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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

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By Swasted, January 18, 2010 6:27 pm

Vincent Jackson Handcuffed By Police Hours Before Playoff Game – San Diego police say Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was handcuffed briefly and had his car impounded following a traffic stop on Sunday just a few hours before a playoff loss to the New York Jets. Det. Gary Hassen says a traffic officer pulled over Jackson for playing loud music. The player was cited for driving with a suspended license and expired tags. Jackson was briefly handcuffed, which Hassen says is part of standard procedure in such situations. The traffic stop occurred near Chargers headquarters, about two miles north of Qualcomm Stadium. Jackson had to catch a ride to the game with quarterback Philip Rivers. – 7 catches, 100+ yards SignonSanDiego.com

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan’s Padres Team Report – The Padres’ biggest acquisition this offseason was 36 years old, somewhat on the small side and never played an inning in the minor leagues. Thankfully, Jed Hoyer does not wear a uniform. The team’s new general manager, who replaced the game’s longest-tenured GM, Kevin Towers, has spent the winter months assessing his organization’s strengths (improving farm system, bullpen, Adrian Gonzalez) and its weaknesses (too many to list, though more to do with a murderous slashing of the payroll than management flubs). – Yahoo.com

Milton Bradley Sued By Chicago Landlord – Add his landlord to the list of people who don’t like former Cubs rightfielder Milton Bradley, dumped by the team last month. Bradley signed a lease for a luxury Magnificent Mile condo just as the baseball season was starting, but his landlord says he walked out on the $15,000-a-month lease in the fall. Now the landlord and the realty company that helped lease the 24th-floor Park Hyatt condo, 800 N. Michigan Ave., are suing Bradley for $44,100 in back rent, late fees and interest through this month. And they’ll be seeking further rent until the lease runs out. SunTimes.com

Edmunds Stalking La Russa, Asking For A Tryout – Jim Edmonds went on stage at St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa’s charity event to ask for a tryout. The 39-year-old outfielder did not play last season but never retired. La Russa said Edmonds began texting him about a comeback the day before Sunday’s Animal Rescue Foundation event in St. Louis, and at first the manager thought it was a joke. La Russa said he got more texts from Edmonds during the event asking if he could come on stage, where he asked for another shot. – Yahoo.com

Jody Gerut Signs 1-year, $2MM Deal With Brewers – Yahoo.com

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By Swasted, January 15, 2010 3:51 pm

Lorenzo Neal on the Darren Smith Show on 01/15:

Quentin Jammer on the Darren Smith Show on 01/15:

More Audio Available at XXSportsRadio.com

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By Swasted, January 14, 2010 9:57 am

Everyone At Hospital Already Hates Wes Welker - Though injured New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker has only been in the hospital for five days, doctors, nurses, support staff, and fellow patients told reporters Thursday that the extremely passionate and determined Welker has already annoyed the hell out of everyone. “That guy is just the worst,” Welker’s orthopedic surgeon Dr. Henry Myles said after a diagnostic checkup Tuesday. “He suffers a torn MCL and ACL in his left knee, he can barely walk, and he just keeps saying things like, ‘When am I going to get back in there, doc?’ and ‘Just tape it up, I’ll be fine.’”

As of press time, Welker had not made a single friend at Massachusetts General. Although the wideout’s attitude has been celebrated by sportswriters and fans alike as scrappy and overachieving, hospital personnel have described him as “exhausting,” “intolerable,” and “the most infuriating little cocksucker ever to walk God’s green earth.” – TheOnion.com

Junior Seau Retires For the 4th Time – NFL great Junior Seau retired for the fourth time in four seasons on Wednesday, this time for good he said. The 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker, who came out of retirement to rejoin the New England Patriots in midseason, said he was ending his 19-year career in remarks taped for broadcast on Wednesday on Showtime. “That’s going to be my last game,” he said during the interview. Seau first left the NFL briefly in August 2006 after 13 seasons with San Diego and three with Miami. He signed with the Patriots four days later and started 14 of the 27 games he played for them over two seasons. He retired after the 2007 season, then came out of retirement for the final four games in 2008 before retiring after that season. In fairness to Junior, he didn’t retire the first time…he graduated. Brett Favre called and told him to make up his GD mind. – Yahoo.com

GQ Unveils New, Stunning Details About Marvin Harrison Gun Incident – I read an interesting article on Deadspin that summarizes another article that appeared in GQ about the Marvin Harrison shooting incident back in April 2008…shady, shady business. Apparently #88 straight-up gunned down a dude after serving him a beating. The dude said #88 was the gunman and wound up getting himself shot dead a few months later. Wha happen’d? – Deadspin.com – GQ

**Update – 4:52PM PST** – ESPN just covered the story on E:60, here’s the story and here’s the video:

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By Swasted, January 14, 2010 5:44 am

Curtis “Boonah” Brinkley Update - On July 10, 2009, Chargers undrafted rookie running back Curtis “Boonah” Brinkley was shot several times while he was back home in Philadelphia visiting family. In this video, Boonah recounts the night and his road to recovery. Brinkley averaged 4.9 yards per carry his senior year at Syracuse on his way to collecting 1,164 rushing yards and 7 TD’s. Good luck with the recovery, Curtis!