Nado Natterings
A weekly column by David Axelson Back to Index

4 August 2010 Issue #31

Dickens’ classic “A Tale of Two Cities” was set in London and Paris and published in 1859. While watching sports over the weekend, it occurred to me that the updated sports version with the same title could be used featuring the cities of San Diego and Chicago.

Longtime readers of this space know that Your Natterer is a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, and a third generation Cub fan at that. I compounded the felony by encouraging my two children to follow the baseball squad from the North Side of Chicago. At this writing, the Cubs are 14 games under .500 and 13.5 games out of first place. The near perfect symmetry of those facts wouldn’t be quite as bad if the franchise didn’t also have the third largest payroll in the Major Leagues at $146,860,000. Many nations don’t have a gross national product with that many zeroes.

But the worst things that can be said regarding the 2010 Cubs is that they simply aren’t competitive and as such aren’t fun to watch. None of this of course is news to The Natter Wife, who while sympathetic, wishes I would move along already. Admittedly no championship for your favorite franchise since 1908 would push most people onto other pursuits, but not me. I figure I have too much money invested in Cubs wearing apparel to make a change now.

Contrast the plight of the Cubs with the hometown San Diego Padres, the lovable overachievers who with their 62-42 record, currently have the best record in the National League. Consider also that their payroll, including the recent trade acquisition of outfielder Ryan Ludwick from the St. Louis Cardinals, tips in at around $40 million, good for 29th out of the 30 Major League teams.

Ludwick, who was an All-Star in 2009, can play both corner outfield positions and has power. Last year, in what may have been a career year, Ludwick hammered 22 homers and drove in 97 runs. He‘s a legitimate addition to a rather anemic Padre batting order and may be the catalyst that drives the locals to at the very least, the National League West title.

The Padres feature pitching, defense and timely hitting more often than not. The Cubs are 0-3 in those categories. On a related note, congratulations to Padre Manager Bud Black for receiving some well-deserved national recognition in a July 30, 2010 feature in “The Wall Street Journal.”

Chicago’s other baseball entry the White Sox sits atop the American League Central Division. However, until the World Series, I prefer not to acknowledge the existence of American League teams, especially the White Sox.

The two cities’ NFL teams are seemingly on opposite paths as well. The Chicago Bears, the former Monsters of the Midway, are coming off of a 7-9 campaign in 2009. Despite some added defensive help in the person of Julius Peppers, the Bears offense has more question marks than Frank Gorshin’s Riddler had on his jacket in the old Batman TV series. Not to bore you with details, but there wasn’t much offensive punch in the Bears last year, and no major additions were made in the off season. The NFC North Division has improved around them and the Bears haven’t another sign of a long coming season.

Diminishing the contrast between the two cities located 1,700 miles apart, is the unsteady status of the San Diego Chargers, a team which seems to be in flux currently. The positives include that all of their draft picks are signed and in camp, including running back heir apparent and first round draft pick Ryan Mathews.

Word is starting to seep out of Chargers camp that the Hall of Fame bound LaDainian Tomlinson, now playing for the New York Jets, wasn’t a barrel of laughs in the locker room of late. It seems he was sulking because he was no longer the focal point of the Charger offensive attack. And that’s the printable version.

The negatives are three, which correlate directly to the number of former Charger All-Pro players who are currently holding out in their attempts negotiate or re-negotiate their contracts. Linebacker Shawne Merriman, wide receiver Vincent Jackson and offensive left tackle Marcus McNeill are all currently out of training camp and threatening to hold out for a large portion of the coming season.

Their collective problem is relatively simple. With a player lockout by NFL ownership all but a lead pipe certainty for 2011, the Chargers don’t want to pay their less than top tier players millions of dollars for not playing next season. Recently the Chargers have agreed to reward and justly so, tight end Antonio Gates with a new multi-year deal.

In order of importance, McNeill needs to be signed if for no other reason than to protect the safety and well being of quarterback Philip Rivers, who has five years remaining on a six-year $96 million contract. If Rivers gets hurt, the season is over, period, end of story. McNeil irepresents the best and potentially most expensive pass protection option for Rivers at this juncture.

Jackson came into his pass receiving prime last year and wants to be rewarded accordingly. That would be more likely to happen absent the ever-growing rap sheet that sixth-year receiver from Northern Colorado is accumulating. Charger General Manager A.J. Smith believes in player character and Jackson has under delivered in that area of late.

Merriman is coming off of a series of devastating knee injuries suffered two years ago and the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, now entering his sixth campaign, has lost at least one step, if not more. Smith has stockpiled linebacker depth for the Chargers, so don’t be surprised if Merriman isn’t the last of the three to be dealt with.

As an aside, the major newspaper in town tends to portray Charger contract issues as A.J. Smith vs. the player and the player agent in question. A general manager doesn’t undertake this type of high stakes public gamble without first checking with and receiving support from his owner. The easy thing would be for Smith to reach into the ample pocketbook of owner Dean Spanos and start throwing money at his three holdouts. See Smith work. Watch Spanos smile.

Despite the aforementioned contract issues, it’s still better to be a fan of the Chargers than the Bears entering the 2010 season. Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith’s job is on the line, while Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner could be in the car when Jackson gets his next speeding ticket and nothing would happen to him.

Real quickly to complete the two city sports discussion, Chicago’s shining example of recent success, the Blackhawks, have crippling salary cap issues and have traded or cut eight players from their 2009-10 Stanley Cup championship team. The latest to get chopped was goaltender Antti Niemi earlier this week. Cutting your starting net minder in hockey is roughly akin to not paying your starting left offensive tackle in football, but we’ve covered that.

The Chicago Bulls of the NBA haven’t been overly competitive since the conclusion of the Michael Jordan Era, but currently have some of the best young talent in the league. Although they were the place horse in the LeBron James sweepstakes, they took their available cap room, spent their funds wisely and greatly improved their team.

Doc Eaton’s Sports Physicals Planned for Today, August 4th

An annual rite of fall is the taking of your sports physical by all CHS and CMS athletes. The most efficient method to accomplish this task, which also helps pay for supplies for the CHS athletic training room, is to attend the physicals scheduled for today, August 4th at CHS.

The physicals will be given in the CHS 500 Building and students should start lining up on 7th Street behind Niedermeyer Field. Students with last names beginning with the letters A-L will start at 5:30 pm, while those with last names beginning with the letters M-Z should lineup at 6 pm. The last call for students will be at 6:30 pm and the event will conclude at 7 pm.

Local physicians donate their services for the physicals, which cost $15 per student, or $25 for two students from the same family. The rate drops to $10 per student if you have three or more students from the same family. Cash or checks made payable to the Islander Sports Foundation are accepted.

You need to print the two-page athletic physical/medical history form for each athlete, found at islandersportsfoundation.com. Complete all of the questions on the medical history page and bring both pages to the exam.

The event is named in honor of Dr. Chuck Eaton, who started this program in the 1990’s. A current physical exam is required to participate in sports at both Coronado High School and Coronado Middle School.

Coronado Youth Soccer Golf Tournament Coming Soon

Thursday, August 19, 2010, the Coronado Youth Soccer League will host their second Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser at Sea N Air Golf Course on NAS North Island. The playing fee is $100 per person or $375 for a foursome, which also includes lunch. An awards reception follows the high jinks on the links.  

Registration begins at 10 am, with a $2,500 putting contest slated for 10:30 am. The golf starts at 12 noon with a shotgun start and the event will be played in a scramble format.  

In addition there are sponsorship opportunities aplenty, including sponsoring a hole for $100 and the opportunity to have a military golfer join you as your guest for $100. For information on other sponsorships, or to register to play, please contact Helen Maracle at 619-954-1163 or via E-mail at helenmaracle@gmail.com. For additional registration details, go to nadosoccer.com.