San Diego Magazine / January 2004 / Watch This

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Watch This

HINDSIGHT: Do we know how to pick ’em, or what? For more than two decades, the editors at San Diego Magazine have gone about the serious business of telling you who to keep your eye on in the new year—for better, we always hope; but sometimes it turns out for worse. And we must admit, worse is often more fun than better.

Take 2003. Please.

Some might suspect a leak, but really, we simply figured two freshman San Diego councilmembers would be worth watching—if only for the freshness factor. When we picked Michael Zucchet and Charles Lewis among our 50 People To Watch, we couldn’t have known they’d wind up being indicted in the bizarre Strippergate case involving FBI wiretaps, influence-peddling, Las Vegas sleaze and naked table-dancers. Could we? Nah. We simply noted Zucchet had environmentalist credentials and used to work for the firefighters union (good timing, again). And that Lewis was pro-business and aimed to be a “consensus-builder.” No consensus, yet, on Strippergate.

And we didn’t intentionally put Lewis on the same page as Carol Lam, the new head of the U.S. District Court here, did we? Nah. How could we know she’d help launch the investigation that led to his indictment? Besides, all our watchables are listed alphabetically.

Oh, and did we mention last year that Lam argued the first appellate case upholding the constitutionality of roving wiretaps? We sure did.

By the way, we picked a politician named Inzunza last year, too. But not San Diego Councilman Ralph—the Inzunza indicted in Strippergate along with Zucchet and Lewis. We chose his younger brother, Nick, the new mayor of National City. So far, so good.

As 2003 dawned, Geoff Patnoe, barely 30, was just finding his legs as the new executive director of the San Diego Taxpayers Association. At mid-year, he’d moved on to chief of staff for Supervisor Dianne Jacob. At year’s end, he was touring the county with his boss, assessing the devastation of the fall firestorm—including the loss of his own home in Tierrasanta.

We featured two anchorpersons among our watchables in 2003: Fox 6 News anchor Brian Christie and KUSI’s Kimberly Hunt. In an amazing turn of events, defying all odds in the TV news business, they were both still at their anchor desks as we went to press a year later.

Jason Mraz, discovered while playing small-time San Diego clubs like Java Joe’s, “could be pop music’s next big star,” we wrote last January. A few months later, his first CD for Elektra, Waiting for My Rocket To Come, landed on the pop charts, and a hit single had rocketed to number 1 on the VH1 video chart.

Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was one of our people to watch in 2003. Well, never mind. Chargers running back LaDanien Tomlinson was one of our watchable 50. Okay, that’s more like it.

Then there were Dean “A Deal Is a Deal” Spanos, the Chargers president, and his front man, Mark Fabiani—the same Mark Fabiani who scored as Bill Clinton’s mouthpiece during the presidential peaks and pits. In San Diego, the past 12 months have been mostly the pits for Fabiani. Yes, we knew the negotiating road to a new football stadium would be bumpy. No, we didn’t expect Fabiani and his boss to aim straight for every pothole in sight.

By the way, a year ago, Dean Spanos had his sights on another lofty goal. His number-one priority, he told us, would be to “get the Chargers back to the Super Bowl—and I want to win it.” Well, can’t win ’em all.

THE BOTTOM LINES: Arnold Schwarzenegger may be the gov now, but he still has an eye for the camera. While guests at a La Jolla fund-raiser queued up for a $22,000-a-pop photo opportunity with him, Schwarzenegger took to a bit of directing. Sensing something amiss after one quick shot, he grabbed the arm of a political high-roller and pulled him back in front of the camera. “You want to try that again?” Schwarzenegger asked the photographer, who nodded, smiled sheepishly and snapped another photo ... With the wrap-up of filming here last month on the Scott and Laci Peterson TV flick, producers had settled on a title for the murder story: The Perfect Husband. ... The new condos going in on the Hillcrest site of the old Egyptian/Park movie house are even more expensive than a movie ticket these days. An 800-square-footer starts in the $300,000s; 2,200 square feet will fetch $700,000-plus ... Somebody’s always looking to make a buck. In the wake of San Diego’s disastrous fall firestorm, a Web site called FireStoreOnline.com was pitching SD Fire Department apparel—“over 500 fire department shirts, hats and sweatshirts, all shipped the same day.” ... Another top-10 honor for San Diego. Dubious one, this time, at best. In the company of Tom Cruise and Regis Philbin, the Chargers’ vertically challenged quarterback, Doug Flutie, made the cut as one of the “10 Best-Dressed Shorter Men in America.” Only not when wearing a Chargers uniform, right?

Listen for Tom Blair’s Friday reports on KOGO News Radio (600 AM) at 7:25 a.m. You can also hear his radio column at sandiegomag.com. Items for the magazine or radio may be e-mailed to tblair@sandiegomag.com.