Former Pro Bowl receiver Chris Chambers went from one AFC West Division team to another this week in part because of an ongoing off-the-field situation involving his ex-girlfriend and his wife. The issue dates back at least seven months and includes an extramarital affair, a pending divorce, Chambers’ request for a restraining order against his ex-girlfriend and several lurid text messages from the woman to his wife, court records show. Ultimately, Chambers — who admitted the Chargers had told him they had concerns about his personal situation — was released Monday, during a season in which his production was significantly down. He was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday. Chambers, 31, said Monday that “I guess it created a distraction upstairs. … They know a little too much of my life, and they used it against me.”

The 2004 NFL draft was underway at Madison Square Garden in New York and Eli Manning was projected to go number 1. The problem – San Diego had the first pick of the draft and Eli Manning had already told everyone that would listen that he did not intend to play for San Diego if they picked him first.

The crowd quiets as NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue walked to the podium and readied himself to make the announcement.

And then it came …

“With the first pick of the 2004 NFL draft – the San Diego Chargers select — Eli Manning”

Well there it is, the Chargers did not grant Eli’s request, Manning walked to the stage and stood next to commissioner Paul Tagliabue to pose for pictures, holding the Chargers jersey with the number 1 on it.

The Boos coming from the crown were overwhelming – who knew there were so many San Diego fans in New York, or were they Giants fans that wanted San Diego to skip over Manning as he had requested so they could get Peyton’s younger brother as their quarterback?

Philip Rivers was later selected 4th overall by the NY Giants.

Then – the trade – Manning goes to New York for Rivers and picks which amounted to the Chargers acquiring LB Shawne Merriman and K Nate Kaeding.

Eli Manning was interviewed shortly after being picked by the San Diego Chargers:

How many balls do you expect to throw for the San Diego Chargers?

ELI MANNING: Right now, obviously, we feel strongly about what we’ve said earlier this week. Everybody knows how we stand about this position. You know, it’s an honor to be selected the first pick, but again it’s not what we wanted.

Your father had no control over his first employer, your brother had no control over his first employer and now you have no control over your first employer; how frustrating is this?

ELI MANNING: It’s part of the deal. Obviously, we would have liked for things to run smoothly, but obviously that did not happen. This was released the other day; it wasn’t our plan to release it but the Chargers went out and did it. We were prepared for that but that’s how things worked.

Don’t you think everybody should have the right to negotiate with all the possible employers?

ELI MANNING: That’s not how the NFL works and that’s how it’s gone on for a long time. Again we felt strongly about doing what we did.

What is your thinking about going out on the podium; you said there might be some reservation doing that?

ELI MANNING: Obviously, it’s an important day for the NFL and the Draft is a special time. I did not want to cause a scene; already caused one in a way. I did not want to embarrass the Commissioner and do anything out of the ordinary. Felt it was important to do what everybody else does.

Was Pat Tillman on your mind when you did that?

ELI MANNING: Obviously when something like that happens, the things that are going on today in the Draft, all of this, it seems very unimportant. It does not seem that this is important and obviously, Pat Tillman and his family have been in my prayers this whole week and my family’s prayers. It’s a sad story.

How difficult was it to hear the chorus of boos?

ELI MANNING: It’s not hard to hear boos. It’s something that I’ve been used to. I’ve played in a lot of opponent’s stadiums in the SEC where I’ve been booed many times before. It’s a funny situation and you have to laugh it off.

What’s your biggest challenge going into next season whoever you’re with?

ELI MANNING: I think the biggest challenge will be getting used to the NFL, the speed of things, the complexity of defenses, learning a new offense, and trying to get into a rhythm with the receivers. There’s a lot of things that are not easy, but I think you’ve just got to work hard and be determined to get better.

Have you had any contact with A.J. Smith in the last three days?

ELI MANNING: I have not talked to A.J. Smith or anybody from the Chargers in the last three days.

What makes the San Diego situation so unappealing, specifically?

ELI MANNING: You know, we are not really mentioning details right now. We’ve talked to San Diego about this. We felt strongly about what we wanted to do and we thought it was in the best interests for me.

You were talking on the phone right after you were picked; who were you speaking with?

ELI MANNING: Right then I was speaking with A.J. Smith just briefly and Coach Schottenheimer and just nothing much was said, just congratulations and we’ll see what happens.

Are you expecting a trade with the Giants?

ELI MANNING: I don’t know what to expect anymore. It’s too hard to say. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next day, the next two days, the next to month or two months. So again, I don’t know what’s going to happen, and hopefully, you know, we’d like for a trade to happen, not with any team, so that’s what we are hoping for.

Is endorsements part of the package?

ELI MANNING: Endorsements had nothing to do with anything. It had nothing to do with anything.

Your thoughts on joining Peyton as the No. 1 pick?

ELI MANNING: Obviously, it’s a great honor to be selected as a first pick in the NFL Draft. I’ve worked hard to be in this situation and obviously, you go into a list of a few people who have been selected first. So it is a great honor, but obviously, it’s not how we wanted everything to work out.

But being with Peyton?

ELI MANNING: Being with Peyton, my brother selected 1 and me being selected first, obviously it’s something that doesn’t happen every day. So it’s a new experience, and it’s just a great honor to be mentioned with Peyton.

Are you disappointed the Giants didn’t trade up for you?

ELI MANNING: I’m not disappointed the Giants didn’t trade up for me. I didn’t know if they were going to trade up. I don’t know what their position was. So, obviously we were hoping for something to happen, a trade or for the Chargers not to pick me but obviously that’s the way it worked out. We’ll make the best out of the whole situation.

If the Chargers are not able to work out a trade, are you prepared if necessary to sit out next season?

ELI MANNING: We’ve talked about it and we’re prepared to do that.

Have you thought about graduate school?

ELI MANNING: I’ve not thought about grad school but maybe I’ll start to think about it.

What are you going to do the rest of the day? Normally you would go San Diego but what will you be doing now?

ELI MANNING: I think I’m just going to go back to the hotel and sit around and maybe watch the rest of the Draft and see who else is going to get selected.

Do you have any plans to go out there tonight or tomorrow?

ELI MANNING: I do not. I have no plans to go out there.

Was there an immediate emotional reaction when your name came up?

ELI MANNING: Obviously, it’s kind of mixed emotions. You’re excited about being selected the first pick because it is a great honor, but again, it’s not a pick that we wanted in this sense. So, you know, you just kind of go out there and it’s very thrilling and it’s a great honor.

If you could pick a team, what team would that be?

ELI MANNING: You know, I haven’t picked teams. I never said I wanted to play for a certain team. It did not matter to me. It’s just, you know, I don’t have any favorites. I don’t know.

In terms of sitting out this season, saying you’re prepared to do that, doesn’t that mean that you will not play for the Chargers?

ELI MANNING: Yes.

Have you thought at all about the fact that if you don’t play there and you go back to the Draft next year that as bad as they are and as bad as they have been that they could be in the same position next year?

ELI MANNING: You try not to think about that. Hopefully it won’t get to that position.

The odds are it won’t get to that position, but when it does resolve itself, will you discuss why San Diego was not a good situation? You can understand the curiosity.

ELI MANNING: I understand. We’ll think about it. I don’t know if it will get released or not.

Are you surprised San Diego went to three minutes on the clock before they picked you?

ELI MANNING: Again, you don’t know what’s happening in those back rooms. You don’t know if other teams are calling or what their process is or what their thinking is. I don’t know what to expect. You’re sitting there for those 15 minutes, and anything can happen. You’ve just got to sit and wait.

There were skeptics that think you won’t necessarily sit out; that money might be a factor. Would you address that and just tell us how serious you are about sitting out?

ELI MANNING: Obviously, we stand strong about what we said earlier this week and everything we’ve said. We’ve talked about it and we feel very strongly about it.

Was there any serious discussions about you joining the Chargers at any point in this process?

ELI MANNING: No, we haven’t talked about that at all.

At no point?

ELI MANNING: No.

So it’s no wonder why the San Diego fans have an intense dislike for the Eli Manning. He wanted no part of being a member of the Chargers and he has since gone on to win a Super Bowl for the city of New York.

Rivers started out his NFL career watching from the bench as Drew Brees was still the starting quarterback for San Diego, but Rivers got his chance to take over when Brees went to the Saints – many fans disagreed with the decision but Rivers has shown since that he is one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

So here we are, finally, the two quarterbacks will meet head to head Sunday when Philip Rivers and he Chargers travel to New York to take on Eli Manning and the Giants.

Both quarterbacks have downplayed the meeting, it’s just another game right? Well maybe, but Manning and Rivers would not be human if they did not play back the events of the 2004 draft in their minds a few times before Sunday. Both teams are fortunate to have drafted their franchise quarterback, but which team did better in the trade?

Only time will tell but one thing is for sure – there will be tremendous hype building up to Sunday’s game – Manning and Rivers finally squaring off head to head – NFL fans in New York in San Diego will be watching, and judging, very closely.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers was 16/25 with I TD and 1 interception. The INT was tipped ball that was thrown slightly behind Vincent Jackson.

Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell went 14/22 for 109 yards and 1 interception.

Antonio Cromartie was credited with his first interception in 20 games when Russell threw the ball to TE Zach Miller, but Miller fell down during the route and the ball sailed right to Cromartie.

Shawne Merriman was able to dust off his Lights Out dance today not once but twice. Merriman had not sacked a quarterback since 2007. “It’s a step for me. I feel better each and every week,” Merriman said. “For so many weeks I was getting closer and closer. At some point in time, I knew it had to come. I’m glad it came at the right time.”

JaMarcus Russell was sacked 5 times. Merriman’s 2, Shaun Phillips also had 2 sacks and Steve Gregory recorded his second sack in as many games.

Vincent Jackson record his 5th touchdown of the season and he also continued his streak of 100+ yard games. Jackson continues to show that he has become one of the top receivers in the NFL.

LaDainian Tomlinson ran in 2 touchdowns. The first was when the Chargers went to Wildcat offense in the first quarter and he received a direct snap running into the end zone for a 6 yard TD. LT also had a 10 TD yard run in the second quarter. Tomlinson ran for a total of 56 yards.

“There was a lot of good,” Philip Rivers said. “There were a few things that were just off or it could have been really good.”
The Chargers did execute well in many areas today. They converted 64 percent of their third downs. They out gained the Raiders 346 yards to 180 yards on offense. They converted in the red zone with three scores in four attempts, including both of Tomlinson’s touchdowns.

When Rivers was asked post game about utilizing the Wildcat today he said “I don’t see it being a priority, I think it can be a wrinkle.”

Tomlinson seemed a bit more excited about the play, “We worked on it the whole off-season,” Tomlinson said. “Mini-camp — we worked on it in training camp. We were just sitting there like — ‘coach when are you gonna call it? We’re ready.’”
LT was asked about his opinion on where the team stands right now he said “The true measure is going to come against the teams we have coming up — Philadelphia and the Giants next week. It’s going to tell us a lot about ourselves in the next couple of weeks.”

Very true. Last week the Chargers destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs, a game they were supposed to win easily. But this game was another that the Chargers were supposed to take care of without great effort, they were favored by 16 ½ points. But a couple of turnovers, continued inability to stop the run and opposing teams being able to run back kickoffs for large chunks of yardage made this game much closed than was expected by most.

So where does the team stand right now? As LT said, the Chargers players, coaches and fans will know for sure when they see how the team responds to next couple of opponents.

Next week the Chargers travel to New York to take on the Giants.

The Oakland Raiders are traveling down the West Coast to take on the San Diego Chargers this Sunday.  The Raiders (2-5) and Chargers (3-3) find themselves separated by only 1 game in the win column but they seem to be separated by much more than that on the playing field.  Right now the Chargers are a staggering 16 ½ point favorites according to the experts in Las Vegas.  The Chargers have been riddled with injuries while the only real excuse for the Raiders, they are really bad.

Oakland leads the all time record between these two teams at 56-41-2, but the Chargers are currently enjoying a 12 game winning streak against their instate rival.  That streak could have ended in week 1 this year had it not been for Darren Sproles running it in for a TD with only 18 seconds left on the clock sealing a 24-20 victory for the Chargers.  The last time Oakland beat San Diego was back in 2003.

San Diego was happy to see many stats improve last week while going on to a 37-7 victory against the Chiefs, but you don’t know what to take from that game because, well, it’s the Chiefs and they have their own set of problems to deal with.

Oakland on the other hand is trying to bounce back after being shut out at home last week against the Jets 38-0.  Oakland has been held to less than 8 points in their last 5 games.

While the stat difference between these 2 AFC West teams on the defensive side of the ball are not all that different, the offensive stats are much more of a contrast than a comparison:

The differences between the two teams quarterback’s stats are even more staggering:

So if the Raiders are going to put an end to the recent dominance by the Chargers, it is going to have to come from a place that does not show up on stats.  By all indication San Diego should win this game easily, but as they say, that is why they play the game.

Possible Blackout

As it stands right now there are still about 1,500 tickets remaining for Sunday’s game.  If those tickets are not sold by 1:00 PM today, unless they are granted the 24 hour extension, this game will be blacked out in the greater San Diego area.

When/Where

11/1/09 1:05 PM
Qualcomm Stadium – San Diego, CA
CBS (regional coverage)

Quotes

“I don’t think we could’ve beat an Oakland high school team today.” – Richard Seymour, after Sunday’s loss.

Individuals have to keep getting better and we have to collectively keep getting better as we zero in on what we have to do to prepare and play well against the Raiders,” – Norv Turner

The team and the San Diego Hall of Champions have partnered on the event that will celebrate 50 years of Chargers football with live entertainment on two stages, interactive games, celebrity and player appearances and much more.

The highlight of the Block Party will be the introduction of the Greatest Chargers of all time as selected by vote of the team’s fans as well as members of the Chargers Hall of Fame and select football aficionados.

The Block Party will heat up with hot musical acts and DJs performing live on two stages. The introduction of the Greatest Chargers will kick off the party. After honoring these current and former greats, Super Diamond, a Neil Diamond tribute band, will get the crowd singing along to “Sweet Caroline.” Then the pop band Fountains of Wayne will rock the Gaslamp Quarter with favorite hits such as “Stacy’s Mom” and “Too Cool for School.” In between this musical line-up, Scooter & Lavelle will keep the energy flowing throughout the night as they spin the latest tracks.

Partiers can choose to join the crowd by the main stage or upgrade their experience in the VIP area. This VIP experience includes a chic outdoor lounge with luxurious cabanas and fancy food and beverage opportunities.

Stage 2 will be the turned into Club Chargers where the DJ stage will keep the dance floor moving. The nearby Bolt Bubble Lounge will offer guests a chance to relax among the excitement.

Athletic skills will be put to the test in the ultimate Fan Fest zone, including a variety of high-energy and exciting interactive games. A fully-stocked merchandise tent also will be available. Block Party tickets also grant access into more than 20 East Village and Gaslamp Quarter hotspots where they’ll be offering drink specials courtesy of Block Party partner Coors Light.

Complimentary designated driver buses will provide partiers with a safe ride home to anywhere in San Diego County.

Tickets to celebrate 50 years of Chargers football are just $35 and are available through www.Chargers.com as well as at the Chargers Ticket Office at Qualcomm Stadium and the San Diego Hall of Champions. Additional information is available at www.Chargers.com.

Philip River took apart the Chiefs defense, throwing for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. Vincent Jackson lead the receivers with catches totaling 142 yards and he also scored 1 touchdown. Darren Sproles and Malcom Floyd added receiving TD’s. of their own. Rivers threw a couple a long passes today, a 51 yarder to Vincent Jackson and also one for 58 yards to Darren Sproles who took that one all the way for a touchdown.

LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for a season high 71 yards. Sproles added 41 rushing yards and even Philip Rivers gained 18 yards on the ground. The Chargers had a total of 135 yards rushing after averaging a league low 57 yards per game thus far this year.
The Chargers almost doubled the total offensive production of the Chiefs- 403 total yards for San Diego while Kansas City only was able to accumulate 203 total yards.

The Chargers defense, which has struggled all year, looked very impressive against Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel. Cassel was only 10/25 for a total of 97 yards passing and he threw for 3 interceptions. Tim Dobbins, Steve Gregory and Paul Oliver all picked off the Chiefs QB.

Kansas Citys offensive line had problems blocking for their quarterback, Steve Gregory and Eric Weddle each sacked Cassel and Shaun Phillips sacked him twice.

Nate Kaeding went 3/4 kicking field goals with the longest being 39 yards. Kaeding did miss an attempt from 43 yards today and he also appeared to have some trouble kicking off ball with several not traveling as far as usual.

Jacob Hester had an exciting play for the Special Teams unit today, blocking Dustin Colquit’s punt and chasing the ball into the end zone where he fell on top of it for a touchdown.

Notes

* It was a rainy day and with the game well in hand, Rivers left the game in the forth quarter and Billy Volek got a chance to see some action.

* Steve Gregory’s interception was the first of his career.

* Shawne Merriman, still without a sack this season, did appear to be regaining some of the speed and quickness of the past.

* Chargers continued to have trouble scoring touchdowns once they get into the Red zone.

* Cassel’s touchdown to Bowe was the first score for the Chiefs in over 6 quarters.

What was good news Thursday for people who want to bring pro football back to Los Angeles could wind up being even better news for those California cities that already have NFL teams. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will make it easier to build a 75,000-seat football stadium in the city of Industry, by exempting the venue from state environmental laws. If the governor signed that legislation for the Industry project, he would be compelled do the same for potential stadium deals in the Bay Area and San Diego, provided the planners of those projects promised the same type of jaw-dropping job numbers.