41 could easily be subtitled "The Battle of the Backs."  No less than three solid running back choices and one of the greatest pure fullbacks of all time vie for the coveted Golden Jersey.

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And now, a break from the football season and time for some meaningless drivel!  I’ve posted a few of these without causing a ripple on the front page, but now that there are some fun ones coming up, I thought I’d flash one, and maybe one every once in a while (and, of course, when a vote is necessary).

The 40s mark a departure from the 30s in terms of Charger players, past and present.  Lots of good ones to choose from with interesting legacies.

We start with #40.

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Ah, the good old days.  When men were men, and kickers wore numbers like 39.  That’s what it’s come to: a battle between two kickers who barely got their jocks sweaty.

Actually, that’s not totally fair.  You’ll never hear about Carney or Benirschke intercepting a pass – but our #39 Winner did.

The Winner

George Blair, DB-K

The simple fact that Blair was the kicker on the 1963 Championship team, and scored one less point than the entire Boston Patriot team in the Championship game, is generally enough to win, but Blair also played a little DB – not that he had much to show for it: 1 interception returned for 40 yards.

But in 4 seasons as the Charger’s placekicker, Blair didn’t have much to show for that either.  What a bizarre time it was for pro kickers, with the goalposts at the front of the end zone, the straight-on kick-with-your-toe style, and the fact that a 60% success rate could land you in the All Star game.

But what’s not bizarre is that one good year could land someone a #39 Golden Jersey.

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 If any of you out there are raising your sons to be pro football players, have them wear #38 and play for the Chargers.  That way, even with a mediocre season, they’re bound for immortality.

Actually, there is one guy who stands above the other 38ers, but his name is so far removed from any of our minds that I’ll be surprised if more than 5 of you have even heard of him.

The Winner

Jacque MacKinnon, TE

MacKinnon is testament to perseverance and longevity.  In 9 seasons with the team, he never put up great numbers.  Only one season of more than 30 receptions, one season of more than 600 yards, and only twice did he score as many as 6 TDs in a season.  (But that’s more a testament to how little used the Tight End was in the Charger offense of the 60s.)

The fact is the Chargers didn’t know what to do with MacKinnon.  After the Eagles passed on him in 1961, the Bolts "drafted" him in 1962 and tried to make him a ball-carrying fullback.  When that met with limited success, he was switched to Tight End where he toiled behind the likes Howard Clark, Dave Kocourek and Willie Frazier for 7 of his 9 seasons.  But by sticking it out, he would finally get his chance to start, and in those two seasons he made it to the AFL All Star game.

Sadly, MacKinnon died in 1975 at age 36.  It’s a shame that he never got to see how important the Tight End position became to the Chargers.  I don’t think he would have minded waiting behind the likes of Winslow and Gates for his shot.

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 Finally, one to be proud of.  Two players in particular defined a jersey for the Chargers, one for each side of the ball.

Partly due to the fact that so few players have worn #37 throughout Charger history, but also because these two guys are so clearly bald head-and-broad shoulders above the rest.

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One of the 20 choices for the "Greatest Moment In Charger History" on the Chargers website, commemorating their 50^th year in the league, is the "Seven Bandits of 1961."  Huh??  Never heard of them.  Well, apparently, for those of you who were around in 1961, the Chargers set a single-season record for most interceptions by a team with 49 – which still stands to this day, AFL or NFL.

We’ve already mentioned one member of the "Seven Bandits" (#34 Bob Zeman, Golden Jersey runner-up).  Here comes the second one.

The Winner

Dick Harris, DB

It’s hard to know who the leader of the "Bandits" was without having been there to witness it.  While Zeman had more INTs that season, Harris was more the mainstay.  And 3 of Harris’ 7 interceptions that season went for touchdowns.  Here’s hoping some of the current Chargers produce an average like that. 

By the end of his career in 1965 – entirely with the Bolts -- Harris was the leader in career interceptions with 29, a record that stood until Gil Byrd came along.  And his 5 interception returns for TD still stand (along with Kenny Graham).

It’s hard to say what the game was like back then, but the sheer numbers that Harris and the rest of the "Bandits" put up is still pretty impressive.

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Ahh, 35… Like an ice cold one while kicking back on the sands of Waikiki.  No worries.  Easy squeezey.  No polls, no twisting of lame statistics to make it seem like one marginal year was some great accomplishment.  Whether going by longevity, team success or even statistical success, there’s only one possible winner for #35.

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 Anyone who pays even remote attention to this Jersey series pities me for what I have to go through to pick a #34.  In fact, e-mails have been pouring in from all over the world from people offering their condolences.  Here are just a few:

Geoff from Encinitas:  "Whoa, dude, 34 is gonna be gnarly."

Earl from Lubbock:  "Gawly!  Y’all gonna have a empossibul time with #34!"

Hans from Hamburg:  "Achter lieber, mein herr!  All 34s suck!"

Yeah, thanks for the sympathy.  And I agree.  The #34s from Charger history leave slim pickings, to say the least.  But two personal vows come in to play here.

1.                   Never to bypass a number.  SOMEONE will win EVERY number.

2.                   Never bring it to a vote unless it’s a GOOD vote.  In other words, I will always take out the trash.

With the bar set so low, it only takes one good year…

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