The Chargers 2011 Schedule...


MINNESOTA....Please no Favre talk....this one comes down to Adrian Peterson, who breaks his own NFL record with 396 yards rushing -- 100 more than he had in setting the record against the Bolts four years ago....Pick: MINNESOTA

@New England....Sorry. But it just seems like Belicheck vs. Turner is a mismatch of epic proportions....Plus, you know the Pats will cheat and all their draft picks will know all of the plays and have had contact with the coaches illegally....Pick: NEW ENGLAND

KANSAS CITY....This was an embarrassing 31-0 loss for the division champion Chiefs last year....What's more embarassing is that the Bolts lost the division to this team...The Chargers roll again, even if Matt Cassel doesn't miss the game because he has to have his appendix removed....Pick: CHARGERS

MIAMI....The Dolphins were 6-2 on the road last season -- that the only place they can win....The Bolts, it is destined, must start the season 1-3....Pick: MIAMI

@Denver....The Chargers have won 4 of their last 5 trips into Denver (only Ed Hochuli in '08 has beaten them)....Five out of six seems too much....Pick: DENVER

BYE....At 1-4 rumors swirl that it's finally time for Norv Turner to be fired....Turner spends two weeks pointing out that it's difficult to get things together with a new defensive coordinator and new special teams coach.

@N.Y. Jets....Just when you think the season is about to be over -- it is....The Jets still have the whammy on the Chargers from the playoff games of '04 and '09....Pick: N.Y. JETS (and after the game, Norv gets a vote of confidence).

@Kansas City....Nothing like a Monday night game in KC, featuring the 1-5 Bolts, who fall to 1-6 after this one....Or do you really think the Chargers can stop the KC return game...Pick: KANSAS CITY

GREEN BAY....The Super Bowl champs against a team that will never win a Super Bowl....Pick: GREEN BAY

OAKLAND....Powerful, physical Raiders vs. whimpy Chargers defense....Mismatch. Pick: OAKLAND

@Chicago....In a season gone horribly wrong, Philip Rivers refuses to lose to Jay Cutler....I refuse to let the Chargers lose to Jay Cutler....Finally a second win. Pick: CHARGERS

DENVER....At home, the Bolts have enough to beat Tim Tebow....A second-straight win gets people talking about another November-December to remember as San Diego improves to 3-8 and keeps its playoff hopes alive....Pick: CHARGERS

@Jacksonville....Travel cross-country for a Monday night game vs. Jags, who can't stop Rivers. Bolts are rolling now, with three straight wins -- and everybody is getting excited. Pick: CHARGERS

BUFFALO....This makes it four in a row....Norv says things are coming together at the right time....At 5-8, San Diego now trails first-place Oakland and Kansas City by just one game in the West....From 1-8 to the playoffs? It could happen. Pick: CHARGERS

BALTIMORE....But, alas, it can't happen. The Ravens are one of those physical, tough team that Chargers can't stand up to...Baltimore ends the playoff dream with a Sunday night victory at the "Q". Pick: BALTIMORE

@Detroit....With the season now done, the Bolts ease into Detroit and get knocked off by the ever-improving Lions. Pick: DETROIT

@Oakland....One more physical beating at the hands of the Raiders....Pick: OAKLAND


Final Record: 5-11

You guys constantly say I'm a "jinx."....Please pick against us, Chris....We know you're never right....I say selective memory....

Last year's Super Bowl....I went with Green Bay over Pittsburgh....Check.
Last year's World Series....I had the Giants winning it all before the playoffs ever started. Check.
Final Four game over the weekend...Butler over VCU, UConn over Kentucky. Check.
Women's Final Four on Sunday....Texas A&M over Stanford, Notre Dame over UConn. (Both huge upsets, by the way). Check.

I'm not saying here that I'm always right. Far from it. But I'm hardly always wrong. So give the "jinx" thing a rest....

Now, let's test it....Tonight's National Championship Game....

BUTLER OVER UCONN....Three reasons: 1. Just plain 'ol rooting for Butler, love the way they play the game of basketball. They do everything "teams" are supposed to do....Whatever it takes to figure out a way to win on that given night....2. UConn doesn't defend the ball-screen very well. SDSU didn't have the kind of offense on the perimater to take full advantage of that. The Aztecs' offense is the post-up game, where UConn excels defensively. That's not Butler's attack....3. (And most important) Butler will defend better against Kemba Walker than even the Aztecs did. SDSU's great defense got 'em to 34-3, but Butler defends even better....The Aztecs still may have survived had Walker and his guard running mate Jeremy Lamb not shot so well in the Sweet 16. Butler has to hope they're off some in the title game. Butler will make sure that they're off some.

Additional pick....Texas A&M, which I thought had a National Championship chance when I saw them tear apart the Aztecs in the finals of the Surf & Slam tournament at Viejas Arena in December, will take the women's title on Tuesday night over Notre Dame....The Irish will be everybody's pick after shocking UConn, but Texas A&M is better than UConn -- they have more weapons....

If I'm wrong, I'm sure you'll all let me know I "jinxed" 'em again. If I'm right, you'll forget.