The e-mails with the obscenities misspelled make it much easier to identify the sender without having to read on. Just another Charger fan.
The obvious anger is another giveaway. It's hard to imagine getting so mad, almost violent in suggesting things that cannot be anatomically accomplished because someone has made fun of my favorite not-very-exciting football team. Must be a lot of road rage in San Diego--frustration undoubtedly from watching a football team that cannot score.
"I would rather watch a dull Charger game than read your boring column," messaged one fan, although apparently he did both this last week. "I'm just thankful I live in New York and I don't have to read your worthless article."
Most everyone can be thankful for that, of course, but another wrote along the same lines: "So what if they are not playing PRETTY! (The swear words that were deleted from this message were also in capital letters). You sound like the typical Raider fan."
Listen, if Raider fans knew how to e-mail, they'd be griping too.
"Are you trying to get back at your Mother for naming you after a filthy border town by dissing the team closest to your namesake?"
L.A. Simers would have had a nice ring to it, but thank you for capitalizing "Mother."
No one escaped the barrage of smash-mouth e-mail this week.
"I realize it's the fault of the editor who allows this drivel to reach my kitchen table every week," said another e-mail, and drivel with oatmeal does not sound very appetizing.
Let's review: With no professional football team residing in Los Angeles, the assignment each week is to go somewhere.
"As far away as possible," as one editor pointed out.
With no emotional stake in who wins or loses, the task is to bring home to Los Angeles a review-- much like grading a movie--of the day's top NFL game. As a general rule, this leaves San Diego out. But there are exceptions when the reporter is too tired to board another plane, like last weekend.
The Chargers' starting quarterback threw four interceptions on four consecutive possessions--wonder what kind of e-mail Erik Kramer gets--and the Chargers won because the other team's play was even worse than that. It was a lackluster performance, and just like a bad movie with a happy ending, a 13-10 last-second win wasn't enough to prompt cheerleading.
That's left to the hometown reporters for the San Diego Union-Tribune anyway, who do such a fine job.
