For eleven days beginning on December 18, Qualcomm Stadium, football home of the San Diego Chargers and San Diego State Aztecs, will carry a temporary new moniker: Snapdragon Stadium. Snapdragon processors by Qualcomm are the digital brains inside mobile devices made by top manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Nokia, and HTC. Snapdragon Stadium will host the Chargers-Ravens game on December 18, the Poinsettia Bowl on December 21, and the Holiday Bowl on December 28.
Would you like a chance to win a shiny new toy? Seriously, just comment on this post with the answer to the HARDEST QUESTION EVER FOR A'S FANS. Details at the end of this post.
Hilariously enough, the answer we are looking for is the A's core player.
I'm trying to answer the question in a realm where Josh Willingham is not on the A's; a dubious choice at best, but the best option we had last year. In addition, I'm actually not sure who will be on the A's in three months, so that adds yet another layer of difficulty.
To be totally honest, this is an extremely difficult question for me to answer as an A's fan, and the more I think about the possibilities, the more depressed I become about 2012. Listening to the off-season moves from the Angels and Texas are excruciating right now, when I can't even pick one core player for a contest.
So, at the risk of over-thinking the question, my answer is Jemile Weeks. Core player for the A's; the only player they said they wouldn't trade. Jemile is young and had a great season last year. Default choice, that.
Who do I want to be the A's core player? Probably Gio Gonzalez. Yes, I understand that he is the player with the most leverage for the A's to trade, but it doesn't mean that I want to see another pitcher go.
Who do I think the A's wanted as their core player? Kurt Suzuki. And much like everything else in the last few years, that hasn't turned out exactly the way the A's wanted it to.
I'm still looking for a silver lining to 2012. I'm looking for any reason to think the A's won't lose 100 games playing in the AL West against the Yankees II and Yankees III. I'll let you know when I find it.
In the meantime, enter the contest for a chance to win! Tell me who your core player is.
Want a chance to win a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket powered by Qualcomm's revolutionary Snapdragon multiprocessor? Just leave a comment on this post with who you think the team's core player is and why he's so important to their success. Vox Media will select one winner from among the participating SB Nation blogs. All entries subject to the official rules found here.
[UPDATE: I've added a poll. I'm pretty sure BBG won't mind. If she does then, um, I guess she can delete it. --iglew]