Well, We're Waiting...
I know I haven't made an official post since Norv and AJ were canned on New Year's Eve. According to NFL Playoff Betting Lines, Denver is favored to win it all. While they're the only team I don't want to see win the Super Bowl, I can't really get too upset about it. I wrote a piece over at Bleacher Report on the quandry over how much of an effect a coach can have. FAITHFUL READERS will be familiar with the lesson on the last ten years of Charger history, since you lived it with me. I really get the feeling that Spanos will hire a coach somewhere between retread and rock star. If it's the right guy for the job, I'll be ok with it.
I guess this part of the aforementioned Bleacher Report piece serves as my official eulogy for Norv:
During his first two seasons as Charger coach, Turner’s teams did seem capable of going to the next level. While I never thought he was a good coach, I could not argue that the team seemed like it might be finally learning its lesson. However, its final playoff pratfall changed everything.
LaDainian Tomlinson was let go, but the other parts stayed in place. That began the regular-season slide that has led us here. Jon Gruden might be the only guy who would excite the fan base, but can he become the first coach to win a Lombardi Trophy with a second team?
Mind you, I don’t think Gruden will coach anywhere this year. But I disagree with those who say he simply took Tony Dungy’s team to a championship. Before Gruden, the Bucs could not get past the Eagles in the playoffs. After helping them do that, Gruden provided invaluable inside info against his former team in the Super Bowl.
The Chargers might actually find a coach who’s right for the job this time. Whether they will assemble a team that is up to the challenge is another story. If history has shown us anything, it’s that the right man needs to find the right team at the right time.
Like you, I roll my eyes at talk of Jim Mora, Lovie Smith or any other guy who got fired from his last job. But that's happened the best of them. From what I've seen of the playoffs thus far, the Bolts have a lot of holes to fill before they can seriously make a run. I was half-joking when I Tweeted that Philip Rivers should wear the gloves full time as Kurt Warner did in Arizona. He said on the Darren Smith show that he's not entirely sold on wearing them, but that he's considering it. The only game after Pittsburgh that he didn't wear them was the one he played like shit in against Carolina. Not surprisingly, that's the one we lost.
The speculation is that Dean Spanos will anounce a new GM by the end of the day. Kevin Acee is reporting that there are "a lot of moving parts," which means that the hire is contingent on other teams' personnel moves. When things start to really happen, I'll weigh in. Talk to you then.
RLW
PS Thanks to the member of the CMB, who's avatar this is.
In the words of Tony and George, I am down with the hirings of Telesco, McCoy and Whisenhunt. I am also glad to hear they are keeping Pagano. My gut feeling is that we are in great shape going forward. Unfortunately for Jimmy Raye the organization needed to completely blow out the front office to get the stink off of this team.
And I wanna point out what a douche "president" Deano is. He hires Telesco because the guy knows all the names (and strengths/weaknesses) of Chargers players. Well so does Jimmy Raye -- as well as every single Chargers fan I know of. Also he says that the Chargers have to build from within, from the draft. The team had gotten away from that. What the fuck is he talking about? AJ finally signed a couple FAs this past offseason but made the draft his absolute priority every year. You can say some of his picks sucked but Deano is just spitting out horse cum when he talks like that.
And I wanna say that Raye is getting fucked harder than Deanos mare. To say that he was 1) the overwhelming favorite and 2) he will one day be a GM in this league is a cop out because the dude is black. Telesco may be good -- who can really know -- but Raye has been loyal and deserved his shot. Can you imagine working at your company for 17 years and you're finally in line for the top job of your division. Then the company goes to your competitor and brings in their guy -- all because your ex-boss was canned and you might be too influenced by him.
Oh, but you can stay Jimmy. We'd love to have back. Jimmy Raye Unchained!
Lastly. If Arians gets brought in, I say FUCK YOU Telesco, Deano and Acee.
@Osaka17 Bit harsh on Telesco don't you think? Let's at least give the guy a chance before we get to the fuck-you stage. As for Dean, yeah I get that. Acee - merely annoying. I feel bad for Raye but I think they did a smart thing by going outside and getting someone with a new perspective. As for finally being done of Norv and AJ, Halle-Fuckin'-Lujah. Good. Fucking. Riddance.
@sdjeff Well good thing it wasn't Arians. In my mind, the coach is 10 times more important than the GM. How many "GMs" have won titles? Who the hell knows, but we know of the Landrys, Nolls, Bellichicks. If Telesco had hired Arians, it would have left a real sour taste in my mouth. Anyway, that doesn't matter now.
I love how they say McCoy was hired to "fix" Rivers. As if Turner had broken him. lol
I know most people will grill me for saying this but I wanna say thanks to AJ. He made some crappy draft picks but so has every GM. He brought in some very high quality players and many decisions he got killed for are not clear cut. He did not re-sign Sproles a SECOND season because $8 mil is too much for a 3rd down back (the way Norv used him). He was actually criticized for franchising him the first time around. And then for not giving VJ a long-term contract. That's a tough call since VJ could have imploded again any minute.
AJ did give out some long term deals that were poor, Luis Castillo and Gaither come to mind but he had little choice with Gaither, and he wanted to build from within stick with guys he had brought in. I cant fault that.
To me, his only unforgivable sin (and his downfall) was hiring the retread Turner. That just made no sense and every single one of us fans who grumbled about that hire from beginning to end have been proven to be correct. FUCK YOU Acee.
To AJ's credit, he took the blame (where Turner 100% refused to accept any --- my major fault with him). And AJ was fiercely and perhaps overbearingly a Charger employee. I appreciate that. He never badmouthed others in the organization and he took his firing like a man. He even stuck by that asshole Turners side till the end. Even though Turner through him under the bus. FUCK YOU Turner and Acee.
