We’ve just released Episode 115 of the Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast.
Our synopsis for Episode 115 is below:
It’s the eve of Training Camp which means it’s time for our 2025 Chargers Opponents Series! We kicked things off today with a Training Camp Preview followed by an NFC East Breakdown: that Tiffany division boasting last year’s Super Bowl winner and another final four team. Are the Eagles really that good? Can lightning strike twice for Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury? Will Big Blue lay another Big Poo and has the Dallas Star lost its shine? Join us for the discussion!
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Hope you enjoy the episode! Thanks so much for listening 🙂
Alister (@TDU_Alister)
Long time team fan, podcaster (with Thunder Down Under Chargers Podcast), husband to a beautiful wife, friend to all fellow Chargers fanatics, and father-to-be!
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Great stuff as usual! I haven’t been very active around these parts because life got super busy after getting elected. Still lurking in the background and listening to every pod you guys post!
I really hope the Chargers beat the hell out of the Giants this upcoming season. I convinced a friend of mine who is a Giants fan and currently lives in New Zealand to go to that game together. Surprisingly he said yes so we will be visiting New York in September and go to that game. A total destruction of the Giants would be very nice to witness live with my friend in total shambles right next to me :).
We appreciate whenever listeners take time from their busy lives to enjoy our content. My last three months have been also challenging with a heavily increased workload (200%+ capacity) and our 8-month old going through a sleep regression: crying/screaming through decent portions of the night. Finding time to prepare and record podcasts has been challenging. But then we do a show like Wednesday night’s, laughing riotously, and all feels right in the world again. And it’s reminder to me why I do it: glad you enjoy listening to every show.
Make sure to share a photo on Stormcloud when you get to New York (and the Meadowlands)!
Quick note: I couldn’t get to this link from the Stormcloud front page on my phone. There was no “read more” button. Maybe I’m just a canary and maybe there is no coal mine. Listening (and commenting) now.
Glad you managed to access the link eventually (I think Stormcloud Home page has some issues…but the forum link should work)
Great to have content from you guys. Thank you! A few comments:
Opponents:
Great pod. Looking forward to the next one.
Some responses:
My opinion on the White House visit is maybe different to most Americans. I think the ‘respect the office’ argument really only gets you so far. For example, if the the present occupant was a despot of history (Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin), I think you’d have a moral imperative not to visit. So really it all boils down to where you assess President Trump on the spectrum of Awesome > Competent > Average > Incompetent > Corrupt and Malevolent > Pure Evil. If you’re an American who thinks he is akin to a despot, it makes sense to be loud and very angry about this visit. (Although maybe you should also consider leaving the country and living elsewhere in protest). It’s a shame to see such a divided America. At least one very good TDU listener and BFTB/Stormcloud participator seems to have stopped following the team because of the visit. A sad set of circumstances.
I saw Tau’s comment on Tre Harris and I understand the different perspectives on this. It’s probably not sensible for Harris personally to take this stand if it results in missed time. It cripples is prep for the season. It looks like some of the other teams are blinking and second rounders are signing around the league, so if Tre Harris signs shortly I’m sure he’ll feel vindicated that he played his cards well strategically. It’s also probably not sensible for Dean Spanos to hamstring his own team by taking a philosophical stand like this against one of his team’s most important weapons.
Interior OL: I remain confused by the offseason strategy and have to believe that at least one key target (eg, Trey Smith) was pursued unsuccessfully and we’re now seeing a back-up plan manifest before our eyes.
Good comments on the NFC East. We’ll see who’s right! For what it’s worth, the Bucs and Lions were highly successful at containing Jayden Daniels on the ground (2.8 and 3.2 yard per rush attempt respectively) in the Playoffs, yet the Offense still purred in those games. Truly impressive season from the Commanders, but we’ll see if Kingsbury and Daniels can maintain it across multiple seasons. I’m not really a Prescott believer, but where he was viewed as the NFL’s 2nd best QB in 2023 (Second Team All-Pro) I understand why Jack concluded he’s Top 8 when healthy. He’s an interesting high-variance QB with a panache for playoff choking (just like another Cowboys QB turned prominent CBS broadcaster).
I would truly love to keep commenting atout politics out of this forum.
But like you, I dislike the partisan nature of politics, and how many people treat it like sports, siding with ‘their team’. I’m also in favour of separating sports and politics to the extent that’s possible. Sometimes the two are intertwined inexorably. This doesn’t seem to me to be one of those situations though and that’s why I didn’t bother responding to Andy’s comments, even though I think the topic is more nuanced than he reduced it to.
Been to Brisbane and Cairns, but never the Sunshine Coast. Maybe the next trip. Traveling with kids always complicates things – Hope you’re having a great time.
I hate bringing politics into a non-political forum. I will say that I prefer to discuss ideas rather than hurling insults. I’m old enough to remember that George Bush was that mean German leader with the bad moustache (not sure if the forum will let me say the name). So, if you find yourself getting all worked up, hating someone with different political ideas because they’re wearing the wrong jersey, you may want to re-think your priorities. You are not going to win arguments with insults. I do think we are all better off if we can honestly debate ideas without fear.
Glad that Harris is signed. Without MWill, he will be needed.
Good point on the IOL. I made a few comments on the “trade for Keenan" thread. I like Allen, but not sure how he helps the Chargers win a championship. The offense will revolve around the quality of play of Zion and Bozeman. If the Chargers are going to make a big roster move, fix center.
I think the Commanders are very, very good. How much better would this Chargers team be with an OC like Kingsbury? Nobody is going to touch Kliff as a HC unless/until he has several successful seasons as OC. Great hire by Quinn, who is a very underrated HC (and great defensive mind). The Chargers hired the wrong defensive guru in 2021.
Speaking of defensive guru’s, I’m curious to see how shitty the Saints are this year. Very bad roster. With Nussmeier as OC, the situation is very similar to what Staley was in during his rookie season. Inexperienced OC. Staley is the only former HC on the staff. Will be interesting to see how that staff reacts to the adversity I’m sure is going to come.
Godwin’s law is still alive and well in 2025, Kev. That’s why I tried to avoid mentioning that particular despot 😉
I don’t think much of Dan Quinn’s Defense schematically to be honest, but I think he’s a good leader of men and can play the CEO-type of HC well. If Kingsbury has another successful year, I expect him to get interviews again for the big boy’s chair. The League is always hungry for Offensive ‘gurus’.
I think the Saints roster is one of the worst in the League, and there’s a reason why it’s the only job Staley could get. It’s a good challenge for him though. Anything better than a 20th ranked overall Defense would probably be viewed internally as a win. Much worse than that though and he’s not long for this League. Three strikes and you’re out!
Quinn, to me, is old-school. Staley was always more sizzle and very little steak. Quinn is all steak.
The Saints are fucked this year. I wonder how much leash ownership is going to give a 1st time HC who built a very inexperienced and (in Staley’s case) controversial staff. If they win 4 games (or less), will the staff be back next year?
I think it’s going to take a lot of success and good interviews for a dude like Kliff to get a HC gig. He was 35-40 as a college HC and 28-37-1 with the Cardinals. That’s a 10 year HC record he will have to explain away in an interview.