The Mess that is the Chargers

[tazinib1]

What a mess

 

Why there is no talk of replacing Turner is beyond me. He is not a good coach..period. This "genious" move, as described by AJ Smith, when asked about the hiring of Turner, speaks volumes of the Charger front office. If AJ Smith were not in control, Turner would be gone. Hell he might have been fired LAST year. I just don't get it. How do you still employ a special teams coach that was responsible for the WORST special teams play in HISTORY? How do you still employ a GM who refuses to work out deals to get 2 ALL-PRO players on the field. Instead, choosing to act like a 5yr old brat that has been told "No Joey, you can't have that brand new GI Joe". It's just baffling that the ownership is this naive.

Edited December 27, 2010 by tazinib1

[Big John]

Does your owner have a lot of cash? If not, he probably supports AJ playing hardball.

Alex Spanos is very rich.

[BearBroncos]

I was watching a show earlier this year about the Chargers and the commentators were praising Turners offensive skills. Granted, he is a master mind on the offense in some regards but he doesn't know how to win and win consecutively. He needs to be a OC, IMHO.

[Henry Muto]

I do believe I did say SD would not make the playoffs if they were in any other AFC division to start the year.

 

I guess I was wrong...they couldn't even make it in their own division!

 

I just felt there was too many things working against them this year with the hold outs of 2 of their best players.

 

Maybe next year they bounce back.

[BeeR]

Eli not looking so stupid now eh

[Chief Dick]

I do believe I did say SD would not make the playoffs if they were in any other AFC division to start the year.

 

I guess I was wrong...they couldn't even make it in their own division!

 

I just felt there was too many things working against them this year with the hold outs of 2 of their best players.

 

Maybe next year they bounce back.

 

 

I think next year is shaping up to be a heck of a division race.

[Riffraff]

Eli not looking so stupid now eh

Crying tears of sadness... with a sour lemon look on his lips... while live on stage... holding up a Chargers' jersey... in front of a national viewing audience... will always look stupid.

 

But I understand your point of view. It's like Elway refusing to play for your beloved Colts.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Riffraff

[tonorator]

dude, don't be so down on the chargers ... they just ran into the buzzsaw that is the bengals ...

 

bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

[tazinib1]

Chargers | Norv Turner, A.J. Smith to return in 2011

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:27:16 -0800

 

San Diego Chargers club President Dean Spanos said Monday, Dec. 27, that head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith will return in 2011, reports Nick Canepa, of The San Diego Union-Tribune. "The easiest thing in the world is to start over. Who the hell do I go hire? Blow the whole thing up? We're a pretty good team but we have to make the right moves," Spanos said. "We've fallen. It could have been our draft picks or our free-agent moves. But we have a good core, and I don't care what anybody says."

 

 

 

It could have been our draft picks or our free-agent moves...........

[stethant]

San Diego Chargers club President Dean Spanos said Monday, Dec. 27, that head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith will return in 2011, reports Nick Canepa, of The San Diego Union-Tribune. "The easiest thing in the world is to start over. Who the hell do I go hire? Blow the whole thing up? We're a pretty good team but we have to make the right moves," Spanos said. "We've fallen. It could have been our draft picks or our free-agent moves. But we have a good core, and I don't care what anybody says."

I don't think there's a rational response to this and I feel bad for football fans in San Diego. You're screwed.

 

How about we keep it simple:

1) playing hardball with two pro bowl caliber hold-outs has repercussions, regardless of who's right in the end.

2) not being able to consistently run the ball makes life difficult for the whole team.

3) Rivers did everything on God's green earth to will this team to win, and he couldn't make it happen.

 

Firing Turner is not starting over - it's admitting and correcting a mistake. The exasperation of "who the hell do I hire" is a red flag that the owner is fundamentally clueless in spite of his wealth.

[Chargerz]

We may not have the best players in the NFL, but I've seen other teams overachieve for a good coach.

 

A good example in San Diego right now is the head coach for the San Diego State football team, Brady Hoke. He has a good system and has inspired SDSU to a 9-4 record in just his second year. They just beat Navy for the school's first bowl victory since 1969. He is a no-nonsense coach who loves the game of football and gets the most from his players.

 

I contrast Hoke with Norv Turner who may have a good offensive mind but is as listless as his team. His press conferences are bland, his personality is bland, and his team is bland. Until Norv Turner leaves San Diego the Chargers will not win a Super Bowl, period.

 

I can only hope I live long enough to see Turner finally go and another coach come in and finally lead this team to a Super Bowl victory.

[The Vatican Hitsquad]

I can only hope I live long enough to see Turner finally go and another coach come in and finally lead this team to a Super Bowl victory.

 

Time may be running out, though. For a few years, Chargers have been lucky that the other 3 teams in the div were mediocre at best with Oakland being pathetic. This allowed them to play badly for 2 months and then turn on the juice for the second half of the season to win the Division, but exit early from the playoffs every single time. That easy path seems like its gone now and Norv has never proven he can coach his way out of a tough situation.

[BearBroncos]

I don't think there's a rational response to this and I feel bad for football fans in San Diego. You're screwed.

 

How about we keep it simple:

1) playing hardball with two pro bowl caliber hold-outs has repercussions, regardless of who's right in the end.

2) not being able to consistently run the ball makes life difficult for the whole team.

3) Rivers did everything on God's green earth to will this team to win, and he couldn't make it happen.

 

Firing Turner is not starting over - it's admitting and correcting a mistake. The exasperation of "who the hell do I hire" is a red flag that the owner is fundamentally clueless in spite of his wealth.

 

Maybe having KC, Denver and Oakland above them at the end of the year come next year in the division might finally warrant a change of leadership?

[Square]

I contrast Hoke with Norv Turner who may have a good offensive mind but is as listless as his team. His press conferences are bland, his personality is bland, and his team is bland. Until Norv Turner leaves San Diego the Chargers will not win a Super Bowl, period.

While to some extent I agree, I find this funny/interesting. In the Mike Singletary thread people are blasting him for being too in your face or not keeping his composure in crunch time. While Norv gets chit for always looking like he is carved from wax. I guess in the end it really just comes down to results in the NFL.

[Chief Dick]

While to some extent I agree, I find this funny/interesting. In the Mike Singletary thread people are blasting him for being too in your face or not keeping his composure in crunch time. While Norv gets chit for always looking like he is carved from wax. I guess in the end it really just comes down to results in the NFL.

 

I think in this instance it HAS to be Turner. All things being equal, talent will always win out in the NFL. Clearly the Chargers are talented; heck they had the top ranked defense and one of the top ranked offenses in the league.

 

Coaching killed that team this year. From head coaching to play calling to special teams.

[BearBroncos]

While to some extent I agree, I find this funny/interesting. In the Mike Singletary thread people are blasting him for being too in your face or not keeping his composure in crunch time. While Norv gets chit for always looking like he is carved from wax. I guess in the end it really just comes down to results in the NFL.

 

You must realize that we (huddlers of course) are far superior coaches than those mere mortal coaches. /sarcasm off

 

I do find it interesting how people bash people who make it their life without understand the nuances of being an NFL coach in today’s world.

[detlef]

While to some extent I agree, I find this funny/interesting. In the Mike Singletary thread people are blasting him for being too in your face or not keeping his composure in crunch time. While Norv gets chit for always looking like he is carved from wax. I guess in the end it really just comes down to results in the NFL.

Either that or you can neither be a loose cannon or milquetoast. I'm one of those blasting Singletary for his lack of composure, but I'm sure not wishing we had Wade Phillips in SF. I'm saying you need to be stern, assertive, and passionate, but still be able to remain calm when the stakes are high.

[rattsass]

You must realize that we (huddlers of course) are far superior coaches than those mere mortal coaches. /sarcasm off

 

I do find it interesting how people bash people who make it their life without understand the nuances of being an NFL coach in today’s world.

When you are coaching in the NFL, getting bashed is part of the job. We expect the best coaches to coach in the best league, and when one of those 30 jobs is filled by someone that does not deserve to be there, the natives get restless.

[nuke'em ttg]

alot of announsers every year pick them in the superbowl and i always think they got nothin

[BearBroncos]

When you are coaching in the NFL, getting bashed is part of the job. We expect the best coaches to coach in the best league, and when one of those 30 jobs is filled by someone that does not deserve to be there, the natives get restless.

 

I don't disagree, however, I find it amusing that many think they could do a better job than many of the coaches currently residing in the NFL. Some might be better than others but I for one would go grey in a matter of months if I were an NFL head coach. These guys lose most of thier life being coaches.

[detlef]

I don't disagree, however, I find it amusing that many think they could do a better job than many of the coaches currently residing in the NFL. Some might be better than others but I for one would go grey in a matter of months if I were an NFL head coach. These guys lose most of thier life being coaches.

I have no illusions that I could coach in the NFL. That doesn't, however, mean that I can't tell the difference between someone who is good at the job and someone who isn't. Mind you, I grew up watching Bill Walsh, so my standards are pretty high.

[BearBroncos]

I have no illusions that I could coach in the NFL. That doesn't, however, mean that I can't tell the difference between someone who is good at the job and someone who isn't. Mind you, I grew up watching Bill Walsh, so my standards are pretty high.

 

The only reason I'm doing this is because we don't know all the circumstances behind what’s actually going on in Chargerville. Look at Cable. I think hes honestly a great coach but Al Davis has him on a leash and still makes him do totally asinine moves.

 

Trust me, I'm no Turner fan and in no way defending his coaching ability. I merely poking fun at many who honestly think they could run a team better than people who dedicate their lives and resources while we are arm chair fantasy coaches who couldn't manage ourselves out of a paper bag.....

[detlef]

The only reason I'm doing this is because we don't know all the circumstances behind what’s actually going on in Chargerville. Look at Cable. I think hes honestly a great coach but Al Davis has him on a leash and still makes him do totally asinine moves.

 

Trust me, I'm no Turner fan and in no way defending his coaching ability. I merely poking fun at many who honestly think they could run a team better than people who dedicate their lives and resources while we are arm chair fantasy coaches who couldn't manage ourselves out of a paper bag.....

Fair enough. However, we've all seen it with our own two eyes. When Turner has been an OC, he's done great, when he's been a coach, his team has underachieved. It doesn't take a genius to see the trend. And this isn't like Bellchick where he stepped on his dick the first time, gathered himself, and then came back and kicked ass. No, he's a couple years into proving this is very much a pattern that seems doomed to repeat itself.

[McBoog]

Against the Bengals, the Chargers inactives were Tyrone Carter, Stephen Cooper, Patrick Crayton, Malcom Floyd, Antonio Gates, Tyronne Green, Travis Johnson and Darrell Stuckey (this does not include the lengthy list of walking wounded). In the FF world, we don't pay attention to many of these positions, however all but Green have significant roles and their loss cumulatively was seen/felt through the eyes of this Charger homer. Cooper's absence was HUGH and the whole defense was hurt by him not being out there. He was the one LB that solidified the unit through all of the injuries this season. I am not that surprised that they lost the game, I am surprised they got blown out the way they did.

 

Once again and before I start, I wanted the Chargers to hire Rex Ryan instead of Norv, so don't take this as rant from a nob slobbin' Norv fan (are there any? ). I think the Chargers could have done better, but I am not sure it is the best thing for the team at this point to dump him.

 

1) The Chargers have had 73 players appear in games this season, more than any other team in 2010 and just one fewer than the NFL record in a non-strike season.

 

2) Philip Rivers threw to a league-high 17 receivers, including touchdown passes to a team-record 11 different players.

 

If you want to look at continuity, go no further than here. Forget the effort and where they finished overall in offense and defense. It is hard to win with so many players coming and going and IMO, I think the coaching staff did an amazing job of making this team competitive and keeping them it it as long as they did. Those two statements above would have most teams finishing with a losing record and out of contention almost all of the time! That the Bolts even had a chance after what has gone of this season was amazing to me. I do not believe that they were a team prepared/ready for the tournament because of how herky/jerky the season was. As much as anything and despite Rivers great season, the WR corps and the LB corps injury issues caused disjointed play calling that resulted from it caused more problems that are hidden by the good stats.

 

The early season problems are the most concerning and need to be corrected. I agree that if it happens again, Turner has to go. I think that from top to bottom it is a solid coaching staff and especially on the defensive side of the ball, the bolts have finally got some coaching stability.

 

I feel/hope that the increased level of competition in the division will make the Chargers take the early part of the season more seriously and make them a better team over the whole season. I don't think this shows that "time is running out" for them, I think it raises the level of play in the division and makes whoever emerges as the division champ more battle tested and better prepared for the playoffs. The Chargers should have swept the Chiefs and should have won in Oakland. The whole special teams thingy was baffling and no team should lose that many games because of ST.

 

I also think that if there is some form of lock-out or shortened season next in 2011, teams that have a solid core of players and systems in place will have a HUGH advantage over the teams with younger players and/or newer coaching staffs. I this case, I feel it prudent to keep the current coaching staff in place.

 

I am not a suicidal Charger fan at this point. There is much doom and gloom in the above posts, but I have suffered too long as a Bolt fan to lose sight of the fact that it is no longer one of the worst teams in The League and as for now, has a chance at a run every year for the near future. You take 1 and 2 away and this could very well be another, "Are the Chargers going to choke their #1 spot away again this year?" thread. This despite not having VJax and Marcus McNeil at the beginning of the year. I am not sure about how the McNeil thing got so sideways, but I still support how VJax was handled and there are many articles out there that show he will not get what he wants no matter who he plays for because of his history and being one step away from a long suspension (not worth investing the money until he proves he has turned it around). There is a solid corps of very good players and if the Chargers can get them all on the field at the same time for an extended period of time, should be a favorite by many to go deep in the playoffs in 2011.

 

OK. Bring it on...

[rattsass]

I think if the Chargers go 10-6 next year, Norv will finally be a .500 coach.