJOR bowl invitation.
Is It All Downhill?
Their schedule looks favorable.
In addition to the Air Force, San Diego State travels to UNLV, Hawaii and San Jose State.
The home schedule includes match ups with Northern Illinois, Boise State, Fresno State. Nevada and New Mexico.
“We can match up with anybody,” Penny believes.
So far so good.
Talk Of The Town
And as the buzz sweeps the city, the more the populous becomes energized.
Enthusiasm follows and all of a sudden it’s the hottest ticket this side of the border.
Success, as in 3-0, replaces failure, as in 0-2
This will become an Aztec Country!
Who needs the Chargers?
The San Diego Union Tribune Contributed To This Article
Image: Credit: MWC – eastvillagetimes.com
John Stellman
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