TAKE 5: Chargers Central

By JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Saturday, January 10, 2009 4:05 PM PST

Ready for Sunday's big game but don't know a first down from a first-string quarterback? Relax. Staff writer Jay Paris offers five tips to make you sound like an expert no matter where you watch the Chargers tangle with the Steelers in the AFC divisional playoff game.

5. Steel Curtain

It's not that old, moldy shower curtain you're ashamed of in your guest bathroom. It's the catchy nickname for the Steelers' defense. Spout off that you liked it better when Mean Joe Greene was part of it.

4. Terrible Towel

Yep, got one that I can't lose at the beach each summer either. But this refers to the yellow piece of cloth Steelers fans wave with a fury seen by few. Maybe they are just trying to keep warm.

3. Big Ben

If someone says that, don't show your pictures from the family vacation to London. That's Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who the Chargers passed on to draft Philip Rivers. Gotta love Rivers, but Big Ben has something Rivers doesn't ---- a Super Bowl ring.

2. Heinz Field

Nope, not the litter left behind after the kids plow through McDonald's french fries. Instead, it's the name of the Steelers' stadium and also a clue to teams falling behind against the Steelers' stout defense ---- it's tough to catch up.

1. Dennis Gibson

In 1995, this Chargers linebacker knocked down a fourth-down pass to ice the Chargers' playoff victory in the Steel City, catapulting them to their lone Super Bowl. L.A. has its Kirk Gibson and his well-known playoff at-bat; San Diego has Dennis Gibson and his famous bat-down.

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