Football and Friends

When I was 14 years old I moved to San Diego, California from the middle of no where Ohio.  Living in Ohio in the 70s was great for a football fan as long as, by football you meant Ohio State.  Ohio State football meant Woody Hayes, Archie Griffith and his younger brother Ray, but pro football meant liking a team from somewhere else.

There were two professional teams in Ohio, the Cleveland Browns (who are now the Baltimore Ravens) and the Cincinnati Bengals.  The two teams seemed to be in an annual contest to see who would be the worst team (even though the Bengals got both of the Griffith brothers).  Most of my friends were Miami Dolphin fans because during this time, they were the best in the league.  I was a New England Patriots fan, because we were originally from Massachusetts and my father was a Patriots fan (and who didn't love Pat Patriot?).

In 1979 my family moved to San Diego, just in time for the start of football season, and I was exposed to an exciting team that actually won most of their games, and they were local.  Yes, I am talking about the San Diego Chargers, and the exciting "Air Coryell", Dan Fouts offense, where the slogan was the best defense is a good offense.

When I say that I was "exposed" I mean that in the sense of a virus or other communicable disease.  It has been a very difficult life being a Charger fan, the team that is perpetually good enough to get your hopes up just to have them shattered year after year.

I have since moved from San Diego, I have lived in Los Angeles, Orange County, Atlanta and now Houston, TX, and everywhere I go, I find myself surrounded by fans of every team BUT the Chargers.  In Los Angeles and Orange County, I was subjected to Raider fans, the Raiders are the arch enemy of all Charger Fans.  In Atlanta I was subjected to the most annoying Falcon fan you could ever imagine, body painting, fanatic who truly did believe that if the team lost (which they did nearly every week) that it was do to a personal failing by him, he didn't cheer hard enough, didn't wear the right underwear, etc.  This guy actually chose the date when he got married because it was a bye week for the Falcons.  Now, I live in Houston, and there are hardly any Texan Fans around mostly because the team hasn't had a good enough season yet to get the Band Wagon loaded up, but I am surrounded by Denver Bronco fans.

I bring this up, because the Chargers are playing on Monday night football tonight and I have one of those Bronco Fans coming over to watch the game with me.  I know that it is a odd pairing, but what are you gonna do?

Tonight's game is a battle to see who is going to be in the bottom of the Division, but the Chargers are known for having slow starts and I have to keep the faith. 

Does anyone know where I can get medical treatment for this Charger disease?  Perhaps there is an inpatient rehab.....Someone call Betty Ford.  (Is she still alive?)