Speechless

San Diego is my hometown. I was born at Balboa Naval Hospital and have been a lifelong San Diegan. As soon as I understood what sports were, I've rooted for the Padres and the Chargers. I grew up idolizing Tony Gwynn, Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow. I have great memories of Air Coryell and of Caminiti's Snickers fueled heroics. Ask anyone who knows me, I always have something to say about sports, especially sports in San Diego. That is... until the last month has left me all but speechless.

This was supposed to be a great year to be a San Diego fan. there was just too much to be excited about. The Chargers had just completed a 14-2 season, won the AFC West and had most their talent returning for 2007. The Padres had just come off back to back National League West titles and looked to have the best pitching staff in the majors. The way things have turned in the past month have crushed me mentally and physically. The 1-3 start for the Chargers and the Padres getting left out of the post-season have created a debilitating combination of headaches, nausea and vertigo. My illness has forced me to block access to all of the ESPN and FOX Sports channels. For the first time in my life, I hated sports.

The Padres had a great season and looked to be a lock for the 2007 playoffs. Until the Colorado Rockies decided to win 13 out of their last 14 games. That 13 inning heartbreaker in Denver was the indigestible anomaly that redefined the Padres' season. Every Padre fan had to like the team's chances with Jake Peavy and Trevor Hoffman both pitching in that one game playoff. It almost felt like the post-season was all but a formality. Unfortunately, neither Peavy nor Hoffman performed in game 163 the way that had carried the team in the first 162.

The Padres went 89-74 and lost an exciting one game playoff. Great season, no playoffs. At least we have Ladainian, right? Yet, to further drive me towards a prolonged addiction to anti-depressants, the Chargers had stumbled out to a horrible 1-3 start. In each of the first four weeks the execution was horrible. Each game was sloppy and painful to watch. My four-month-old son cried anytime the Chargers game was on the TV.

It took a 41-3 drubbing of the Denver Broncos for me and my infant son to stop crying. The defense and special teams took the ball away, as they had done most of last year. After four weeks of insanity, someone finally decided to give the ball to LT. Seemed like a good idea last year, it could work again this year. It isn't much, the team is still 2-3. At least the convincing win keeps me from committing some kind of regrettable act... for at least another week.