Kassim Osgood on KLAA AM830

December 18th, 2009

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So a little backstory here (I’ll try to keep this short and sweet).  My sister, Mary, went to college at Sonoma State University.  There, she met and became best friends with Alex, and Alex quickly became a friend of the family.  Several years later, Alex married a man named John Conti.  She and John live up in Orange County, and John is a regular guest and contributor to KLAA AM830’s afternoon program, “The Drive“; he’s basically their NFL guru.

On yesterday’s show, San Diego Chargers special teams extraordinaire, Kassim Osgood, was a call-in guest and was interviewed by the team at KLAA.  Kassim has been on the Chargers since 2003, and was twice selected for the Pro Bowl (in 2007 and 2008) for his excellence at special teams.  Off the field, he is easily my favorite Chargers player to follow on Twitter.  Not only does he talk about football and give some new insight into the team operations, but he actually acts like a normal person on Twitter and tweets his feelings and opinions on things completely unrelated to football.  He even has a segment he does on Twitter called “the couch”, where he invites his followers to ask him questions and seek his advice.  Whenever he does that, it’s generally guaranteed to garner a few laughs from myself.

Mary too is a big Kassim fan, and add to it that John was going to be a part of his interview, she called me and told me I had to record the segment.  So, I did, and I cut it down to John’s NFL segment which includes Kassim’s interview.  Without further ado, I present yesterday’s show:

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On a side note: today I became a contributing columnist for the best San Diego Chargers resource on the entire web, Bolts from the Blue.  It’s a fan–run blog, but don’t let that fool you, it’s easily the most in-depth site and well-run website I’ve come across.  The knowledge and level of expertise among the people who are a part of the site amazes me to this day and is a valuable resource for any Chargers fan.

Sloppy

October 26th, 2008

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So the Chargers played so sloppy today they didn’t deserve to win. Oh well, on to next week.

It’s tough to take

September 15th, 2008

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What exactly is wrong with the Chargers defense? Are we missing Merriman that badly?

So last week’s game against Carolina was a disappointing loss for sure. Losing the game on the final play of the game. But it was a little easier to take knowing that Carolina won fair and square and that we just flat out lost the game.

Denver didn’t win, they were handed the game, twice.

The first came on just the second offensive play for the Chargers. It was ruled an interception, the replay clearly showed that Chambers was down before the ball was ripped out, so Turner challenged the play. However, the replay equipment was conveniently malfunctioning and after 2 minutes, the ruling on the field had to stand. Denver was given the ball and they quickly scored a touchdown.

The second was a fumble by Denver QB Jay Cutler on the San Diego 10-yard-line, recovered by the Chargers, but was blown dead and ruled an incomplete pass by the ref. They reviewed it and said, “yes it should have been called a fumble, but because it was already blown dead, we can’t overturn it.” Denver got to keep the ball and scored another touchdown, and then a subsequent 2-point conversion for the win.

Yes you could argue that the Chargers should have been able to overcome both blown calls, and that they had no business winning a game in which they allowed 31 points to be scored in the first half; I will give you that. The defense has been looking mighty weak the last two games. But the offense persevered and managed to score 21 unanswered points, even successfully converting a 2-point attempt, to take a 38-31 lead. I was excited again, thinking, “yeah we’ve got this”.

But then disaster.

Given the emotional rollercoaster that was yesterday’s game, and the tough loss a week ago, I’m thinking this is going to be a long season …

I Don’t Get CBS …

September 30th, 2006

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Maybe I’m spoiled by the fact that Channel 4 showed over 100 Padres games in HD this year, or that the Chargers opened the season on Monday Night Football, but I am absolutely floored by the fact that this Sunday’s Chargers vs Ravens game will not be shown in HD on CBS. And believe me, I’m not alone. Here you have two undefeated teams, both with absolutely stellar defenses, and numerous sports reporters and analysts listing this as one of their top games to watch this week. With so much on the line in this game and so much national interest, why did CBS decide that this game was not worth the effort and resources to broadcast in HD? Let’s take a look at the map of CBS games broadcasting at 10:00AM (PDT):

CBS Week 4 NFL Games

  • Blue covers the regions where the Chargers vs Ravens game will be seen
  • Red covers the regions where the Colts vs Jets game will be seen (in HD)
  • Green covers the regions where the Dolphins vs Texans game will be seen

Using that map, we can see that, geographically speaking, the Chargers game is broadcast over a much larger area. So that would be one argument in favor of broadcasting that game in HD instead of the Colts vs Jets game. Another argument here is what I’ve said already, we’re talking about two very strong undefeated teams with dynamic defenses and the best running back in the league on the Chargers. Whereas in the one HD game they are broadcasting in the morning, the Colts at the Jets, you have one great team (Colts) playing a somewhat mediocre team (the Jets). The Jets have one of the worst defenses in the league with which Peyton Manning should have no trouble owning. Not to mention that this game isn’t even a divisional matchup. Okay, you can argue that the Charges and Ravens aren’t in a divisional matchup either, but I’d all but guarantee more people are interested in seeing this bitter battle between two strong contenders than watch what should be a pretty one-sided game. I think a bigger question here is why does CBS only cover three NFL games in HD each week when Fox is able to cover six games in HD? I doubt it’s a money issue seeing as how CBS is currently the most successful of the networks. Is it Infrastructure? Well if so, then find out what Fox is doing right because they’re walking all over you when it comes to sports in HD. I used to really like CBS’ NFL coverage, but right now they are definitely leaving much to be desired. Oh well, I can look forward to next week when the Steelers come to San Diego to play on NBC Sunday Night Football. At least that way we’re guaranteed to see it in HD …

Beat LA!

August 21st, 2006

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So I just got back from the Padres vs. Dodgers game with the family. Earlier today my whole family went to the zoo and had a great time. It had been a while since I was last at the zoo so it was cool to go. Pictures aren’t up yet, but they’ll be up soon.

After the zoo, we went to Rockin’ Baja Lobster restaurant and then headed to the game where the Padres beat the Dodgers 4-2. We spent a lot of the game screaming and drinking beer. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Anyway, I’m dead tired and my brain is all over the place so I’m headed to bed.

Good Stuff!

September 28th, 2005

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A bunch of good happy stuff to report:

- The Padres just clinched the NL West for the first time in 7 years.
- Brian and I have been fully approved for the loan on the condo.
- We go in on the 8th of October to sign the loan documents.
- The flooring goes in on the 14th.
- We have our walkthrough on the 17th. Shortly after that we’ll be moving in!

Pardon me while I go do a little happy dance.

Game 2 is in the books

June 23rd, 2005

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… and we didn’t do so well. We lost 25-3 to a team that obviously should not be playing in a beginners league like they are. Last week they scored 23 runs on another team, so something just isn’t right here.

On top of the crushing defeat, I was playing catcher, and the runner was trying to score. The second baseman threw the ball to me and it got to me in enough time that had I held onto the ball, he would have been out at the plate. But instead, the ball bounced out of my glove, because I caught it in the inside of my glove and that jammed my thumb. It was fine at first, just hurt a little bit, but then it got progressively worse to the point now that I can’t really use it without it being too painful. I have some ice on it, but I don’t know just how much it’s helping.

And so not only all that drama, but I also haven’t shaken off this cold and I keep coughing and feeling like crap. So needless to say, I’m not in the very best of condition or moods at the moment. I took two Tylenol PM’s because of the pain in my thumb and also because when I’m physically active after about 7:00 or 8:00, I have trouble sleeping. At this point I’m just killing time, waiting for the sleep-aid to kick in.

Today wasn’t a bad day at all, everything just went to pot at night. I woke up and did a little work, checking emails and whatnot. Then Erica took me up to Souplantation for some soup because I wasn’t feeling well at all. I had a good time though and the soup did help a lot. Then we went and visited Courtney for a little bit then we went back to my house and just hung out for about 45 minutes watching some TV. Nothing special but it was still nice to spend some time just relaxing and hanging out. It really made me feel better that people still care about me. And Courtney and Erica were talking about how guys like to be tough and all “I can take care of myself”, but as soon as they get sick they act like little babies needing love and attention. Who am I to argue with that though, I do it too. But hey, the girls do it without complaining too much so as long as we can get away with it …

First Softball Game

June 15th, 2005

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Well our first softball game just got over. We lost, 15-17, but it was seriously fun and we did play pretty well once we got settled down. I went 1 for 2 with an RBI. I got a ground ball through the hole between first and second for my hit, but then I flied out to second my second at bat. We were down 11-17 going into the last inning when we got 2 base runners on, and then Blake (our 3rd baseman) hit an inside-the-park home-run and scored 3 runs. We would subsequently get another run before the last out was recorded but it was exciting right until the end.

I think I’m going to like playing this game.

Gettin back into the swing of things

June 9th, 2005

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Okay, I know I was only gone a week, but it was just long enough to throw off my routine and make things feel a little less than normal. I’m gettin back into it though, things are just as when we left so by now I’m feeling like things are back to normal and nothing’s different.

Been working a bit this morning and am about to make some breakfast (yes I realize it’s almost 11:00). Anyway, yesterday I slept in a little bit (till 9:10) which was awesome because I also fell asleep before midnight the night before so i got over 9 hours of sleep. I really needed that after the lack of quality sleep I was getting while on vacation. After I got up, I worked for a few hours, finishing the things I didn’t get done while in Minnesota.

Hung out with Erica for a bit in the afternoon which was good. We ate a little food and watched a little Scrubs on DVD. Then I went home and bought some tickets to the Padres game last night against the Cleveland Indians. The Padres haven’t been playing too well the past week and so with Peavy on the mound I was hoping they would at least win one. No such luck. Peavy gave up 3 homeruns, which is extremely uncharacteristic of him. They ended up losing 6-1 and have lost 6 of their last 7 games. I know the flu is going around the clubhouse and a lot of the guys are sick, so I can only hope they all kick the bug and get back out there and play like they did in May. Despite the loss, the game was a bunch of fun and we all had a blast. Hot dogs, beer, and baseball; it doesn’t get much better than that.

Me being the nerd that I am took my camera to the game with both lenses that I have for it. I had the stock Canon EF-S 18-55mm (28-88mm 35mm-equivalent focal range) and my new Canon EF 75-300mm lens. We were sitting in the upper deck, right above home plate, 1 row forward of the very top of the stadium. The new lens is awesome because sitting at our seats, I could zoom right in on the players batting and even the pitcher and they just about filled up the entire frame. I was a little impressed with the lens.

Got home a little after 11 and just basically unwound for an hour or so. I downloaded the photos from my camera and looked at them. I will say they came out pretty good for the most part. Anyway, it’s time to eat so I’m gonna go do that. [Kip voice] Peace out [/Kip voice]

Busyness Ensues

May 31st, 2005

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So lately I’ve been feeling like I’ve been unbelievably busy lately; between work, friends, and family, it’s like I don’t have time to myself. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing, because I definitely have been having some serious fun lately, it just gets to tire me out. I was really looking forward to a 3-day weekend of relaxation, but alas, that didn’t really happen. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great weekend; it just wasn’t as relaxing as I had hoped. I didn’t get to sleep in nearly as much as I wanted, nor did I get much relaxing “me” time, but all in all it was a good weekend.

Well, let’s see what I did this weekend. Friday afternoon Erica and I went out and got some ice cream. Then I went into the office for a little bit and after that went over to Courtney’s and hung out while I got rid of adware and spyware on their computer.

Saturday I woke up kind of early and went to a phase release at the condo Brian and I are trying to buy. Since this is the first time I’ve mentioned the condo, I’ll give you the rundown on what’s going on there. A couple of months ago, Brian approached me and asked if I wanted to go in with him and buy a house. I was reluctant at first because I had to figure out the money and how things would work, what we could afford, what I wanted; you know basically, “could this be done?”? After thinking and planning, I decided that sure enough, it COULD be done; so Brian and I started looking at condos. We went all over San Diego: from Mission Valley, to Rancho Bernardo, and everything in between. We ended up settling on Savannah Terrace. It is a brand new development in Sabre Springs, which is just west of Poway. Our intent is to purchase a Plan 1, which is a 1,000 square-foot 2-bed 2-bath condo with 1-car garage. When we considered everything that comes with the condo and all the on-site amenities, we realized that it was a relatively great deal compared to what else is out in San Diego.

Since the condos are still being built, they release a group of them at a time for sale in phases; and so those sales are appropriately called “phase releases.”? Brian and I had to put our names on a list in order to be allowed to take part in the phase releases. As condos come up for purchase, they are offered to people on the list in order and as they are offered the condo, they are given the option to purchase then, or to “defer” which keeps them on the list and in their position. When we first signed up, we were something like 185, and 188 on the list. After the first phase release in April, we jumped up 100 spots to about 82. There was another phase release this past Saturday in which we deferred once again. We should be realistically expecting to have moved up in the list to about 35-40 which puts us in good position to get the condo we want in the next phase which should be in early July. If we put the deposit down on our condo then, we should be moving into our brand new home somewhere between November and January.

After the phase release on Saturday, we went to the gym and then I went home, showered and went to a birthday bbq for Gaile’s aunt. It was, as usual, a great time. Gaile’s dad has a Digital Rebel, which is the previous version of my camera, and he also has a nice zoom lens which he let me use on my camera and so I went around taking photos of everything. I liked the lens so much that I got home Saturday night and ordered a similar lens. Expect plenty of pictures to show up on my site with the new lens.

Sunday I woke up, went to church, spent most the afternoon doing yard work, and then everyone came over for a bbq. Again, some more fun was had.

Monday I woke up earlier than I wanted to because someone thought it would be a good idea to hammer wood outside my window. I wasn’t too happy when I woke up because of that. Went and ran some errands with Courtney in the morning, did some prep work for my trip to Minnesota, then went to the Padres game. The Padres beat the Brewers 2-1 thanks to Miguel Ojeda’s bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out double that scored Geoff Blum all the way from first. It was quite an exciting moment at the end of the game.

Well, as I already touched on briefly I’m headed to Minnesota with the family. We leave tomorrow, and we’ll be back on Tuesday, June 7th. We’re headed out there to party for my aunt’s 25th wedding anniversary and my cousin’s graduation. Since my dad grew up out there, we’re going to do some sightseeing as well, so expect PLENTY of pictures when I get back. I’m really looking forward to the trip; I really could use the week off.

Okay, time to wrap this up. I have to go do my laundry and get packing. The Brewers just took a 4-3 lead over the Padres. It’s now the bottom of the 4th, let’s see if the Padres can pull it off like they normally do. Leave comments.

P.S. – The big changes coming to the site here are still on the way, I’ve just been a bit busy lately.

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