So I find myself listening to sports-talk radio, pretty much constantly. I watch ESPN and ESPN News most of the time. I buy newspapers mostly for the sports section. And I'll watch just about anything that has a winner and a loser. Being immersed in that much information, you start to form your own opinions on that stuff, and those opinions have to go somewhere.
And that's where this blog comes in.
Over time, I've come up with some varied opinions about sports and the athletes who play them. With any luck, I'll be posting some of those opinions here, three times a week. In between, you'll find the latest sports news.
At least, thats the plan.
Ruling from the Bench is, of course, a work in progress. I'm human, just like you, and I have my limitations. I'm not perfect, and neither is this blog. But I'm going to do the best I can with it.
Above all else, Ruling from the Bench is a fan-driven blog. Every opinion I post will include a poll and open comments, so you can add your thoughts to mine. Also, living in NY, much of the information I get is East Coast biased. Therefore, I'll need help from you, the other sports fans who read this blog. If there is a topic you'd like to see me cover, or a news story you know of that you think should be here, send me a message at headjudge@gmail.com .
It was originally my intention to end my first post there, but listening to the radio this morning, I heard something I had to comment on. The San Diego Chargers are once again picked to be a major contender this season. I've heard that for the last three seasons, and I've come to only one conclusion: the Chargers are the most overrated team in professional football.
Every preview I see lists the charges as having double digit wins this year, but when you take a step back and look at the facts, its just not gonna happen. And heres why:
The Chargers have the most overrated defense in football. Every year their defense looks great on paper, and last year was no exception. And last year their defense was terrible. They finished 25th in yards per game and 31st in passing yards per game. I'm expecting more of the same this year.
Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson are coming off injuries. Gates may have had a typical year in 2008 as far as touchdowns are concerned, but his total yards were down 280 from the year before. He says hes at 100%, but that doesn't mean hes going to go back to what he was before. Foot injuries have a tendency to change a player abilities, especially when surgery is added into the mix. And Tomlinson is getting old, in football terms. Running backs don't get better over 30, and his stats have been declining over the last three years. I'm expecting more of the same from both players.
And finally, their schedule is harder than you think. Over the years, the Chargers have had two things going for them: they play in the AFC West, and they can usually beat the Colts. They might still play in the AFC West, but they don't play the Colts this year. Instead, they take on the entire NFC East. Their non-division schedule has six of last years playoff teams on it. Will they make the playoffs? Absolutely, but only because the rest of the AFC West is so bad. They should go 6-0 against their division, but will probably go 2-8 in the rest of their schedule, finishing 8-8, again.
Super Bowl contenders? Hardly.
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