Fast Break
NFL
Wildfires put Chargers on hold
The San Diego Chargers don’t know where or when they’ll play their next game.
While they spent Monday taking care of their families and trying to find out if their homes survived the wildfires sweeping Southern California, the Chargers were busy Tuesday preparing to fly to Phoenix to practice at the Arizona Cardinals’ suburban headquarters.
That means three days of hotels and bus rides and an unfamiliar workplace while wondering what’s going on back home.
“Obviously, how we handle that will have an impact on how it turns out on Sunday,” quarterback Philip Rivers said.
Four years ago to the week, the Chargers were forced to move a Monday night game to Tempe, Ariz., on short notice because of deadly wildfires.
The Chargers are scheduled to host the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon at Qualcomm Stadium. But, as it was four years ago, the stadium is being used as an evacuation center. On Tuesday morning, there were an estimated 10,000 evacuees at Qualcomm.
NFL
Draft tweaked in interest of time
The NFL cut from 15 minutes to 10 the time between picks in the first round of its draft after a 2007 record round of 6 hours and 8 minutes.
It also moved the starting time of the draft from noon EDT to 3 p.m. and limited the first day to two rounds instead of three.
“We believe this will make for a more streamlined and efficient draft,” commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement issued during the league owners meetings.
The change also applied to the second round, which will go from 10 minutes to seven between choices for next year’s draft, which will be held April 26-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Figure skating
Everett will host Skate America
The 2008 Skate America championships, featuring the world’s top figure skaters, will be held at the 8,000-seat Comcast Arena at the Everett Events Center.
U.S. Figure Skating, local officials and community leaders announced the selection at a news conference. The competition is part of the International Skating Union Grand Prix Series and is considered the premier international figure skating competition held in the United States each year.
Some 60 athletes from 15 nations are expected to compete in the internationally televised event.
The event will start Oct. 23, 2008, with practice for the skaters. Competition will begin Oct. 24, a Friday, and continue through that weekend.
The Everett Silvertips hockey team and the Everett Home Show shuffled their schedules to enable the Everett arena to be available for the Skate America competition.