AGRI Biz

A flurry of high-profile moves have already dominated headlines around the NFL at the relative start of free agency. In the foggy mist of an uncapped season, most fans and commentators are still making sense of the rule adjustments and scenery changes in the league. However, one expected occurrence has been made blatantly clear: The gap between the haves and the have-nots has certainly widened. How this affects the AFC West is still ...

As I watched Jim Zorn's Washington Redskins lose to the Chargers JV squad on Sunday, I couldn't help thinking about what must've been going through ol' Jim's head. Across the field, on the opposing sideline, stood Norv Turner, whose team's (as well his own) reputation is starting to grow on both sides of the Mississippi. Norv was once in Jim's shoes, fired by impetuous 'Skins owner Daniel Snyder, disregarded in most ...

That bandwagon is getting a little creaky, as folks from Riverside to San Ysidro continue to pile on. For five of the last six seasons, Charger fans find themselves in a familiar position: geared for the playoffs. The AFC's version of the Philadelphia Eagles this decade (Last decade? The '00s? The noughties?), the Bolts have yet to parlay their sustained excellence into a Super Bowl victory. Furthermore, heartbreaking losses, hard-luck injuries, and questionable ...

When Dean Spanos, A.J. Smith and Co. are giving out the annual team awards during the offseason next season, hopefully they consider this suggestion seriously: For your consideration: The Cleveland Browns for team MVP. Not only did they extend the Chargers' winning streak (despite Ron Rivera and his patchwork defense's greatest efforts), but beating the Steelers on Thursday? Beautiful. Since 2005, the Chargers are 1-4 against the defending champions, and avoiding them completely in ...

So maybe Thanksgiving night was made a little less joyful by the Broncos taking down a quixotic Giants team (but I guess that's what you can expect when Kevin Gilbride is your offensive coordinator), but I'm betting the smile came back on everyone's face when they were reminded San Diego would face the Chiefs on Sunday. Despite the constant warnings by the "experts" of a potential trap game (AKA "Sleeper ...

Josh McDaniels, you truly are a disciple of Bill Bellichick. You embody Bellichick's maverick spirit, going against the grain of conventional wisdom in order to storm your way to victory. No, waitùit's one thing to go for it on 4th-and-2 in the waning moments of the fourth quarter in order to put a game out of reach, it's another thing to try and convert an onside kick in the third quarter, down ...

Preface: Game recaps are a thing of the past. Let's face it, it takes way less than a thousand monkeys banging on a thousand typewriters for a thousand years to churn out a decent NFL post-game stat sheet. SportsCenter's on your iPhone and on the web, 24 hours a day. Even if you missed that, by the time you pick up your morning paper the next day, you already heard about it on ...

File this under "the glass is half-empty." Facing an Oakland Raiders (2-6) team that could not get any semblance of pass defense against San Diego's aerial attack, the Chargers (4-3) chose to run 30 times in 55 plays. When the Raiders had the ball, the Bolts faced a team they knew would run at them (as their QB boasts a rating of 47.2), and yet they allowed nearly 100 yards on the ...

Last night, a national audience realized that there are several things wrong with the San Diego Chargers. Things apparent to Southern Californians and hardcore NFL observers were laid out plainly to Joe Football Fan during Monday night's lackluster performance. Pro Bowl QB Philip Rivers can't hang on to the football after contact. Rivers' offensive line is wretched, failing to open up holes for the run and allowing pass rushers to consistently pressure the ...