With the start of the football season in the upcoming vote on a new Stadium. The San Diego Chargers are in the news quite a bit. Sportswriter J Paris looks back at the history of the team by looking at the most important games. His new book, "Game of my life, memorable stories of Chargers football, local -- Pat Finn spoke with him earlier. Tell us about your new book, it's not your live? I have a lot of good games after tracking the Chargers, it's 21 different players, different chargers going back to the 1960 team. Often the media will ask a player, I have a game I'm working on and tell me about it. The player got to pick the game instead, what amazed me is that a lot of people chose losses. Some chose losses and some guys picked winds -- win's. It's a neat collection and I hope -- I'm blessed. I walked in the locker room for 25 years. I want to bring everyone else with me. This is the ultimate locker room story. One that I remember, is [ Indiscernible ]. What was his story? It's the most significant game and there's a key event leading up to it and afterwards. He had the amazing field goal against Miami and one of the greatest games in NFL history. The deal was, he missed earlier in the game. He could have made them a winner and he didn't come through. They were short a guy and he did not call timeout to get everybody set. He rushed it. The key was, before the game he had a terrible stomach illness and he did not think he would ever play again. He got a second chance and much like his life, he got the second chance and came through. Then there's Tom one -- Tomlin. He was such a once-in-a-lifetime player, more than his production was how he was in the community. He was not a big guy. You could see eye to eye with him and there was a connection with the team. He was the focal point and he chose the game to set the NFL record for touchdowns and that record still stands. Are there any players on the roster today that reach the heights of the player you described in the book? Absolutely. Some of the players weren't great, they were just guys. When you have a Chargers franchise, there are the stars and there are a lot of just guys with stories too. This team, Philip Rivers is fabulous. I spoke to him a little bit and he said he couldn't pick just one. Tony O gates is another great player. It's a good team with good players. Does the team have the same support today that it had 30 years ago? No surprise, people like winners and the Chargers have been scuffling. Last year was their worst season since 2003. When they were rolling and successful, that swelled the fan support. If they get back to winning, the fans come out. What about the timing of the book, we of the stadium initiatives coming up in two they plan to the timing? I'm proud to say there's not one mention of a measure our hotel tax, it's just good football and a great contrast. I would go to someone's house and talk football, I'm looking at it scrapbook in speedy Duncan's room. Thank you, very much. That was producer Pat Finn speaking with J Paris. He will speak at Warwick's bookstore tonight at 7:30 PM.
What: San Diego sportswriter Jay Paris and several of the players featured in his new book, "Game of My Life" will appear at Warwick's Bookstore in La Jolla to answer questions and sign books.
Where: Tuesday, September 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
In it, Paris offers a new perspective on Chargers history, some of its most storied players and the game of football itself.
With a foreword by Padres broadcaster Dick Enberg, 21 Chargers tell the story of that one game in their Chargers career that stands out most. Paris follows their stories with what he calls "The Aftermath," or how the story continued.
One surprise: Not all the memorable games were victories.
For Paul Lowe, who began his football career with the Los Angeles Chargers, it happened in 1960, the first game the Chargers played in the American Football League. Lowe ran a kickoff return 105 yards against the New York Titans. He not only scored, but, crucial to his livelihood, avoided getting cut.
Rolf Benirschke, the Chargers' place kicker, should have died three years before the 1981 playoff win against the Miami Dolphins. His 1979 colon surgery for Crohn's Disease left him extremely weak. He weighed 122 pounds and was riddled with thick wire sutures.
Benirschke was sure he would never play again. But he did, of course, which is why he said that playoff victory meant so much.
Many of the names in "Game of My Life" are well known because they remain a part of the fabric of San Diego: attorney Ron Mix, broadcasters Jim Lazlavic and Billy Ray Smith, businessman Lance Alworth. Others have moved away but are just as familiar: Dan Fouts, LaDainian Tomlinson, Natrone Means, Burt Grossman.
Many San Diegans will remember the games in this book. "Game Of My Life" gives unique insight into what they meant to those who played in them.
