Well fans, the 2008 San Diego Chargers season is now over, and boy did the boys go out with a wimper.  On one hand, I'm terribly dissapointed and think that this season has been the biggest punch in the gut that my beloved team has ever delivered to my bread basket.  On the flip side, I have this odd sense of serenity because order seems to have been restored.  The team now stinks again, and it's being laughed at by just about every NFL fan in the world.  Exactly what we're used to here in San Diego, right?

Now that the team is no longer a Super Bowl favorite, with loads of players being considered as the best in the league at their position,  I'm hoping all the bandwagon fans will finally go away.  As I've stated in previous posts, there are plenty of hardcore Chargers fans that have just as much passion for their team as any other set of fans in the league.  Unfortunately, there are also a ton of idiots that just watch when the team is good.  And I'm not just referring to transplants from other cities that have taken a liking to the Bolts in recent years.  I've seen plenty of SD natives that over the course of the past two years have bought a Sproles jersey, or Cromartie jersey, etc. and act like they've been following the team since childhood, when really they've only shown interest when the team got good.  I know a certain person that never watched football in his life on his own, but since the start of this season, and some of last, he talks like a crazy fan.  I'm talking Facebook posts about who the new coach should be (if Norv should leave), amateurish game assessments, and all kinds of other ridiculous behavior that is just an embarassment to himself and to real Chargers fans who have watched every game whether the team was 1-15 or 14-2.  I've got no problem with someone taking an interest in a new sport, team, player or whatever, but don't all of a sudden start talking like you know all about the team, and football in general.  Passion is great, even when it comes from a new fan, but don't be afraid to let others know that you know very little.  I guess what I'm getting at is that the silver lining to this terrible excuse for a season is that the types of "fans" I mentioned above will hopefully go away, or at least blend in a bit.

So there's that.  With 4 games left I'd just like to see some of the young players mature, and see the team show some heart and hit people in the mouth.  Simple as that.  Give us some hope for next year boys, and end this one with some momentum so you can at least look yourselves in the mirror in the offseason with a certain amount of pride, knowing that you kept fighting (maybe I should say "started fighting") even when the playoffs were out of reach.

Whatever happens, I'm more of a Chargers fan now than I've ever been, and I may bitch about certain players or coaches, but I will never abandon this team.  Hopefully the team will repay that dedication with some quality performances in the next 4 games.

Cheers,

TWF