The AFC West San Diego Chargers (4-3) head east to the Meadowlands this Sunday to take on the NFC East New York Giants (5-3), with both teams looking to bolster their positions in the playoff hunt.

The Chargers/Giants matchup ranks #2 on the “NFL Ticket Exchange Buzz Index” for Week 9 according to the NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster.

The Chargers, who handed the Oakland Raiders a 24-16 defeat last Sunday to start a two-game winning streak, can put themselves firmly into the AFC playoff running with a win in New York. While the Giants, who suffered a crushing 40-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, look to refocus their sights on the playoffs and keep pace in the NFC East with a win at home.

Week 9 – Top 5 Most Popular NFL Matchups BY DEMAND
*According to the “NFL Ticket Exchange Buzz Index”

1. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos
2. San Diego Chargers @ New York Giants
3. Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
4. Arizona Cardinals @ Chicago Bears
5. Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Fans can access the NFL Ticket Exchange at NFL.com/ticketexchange or through direct links from NFL.com or Ticketmaster.com.  Fans benefit from using the only NFL ticket resale marketplace with the exclusive ability to offer ticket barcode validation for most tickets, interactive seating maps allowing fans the ability to search for tickets by location, price, and number of tickets, and secure and anonymous transactions.

*The NFL Ticket Exchange “Buzz Index” utilizes a proprietary algorithm incorporating site traffic, ticket demand, sales volume and ticket revenue to calculate each game’s popularity for the week.

Fans can reach dedicated customer service for the NFL Ticket Exchange by phone at 1-888-635-5944 and email at nflticketexchange@ticketmaster.com.

Top 3 Ticket Buying Tips From the NFL and Ticketmaster:

1. Only tickets purchased directly from your NFL team’s ticket office, Ticketmaster or the NFL Ticket Exchange www.nfl.com/ticketexchange are barcode validated to give you guaranteed access into the game.
2. Check Ticketmaster, the NFL Ticket Exchange or your team’s Ticket Office as new ticket inventory may become available.
3. A “buyers beware” for fans who choose to purchase tickets from third party online exchanges, auction sites, bulletin boards or individuals. Be cautious if purchasing e-tickets, or from sellers asking for payment via a cashier’s check or money wires.

Posted via web from Chargers Media

• Meet Ellison and Oliver tonight at Chargers Team Store
  Meet Ellison and Oliver Thursday at Chargers Team Store at Qualcomm Stadium Chargers safeties Kevin Ellison and Paul Oliver will appear at the Chargers Team Store, located at Gate G at Qualcomm Stadi …
  (tags: chargers newsrelease)

Meet Ellison and Oliver Thursday at Chargers Team Store at Qualcomm Stadium

Chargers safeties Kevin Ellison and Paul Oliver will appear at the Chargers Team Store, located at Gate G at Qualcomm Stadium, tonight at 6:00 p.m. to meet fans, sign autographs, pose for pictures and talk football along with Charger Girls. All fans who visit the Chargers Team Store between 5-7 pm will receive 13.60% off all store merchandise and the first 50 customers that spend more than $25 will receive a commemorative 50th Anniversary Chargers Yearbook and front of the line privileges for autographs.

XTRA Sports 1360 AM will join the fun as hosts Jeff Dotseth and Josh Rosenberg broadcast the Chargers Power Hour live from the Chargers Team Store from 5-7 pm.  XTRA Sports 1360 will broadcast the Chargers Power Hour live from the Team Store every Thursday night during the season featuring live player interviews and autograph opportunities with Chargers players and Charger Girls. *dates subject to changes, please contact team store for specific dates.

The Chargers Team Store is open daily from 10-7 p.m. and features all new AFL 50th Anniversary Merchandise along with a complete line of Chargers merchandise. For questions or more information, contact the Chargers Team Store at 619-641-6053.

###

Posted via email from Chargers Media

The San Diego Chargers have signed rookie linebacker James Holt from the practice squad. He will fill the roster spot created Monday when the team released wide receiver Chris Chambers. Holt (6-2, 223) originally joined the Chargers in May as an undrafted free agent. He was released at the conclusion of training camp and immediately added to the team’s practice squad, where he’s spent the first nine weeks of the regular season. Holt appeared in all four of the Chargers’ preseason games and recorded eight tackles. He will wear No. 53.

Prior to joining the Chargers, Holt was a consensus All-Big 12 performer at Kansas.

The Chargers have also signed linebacker Jeremy Leman to the practice squad. A 6-2, 240-pound first-year player from the University of Illinois, Leman went to training camp with the Minnesota Vikings in 2008 and the Carolina Panthers in 2009. After being waived by the Panthers, Leman was signed to Philadelphia’s practice squad and remained there for the first six weeks of the ‘09 season. Leman has not played in any regular-season games.

Posted via email from Chargers Media

The San Diego Chargers released wide receiver Chris Chambers today. 

"There are a number of things that went into the decision," Head Coach Norv Turner said.  "The reason we’re able to do this is the play of Malcom and the way Legedu Naanee is performing.  Certainly there are a number of other things in terms of our football team that we need to address.  Defensively and in the kicking game… we need to get some help."

Posted via email from Chargers Media

Chargers vs. Raiders 50th Anniversary Poster released over the weekend. Don’t miss your chance to get your hands on the limited edition 50th Anniversary Posters.

The poster series is a total of four posters being released for the Broncos, Oakland, Philadelphia and Kansas City games this season at Qualcomm Stadium. The posters will be released the Saturday before each home game, exclusively at the Chargers Team Store at Qualcomm Stadium, Gate G. Each poster is 22” x 28” and sells for $15 each.

• Vincent Jackson had 103 yards receiving today, his fourth 100-yard game of the season and second week in a row. It’s the second time this year that Jackson’s had back-to-back 100-yard outings. The last Chargers wide receiver to have four 100-yard games in a season was Curtis Conway in 2001.
• Jackson’s four 100-yard efforts in seven games this season is the best since Jeff Graham had four 100-yarders in six games in 1999.
• Prior to Jackson, the last Charger to have four 100-yard games in the first seven games of a season was John Jefferson in 1980.
• Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips each had two sacks today. The last time they each had two sacks in the same game was Oct. 14, 2007 against the Raiders.
• Phillips has now recorded two sacks in each of the last two games, a first for his career.
• Philip Rivers threw his first interception today since Sept. 20 against Baltimore, a career-best span of 143 consecutive passes thrown without an interception.
• LaDainian Tomlinson became the 14th player in NFL history today to reach 12,000 career rushing yards, finishing the day with 12,027 total yards.
• Tomlinson had two rushing touchdowns today, his first multi-touchdown game of the season. The touchdowns were the 128th and 129th rushing touchdowns of his career.
• Tomlinson now has 144 career touchdowns (rushing and receiving) just one behind Marcus Allen for the third-most all-time.
• Antonio Gates played in his 100th career game today.
• The Chargers picked up their 13th win in a row today over the Raiders, the longest win streak by either team in the series. It is also the longest active win streak in the NFL by one team over another.

Posted via web from Chargers Media

TODAY’S INACTIVES
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS vs. OAKLAND RAIDERS
Qualcomm Stadium (70,000) – San Diego, California
Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009 – 1:05 pm PST

San Diego Chargers Inactives

6                  QB               Charlie Whitehurst (3rd Quarterback)
24               CB               Dante Hughes
41               FS                C.J. Spillman
61               C                  Nick Hardwick
69               C                  Tyronne Green
84               WR              Buster Davis
92               DT               Vaughn Martin
99               LB                Kevin Burnett          

Chargers Starting Lineup Changes from the Flip Card

#80 Malcom Floyd will start at WR for #89 Chris Chambers
#98 Ian Scott will start at DT for #91 Ogemdi Nwagbuo
#51 Tim Dobbins will start at ILB for #99 Kevin Burnett

San Diego Chargers Roster Changes from the Flip Card

None

Oakland Raiders Inactives

3                  QB               Charlie Frye (third quarterback)
20               RB               Darren McFadden
57               LB                Ricky Brown
74               T                  Cornell Green
76               G                 Robert Gallery
81               WR              Chaz Schillens
86               TE                Tony Stewart
89               WR              Nick Miller

Oakland Raiders Starting Lineup Changes from the Flip Card
None

Oakland Raiders Roster Changes from the Flip Card
None
 

Posted via web from Chargers Media

For the tenth consecutive year, San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos and the Chargers Champions community initiative have provided the largest privately-funded gift to support San Diego’s educational community.

With this year’s contribution of $200,000 in school grants and scholarships, the Spanos family has donated more than $3.75 million to San Diego’s schools and students through the Chargers Champions program.

The Chargers Champions program is committed to improving physical fitness in San Diego County schools by providing grants for new facilities and equipment.
“Schools throughout California are suffering from large budget cuts,” Spanos said.  “The main goal of our program is to provide students with the necessary means to living a healthy lifestyle through physical fitness.”

The educational grants provided in 2009 ranged from $70,000 to Castle Park High School to $9,000 given to Alpine Elementary.

Six San Diego-area schools received grants to improve their physical fitness, athletic or nutrition programs:

$70,000 Castle Park High School, San Diego: Weight room
$45,000 Mt. Empire High School, Pine Valley: Football, track, and basketball equipment
$30,000 Bay Park Elementary School, San Diego: Fitness area for visually impaired
$25,000 Tierra Del Sol Middle School, Lakeside: Fitness equipment and heart monitors
$15,000 Horton Elementary School, San Diego: Indoor fitness room and equipment
$9,000Alpine Elementary School, Alpine: Fitness equipment

This year’s recipients will be honored when the Chargers host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, November 1 at Qualcomm Stadium.

Funds allocated to Chargers Champions are administered through the Chargers Community Foundation, the San Diego Chargers’ charitable foundation. The Foundation was established in 1995 by Dean and Alex Spanos to “help San Diego build on its strengths by supporting individuals, activities and organizations that work to make the city a better place to live.”

###

Posted via web from Chargers Media

Enough tickets have been sold to lift the local television blackout and allow Southern California to see the CBS telecast of the Chargers-Raiders game on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Qualcomm Stadium.  Kickoff is 1:05 p.m. PT.  The game will be televised in San Diego on KFMB-TV, Channel 8 and in Los Angeles on KCBS-TV, Channel 2.  Dick Enberg and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts will call the play-by-play action. A limited number of tickets, including Club Level tickets, are still available at the Chargers’ ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, at www.Chargers.com and through TicketMaster at 800-745-3000.

This weekend’s game is the 43rd consecutive regular season or postseason Chargers home game to be televised live in Southern California.  The last regular-season home game blacked out in the local market was on Nov. 7, 2004 versus the New Orleans Saints.  The team record for consecutive games televised live is 44 games set from 1979-84.  The Chargers’ next home game is Sunday, Nov. 15 versus the Philadelphia Eagles.  

The Chargers are strongly recommending that fans attending Sunday’s game use mass transit or carpool, and arrive EARLY.  The parking lot at Qualcomm Stadium will open at 9:00 am for general parking and 8:00 am for those with pre-purchased permits. The lot is expected to fill and close early, so fans are encouraged to get to the stadium gates early to ensure that they are in their seats for kickoff.

To avoid heavy traffic around the stadium on Interstates 8 and 15, fans can reach the stadium via the Friars Rd. East exit off of Highway 163.

###

Posted via email from Chargers Media