Primal Scream Wakes the Neighbors

Star Date 09.06.25

There was so much heat in our son’s family room last night that he opened the windows. That may have been a mistake.

We were gathered around the TV, watching our beloved Chargers take on their archrivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. Only this wasn’t just any game — the NFL chose Brazil as the stage for the season opener. For Chargers fans, it felt strange to “host” a home game thousands of miles away, especially when the end zones looked more like neutral territory than a true home field.

“Can you believe it, Dad?” my son asked. “We got charged for the home game even though both teams’ names are painted in the end zone!”

It’s hard not to feel the bias if you’re a west coast transplant trying to follow your team. And sure enough, the pattern continued. Mid-game, the Chiefs player who happens to be engaged to a certain world-famous singer pulled a dirty trick on one of our best defenders. Our guy pushed back, and he’s the one flagged for 15 yards! The cameras conveniently skipped over the instigator, leaving the media to paint him as the innocent victim. My son swears this happens all the time with that player. Last night, I saw it with my own eyes.

As if that weren’t enough, the announcers kept hammering the same tired storyline: “The Chiefs always win the close ones, the Chargers always lose.” Over and over again, even as our boys were leading. It was as if they were narrating the inevitable instead of calling the actual game.

And then — it happened.

The primal scream.

I have never heard a sound like that come from our youngest son, who is usually so reserved. It shook the walls, rattled the windows, and I’m fairly certain the entire neighborhood heard it. He sounded like a monster set free. Maybe that’s what happens when the underdog finally topples the favorite, when the whole world is cheering for the “media darlings,” and your team finds a way to win anyway.

There may have even been a small earthquake about the same time — though it could just as well have been our adult children jumping up and down in the living room, celebrating a victory we rarely get to see.

Word travels fast in small towns. Hopefully the neighbors will forgive us for our over-the-top celebration. But if you’re a longtime Chargers or Padres fan, you know exactly why that scream happened.

Congratulations, Chargers. You gave us a night to remember. Bravo!  Have a great day.