San Diego
Notes and bolts from Chargers camp …
When you play 16 games, it’s hard to point to one play as the turning point in your season.
But LaDainian Tomlinson did it anyway Monday.
Tomlinson hasn’t forgotten the interception Champ Bailey made against Drew Brees last Sept. 18 at Invesco Field at Mile High. How could he? The Chargers led 14-3 at halftime, only to watch in horror as Bailey returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown, setting up the Broncos’ 20-17 victory.
The Bronx, who lost their season opener 34-10 at Miami the previous week, went on to win 12 of their final 14 regular-season games. The Chargers dropped to 0-2 and wound up out of the playoffs.
“No question, it was the turning point,” Tomlinson said. “We had that game controlled.
“Denver couldn’t run the ball against us, and they weren’t throwing the ball. Jake (Plummer) was rattled. And then all of a sudden that happens and they start rolling.
“It was the turning point of their season, too.” …
Think Rod Smith isn’t as young as he used to be? He’s a puppy compared to Chargers wideout Keenan McCardell, who will turn 37 in January. McCardell’s numbers last season: 70 catches for 917 yards and nine touchdowns. …
Talk about tight. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates are regular H-O-R-S-E combatants and live in the same San Diego suburb. So whose nameplate is next to Rivers’ in the Chargers’ dressing room? You’ve got it: Gates’. His 23 touchdown catches in 2004 and 2005 are the most ever by a tight end in back-to-back seasons. …
Just so you know, there’s no kumbaya clause in Ashley Lelie‘s contract, no agreement that the Broncos will forgive all that fine money if he reports. NFL teams don’t forgive fines, don’t set precedents, don’t treat one player any differently from the others. Or maybe you’ve forgotten last season, when the Chargers made Gates sit out the season opener even though he missed only a day or two of camp in a contract snit. …
Mark McGwire, first-ballot Hall of Famer? Not over Ken Caminiti‘s dead body. But that’s the problem. If the baseball writers keep McGwire out, they would have an obligation to do the same to all the other suspected steroid users. The key word here is suspected. Of all the Hall candidates, we’ve only got the goods on one: Rafael Palmeiro. …
Granted, it’s early in her career. Then again, Michelle Wie is the one who played the gender-bender card. She’s the one who wanted to play with the boys to prove her skills transcended the women’s game. That being the case, is it asking too much for her to go out and win an LPGA tournament? …
True, but strange: Broncos second-rounder Tony Scheffler wasn’t the highest-drafted player out of Western Michigan. He lasted until the 61st pick, nine notches after the Packers grabbed one of his teammates, wideout Greg Jennings. …
The Packers’ youth movement is in full swing. No fewer than three rookies are running with the first team – linebacker A.J. Hawk and guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz. Colledge played at Boise State for Dan Hawkins. …
As if things weren’t going badly enough on the North Side of Chicago, ex-Cub Bruce Sutter went into the Hall of Fame as a Cardinal. I’d tell you the previous ex-Cub who did it, but we don’t talk about the Lou Brock trade in my family. …
It’s official. The dog days of the baseball season have arrived. To wit: The Padres just concluded an 11-day, 11-game trip in which the temperature hit 90-plus every day. …
Pro Football Hall of Famer-in-waiting John Madden, summarizing his life in the L.A. Times: “I went from a player to a coach to a broadcaster. Never worked a day in my life. I’ve been in recess all my life.” …
And finally, happy birthday to former Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe, who turns 48 today.
Catch Jim Armstrong from 6-9 a.m. during “The Press Box” on ESPN 560 AM. He can be reached at 303-820-5452 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
