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Who’s the best: ’63 Chargers or Bears?
’06 Patriots stand in Bolts’ way first

Posted Jan. 12, 2007
The decades-long debate as to whether the 1963 AFL champion San Diego Chargers or the 1963 NFL champion Chicago Bears was the best professional football team in America that year may never be settled. Chargers old-timers are convinced their squad was the best even though the two storied teams never met because they were then in rival leagues.

But with both the 2006-07 Chargers and Bears earning top seeds in this year’s NFL playoffs, one has to wonder if we’re finally going to get an answer … although more than 40 years after the original question was posed.

For that to happen, of course, both the Chargers (the top seed in the AFC playoffs) and the Bears (the top seed in the NFC playoffs) must win twice in their upcoming playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.

The AFC West champion Chargers — and Chula Vista High School product Donnie Edwards — host the AFC East champion New England Patriots Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (CBS-TV) at Qualcomm Stadium in one of two divisional playoff games.

The Chargers own a franchise-best 14-2 record and are coming off a first-round bye; the Patriots (13-4) defeated the New York Jets, 37-16, in last weekend’s wild-card playoff game.

The Bears host last year’s Super Bowl runners-up, the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday at 10 a.m. (Fox-TV).

Both games will likely be shown at every bar and restaurant in San Diego County. Check for details at your favorite watering hole or eatery if you want to celebrate with others.

The Chargers and Patriots have a long history. The teams met in the AFL championship game on Jan. 5, 1964, with those fabled 1963 Chargers scoring a demonstrative 51-10 victory in front of 30, 127 fans at Balboa Stadium. The Chargers played in four AFL championship games and one NFL Super Bowl (posting a runner-up finish to the San Francisco 49ers in January 1995). The Patriots won three Super Bowl titles in a space of four years (2002, 2004, 2005).

The 2006 Patriots feature a pair of former Chargers — linebacker Junior Seau and safety Rodney Harrison (both currently injured) — and a former area prep standout in guard Stephen Neal, a wrestling standout while attending San Diego High School.

Edwards, meanwhile, has to like his position right now after requesting a trade at the beginning of the season. The former Spartan keyed the Bolts with 142 tackles and registered 2.5 sacks and made one fumble recovery.

The team’s offensive heroes include NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson (2,323 yards from scrimmage and a league-record 31 touchdowns) and quarterback Philip Rivers (3,388 passing yards and 22 touchdowns).

The respective conference championship games are scheduled Jan. 21, with the Super Bowl to follow Feb. 4 in Miami.

The Chargers-Patriots winner will face either Indianapolis or Baltimore for the AFC title while the Bears-Seahawks winner will face either Philadelphia or New Orleans.

With ex-Charger signal-caller Drew Brees (and former Helix High standout Reggie Bush) in New Orleans, there might be a pull for a Saints-Chargers matchup but a Chicago-San Diego pairing only seems fitting — and fated.