LT No Longer A Bolt, Will Always Be A Bolt

My two favorite LT moments are these:

1. Sunday, October 20, 2002, Chargers at Raiders: I am in my third year of law school in D.C. and spend a good number of my Sundays at the ESPN Zone on 12th St. downtown. It is a pretty low time in my sports fandom as I have to concentrate on school, and neither the Padres or Chargers have been competitive for a long while (not since '96 for the Bolts). I'm aware that LT is a good young running back - possibly a great young running back - but haven't seen enough evidence to know for certain he is The Man. Then I watch this game against the Raiders in October 2002.

LT ran 39 times for 153 yards, leading the Bolts to a 27-21 OT victory over the eventual Super Bowl runners-up. What I'll never forget though is when LT broke through the line in OT and scampered 19 yards for the game-winnning TD. An incredibly powerful and fast run that no man should have been capable of on his 39th carry of the game. Just an astounding performance. That was the high point of that particular Chargers season, and one of the most fun games I've ever watched. Thanks, LT.

2. Sunday, December 10, 2006, Broncos at Chargers: The day LT set the single-season touchdown record. For my 30th birthday my wife bought us tickets to a Chargers game. We'd had the tickets for weeks and booked a cross-country flight to spend the weekend in the Diego (where better?). I knew the Chargers were good when we planned the trip, but didn't know they were on their way to their best season in team history. Likewise, I knew LT was the best RB in the league, but I didn't know he was on his way to an MVP season.

Well, this game was the absolute coronation of both that great Bolts season, and LT's season of the ages. The Broncos were a competitive team but the Bolts exploded to a 28-3 halftime lead, including a 1-yard LT touchdown run. That put LT two TDs away from breaking the record. The Broncos pulled to 28-20 in the third quarter, but then the Chargers went into pulverize mode, and scored 20 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, including two LT touchdown runs, the latter of which - the record breaker - you see above. I saw that moment live and will never forget it. Thanks, LT.

There are many more great LT moments, and I'll chronicle a few more here in the coming weeks. Until then, all I can say is what I've already said:

Thanks, LT.

A Photo To Think On

Oh well.

Drew Makes The Super Bowl

I find this photo poignant. I've never seen it before.

I feel sad for LT.

But congrats to Drew and the Saints. The Colts are a tough matchup, but I like Drew's chances.

Best. Uniforms. Ever.

Those All Whites the Bolts wore on Sunday were the best uniforms I - or anyone else - has ever seen.

Bring On The Ravinians

LT is not playing Sunday. Neither are Nick Hardwick and Travis Johnson.

Yeah, I'm real worried.

I don't know if people fully realize yet the pure sick ridiculous power of this Chargers team. It's like people watched part of the first quarter of the Raiders game, saw the Raiders rush for a few yards, and then automatically concluded this Bolts team isn't as good as people thought.

Right. And I'm not sitting at home on a Friday night blogging about a sports team.

Fact is this Bolts team is going to roll heavy on Sunday, with or without LT.

Mark it down.

Back In The Saddle!

Don't Leave Us

LT,

Rumor has it you may leave for New Orleans. That the decision, in fact, is in your hands.

All I can say is this: please don't go.

Please. Don't. Go.

Best,
Bevormo

Learn To Play Nice With Others

Dear A.J. and LT,

What on God's green Earth is going on with you two? I cannot fathom why you two are playing out your little power-play drama in the media. For the love that is all blessed and Boltly, please please zip your lips and go about your business in the privacy of Chargers HQ.

Both of your jobs are ridiculously simple. Not easy, but simple. A.J.: your job is to find the best talent, draft and sign that talent, and then either keep that talent or turn it over and find new talent. That is all. That is everything you do. Don't worry about cap numbers and all that other jazz, you have assistants for that and they will provide you the information. Nor does your job include talking to the media. I have no idea why you are even speaking with the Jim Trotters and Nick Canepas of the world. You should be out evaluating players, taking notes and then going back to Chargers Park and brainstorming with your assistants and coaches. You certainly should not be talking to the media about you. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. It's about the Chargers. Get. With. The. Program.

And LT, you aren't much better. Your job is very simple: you need to prepare and play as hard as possible on the field to help the Chargers win games. That is all. That is everything you do. But over the last few seasons you have shown up your quarterback, Felipe Rios, on more than one occasion. You sat silent and glowering on the sideline in the AFC Championship game. And, in the days before the Colts playoff game, someone from your camp leaked the true extent of your groin injury to the media. Just whose side are you on? The Chargers side? Or LT's side? You need to get in line and come on board for the big win. You are the greatest Charger running back of all time. Along with Dan, Lance, Wes, Kellen and Antonio, you start on my All-Time Charger Offense (I think we'd go with a two TE set on most downs so Kellen and Antonio are both on the field. Talk about matchup problems! I realize that that seems like we would emphasize the pass over the run, and you are right, we would. Deal with it.). IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.

Here's the bottom line, guys. As a Bolts fan all I want is a Super Bowl Championship. Whether or not that happens with either of you in the fold matters little to me. Either do what's best for the Chargers, or get out of Dodge. But in the meantime, for the love of lightning, stop messing around in public with your little of game "who's got the bigger johnson."

Both of you already know the answer to that question. It's Dean Spanos.

Zooker Hires LT's Old Coach

This happened a few days back but the Zooker has hired Mike Schultz, the TCU offensive coordinator, to replace Mike Locksley and take over the OC position with the Illini.

I like this hire. Schultz helped lead TCU to a great season in '08, including a choice Poinsettia Bowl victory over previously unbeaten Boise St. TCU's only losses this season were on the road against Oklahoma and Utah, two teams you might have read about in the sports pages this week.

Plus you gotta love the fact Schultz coached LT back in LT's Horned Frog days. I love it when my favorite teams have crossover appeal. It's like the Zooker hired Schultz with this humble blog in mind.

That's the Zooker for you, always thinking of ways to help a guy out.

I'm Naming My First Child Sproles. Or Perhaps Scifres.

Nick Canepa called it the best NFL game ever in Mission Valley. That old coot has certainly been around long enough to be considered an expert so I'm not gonna disagree. The only game I can think of that comes close (considering only playoff games) is the win over the Dolphins in the '94 playoffs, but to get that win the Bolts needed Pete Stoyanovich to miss a 48-yard field goal as time expired. For this win they took the fight to the Colts, created a number of scoring opportunities, forced the Colts to play on a long field throughout the game and made big plays on key defensive downs.

Here are the plays that stand out, both the good and the bad:

- the opening offensive play for the Bolts where LT ran around right end for 13 yards;

- the Mathis sack on 3rd and 2 that ended that opening drive;

- every Mike Scifers punt starting from the first to the last where the ball miraculously landed on the two and bounced straight into the air, going out of bounds at the 1 yard line ... because of Scifres the Colts started possessions at their own 10, 19, 3, 7, 9 and 1;

- that 36-yard completion from Manning to Anthony Gonzalez where Gonzalez snaked up field;

- the big completion to Gates where Gates ran to the 10 and then turned and stiff armed the Colts defender;

- the Manning shady 72-yard pass to Reggie Wayne that caught Antonio Cromartie and the rest of the Bolts D sleeping;

- the beautiful Bolts drive from their own 20 that ended with Sproles fumbling the ball into the end zone for a Colts touchback ... this is when I took my glasses off, sat on the couch and rubbed my eyes, unable to look at the television;

- the gutsy 12-yard scamper on third down by Philip Rivers that set up a 4th and 1 sneak for a first down ... Rivers' dive along the sideline to try to get the first down epitomizes his toughness;

- the interception to the deep safety in the end zone on the very next play after getting a first down at the Colts' 32;

- the Dobbins' sack at the 1 yard line on 3rd and 2 after Manning double pumped ... Manning never saw Dobbins;

- Rivers' two passes to Gates over the middle on the game-tying drive;

- Kassim Osgood clapping that the coin toss came up tails;

- the defensive holding penalty on 3rd and 8 where the Colts' DB grabbed Chris Chambers and spun him around; and

- the Sproles run around left end for the game winning touchdown.

Bolts win 23-17.

Now on to Pittsburgh.