So, Maybe You'd Like to Talk About the Chargers Instead?

Fine, let's talk about it. Let's talk about yesterday's game. Like the rest of San Diego's law abiding populace I was unable to watch the game in it's entirety. Thanks to the glory of the Red Zone Channel, though, I was afforded the opportunity to watch many of the very worst parts.

The story is the same as it ever is. Here's some highlights.

• The defense played well enough to keep us in the game while the offense committed blunder after insufferable blunder to keep the win safely out of reach.
• Rivers choked it up in the redzone...again.
• Mathews continues to confound Norv Turner being that Mathews was never on the Cowboys of the 90s, therefore he does not appear to even be in Norv Turner's playbook.
• Terrible clock management at the end of the game resulted in 4 failed attempts at the end zone when there was plenty of time and timeouts to run an actual offense and not just a desperate gambit.

And Norv Turner is still our coach. And AJ Smith is still our GM. And I suppose you could say it's because we are not mathematically eliminated from postseason play and that stranger things actually have happened, but never before have I been so certain this team has already left town. At least in spirit. I've said this before and I'll say it again. There are only two possible explanations for the inaction of ownership at this point.

A) Spanos is actually a complete moron who is completely unable to see what's right in front of his face. He's too stupid to understand that he is being played by his GM while fielding a dying product year after year. This is an attractive explanation for San Diego fans. I guarantee you that most fans think Dean is an idiot. But the guy's a billionaire, and while he may have inherited much of that from his dad, he's been running the show for a long time now and continues to make money for giving you nothing. I think the guy is more criminal mastermind than bumbling Mr. Bean.

B) Spanos has an end game in mind. He may not ultimately get there, but he is keeping his eye on the prize and the prize is Los Angeles (yuck!) and it's $Billion+ in TV revenue. This is what the NFL wants too. And both parties know that if the organization fields a winning or even likable team, that the City of San Diego is unlikely to let them go quietly. They could still bail out as others have done before them, but the last thing the NFL wants to do is award San Diego-a smaller market admittedly fair weather fanbase-another franchis like they had to do with those other towns where the team left against the will of the people. The NFL wants to erase this market. And sure, it wants to erase Jacksonville and probably Oakland too, but we are ideal. L.A. will embrace this team. They will justify it by remembering that the Chargers were born in L.A. and L.A. fans already adore living in the past. Jettison Norv and insert John Gruden and you've won that town over with very little effort. Of course, the Raiders are also ideal, which is why they will probably end up in L.A. right along with Dean and Co. Then the Chargers will probably get thrown to the Lions in the NFC.

The one fortunate circumstance for us the fans is that Norv has been so Norvlike that Dean is going to probably have to let him go or risk personal bodily injury. The unfortunate is that people continue to bandy about Andy Reid's name. And Reid's Eagles are currently vying with Norv's Chargers and a handful of other misfit toys for next year's first draft pick. Hardly feels like an upgrade. If it happens, ask yourselves which makes more sense. A or B?