San Diego Chargers Tickets For Sale
| San Diego Chargers: Exciting and Electrifying Offense The brainchild of founder Barron Hilton, the Chargers were a charter member of the AFL in 1960. After spending the its inaugural season in Los Angeles, Hilton moved the team to its present home in San Diego. From their AFL past to their present-day standings in the NFL, the Bolts have always been famous for their supercharged and electrifying offense. Almost equally as prominent to the lore of the Sand Diego Chargers as the high-octane offenses has been their highly fashionable and highly recognizable uniforms. The finger-of-Zeus, lightning-bolted helmets combined with the powder blue jerseys has been a favorable combination for casual and passionate fans alike. Another favorable combination for the Chargers during the height of the AFL days was the pairing of two Hall of Famers, Head Coach Sid Gillman and Wide Receiver Lance Alworth. Led by Gillman's innovations in the forward passing games and Alworth's acrobatics, the Chargers were dominant in their ten-year tenure in the AFL, making five playoff appearances by winning five divisional titles and reaching the AFL Championship game four times in that span. The crowning achievement of their AFL existence was winning the 1963 AFL Championship Game, crushing the Boston Patriots 51-10. Fullback Keith Lincoln was MVP of that game, amassing an impressive 348 yards of offense (206 rushing, 123 receiving, 20 passing). A little after the Chargers arrived in the NFL after the 1970 merger, their offense would take on a new form and adopt a catchy new name. Dubbed "Air Coryell" after Head Coach Don Coryell, an offensive genius who was hired in 1978, the Chargers' offense was piloted by Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Fouts. Fouts's job as Chief Aviator of "Air Coryell" was made easier by the presence of Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Charlie Joiner and Hall of Fame Tight End Kellen Winslow, Sr. Under the direction of Coryell, the Chargers led the NFL in passing for a record six consecutive seasons (1978-83) and led the league in total offense on five separate occasions. Despite all the pizazz and points put up by Coryell's electrifying offenses, the San Diego Franchise never reached a Super Bowl during his regime. The franchise's lone Super Bowl appearance, which they lost 49-26 to the San Francisco 49ers, came in Super Bowl XXIX and the conclusion of the 1994 season. Under the guidance of Head Coach Bobby Ross, that Super Bowl-bound team was led on offense by Quarterback Stan Humphries and Running Back Natrone Means. Ironically however, the most vocal and prominent faces of that Chargers squad were defensive leaders, Linebacker and future Hall of Famer Junior Seau and Defensive End Leslie O'Neal. The modern day Chargers have carried on the offensive tradition of their Bolted Brethren. Superstars such as Runnig Back LaDanian Tomlinson (now a New York Jet), Quarterback Phillip Rivers, and Tight End Antonio Gates have tantalized Chargers' fans with their spectacular play, all the while amassing several NFL records at their respective positions. For all that offensive potency, Super Bowl glory still eludes this illustrious franchise. Even though the 2010 Chargers were statistically ranked #1 in the NFL in both offense and defense, they failed to make the playofffs. Perhaps 2011 will be the year that the super-charged offense of the San Diego Super Chargers finally captures a Super Bowl victory. |