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By seeoats, June 14, 2010 7:27 pm

San Diego Chargers general counsel, Mark Fabiani, spoke in Mission Valley to a gathering of engineers and construction industry professionals about the pursuit of a downtown football stadium. The $750M structure (up to $1B w/ roof) faces financing issues because the Chargers expect public money to be contributed, a sensitive proposition in cash-strapped SD. The addition of a retractable fabric roof would allow for convention space and serve as a replacement for the Sports Arena (can’t wait for that demolition party) or MLS franchise.

Fabiani pointed out that by replacing city-owned Qualcomm and Sports Arena sites, SD could generate revenue by selling the unneeded land. Additional savings would also be possible since taxpayers currently are on the hook for up to $300M in improvements to Qualcomm if the Chargers finish out the current lease through 2020.

If the East Village complex is built, the 10 acre site would be the smallest in the NFL (bye-bye traditional tailgating) and the proposed 62,000 capacity would need an additional 8,000 temporary seats in order to host a Super Bowl. The capacity is intentionally undersized to minimize construction costs and ensure regular season sellouts.

The next step in the process is a vote scheduled on June 22 by San Diego City Council to authorize further studies on financing options. If the City approves (write your local councilmember), the County would need to do the same before the project is put to a county-wide public vote. The 2012 presidential primary would be the likeliest opportunity to put the stadium on the ballot.

On the possibility of the Chargers exhausting local sites and leaving town: “We’re closer to the end of this process than the beginning, we’ve been looking for 8 years” and “I’d hate to say this is the last option, we could take another look at the Escondido site, but the stars seem to be aligning downtown.”

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By Swasted, May 25, 2010 8:02 am

Uh oh…

From Yahoo! Sports:

San Diego Chargers safety Kevin Ellison has been arrested in Redondo Beach on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance.

Police say the 23-year-old was arrested Monday afternoon after he was stopped for speeding in a school zone near his former high school.

Sgt. Peter Grimm says a search of Ellison’s vehicle turned up 100 pills of Vicodin, which is a controlled substance. He was booked and released on $10,000 bail.

Grimm says Ellison didn’t have a prescription and even if he did, it was an unusually large amount of pills for a pharmacist to distribute.

Ellison played four seasons for Southern California and started nine games as a rookie for the Chargers in 2009. His older brother Keith is a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills.

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By Swasted, March 17, 2010 4:13 pm

The San Diego Chargers traded 3rd string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst and their 2010 2nd round draft pick (60th overall) today to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the Seahawk’s 2nd round pick in 2010 (40th overall) and 3rd round pick in 2011. Upon receiving Whitehurst, the Seahawks signed him to a 2-year extension worth a surprising $5-million per year.

The Chargers selected the former Clemson QB with the 17th pick in the 3rd round of the 2006 draft and he has never attempted a pass outside of the preseason. The Chargers now stand to have 2 of the top 40 picks in the 2010 NFL draft.

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By Logert, March 14, 2010 9:00 pm

NEW YORK — LaDainian Tomlinson is bolting for the Big Apple.
The New York Jets signed the former Chargers running back to a two-year contract Sunday, adding an aging star to an offense that ranked No. 1 in rushing last season.
The Jets confirmed that they have agreed to a deal, adding the aging star to the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense last season.
New York’s Daily News reported Tomlinson’s two-year deal is worth $5.2 million, according to source, and can escalate to $5.7 million. – Full Rush

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By Logert, March 8, 2010 5:32 pm

The 5-9, 215-pound former All-America running back from Youngstown State spent the better part of his first two NFL seasons on the practice squads of the Redskins and Baltimore Ravens before getting an opportunity to play last season for the Redskins. In nine games in ’09, Mason averaged just under 4.0 yards per carry, toting the ball 32 times for 127 yards. He will attempt to earn a roster spot on a team in San Diego that averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last season.

“We’ve followed his progress through his young career,” said General Manager A.J. Smith, “and when he came available, we decided to give him an opportunity to earn a spot with the Chargers.” – Full Story

Marcus Mason – Career Stats

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By Swasted, March 4, 2010 1:36 pm

As the free agency deadline approaches, the San Diego Chargers have made a couple of surprise moves by releasing their biggest man and keeping their littlest. The UT is reporting the Chargers have released All-Pro veteran defensive tackle Jamal Williams and placed a first and third round tender on running back Darren Sproles.

Jamal Williams has been with the team for 12 seasons after being drafted out of Oklahoma St. in the 2nd round of the ‘98 draft. Williams would have been due a $1-million bonus and was scheduled to earn $5-million next year. He was limited to one game last year when he suffered a triceps injury in the first game of the season against Oakland Raiders. It’s been a pleasure watching Jamal dominate opposing offensive linemen all these years and his presence in the middle will definitely be missed and should be remembered as one of the all-time great Chargers.

Darren Sproles was told last week by Chargers officials that he would not be tendered and would be allowed to test the free agent market. However, today the Chargers placed the first and third round tender on him which will increase his 2010 salary to over $7-million. I think it’s unlikely the Chargers will be willing to pay that much for him so I’m guessing a long term deal or trade is on the horizon.

Kassim Osgood is reportedly on his way out the door as well after according to his Twitter account (@kassimosgood) he was told there was a 0% chance of him getting any playing time at WR. The special teams standout has aspirations of playing receiver in the NFL but the Chargers have better options so the former SDSU Aztec will test free agency.

With the release of Jamal, how about packaging Sproles, Cromartie and SD’s 1st round pick to the Rams for their 1st pick and get Suh…? Yeah, I know, dream on…never happen.

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By Swasted, February 10, 2010 10:05 am

Jumping Turtle’s Entertainment Permit Suspended – In an unsurprising move, the city of San Marcos suspended the entertainment permit for the Jumping Turtle on Tuesday following a Saturday morning brawl that led to two stabbings and a woman being hit in the head with a bottle. The city had revoked the permit in November of last year but the venue was able to continue the live shows while the owners appealed. Yesterday’s decision will be effective immediately. Unfortunate news for all of you who were hoping to catch the “reggae/ska/surf” greatness of Mike Pinto there this Saturday.

Ryan Leaf Unable To Arrange Plea Deal – Ryan Leaf is still facing burglary and drug charges in Texas stemming from a incident in October 2008 while he was an assistant football coach at West Texas A&M. He allegedly broke into a player’s apartment and stole an unknown amount of the painkiller, Hydrocodone. Leaf has been attempting to reach a plea deal with prosecutors that would allow him to remain living and working in British Columbia. He’s been living there the last few years and working at a resort. Yep, a resort. If unable to reach a plea deal, the burglary charge alone could carry a sentence of 20 years in prison.

Scale of Zero To Tony Gwynn – GasLampBall.com is fielding a series of polls to judge individuals associated with the Padres on a scale of zero to Tony Gwynn. Here’s their official explanation, “The Zero to Tony Gwynn scale is a rating of a Padres’ importance to the San Diego Padres and their fans. The scale works to determine the relative importance of a particular Padre based on the assumption that Tony Gwynn is the perfect representation of the San Diego Padres.” Head over and place your votes, here’s a list of who’s been posted so far:

Trevor Hoffman
Dave Winfield
Steve Garvey
Jerry Coleman
Jake Peavy
Randy Jones
Ted Leitner
Nate Colbert
Benito Santiago
Heath Bell – Good to see them reference a tweet I sent them last night showcasing my disdain for Heath’s entrance music… “Heath has also decided to replace Hell’s Bells with a Voldemort. Something that should not be named for its amazing amount of suck. He also has a weird habit of saying things that I’m not sure he should be saying.”

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By Swasted, February 4, 2010 3:52 pm

In an article by Kevin Acee, LT is quoted as saying he’s not coming back to the Chargers. Not a huge surprise, especially after his interview with Darren Smith a couple weeks back.

Clay wants Tolbert to line up behind Hester, JB would probably draft LeGarrette Blount (unless his Beaver pride steps in) or whoever led Division II in rushing this year.

From the UT:
LaDainian Tomlinson knows he has played his last game as a Charger. “I’m not coming back,” Tomlinson told The San Diego Union-Tribune on Thursday. “I don’t believe I’ll be back in San Diego. I’ve accepted it.” After more than a month of saying he did not know what would happen, Tomlinson said he has believed for a while he would be let go by the Chargers. “I’ve been praying and meditating,” he said. “After doing that for a couple weeks, I just felt like it was over.” Tomlinson has two years remaining on his contract, but he is due a $2 million roster bonus March 5 and would be paid $5 million in total salary in 2010. As part of the renegotiated contract he signed last March, he is guaranteed $1 million by the Chargers for next season.

**UPDATE** – Check out the Chargers store, the Tomlinson jerseys are the only ones that are marked down…

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By Swasted, January 22, 2010 6:52 pm

Darren Smith asks some good questions and a clearly disappointed Ladainian Tomlinson responds. Dude sounds super bummed and describes his relationship with Norv Turner as “a good working relationship…he’s the boss…I play for him and try my best for him.”

I don’t think he’ll be back next year but this is the first time I’ve heard him sound like he doesn’t want to come back.

More Interviews Available at XXSportsRadio.com

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By Swasted, January 19, 2010 2:38 pm

It’s only Tuesday but this week has already been filled with lots of NASCAR news as teams open up for the media in preparation for Daytona…

Stewart-Hass Fielding A 3rd Pit Crew – When the No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing team of driver Ryan Newman struggled with its pit stops at the beginning of last season, observers shrugged it off as an example of growing pains a new organization must endure. Later in the season when the No. 14 team of driver Tony Stewart, Newman’s boss and teammate, lost jack man Mike Casto to a knee injury and had to scramble the find someone of the same quality to replace him, it was considered bad luck. Bobby Hutchens, director of competition for Stewart-Haas, looked at all of the above and saw a way to prevent such heartaches in the future. With that in mind, this year Hutchens has quietly gone about building a third pit crew for the organization that currently fields only two Sprint Cup cars. Stewart-Haas will train the third crew regularly along with the crews that will start the season in the pits for the No. 14 and No. 39 Chevrolets, but will loan the extra crew out to the No. 71 team of TRG Motorsports on race days. – NASCAR.com

Harvick Discusses Contract, Future At RCR Media Day – Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick says all of his sponsorships and all of his contracts are up after the 2010 season, and he plans to make a decision about his Sprint Cup home before signing any deals for Kevin Harvick Inc., which fields teams in the Nationwide and Truck series. Harvick is a free agent after the 2010 season, and both he and RCR team owner Richard Childress have said there were some uneasy times during 2009 as rumors swirled that the driver would leave after 2009. “We can build stuff in five days,” Harvick said about his KHI operation. “We can build Chevys, Toyotas, Dodges, Fords. Those things can happen in weeks.” Both Harvick and Childress left the door open that Harvick could return to the team in 2011, although neither sounded optimistic that it would happen. “That door is always open on his end and ours too, I think,” Childress said. “When the time comes, we’ll talk.

Hendrick Motorsports Assists In Haitian Relief Efforts -After watching a few news stories and seeing the devastation, Rick Hendrick sprung into action. He donated the use of two flight crews and two 45-seat passenger planes, the same planes used to transport his race team during the NASCAR season. “We’re taking medical teams and supplies in, we’re bringing citizens and orphans back,” says Hendrick. The Hendrick planes even flew a church youth group out of Haiti. General Manager Marshall Carlson tells of a 17-year-old girl, originally in Haiti to paint a church or clean up a school, who found herself in the middle of something much more life-changing. “She had helped deliver two babies and had assisted with some emergency amputations,” says Carlson. One Hendrick flight even landed before some military planes did, in thanks because the rescue group Hendrick has partnered with in Florida has ties in Haiti.- Full Story

Chargers Extend Norv Turner Through 2013 – Like it or not, Chargers fans, coach Norv Turner will be sticking around for four more years. The Chargers announced Monday night that the oft-maligned coach is getting a three-year contract extension through 2013. The extension came just more than 24 hours after the Chargers were shocked 17-14 by the New York Jets in the divisional playoffs, renewing calls by some fans for Turner to be fired. The team had been expected to extend Turner’s contract in the offseason so he wouldn’t be a lame duck next fall. That offseason came a lot sooner than most people expected. Some had picked the Chargers to win the Super Bowl, but they melted down in a hail of mistakes and penalties against the Jets. – Yahoo.com

Supercross: TWMX’s Phoenix Race Report – TransWorld Motocross breaks down what happened Saturday in Phoenix. It was a crazy night with Stewart and Reed mixing it up in the final and Dungey capturing his first win in the Supercross class. – TWMX.com

Lincecum Pays Fine, Resolves Marijuana Charge – Lincecum agreed to pay $513 to resolve marijuana charges against him in Washington state. He then submitted his request for arbitration, a record $13 million. – ESPN.com