HERE COME THE TREVOR BASHERS

I knew this day was coming.  Trevor Hoffman was going to blow another save at some point and like clock work, they are back -- the Trevor bashers.

Yes, Trevor Hoffman blew his 3rd save on the year.  Closers blow saves - even the best there ever was from a saves total which Trevor Hoffman is.

I've received more than a handful of emails today from fans telling me I work for the Padres and know Trevor Hoffman and so that is why I say he deserves to retire when he wants to.

First of all, I do not work for the Padres.  Second, I know Trevor as well as other media types do.  I do not receive a Christmas card from the Hoffman household.

Again, Trevor Hoffman, the all time saves leader in Major League Baseball, deserves to retire as a Padre and when he sees it is time for him to do so. 

Is he in the twilight of his career?  Absolutely he is.  Is he at the bottom of table as far as closers are concerned?  No, not even close.

Trevor Hoffman is not the problem with the Padres.  Most of the rest of the roster is.

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

Yes, the boys of summer are back in town and are going to be home for quite a while - for a nice, long homestand, but will that turn their fortunes?

Padres' GM Kevin Towers joined Scott and BR today and was surprisingly candid about the last place friars.  What else could he do?  The Padres are the worst team in the majors.  At 16-29, they are 12 and 1/2 games out in the NL West.  He had to be candid and I for one appreciate his honesty.

Towers and the rest of the front office are taking plenty of grief for the 2008 version of the San Diego Padres.  They deserve most of it,  but the players deserve critique as well.  It takes effort to be this bad and nobody could have imagined this disaster.

Towers told the boys the Padres have a couple championship quality players.  He was correct.  Yes, Towers is taking a lot of the heat, but he's not running and he's not spinning the situation with the Friars.  He's telling it like it is.

...David Beckham and the LA Galaxy went into a toasty Pizza Hut Park in Dallas Sunday and put on a scoring display, defeating Dallas 5-1.  Becks had an assist on the last goal and Edson Buddles notched a hattrick as LA moved into second place in the MLS West.  What happened in this game was what the league hoped for.  Beckham filled the place and as the game progressed the rivalry heated up.

Beckham was cut down from behind be defender Adrian Serioux.  It was an immediate ejection for Serioux and suddenly Beckham goes from hero to villain.  And the sellouts will continue.

IT'S TIME TO MOVE THE FENCES IN

Yes, you read the headline correctly, it's time to move the fences in at Petco.

This is not about the Padres' dismal offensive performance so far this season and it easily could be.  Petco Park, plane and simply, needs to be more of a homerun hitters' park than a pitcher's park.

It's really a simple fix.  The visitor's bullpen being down the rightfield line is an embarrassment for a state of the art facility.  Simply take the right center field wall and bring it in, leaving it open and it's a done deal.  There's your new visitor's 'pen and the fans can have a little fun with them as opposing fans do with our players.

Heck, Brian Giles would have at least three more homeruns to this point and the lineup in general wouldn't have a complex over playing at home.  It's obvious these guys are freaked out about playing at Petco and they change their approach.  That can't happen.

How do you sell tickets?  Homeruns sell tickets.  Runs sell tickets.  Offense sells tickets.  Homeruns plus runs plus offense equals wins.  Simple. 

I think Petco is a great facility.  It has its flaws as do all ballparks, but what holds it back from being a place fans are excited to go to is the fact fans know more often than not they are going to see a low scoring affair - and from a pitching standpoint that is great, but assuming you will see a grand total of three runs a game is not what you want to sell fans and not what excites fans.

Watching Jake Peavy strikeout 15 batters is great.  I hope he throws a no-hitter, but watching Jake Peavy strikeout 15 batters and get no run support is frustrating.  Then it's boring.  Then I as a fan will eventually find something else that interests me.

It's time to move the fences in.

IM GETTING A LITTLE TIRED OF CLICHES

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired of cliche's.  I'm thinking about running a contest.  Name the cliche or political rhetoric.

'They believe in themselves.'  'They're a confident group over there, and that's contagious.'  Does this mean the other guys are not so confident and maybe they don't believe in themselves?

'The ball carries here.'  That's another good one.  Funny how it carries for one guy and not the other.  How about saying the opposing pitcher threw a bad pitch and it was knocked out of the yard?  Isn't that really the truth? But no, you can't say that.

I know I'm picking on baseball right now, but all the sports have them.  Football has their own share.  Marty Schottenheimer was great in spinning a few out each Monday, win or lose.

The sports cliche is basically the same as being politically correct and being politically correct is a way to lie to someone's face and feel good about it.

Are we so thin skinned today that we cannot just say what we feel anymore? 

Where's Howard Cosell?  He told it like it was.  Ha, that's a cliche today too.

ED ROSKIE PUTS THE PRESSURE ON SAN DIEGO AND OTHERS

Thursday, developer Ed Roskie had another press conference in Los Angeles.  He's had these before, announcing potential football stadia for the Los Angeles area.  Now the land belongs to him and suddenly there is real competition for the city and county of San Diego to keep the Chargers here.

The Chargers are not the only team which could move to this proposed facility.  There are the Jaguars, the Vikings, the Saints as well, but keep in mind two of those teams are the lone NFL representative teams in the states where they belong.  That's the Vikings and the Saints. 

I think pre Katrina the Saints would have been the team to get out of town, but things have certainly changed and moving the Saints now would not be a very popular move.  

The Vikings moving to LA is possible but just like Indianapolis, I think they will find a way to get their deal done to stay in Minnesota as state funding will come into play there.

Jacksonville is another of the small markets in the NFL.  That's a market which likely could disappear when it comes to the NFL landscape.

And then there are our Chargers.  They've been working six 6 years to get a stadium done in San Diego or San Diego County.

Chula Vista seems to be the target area, but that progress has slowed to a whisper.  Environmentalists in their brilliant stance are against a stadium to replace the power plant on the water.  Apparently they dont like the power plant either, but a brand new stadium with park land around it won't work for them.  You can never please these people. 

There is the Gaylord project which has yet to go forward for whatever reason and so we wait.  We wait while billionares decide what will convenience them the most. 

What's the easiest move to make?

Jacksonville has little history compared to the Chargers and could leave without too much of a fight.

The Chargers have a rich history in San Diego (Charger fan speaking here).  They would have to pay millions to leave the area (pocket change when you are talking about a deal of this magnitude).  There is the talk that Los Angeles doesn't want the Chargers.  Let's get this straight.  Los Angeles didn't want the 4-12, 1-15 Chargers.  I'm sure they'd become Chargers fans very quickly if they moved there.

The other interesting nugget of information in all of this is Ed Roskie and Dean Spanos are friends.  They have done business together before in land development and construction. So why not do business again?

Well, there are a couple reasons that come to mind.  I still do believe the Spanos family wants to remain in San Diego.  The Spanos family would have to give up part ownership of the team and of course would have to share in the revenue streams coming in to the Roskie-built and owned facility.  But it's now an option.

Because the city and county of San Diego can't seem to get our heads out of the sand, we stand on the verge of losing our pro football franchise because our elected officials do not have the guts to stand in the face of criticism and get things done. 

So will it be the Los Angeles Jaguars?  Or, will it be the Los Angeles Chargers?

LIKE CLOCKWORK HOFFMAN CRITICS SHOW UP AGAIN

Welcome to the first month of the baseball season.  The Padres are off to a decent start and Trevor Hoffman has gotten off to his normal start.

That's right, his normal start.  You can go back five years and see that it takes the Padres' closer a couple regular season bumps in the road before he gets on track and then he rattles off 35 to 40 saves for the season.  But the same fans, like clockwork, come out and call our shows to say Trevor is done.

Those fans are nuts.  Like the great Tony Gwynn before him, Cal Ripken for the Orioles, Brett Favre of the Packers, Trevor Hoffman will step down when Trevor Hoffman feels it's right to step down.  He's earned that right.

And after he saves another 35 to 40 games in 2008, I'm sure you'll feel the same way.

For now, let's get some runs!

ONE DOWN, 161 TO GO

It's doesn't mean much - this Padres' Opening Day win over the Astros.  It's just one game.  It's only April so don't go celebrating the National League West title or a wild card berth.  No, don't get your hopes up, but keep in mind it was just one win that kept the friars out of the postseason last season.

It IS just one game.  It IS just April.  And yes, there ARE 161 left.   But wins in April make a September run for the division or wild card that much more realistic.   These games as much as September are just as big. 

Play ball.

*** My LA Galaxy opened their season in Denver last Saturday.  Yes, David Beckham played and played well.  It's funny the questions I get.  ' Did Beckahm play?'  YES, HE PLAYED.  Why wouldn't he play outside of injury?  Even though he played well, Becks and the Galaxy were smacked 4-nil at Colorado.  

Let's hope that was just a wakeup call.  We'll find out Thursday for the home opener.

IT'S AMAZING WHAT ONE OF SAN DIEGO'S SONS HAS PULLED OFF

Tuesday night I along some two thousand people attended the 62nd annual Breitbard Hall of Champions Dinner at the Town and Country Convention Center.  While watching the great Dick Enberg M-C the event I couldn't help but think how depressing the San Diego sports landscape would be without Bob Breitbard.

On this night four of the sports world's greats were inducted into his hall of fame.  Understand something.  These people are considered among the most respected in their sports, not just in San Diego, but anywhere across this country and worldwide. 

There was Willie O'Ree. He broke the color barrier in hockey 50 years ago.  He electrified a young San Diego Sports Arena in the late 60's for the original San Diego Gulls.  That team drew sellout crowds from this sleepy beach town.  Mr O'ree is a true gentleman.

There was Shannon Macmillan.  She was a prominant member of the United States Women's World Cup Champion soccer team.  She also won a gold medal for her country at the Olympic Games in Greece. She was a star for the San Diego Spirit of the WUSA.  Her career ended too soon because of injuries.

There was Steve Scott.  What can you say about one of the greatest marathoners we've ever seen?  A great person and maybe the face of our participation community that takes their game to the fields and streets instead of mushrooming their butts on a couch in front their TV sets.

Finally, basketball coach Pete Newell.  This man is Bob Knight's mentor.  The General spoke on his behalf. Where can you say that happens with regularity?

This event took place in San Diego.  Yes, sleepy San Diego because of one man's dream  62 years ago. 

Bob Breitbard had that dream.  I am talking about Ted Williams' best friend whom I have had the honor to call a friend over my career.  He is not just my friend, but a great friend to many of us in the media and out of the media.  My friendship with Mr. Breitbard goes beyond media.  I am also a proud alumnus of Hoover High and so our friendship began on common ground. He loves his Cardinals (along with the late Booky Clark).  And loved the most famous Cardinal of all, Ted Williams.

Bob Breitbard built and owned the San Diego Sports Arena.  He owned the San Diego Gulls.  He brought the NBA to San Diego. Yes, the Houston Rockets - they were the San Diego Rockets originally.

Bob Breitbard built the original Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.  It was a small museum.  It had artificial turf on the floor the first time I visited it as a child.  I remember the Thunder Boat, Miss Budweiser on display.  There were displays for pretty much every team in San Diego.  He knew there was a great sports history in this city. And he knew it was right to put it on display. 

Now, the San Diego Hall of Champions Museum has grown to be one of the most impressive displays of what is a wonderful history of sports in America's Finest City.

The four great individuals inducted into this year's hall are just a small piece of a fraternity of great athletes who played in San Diego, grew up in San Diego or represented San Diego in Olympic Games, World Cups, Super Bowls, World Series -- in boxing rings, on golf courses, on water or on land. 

But it's not just about the pros or the olympians.  Each month a prep star of month is honored and each year prep and amateur athletes are honored.  It might be you.  It might your neighbor.  Everyone is represented in this hall.

This is an amazing place.

We know of these great sporting San Diegans because of Bob Breitbard. 

Any sports fan in this city should visit the Hall of Champions at least once.  If you are a parent and want your son or daughter to learn about true sports role models, take them to the hall so they can learn about some of the great athletes of this city.

Ask if Bob is in his office.  I bet he'd love to share a story or two.   He might show you the bat Ted Williams used to hit .406. And thank him. You see, he is one of a kind.  A San Diego treasure.

...Brett Favre retired on Thursday - putting his rocket arm to rest after 17 years in the NFL.  It was a tough day for Favre and maybe a tougher day for the town of Green Bay.  Not since Bart Star have Packers' fans had such a great player to cheer for each Sunday and Favre was better.

LOOKS LIKE THE BULLY IS GETTING HIS

Congress has asked the Department of Justice to investigate whether Roger Clemens perjured himself under oath.  Something tells me this is not the way the Rocket expected this to go.

Suddenly the bully is getting bullied.  He opened this can of worms and now he's reached the point of no return.  Sure, the DOJ could come back and say 'we have no evidence that Clemens lied.'  They could do that, but you and I both know they can't.  Someone lied.  Was it Brian McNamee?  Was it Roger Clemens?  Was it Andy Pettitte?  Someone lied.  Someone is going down.

And the actions taken by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee tells me they believe Clemens is the liar here.  Be careful what you wish for Rocket, I think you just got it.

...Must see TV.  If you have HBO you need to TIVO their latest documentary on Joe Louis. For what he meant to a race. For what he meant to a nation.  For what he did for his country, it's a sin the way his government and later great athletes during the time of social change treated him.

IS AN APOLOGY ENOUGH?

Andy Pettitte came clean.  His name was on the Mitchell Report.  He admitted to cheating once.  Then he admitted to cheating a second time - all so he could return from injury sooner to help his team.  Is an apology after being caught enough?

It seems that's what baseball is hoping for.  A simple, 'I'm sorry' and all will be forgiven and forgotten.  And those players just might be honored and patted on the back because it takes so much courage to apologize.  Some of this stuff reminds me of movie scenes from the likes of The Godfather or the movie 21, but those were movies (even though 21 was based on a true story).  This was real.

I'm not so sure that sits well with me.  It's good that Andy Pettitte is clearing his conscience.  I have no problem with that.  But to me it takes more of a man to come forward prior to being named in a report than to just say 'ya, you got me and im sorry.'

I believe Andy Pettitte when he says he used HGH to come back from injury faster in order to help his club win games.  I really do.  But returning from injury sooner by using HGH is still cheating and even Andy Pettitte knows that. Might as well take a red marker and paint your sock.  Oh, that's been done already - allegedly.  There's another brilliant guy.

Andy Pettitte is widely considered a good person.  He WAS considered a role model, but now all Andy can do in my view is say, 'do as I say but don't do as I do.'

I don't feel an apology AFTER your hand has been caught in the cookie jar is enough - even for good guy Andy Pettitte.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig says he will deal with each case on a one by one basis.  That's fine, but a simple 'I'm sorry' is not enough to return baseball's integrity.

Paul Loduca apologized.  Eric Gagne apologized.  They didn't say why they were apologizing.  Only that they were sorry.  Miguel Tejada won't even talk about it.

This is the problem we have.  Baseball needs to clean the slate.   A simple apology whether it's heart felt as I do believe Andy Pettitte's was or the others who seem to come across as vague are just not enough.

How about one month's pay?  All monies going to help educate kids against performance enhancing drugs.

If you are not going to suspend players or banish records, you have to do something to help right the ship.  The game needs to make a stand - for the good of the game.

...Coach and I somehow stumbled onto the topic of some of the greatest moments in San Diego Sports Arena history on Tuesday. 

While it was before my time, I'd have to say Ali/Norton One has to be the all time sporting event at the arena.  Boxing was king of the sports world in 1972 and Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw enroute to winning the heavyweight championship of the world. ( I know this is off subject, but Norton won all three meetings with Ali in my view)

John Wooden's last game in the '75 NCAA Championship game is probably number two, but for me, and I saw many games at the sports arena, there were many nights when the old San Diego Sockers made the rafters at the arena shake. 

In 1980 there were standing room only crowds as they won their first indoor title.  In 1985 they came back from a 3-games-to-1 deficit.  The team was battered from a very physical postseason.  In game six of that series they pulled even with the Minnesota Strikers, winning at an also soldout Met Center and forcing a decisive game seven on Memorial Day at the sports arena.  Back then, you could not buy tickets over the internet let alone knew what an internet was.  Al Gore was still dreaming that up you see.

The game soldout in 90 minutes.  The Sockers took game seven 5-3 and won their fifth straight championship.  That was a big night.