There will be a lot of uncertainty going into next season for the San Diego Chargers. Fan support is on the decline, and future local TV blackouts have become the norm...clearly a disturbing trend for a franchise that was once a powerful force in the AFC. Injuries and poor performance by the Chargers' "best available" are leaving everyone to wonder who can/will step up to fill the holes. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos appear to have this division locked down for the next few seasons. One thing is for certain though....changes are coming...and not everyone is going to like it.
You would have to think that Norv Turner is gone. Right? I mean, three straight seasons without a playoff appearance has to be the final straw. Right? To the common fan such as you or me, this would obviously make sense considering that Norv, for years, had the best teams in Chargers history at his disposal, and the best his leadership could muster was one AFC Championship game appearance in '07-'08 season. Many have said that the Chargers had an embarrassment of riches with all of the Pro Bowl talent that has walked down the dingy tunnels of Qualcomm Stadium over the past decade, which makes the failures of Turner and A.J. Smith that much more frustrating. Any other front office in any other city would have sent Turner packing by now...but this is San Diego...and the pain of losing is quickly whisked away by the joys of sand and sunshine. Myself, I have grown up in the Midwest, where the weather sucks, there are fewer distractions, and if your team loses, it can literally ruin your entire week. Winning is everything in the Midwest, and if you don't win, no excuse in the world will save your job. Now, I'm not going to go on some "high and mighty" rant about how the Midwest is better than the West Coast, because, frankly, I've had my fill of farm fields and freezing temperatures. I'm just saying, I wish San Diego had the "winning is everything" attitude...because it clearly doesn't...and it all starts with Dean Spanos.
Dean Spanos won't be happy because....
....he has to make change in the front office. Spanos fears making radical change, such as replacing a head coach or a general manager, and unfortunately for him, he has to do both this off-season or risk further abandonment of an already irate fan base. If Spanos keeps Smith around, he risks becoming the new main focus of negative publicity should the Chargers continue to miss the playoffs. Spanos appears to be totally oblivious to the fact that A.J. has made him look like a fool. He needs to wake up and realize that keeping Smith around only invites more of the same failures.
A.J. Smith won't he happy because....
....he will either be firing Norv or he will be looking for a new job. It has been well documented that A.J. did not get along with Marty Schottenheimer, and it wasn't because Marty was a bad coach. Schottenheimer was notorious for wanting things his way, but so is Smith. A.J. saw Marty as a threat because he had his own ideas and wasn't afraid to voice his opinions. That kind of personality does not mesh well with Smith, and you can bet your ass that if he is allowed to hire the next head coach, he will want someone just as spineless as Norv. A.J. doesn't care about winning nearly as much as he cares about being in control, and as long as he is around, you can forget about hiring any Bill Cowhers, Mike Holmgrens, or even any Jon Grudens (if you're that desperate). If Spanos is truly serious about saving this franchise and delivering a winner to San Diego, he has to send Smith packing along with Norv, because only then will change in the organization occur.
Norv Turner won't be happy because...
...he's going to get fired. Everyone thought he was going to be canned after missing the playoffs last season, but after much pleading from Philip Rivers and company, Norv was granted one more chance by Spanos. Now, with the Chargers all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, it's a guarantee that Norv is going to take the fall for six seasons of failure. Unfortunately for Norv, Smith did not do him any favors by replacing guys like Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill with Robert Meachem and Jared Gaither. This could very well be Norv's last head coaching job in the NFL, as well it should be. He was given some of the most gifted teams in NFL history while in San Diego, and he still couldn't win the big one. It's back to offensive coordinator purgatory for Norv. Farewell. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
The Chargers locker room won't be happy because...
...they just lost "good guy" Norv as their leader. It disturbs me greatly that the Chargers seem to care more about having an easy-going, loser head coach instead of a successful coach with high expectations that will do anything he can to make them a better team. This team is soft and easily flustered to the point where a head coaching change evokes childlike tantrums. The culture in the clubhouse needs to change, and that all starts with a quality head coach. If you want a model of what a good head coach is, look no further than the Chargers most recent opponent...John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. Follow this link and read up...the man really knows how to get the most out of his players. Once the Chargers and Norv officially part ways, it is crucial that the team embrace the new coach and his staff. If the team continues to moan and groan about losing Norv, then there is no hope for the Chargers, and the losing way will continue.
The fans won't be happy because...
...the Chargers will be hitting the reset button on the organization. Yes, we all want Norv and A.J. out of San Diego, but dismissing the head coach and general manager is a clear signal that the Chargers are entering rebuilding mode, and it's not going to be an easy fix. A good number of guys that have played crucial roles for this team are now in their 30s (Rivers, Hardwick, Floyd, Gates, Garay, Phillips, Jammer), and it appears less and less likely that those guys will be around for another serious run at the AFC crown. So much talent...wasted because of injuries, free agency, or simply old age. A.J. Smith completely mishandled this roster through bungled negotiations, lousy drafts, and blind faith in a historically awful head coach.
This entire mess was the product of Smith's monstrous ego and his insatiable desire to be in complete control through intimidation and hardball tactics. Dean Spanos has never had to make a more crucial decision than the one he will have to make after the season is over. The decision to fire Norv should be the easy one. Firing Smith....that's a much different matter. Can Spanos overcome his fear of change and do what is right for the organization, or will he stay the course with A.J. in hopes that the past eight seasons have been one giant fluke. Sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it? Will Spanos see it that way? For the sake of Chargers fans everywhere, he'd better.
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