A Rogue Green & White Jet Fan Stranded in a Lightning Storm
Our old friend TOON2388, who lives in the San Diego area, is getting ready for the Jets to come and visit him this week. Due to that, he’s giving us an up-close look at this week’s opponent, fan-base and the City that Burgundy Built. If you are planning on going to the game and don’t yet have tickets, they’re going for as cheap as $55 on TicketCity’s website.
Greetings from the Left Coast. Have some good news for you: we are catching a wounded defense at the right time. Have some bad news for you: just about everything else.
The Current Mood in Charger Land: This is a nightmare scenario, facing a talented, but 0-2 team, in their building, on Monday Night Football, 8 days after the Refs cost them a game. By dumb luck, we will be the instrument that the players & fans will try to take out their pent up anger & frustration on. Contrary to what some people may believe, I would rather have faced an 0-2 Charger team than a 1-1 team, but not the 0-2 team that was robbed. I know the fan base out here, have studied them for 16 years – I know them as well as Nate Scarborough knew the Guards (which was why Paul Crewe made him Head Coach), and I can tell you that if the Bolts were LEGITIMATELY 0-2, and the JETS get off to a good start Monday, this crowd would have some wind taken of their sails. Not now. The team & the fans will fight this one to the death. The Refs woke up the beast, and we are in for an emotional battle for 3+ hours.
The Current State of the Chargers: Wish I had a lot more detail to give you, but I was out of town during Week 1 and we played the same time as the Bolts in Week 2, so most of this analysis is from three or four objective Chargers die-hards as I have not seen them play. Their defense is not right. With Merriman out for the year and Stephen Cooper still suspended, they are missing their best pass rusher and their best linebacker against the run. Cromartie has been awful at Corner. Tomlinson is a little nicked up. Gates is not close to 100%. But the biggest concern I am hearing has to do with the man in the middle, their rock of Gibraltar on the Nose, big Jamal Williams, who apparently is not the same force he has been in years past. It could be that after 4 years of taking a pounding at the point of attack the big fella is worn down, it could be that the Panthers did things to him that he has not seen on flim, or it could just be that he had two bad games. Just like our D starts with Jenkins to make everything else work, the Bolt D starts with Williams, and if his play has slipped, than that explains a lot of why they gave up 65 points the first 2 weeks. The word is that the Charger Special Teams have been pretty good. My belief is that Special Teams cost us the game against NE, so this is a major concern.
The Tailgating & Stadium Atmosphere: Forget about the “laid back” moniker slapped on West Coast fans. I have been to about 10 Chargers games over the years, including all 3 JETS wins in 2002, 2004, & the 2004 playoffs, and the parking lot starts filling up 4 hours before kickoff and is usually 100% full an hour before kickoff. I will be in the Lot by 1:30 on Monday somewhere in section C2 or C3 (anyone interesting in meeting up to tailgate or just to stop by for a beer, you can e-mail me at astitzer@cox.net). There will be about 25 people in my tailgate group – many wearing green & white. Charger fans have a chip on their shoulder as there are always thousands of visiting fans in attendance due to 1) all the transplants that move to California, especially from the East & Midwest and 2) if you are going to hit a road game, San Diego makes sense as it a good vacation town. Charger games are also kind of an “event” out here – it is a “thing to do,” so you get many people that are not big football fans, but go to the games. You also have a few thousand with “Raider fan” mentality – i.e. get liquored up tailgating and then look to cause trouble – especially anyone wearing opposing colors. If you are going to game and do not yet have a ticket, keep this in mind: Field Seats in the first 12 or so rows mean you stand the whole game as the front row is the same height as the field. I recommend getting to the Lot no later than 3pm.
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I smell 1-2.
TOON2388 — What about Row 13? — Also, how much time should I allow if I’m taking the trolley from the Gaslamp? — Thanks –
Is that true about Raider fans? I might go to that game and everyone from San Francisco I tell that to gets this terrified look when I say I’d be sporting my Jet’s gear. I’m not a small guy and I’m not afraid of a dork in a Vader helmet who thinks he will intimidate a visiting team just curious if I’m on teh wrong side of the brave/stupid line.
Is there a difference between and angry 0-2 team like the Bolts or an angry 0-2 team like the Jaguars?? This whole angry team is nonsense. It’s going to be a tough road game but the Bolts have all the pressure on them. If they are down in the 2nd half that team will get tighter than a fist…….They did get robeed last week but they also have given up a ton of points and most of their best players are out with injuries.
Lets hope the refs dont try and pay back the Chargers for some of the awful calls that went against them last week on Monday night. We will need to play really well to beat this team on the road…..we dont need to beat the refs also.
JustAGreenGuy — The only time I saw Raiders fans beat up anyone in the opposing team’s jersey was at the L.A. Coliseum in 1990 when the Raiders hosted the Steelers — In Oakland, when the Jets beat the Raiders on John Hall’s 53-yard field goal in 2001, I saw no one wearing a Jets jersey beaten up, myself included — Quite frankly, the only time I ever felt in danger while wearing a Jets jersey in a visiting stadium was at Lambeau Field — That I do not recommend –
Thanks. 10,000 vs. 1 was not my goal for a good weekend, but I’m physically unable to not wear Jet’s gear every game day. If they can fill 10,000 seats that is.
row 13 is up in the air Johnny. I would leave the Gaslamp by 4:00 at the latest just to be safe.
You guys remember that game in LA in 1993 when we blew that 17-0 lead and lost on the last play of the game after Davis pulled his clock hijinks? I had a full beer thrown at my head in the parking lot by a bunch of gang bangers AFTER the game – thought those clowns would have been happy that they won. I hear Oakland is wose than LA. Some friends from Maryland went to the AFC title game in 2000. They had to wait until the stadium emptied out and then Security walked them to their car. It is bad. DO NOT WEAR YOUR COLORS IF YOU GO
Johnny Styne, I gotta say I had a totally different experience at Lambeau, I was there 2 years ago for them most dominant performace of the Mangini era and the majority of the fans were very cool, no problems at all really, aside from some comments by people driving by us after the game. I was wearing Jets gear the entire weekend and almost everyone I met in Green Bay was very cool about it, they seem to expect out of town fans to come since its the mecca of football and like I said no real problems as a result.
Getting the Trolly from the gaslamp district sounds like a good idea. I don’t know how bad leaving will be though. Because parking in the lot andleaving San Diego stadium is the worst. There is like one way out.
hey TOON2388, I’m feeling a little better knowing you are going to be attending the game…since you bring good karma with you!
Go Jets!
PS – Is this the game where we “unleash” Psycho Keller?
TOON2388 — “Up in the air” as in a) too close to call, or b) an unobstructed view of the field — Thanks again –
Sec108 — I wasn’t at that game at Lambeau — I was at the game in the rain in 94 when we had a 10-7 lead at halftime — Rob Moore slipped on the last Jets’ play of the game and that was it –
JustAGreenGuy — Guess the upshot is every gameday is different, so use your best judgment –
I am 6-0 in that stadium 3-0 JETS & 3-0 Yankees. 3-0 regualr season & 3-0 post-season
Johnny row 13 you can see without having to stand the whole time. But you will be standing some of the time.
TOON2388 — I can live with that — Thanks again! –
yo i live i like 5 mins from quallcomm and i’ve been a jets fan my whole life (im 17 from jersey city) i hope the jets kick the chargers punk asses cause most of my friends are charger fans.i got faith though but mangini LET BRETT THROW THE GOD DAMN BALL .the chargers secondary cant cover anybody and u have BRETT FARVE (not chad pennington).he can get the ball to anybody at anyime. lets get keller more touches please LETS GO JETS!!
Use my best judgement? If I had good judgement would I be a Jet’s fan? That being said I’m incredibly jealous you guys will be there. Scream extra loud for us poor schmos that can’t be there. Let’s go Jets.
drock201
Good point. The Charger CBs have not been playing good. They seem to always go for the Int instead of just making the play.
I’m not jealous of anyone going to Qualcom – it sucks.