Why I am no longer on #TeamBosa

I woke up yesterday with enough hope to fill up a whole airplane.

I went to bed feeling hijacked out of a season.

I am tired of this Boshit. Count me out of #TeamBosa from this point forward.

For some background, we'll have to revisit that dismal season of a year ago. The Chargers were heading into their week ten bye week holding a 2-7 record. They had lost their best WR two weeks before; the offensive line was already on their 3rd round of musical chairs, and the defense was quite literally offensive to watch. At that point, even I doubted QB Phillip Rivers could rally the Bolts for another November push.

So I allowed myself to do something almost blasphemous: I jumped on the #blowitupforbosa train.

He was, after all, finishing up another dominating college football season, one in which on any given Saturday, you would see him use those long arms to sack a QB or flatten an RB trying to squeeze thru a hole.

So, imagine the shock on my face come draft day when my favorite team selected Bosa with the 3rd overall draft pick? I certainly didn't think the Chargers were gonna draft him. My colleagues here at BFTB had persuaded me to hope for DeForest Buckner or Jalen Ramsey [EDITOR’S NOTE: notably excepting Garrett Sisti whose fault this entire ordeal actually is if you think about it].

But I had to remember. I had to remember that the whole reason I was down with the 'tank' in the first place was to hope that San Diego would draft the Ohio State defensive end. It was (half-heartedly) sort of a dream come true and sort of validated my semi-serious tanking aspirations. (For the record, I never, ever rooted for the Chargers to lose, I just didn't let their losses put me into a week-long funk like losses usually do).

Luckily, I was able to go to this year's rookie mini-camp, and Bosa was easily the best defensive player on the field. It was noticeable. He was a man among boys. Hope on the defensive front was in the air.

Everything was smooth sailing until he decided to leave OTA's and begin his hold-out. But the holdout extended into training camp and word was the Chargers were not going to concede to any of Bosa's demands which we all know was either signing bonus distribution dates and/or offset language, which basically is about Bosa trying to secure his full contract money in the event he sucks in year 4 of his rookie deal and is released.

On Monday word spread like wildfire that the Chargers private jet was in Bosa's hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, presumably with the intent of bringing #99 back to San Diego and to the team facility.

But Joey Bosa refused.

He didn't like the fact that the Chargers improved their previous offer that would have paid him $14.45 million of the $17 million signing bonus by the end of the 2016 calendar year, with the rest being paid in March.

For continuing his own hardline, I feel like supporting him now for holding out for a few more percentage points shows me that money is a little too important to him. Considering the fact, he's still gonna get the $17 million by March.

Sure I can blame the Chargers for the fact that they could have offered this same contract two months ago, but if this is their final offer, and always would have been their final offer, well, you don't start with your final offer.

For me it comes down to this: Joey, you are going to get your FULL signing bonus of $17 million by March. I understand you want to accrue as much interest as soon as possible, and that's probably the reason you want so much, so fast, upfront.

But with the season two weeks away, the Chargers defensive line in flux, and the Chargers now with the proverbial line-in-the-sand stance, there is no other way out. Unless you hold-out for the season and re-enter the draft next year. (Which would force me to write another story with a sharply different negative tone)

This makes me second guess my choice for joining the #tankforbosa train. But like the Chargers have been saying all along, the team will move on without him. And just like the team says I too will also welcome him back to the team when he finally signs.

In the meanwhile, I will never again be #downforethetank and risk losing a season's worth of Chargers emotions. And hopefully, in the meanwhile Joey Bosa, I don't have to watch you hijack your season away.