Sunday in San Diego at 3:05 p.m. CT

[rblnick]

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=3840

[rush2112mn]

I hope the Texans medical staff have extra oxygen tanks....visine eye drops.....dust masks......winds are supposed to be out of the east 20-40 mph.......

[scooter2403]

hey, does anyone know where the team stays at while they are in San Diego?

[TheLBCoach]

hey, does anyone know where the team stays at while they are in San Diego?

I think they stay in a hotel near the stadium. ;)

[MsNellieNell]

Yeah!! And I'll be there with a few other Texans (from Houston) and I just read another Texan will be driving in from Los Angeles and of course I'll also be coming in from Los Angeles!!!

Go TEXANS!!!

THANK YOU TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS!!!!!

Finally!!! Now we can focus completely on the game itself instead of where we will be going.

[zanth91]

I think this was a bad choice. They have to rush people out, clean it up, and it's still not a suitable location in my opinion.

[BIG ERN]

I think this was a bad choice. They have to rush people out, clean it up, and it's still not a suitable location in my opinion.

I wanted to take a road trip to Dallas!Oh well!That would have been a strange trip!

[HydrOshocK]

I wanted to take a road trip to Dallas!Oh well!That would have been a strange trip!

No doubt....it would've been weird playing in Texas Stadium but I can't say I wouldn't like to see us invade it for a weekend! ;)

[JustBonee]

I hope the Texans medical staff have extra oxygen tanks....visine eye drops.....dust masks......winds are supposed to be out of the east 20-40 mph.......

I can't help but think of that stuff too. Their description of 'clear air' in California is not what other people consider healthy. They are just used to it.
Bad on the eyes and worse on the lungs I would guess.

After spending a hot summer night at the LA airport some time back, waiting for family to arrive .. my eyes started burning so bad I couldn't stop the pain. No amount of eye drops or cold water could help the stinging and burning.
The local people thought I mourning someones death from all the crying going on! It was just insane! And this was at a time when air quality wasn't even an issue... just regular daily smog.

I can't imagine air quality being anything more than poor with what is going on, blue skies today or not. I wish them all the best out there.

[zanth91]

LT has a visor. That's good for him I guess.

[HydrOshocK]

I can't help but think of that stuff too. Their description of 'clear air' in California is not what other people consider healthy. They are just used to it.
Bad on the eyes and worse on the lungs I would guess.

After spending a hot summer night at the LA airport some time back, waiting for family to arrive .. my eyes started burning so bad I couldn't stop the pain. No amount of eye drops or cold water could help the stinging and burning.
The local people thought I mourning someones death from all the crying going on! It was just insane! And this was at a time when air quality wasn't even an issue... just regular daily smog.

I can't imagine air quality being anything more than poor with what is going on, blue skies today or not. I wish them all the best out there.

I agree about the air quality in parts of CA. I remember flying over the mountains into LA one time and you could barely make out the skyline of the buildings...it was so brown. But when I went through boot camp in San Diego the air was pretty clean. I think it had a lot to do with strong coastal winds. I'm sure the air is very thick with smoke and soot right now but maybe the winds will help clear it up?

Just speculating :o

[rush2112mn]

San Diego State University has been practicing indoors all week......you think if air quality was good they would have been outside today......hello....that should tell you something.......

[scooter2403]

the air quality isnt bad where the stadium is. i was down there tonight, and couldnt even tell there were fires. thats just my opinion. maybe because the fires were in my backyard

[ChainedLightnin]

I think this was a bad choice. They have to rush people out, clean it up, and it's still not a suitable location in my opinion.

Qualcomm Stadium has a pretty good grounds crew. Prior to the Padres getting their own ballpark (Petco Park), they had to share the stadium with the Chargers. There had been a few times when the Padres and Chargers had a home game on the same day; Padres a little past noon and the Chargers in the evening. The crew was able to set up and clean up for both games on time, and the field looked like it was prepared the day before.

If they can make this quick turnaround with people going in and out of the actual stadium, imagine what they could do with people just using (for the most part) the stadium's parking lot.

[ChainedLightnin]

I can't help but think of that stuff too. Their description of 'clear air' in California is not what other people consider healthy. They are just used to it.
Bad on the eyes and worse on the lungs I would guess.

After spending a hot summer night at the LA airport some time back, waiting for family to arrive .. my eyes started burning so bad I couldn't stop the pain. No amount of eye drops or cold water could help the stinging and burning.
The local people thought I mourning someones death from all the crying going on! It was just insane! And this was at a time when air quality wasn't even an issue... just regular daily smog.

I can't imagine air quality being anything more than poor with what is going on, blue skies today or not. I wish them all the best out there.

That's Los Angeles. It doesn't mean the entire state of California is like that. San Francisco has relatively cleaner air. San Diego is cleaner than L.A. And if I'm not mistaken, parts of Houston are up there too in terms of smog problems due to the industrial plants and the ship channel releasing nitrogen oxide.

I think the air quality "problem" has been blown out of proportion. I live about 5 miles north of Qualcomm stadium. There was actually a thick fog early in the morning during my morning commute on the 163 freeway. I rolled down my window, stuck my head out to smell the air and to check if it's really fog. Or, if my eyes were deceiving me and it's really smoke from the wildfires. Sure enough, it was a refreshing change to see a carpet of fluffy white fog hovering low with the city tucked comfortably beneath it, cooling down San Diego in the wake of a new day and a breath of "fresh" air.

[JustBonee]

That's Los Angeles. It doesn't mean the entire state of California is like that. San Francisco has relatively cleaner air. San Diego is cleaner than L.A. And if I'm not mistaken, parts of Houston are up there too in terms of smog problems due to the industrial plants and the ship channel releasing nitrogen oxide.

I think the air quality "problem" has been blown out of proportion. I live about 5 miles north of Qualcomm stadium. There was actually a thick fog early in the morning during my morning commute on the 163 freeway. I rolled down my window, stuck my head out to smell the air and to check if it's really fog. Or, if my eyes were deceiving me and it's really smoke from the wildfires. Sure enough, it was a refreshing change to see a carpet of fluffy white fog hovering low with the city tucked comfortably beneath it, cooling down San Diego in the wake of a new day and a breath of "fresh" air.

I'm in Houston. You are there. So I can only go by what I'm reading on the net. .. like this from Yahoo this morning ...

LOS ANGELES - Even as many of the wildfires in flame-ravaged Southern California died down and residents returned home, lingering dust and soot-laden air made it difficult for many to breathe even a sigh of relief Saturday.


Air quality remained poor in the central San Bernardino Mountains and parts of the San Bernardino Valley, as well as swaths of Orange and Riverside Counties. In San Diego County, where only two of five major fires was more than 50 percent contained, the air was especially dismal Friday.

Satellite pictures showed thick smoke continuing to hang over the entire region, affecting schools, events and the health of residents all over Southern California.

Residents staying in areas with bad air were advised to avoid exerting themselves. Children and people with heart and respiratory conditions were urged to stay indoors with the windows and doors closed and the air conditioner on.

"In the immediate aftermath of a fire, we're all at risk of the fine particulate matter we can inhale," said Julia Robinson Shimizu, a spokeswoman for Breathe L.A. "In general it's good to limit outdoor strenuous activity at least seven days after the fires have ended."

... and this from the American Lung Association ..

The University of California San Diego Medical Center saw an increase in patients coming in with breathing troubles they believe were related to air pollution, spokeswoman Jackie Carr said.

Mayor Jerry Sanders said the NFL's San Diego Chargers would play Sunday's game scheduled at Qualcomm. The stadium can seat more than 70,000 people.

But Ross Porter, a spokesman for the American Lung Association of California, urged fans to use caution when deciding whether to attend.

"Sometimes its better to sit quietly at home and watch it on TV," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_on_re_us/california_wildfires


The football players are people too. Putting their health on the line in the name of entertainment isn't cool.

[ChainedLightnin]

The Witch Fire, which is the biggest of the wildfires and the one that ravaged the Rancho Bernardo community and affected the surrounding cities like Scripps Ranch and Poway, was roughly 23-25 miles northeast of Qualcomm Stadium. I'm closer to the affected areas than Qualcomm is (Kearny Mesa, 5 miles north of the stadium) and I don't smell smoke anymore. I did earlier in this week, but things are improving. Try using Google or Yahoo maps to see what I'm talking about and just look up Qualcomm Stadium and Rancho Bernardo, CA. The bottom line is, things are not pristine but conditions are improving. I can attest to this when I step out of my house. Earlier in the week, there was an offshore flow that helped pushed the bad air to the east. Most of the reports about the smoke and bad air are referring to the conditions in the communities affected by the fires, which Mission Valley (where Qualcomm Stadium is) wasn't. To err on the conservative side, it would be "safer" for the thousands of people in the Rancho Bernardo area that were displaced to remain south of RB. Medical doctors would issue warnings on anything that poses possible risks to your health. They advised to be cautious. That's different from raising a high public alert about a definite and immediate danger. Sorta like the Surgeon General warning people about tobacco smoking and its longterm effects. 3-4 hours at Qualcomm Stadium in "acceptable" condition isn't going to cause lung cancer. I guess we'll see what it would be like on gameday. You be the judge when you watch the game on tv.

[bigcarlos]

Is Qualcomm a new stadium, or they just renamed Jack Murph stadium?

[Evil_Otto]

Yes, Qualcomm is just a rename for Jack Murphy stadium. It's one of the oldest football stadiums.

The skies here are crystal clear. I live about 5 miles east from Qualcomm.

[SuperstarII]

I hope the Texans medical staff have extra oxygen tanks....visine eye drops.....dust masks......winds are supposed to be out of the east 20-40 mph.......

I hope they buy an industrial air purifier for this game. They are going to need it .....

[bigcarlos]

Yes, Qualcomm is just a rename for Jack Murphy stadium. It's one of the oldest football stadiums.

The skies here are crystal clear. I live about 5 miles east from Qualcomm.

Did they fix it up at least from 1997?

[Evil_Otto]

No, it has not been fixed up since 1997. We're trying to get a new stadium.

[ChainedLightnin]

No, it has not been fixed up since 1997. We're trying to get a new stadium.

It was renovated and upgraded by adding 10,000 more seats to the upper-deck. The infamous "ticket guarrantee" instituted by then Mayor Susan Golding helped partially pay for some of the overruns at the cost of taxpayers' money, but Qualcomm was the primary contributor to the overall cost. Hence they got naming rights to the stadium.

[bigcarlos]

Thanks for the info you two. I at one time pulled for the Chargers just a little bit, while I was at Pendleton. But after Ross, I didnt pay no attention to them after that.