Last week, former San Diego Chargers radio color commentator and long time center, Nick Hardwick, announced that he would be doing a complete and total about-face on his decision to call games for the second NFL team in Los Angeles. This is rather surprising, considering the fact that Hardwick had become seemingly the only remaining outspoken voice against the Spanos clan after originally turning the position down months earlier. Hardwick has since made several statements regarding this decision, all of which I found further insulting and unsatisfactory. This is my response:

The Chargers are my family, and I’m excited to continue being a part of this franchise.

Really, Nick? The same ‘family’ that you had this to say about, regarding how they pimped you out to support the failed Prop C?

“I felt like a used item. For one, I would go out there and talk on their behalf and pump up the ballot measure and how it was such a good thing for San Diego; but, on the back end of that, there was never any information given to me about where we are along the way. I was almost their guise, almost their cover on the way out of town. I’m embarrassed almost that I was part of it.”

There’s only one ‘family’ that the Chargers will ever care about, and you ain’t a part of it.

I love this team. I love watching football, and I love being a conduit to transmit what I am seeing on the field through the radio… I love being able to open my eyes on the spot and let what I see come naturally through my mouth.

You are going to get honesty, passion and energy every single game… I’m fueled by passion, and after the team made the decision to relocate, my emotions got the better of me. I was confused, and didn’t know how to react. I lashed out and struggled to understand what it was I was feeling.

No, when the team moved, you were being honest. You channeled much of the frustration and anger that fans like myself were (and still are) feeling…

But after several months, it became clear that the Chargers are a part of who I am.

…Then when you realized that you were hosting a morning NFL radio show in a city that doesn’t have an NFL franchise anymore, the reality set in that you were going to need a new job.

I feel like I am coming home back to the organization I’ve fought so hard for.

“It’s exactly like home! Except my actual home isn’t there, and I’ll have to drive 2 hours each way on a good day in order to get there!”

I have a passion for the Chargers, and I enjoy sharing that with the fans.

“Who are you again?” – Everyone outside of San Diego

I tried to give up the NFL, I tried to go agnostic. I tried to not care about any NFL football team and then just cover it in a broad sense.

It’s been working pretty well for me the last 5 months. I didn’t watch the draft, the vast majority of NFL news I get now is from this site and now I’m free to make fun of every single dumbfuck thing that happens in the League without worrying how it will affect anything I care about!

After I went to the Super Bowl, and after being around football people, I realized, ‘Nah, these are my people, these are my folks.”

“Wow! You bunch of oblivious, self-gratifying, blowhard millionaire media-types are just my kinda folks! Did I mention that the coffee really sucked there? DO SOMETHING, HOUSTON!”

I am authentic. I do give you unedited passion and energy. I say what I think at the time, and I think that’s what made me good at football.

NFL Scout: Well, we could draft the guy with a near perfect build, no injury history and impeccable character references… But he kinda keeps to himself and doesn’t say a lot, so let’s take the guy we don’t know much about, but blurts out anything on his mind with no regard to the ramifications! Because that’s how you football!

I’m honest with myself and my feelings, and my feelings around the relocation situation changed.

I want to be a part of this team because I think there are some great things on the horizon for this franchise.

“Sure, Dean back-stabbed the entire city and fanbase, but the team might play really well the next year or two! Gotta get on the bandwagon while the gettin’s good!”

Being a San Diegan and being a Chargers fan aren’t mutually exclusive.

The fan attendance these last two years really seems to say otherwise.

There are plenty of people who love San Diego who follow their team, wherever they may be located.

Just ask the Clippers!

I’m aware this decision may upset some people. I completely understand the emotions around this situation. But, I must be true to myself… This is me and my family following our hearts and souls.

Nick, the reason people are “upset” is not just because you agreed to take the job. Seriously, your broadcasting is perfectly cromulent, at best. It’s because you went and said A LOT of stuff like this…

…and now you’re spewing the exact same tone-deaf bullshit that you so aptly mocked.

When LT so readily signed on to be the Special Assistant to the Owner I was “upset.” Still am. I don’t think I can ever forgive the greatest player in my former franchise’s history for it. With you, I just see someone so desperate for attention that he’s completely fine with being a boot-licking hypocrite.  And if that’s what “following your heart and soul” looks like, then you’re as shallow as any of the urinals at Qualcomm.

I think it’s all we can do in life.