Newspaper Ad Voicing Displeasure Over Chargers Decision

Jan 19th, 2012 at 1:24 pm by Ernie Padaon San Diego Chargers

Home » San Diego Chargers » Newspaper Ad Voicing Displeasure Over Chargers Decision

Nicholas Esayian, a professional auto racer, spent about $1000 to voice his opinion in the North County Times with the advertisement that is posted above. That is just madness! I understand that we all are pissed about keeping Norv Turner around, but dropping that amount of cash to share that displeasure is RIDONKULOUS!

Do people even read newspapers anymore?

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Comments

CindiSpears

I wonder if Deano will read it?

http://boltbeat.com/ epadaon

@CindiSpears i would hope so, BUT he already knows how we all feel about the decision…i dont see how he wouldnt

the gorn

Esayian rocks!
Trong Lam

I couldn’t agree more.
sjt2115

Apparently being a race car driver doesn’t require decent writing skills.
Cool Brees

Yes, intelligent, inquiring minds everywhere still read newspapers!

Why is he criticized for using his money for something he is passionate about? How is that different from footall players who have $1000 bar tabs? As to the grammar, substitute pro athlete for race car driver. Senseless analogy.

Go , Mr. Race Car Driver, I don’t follow racing but agree with you completely.

AJ Smith traded away Drew Brees, Michael Turner, Darren Sproles, the list is endless but I must get to work. Maybe we should all make a list? Could it make a Superbowl Team?

http://boltbeat.com/ epadaon

@Cool Brees it could be a Super Bowl team… but if Norv Turner was the head coach, we probably wouldnt even make it to the playoffs

Cool Brees

@epadaon

I couldn’t agree more, Epadon.

sjt2115

I don’t criticize his right to express his opinion or put this ad out. Its his money, he can spent it how he wishes. What I do criticize is his argument and his prose, both of which are tortured. Maybe he should have spent a few dollars more for an editor.

By the way, AJ Smith did not trade away ANY of those players you mentioned. They all left as free agents, and in each case there were difficult decisions to be made and strong arguments for not retaining them. Sadly, too many supposed fans like you and Mr.Esayian can’t even be bothered to know basic info like this about the team to claim to support.

Cool Brees

@sjt2115

Funny thing is that I didn’t mention half the players I could have. I mentioned the ones I felt he was most stupid to not try and retain. Sorry for using the word trade, I knew the difference.

sjt2115

What exactly should he have done? Given $60 million to a QB facing a potentially career ending injury, when you already have another franchise QB under contract and ready to step in? Throw LT, coming off back to back rushing titles including an MVP season, overboard and give an even bigger contract to his backup? There are hard decisions to be made as a GM. This isn’t a game of Madden, where you can just conjour players out of the ether, no one ever gets hurt, and if things go bad you can just hit the reset button.
Cool Brees

@sjt2115

Never played Madden.

LT is my favorite player of all time and yet, notice I did not mention him because sadly, I know he was done.

Drew Brees, yes, he should have shown loyalty and paid. Proof is in pudding, look at him now. AJ Smith, he is not respected, his arrogance is outrageous. Look at the Eli draft. The Manning family said it was all AJ, Rivers even went to bat for Norv and hinted the problem was AJ. Very few people like him and I could go on and on but a guy below says it best.

Mike Tuck when he talked about Pittsburgh and football as family. My Dad is from there so I know this firsthand.
sjt2115

@Cool Brees I don’t care if AJ is respected or not, I care that he turned this franchise around. They went almost a decade without a winning season, and then he took over and they haven’t had a losing season since.

Get this through your head: BREES WAS HURT! He was a gamble to ever play again, and they already had Rivers. They couldn’t pay them both long term, and they couldn’t cut or trade Rivers without either taking a huge cap hit or getting pennies on the dollar. So they made the difficult but ultimately prudent decision: they let the guy who might never play again walk away, accepted the compensatory pick, and moved ahead with Rivers (who has a higher career passer rating than Brees, the guy who had his own share of struggle and dissapointments as Charger).

You talk about Pittsburgh football? They stuck with coaches for decades without winning a SB. Cowher had multiple consecutive losing seasons and a list of postseason failures as long as your arm. Did they toss him over the side to appease a moronic fanbase? No, they stayed the course and kept working towards their goal. But I will say that I wish Charger fans were a bit more like Pittsburgh fans, meaning they actually know something about their own team and can be counted on for support through thick and thin.
Cool Brees

@sjt2115

I am beginning to think you ARE AJ!

Drew Brees knew he would play, he said it and Dr. said it but AJ threw him under the bus.

It has been fun debating with you but not worth it because you said it in your first line, you don’t care if AJ is respected. I do, I have that ‘Pittsburgh mentalit’y of famly and I want my GM to be respected. Sorry, I am not all about business and bottom lines so we could never agree about this.
CindiSpears

@Cool Brees@sjt2115 Well played.
sjt2115

@Cool Brees Drew Brees THOUGHT he would play. There was no guarantee that he would be able to come back 100%. If they didn’t already have Rivers under contract, then they probably would have and should have done more to retain Brees. But that’s not the reality. You can’t shell out for 2 top QBs, especially when one has a serious health concern. It just doesn’t work.

And again I’ll say I don’t care if he’s respected around the league. I care that he puts together good teams. Hell, part of me is glad that the Mannings didn’t like him, because it allowed him to fleece the Giants in that trade. A lot of people don’t respect Bill Belichick, it doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the best coaches in the league. And respect can be such a fleeting thing, which is why I don’t care who other people respect, I only care who I respect. A lot of fans don’t respect LT or Rivers because of ignorance and media spin. I don’t care, because I know their full stories and I know that both are worthy of praise and respect. That’s what matters.
Cool Brees

@sjt2115

The Mannings didn’t just not LIKE AJ, more importantly they did not RESPECT him. Many around the league feel the same way. You do not earn respect by bullying and respect is not a fleeting thing, it should be a long-term, well earned and coveted aspiration.

You are contradicting yourself.

I don’t particularly care for Eli personally but if the Mannings had respected AJ enough to play for the Chargers we just might have a couple of Superbowl wins already.

Manning, like Brees plays with a fire that Rivers for all his ‘aw shucks’ fighting words does not have.

The Chargers are going nowhere until they get rid of AJ, I’d bet on it.
sjt2115

@Cool Brees Again, I don’t care if the spoiled brat golden boy and his daddy don’t respect AJ. Why should I respect a player who straight up refuses to play for a team which had the audacity to pick him #1 overall and offer to pay him tens of millions of dollars? What part of that earns respect?

If Eli had stayed around we would be further from a Super Bowl than we are or ever were, because 1) He’s not as good a QB as Rivers and 2) we wouldn’t have been able to trade him for 4 extra players, all of whom were key contributors to all of the success during AJ’s tenure. That’s what earns AJ respect from honest critics: he took Eli’s temper tantrum and turned it into 5 key players.

You think that Manning plays with more fire than Rivers? Do you even watch football? Do you actually know anything about Rivers or the Chargers? He’s as competitive as any QB in the league, Brees and both Mannings included. If you don’t know that by now then you’re just another example of supposed Charger fan who doesn’t actually know anything about the team you claim to support.
Cool Brees

@sjt2115

I am not going to change your mind or convince you of my argument and vice versa so I give up.

You are so unyielding in your position, you must be drinking some Koolaide that causes myopia.

I have been around the Chargers organization and a fan since they came to SD in 1961, been with them forever it seems and a very concerned fan to say the least.

I am unsubscribing, leaving you to your polemics.
sjt2115

@Cool Brees Your concern is noted, as is your ignorance.

Don’t worry, we’ll save a spot on the bandwagon for all the supposed fans like you next season.
gtr_donald

@sjt2115 I like the cut of your jib, sjt2115! It’s refreshing finding another Charger fan who just doesn’t have a knee-jerk reaction to everything and/or believes everything some talk show hosts spew.

I’d be willing to bet money that most of these people were the same ones who were willing to ship Vincent Jackson away for a draft pick or two just a little over a year ago. Now, they say that A.J. has a personality problem. Well, when a player’s agent calls and says that his player is not going to play for the team, I know how I’d react! And, A.J. Smith doesn’t have a problem with his personality, he’s got a problem with the way the public perceives him.

Let’s not be naive here–perception is NOT reality. It’s just way too easy for most fans to over-simplify issues and use generalizations and labels to define A.J. Smith. I don’t know the man personally, and I’m sure nobody posting here does either, so people trying to tell everyone else what A.J.’s personality is, or how he handles himself within the organization, need a huge dose of reality!

Note to all fans who think that they know A.J. Smith: you are a delusional idiot, who apparently derives your opinions from ESPN highlights, talk show hosts who spew stupidity to garner ratings, and from certain sports writers who, also, spew stupidity to garner readers!

In short, sjt2115, it’s nice to read someone else’s opinions who actually thinks things through. Thank you.
gtr_donald

@Cool Brees@sjt2115 How exactly did A.J. throw Drew Brees under the bus? By being one of two GMs who offered him a contract when he was injured?

It sure seems by your screen name that you are a Brees fan and not a Charger fan.

RussellGrant

I’m not sure why people are coming down on Nicholas Esayian for his writing skill. It’s probably safe to assume that the bulk of Charger fans avoid writing on a regular basis and probably speak in that abbreviated text message speak that’s really popular now. He’s not a playwright. He’s a race car driver. He said what a lot of us here have said and he did it in a full page ad. That is awesome!
gtr_donald

Maybe some one should take out an ad and point out that dude’s argument is flawed and also, contradictory. In one sentence, he says that A.J. Smith has, “perennially underachieved” and in another he says that the Chargers have a, “vast array of talent.” Well, which is it? A.J. Smith’s job is to procure talent. If the team is as talented as you think it is, then maybe A.J. isn’t to blame.

Unfortunately, most fans don’t let the facts get in the way of their arguments. It’s just way too east to over-simplify the issue. Let’s face it, if Bill Cohwer would have never survived as the head coach of the Steelers if Steeler fans were as impatient and impetuous as Charger fans are now. Granted, we all want the Chargers to win a Super Bowl, but most fans are delusional when they don’t realize that this is one of the most successful eras in Charger history!

RussellGrant

@gtr_donald Spanos has given the Norv and AJ show five years with a team that finished 14-2 the year he took over and we’ve missed the playoffs twice in a row.

Cowher stayed the coach in Pittsburgh for years but he also got the most out of those teams year in and year out. They were in the hunt for the playoffs most of the time with only 5 of those 15 years finishing 8-8 or below. The Rooney’s fed him talent, got him “his” players and he rewarded them with a record of 149-90-1. Would the Rooneys have put up with Cowher taking a 6 game header in a season, only to start winning when the Jags came to town? Would the Rooneys pay for a franchise QB and allow their GM to not shore up the line so he can pass and not commit to keeping his receiving corps together so he can have a consistent group of targets? You hold Cowher’s record up but we aren’t following Rooney’s model. Not even close.

Sdboltz

@RussellGrant you have no idea what you are talking about. What does referencing the 14-2 team mean? 5 years ago and to say that the team today has as much talent is absurd. People seem to forget the afc championship we went to in 07. Were Norv and AJ underachieving then? Comparing this to the steelers and Cowher is pretty accurate Norv has the win percentage of any chargers coach and has never had a losing season here. Norv has finished 8-8 twice out of 5 years give him 15 years thats only 6 eight and eight finishes. You’re essentially arguing the opposite of you’re point. And this racecar driver is an even bigger idiot. At least he’s keeping newspapers a float with his ignorant, typical chargers viewpoint

RussellGrant

@Sdboltz I am responding to the original post above which is holding up the Rooneys keeping Cowher for 15 years and saying we should relax BUT WE AREN’T FOLLOWING THE SAME MODEL. Not by a long shot. We don’t have the same type of coach Cowher had nor do we have the same type of front office that is committed to grooming and keeping talent. 2007 is a long time ago. My youngest was potty training then. Now she’s in grade school. We got beat by for the playoffs by TIM TEBOW! We couldn’t figure out a game plan to beat a linebacker who couldn’t throw two months ago. The problem with comparing Cowher to Norv is Norv is regressing.

Damn I hope these two prove me wrong this year but I swore off the Kool-aid after 2011.
gtr_donald

@RussellGrant@Sdboltz Please point out where I compared the Steelers organization to the Chargers organization. I said that Cowher wouldn’t have lasted if the Steeler fans then were like the Charger fans are now–especially when he has back-to-back losing seasons!

And, if you really want to over-simplify the situation, the problem with the Chargers could be whittled down to one player: Shawne Merriman. Ever since his body started breaking down, so did the Chargers defense. He was, at least for the first few years, a dominant play-maker on defense. Until they can come close to replacing that sort of play-making ability, it will be a crap shoot.
RussellGrant

@gtr_donald@Sdboltz How do you say “Cowher never would have lasted” without looking at THE WHOLE SYSTEM COWHER WAS IN AS OPPOSED TO WHAT THE CHARGERS HAVE? Think it through. His success didn’t come in a vacuum. There were organizational decisions made. That’s not oversimplification, just reality. By your logic (or lack of it) Lombardi, if still alive would never have lasted with Charger fans breathing down his neck.

And how the Hell do you throw Merriman under the bus for the current Chargers? He is two seasons removed from the team? Isn’t the GM supposed to find a way to fill that gaping hole with two years of drafts and free agency?
gtr_donald

@RussellGrant Way to read into what I posted! Maybe you should re-read what I posted. I didn’t “throw Merriman under the bus.” I said, “He was, at least for the first few years, a dominant play-maker on defense. Until they can come close to replacing that sort of play-making ability, it will be a crap shoot.” How is that throwing him under the bus?

And, do me a favor, stop trying to expound upon a flip comment I made to illustrate how impatient and short sighted most Charger fans are. I was using Cowher as an example to emphasize a point. There were a lot of Charger fans clamoring for Turner to get fired and to bring in Cowher. I doubt they realize that, under Cowher, the Steelers MISSED THE PLAYOFFS THREE YEARS IN A ROW and it took him 14 years to win a Super Bowl. There is no way that most Charger fans would be that patient!
RussellGrant

@gtr_donald Next time if you don’t want a point expounded on don’t say it. That seems simple enough.
gtr_donald

@RussellGrant The problem with you expounding upon my comment is that you took what I said and gave it your own spin–ignoring the point I was making.

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MikeTuck

Someone should have written a statement, and he’s right on AJ Smith. Smith has made good decisions on talent and then gets egotistic when it comes to contracts. Jackson should have been signed and to leace Floyd out hanging in the wind is just ignorant. Smith has a good eye for talent, but his eye for Coaches is lowsey. Turner is a great offensive coordinator but a bad Coach.he’s a chest player in a emotional game. Right Guy wrong position. Smith has let go alot of talent, has drafted alot of talent at positions that weren’t of great need, and then can’t hold on to the talented ones or lets them go for personnal reasons.It’s a tough job and you have to work with other proffestionals, Smith isn’t a people person, it’s my way or the highway. But Spanos is a Corporate shmuck that is interested in how to best serve himself and not the team. I really don’t think he is much of a Football Fan or he wouldn’t be blackmailing the City into paying for a new stadium, he’d be getting the best personel to manage the team. Your confusion on which is it isthis, alot of fans know great talent, AJ’s job is to try and get the best at every position that is in need. The offensive line which is the most important personnel in football has taken a back seat to the so-called glamour positions. We have stuck with a core of players that when hurt, and strays off the not playing list came in and did better than his 1st string line.
MikeTuck

Cont. That said it all right there, why wasn’t he putting together the best line possible so that Rivers and Mathews have a fighting chance. What is flawed is your disagreeing with the lmajority of Charger fans. Schotenheimer was Cowher and on the verge of getting a Superbowl, but AJ Smiths job was more important than Marty bringing in his own staff. Smith is still here and the team has been in free fall ever since. Marty wasn’t my favorite Coach by no means but learned to trust his players and let them play the game. He also fired the team up by being a leader, teacher, and making sure the team was ready everyweek. He opened the offense to Martyball renewed w/ trick plays he trusted the team enough to let them go dominate. We now are playing to safe and keeping the team broke up every year with indecision on player like Welker,Cameron, Merriman, Sproles, Sejitutu, Applewhite and on and on. No Loyalty to players or fans just buisness for the sake of buisness. I’m glad someone with monet stepped to the plate for the fans.

Divide and Conquer!!!
MikeTuck

By the way sdboltz, That 2007 team was Martys people before Turner and Smith started dismantling it. The team is Super talented now except the positions at O-line and the defense has down graded from 8 deep at linebacker to 4-5 players. They beat Baltimore because Turner had nothing to lose and he called plays that way. Turner is scared running the team, yet when there’s not the pressure he opens his play book alot more. great Coordinator, lousey Coach. A good Coach game plans to dominate, Turner game planned to not lose.

gtr_donald

@MikeTuck Marty’s people? A.J. Smith has been the GM since 2003.

MikeTuck

Talking about over simplifying a situation. Merriman the scape goat, are you kidding me. Buddy keep up. The Chargers right now are about Corporate buisness at it’s best. Spanos son taking over and running it into the ground until they sucked every little thing out of the organization. When things go really wrong in a organization look at the top, if you don’t your playing right in to their finger pointing game. They want the blame on the City, to extort the money from them for the stadium. Note to Spanos; Win a Title then ask!!!

gtr_donald

@MikeTuck Maybe you should actually read all of my post before you comment. Please point out where I blamed everything on Merriman.

What I said was, “He was, at least for the first few years, a dominant play-maker on defense. Until they can come close to replacing that sort of play-making ability, it will be a crap shoot.”

MikeTuck

Russels points are well taken on issue of Cowher. Simply I will throw this in. Cowhers success is partly due to Pittsburgs owner. A Football family that treats their team as family, and stands with their players on up. Rothlesburgers problems stunt Applewhites, Merrimans, and Naanees. Teams w/ owners that make their organizations family win Championships. Corporate America is trying to stamp out family. Ben and Jerrys, Southwest Airlines, Sierra N Brewing Nevada Brewing have all weathered the economy because of loyalty to fans and family. The Dodgers are a true fact as to what happens when family and fan are taken from the equation. Spanos really needs to go back to Construction Contracting. You can build a cheap home and through need sell it for great profits. Sports like any competitive indevor depends on the Whole Team of owners managers and workers believing in and working for a common goal. It is a recipe for success. When you have a Management Team willing to throw family members under the bus insted of helping them to be better citizens and atheles (in this case), you’ve made a disposable assembly line. Anyone can be replaced so get the hell out.

Cool Brees

@MikeTuck

Spot on, Mike! Excellent post.

MikeTuck

This causes mistrust, divisions among the personnel and a decline in the moral of the team. Maybe Sdboltz was from a foster family where your used and disposed of. But it leads to the corruption in our society never the less a team. San Diego, the Chargers and the Spanos family should be one, but they aren’t. Spanos came from Stockton which lead the state in violent crime a few years back. You might find this a stretch, but I love San Diego and the people there. Military and all so I hate to see the sorry little adopted Owner of this great team leave home because he can’t get his way. The Chargers are doomed with the Spanos Family owning it. They should sell it to a fan of the Chargers who love the City and it’s team, pride should step aside for the sake of the community. When the Family heals the Chargers will be great again. Sdboltz; Cowher would still be winning due to their city, owner and fans. Do your homework if you are a Chargers Fan. The 72 Dolphins still are Family, as are the ones who found each other and not just the bank account. Get rid of the Corporate suites and sushi and give the team back to it’s fans and family.
MikeTuck

Have some mercy Charger Fans, Sdboltz is like ESPN highlights, stereotyping the fans as shortsighted, not patient enough. There are fans that have been rooting for the Chargers for more than 40 years, and are still loyal to them.How about this Bobby Ross has my respect, he took a team that had a few great players and beat that Pittsburg team to get to a Superbowl they should have never been in. Got demolished by a Super Talented 49ers team, yet they didn’t try to hang on to him, that was the best coaching job ever!!! Those guys believed in each other, thanks to Ross. Marty same thing. Patience isn’t the problem w/ the fans, it’s the problem with Spanos Sr. and Jr. The Chargers have alot of talent right now if they hold on to it. Merriman gave back to the community and I believe his problems were mental as much as physical. They threw him away like garbage insted of trying to work with him to get him back to his old self. Yes I know Sd,” yeah right ” Check out a wounded Brees! a healthy Sproles! a small little Welker! non of them were worth keeping in the family. The proof in my analigy is out there and like I said, Smith has made some great picks and trades, but patience and loyalty is what wins Superbowls.
MikeTuck

There was talk od LT coming back next year. Whether to retire as a Charger or Play as a 3rd down RB/WR I’d welcome it.
MikeTuck

sjt2115; Cute but Smith did not turn the Chargers around, that credit goes to the late John Butler. he rebuilt the team and with Schotinheimer’s Coaching went day to day game to game and they made it a great team. Smith with his ego has slowly dismantled the Chargers through letting players go that didn’t worship him. dean Spanos and Smith has slowly killed a great team attitude. And Pittsburg took some time to turn it around too, difference is they stuck with their coach and players and have the tropheys for it. Brees was a hard decision, Tomlinson was also. But letting Welker get away, Sproles has excelled because of the system, Scared people pull the trigger very quickly. Turner like I’ve said is a great O-coordinator but his ability to Coach is not good. This is the reason players excell outside our system, bad game planning and lack of trust in the players.
MikeTuck

sjt2115; again your cute; My Dad taught me respect is everything, you don’t have to be liked you just have to have peoples respect. AJ doesn’t give his players respect ( again it’s a corporate standard) You don’t give the City and the Players respect you don’t deserve it. Belichick is respected ( except for that cheating deal) he has proven to be a great coach. He isn’t well liked because of the constant out coaching he achieves. Liking is a clash of personalitys. Respect is about your character. Great leaders don’t abandon their injured players. Making mistakes in or outside the game means you try and use your leadership to correct those mistakes. discarding them is the disposable attitude that is displayed by Corporate execs. It’s waste, wasted picks, wasted training , wasted time and money. Spanos and Smith I don’t respect because they aren’t leaders.
MikeTuck

Coolbrees; I was glad that they traded for Rivers myself, being the son of a coach has taught him leadership. Eli has had a better coaching staff and it’s paid off. Ny has that mentality of building character instead of expecting it out of their young players. I loved Brees for his leadership, and with a good coach they could get Rivers to contain some of his emotion, not that it’s a bad thing if directed positively.
MikeTuck

sjt2115 is right in that the Manning Family is like AJ looking in the mirror. That’s why I said you give respect you earn respect. The Mannings met with Spanos and Smith and advised Eli not to play there. I don’t believe that should be a choice. Elway and kobe Bryant shouldn’t have been allowed to play being drafted. They should have not been drafted and forced to be invited at minimum salary for their first 3 years. They didn’t respect the system, so I don’t respect them. Eli was a victim of Daddy. Rivers plays with fire, I like him, he’s a better leader than our coach is. Imagine if our coach was as inspirational. And that’s my main complaint about Turner, he doesn’t inspire his players.

gtr_donald

@MikeTuck How do you know if Turner inspires his players or not? They don’t quit on him and a lot of players have supporting him publicly (Rivers, Hardwick, Phillips, Weddle, Dielman).

MikeTuck

I’ll have to agree with Coolbrees here, I learned that arguing with ignorance makes you more ignorant and waste your time. I just pray that some of the fans that are the gift of Corporate ticket giving go back to their cubicle. People just need to look to LA and their beloved Dodgers. A Family has to sell a team sometimes, and sometimes they find a owner that was a fan of the team and wants to help it to grow. Sometimes it will go to a Owner that wanted to own a team to own a team. They hire and run it strictly as a buisness, win or lose doesn’t matter. As long as tickets sell and they don’t have to spend money to make money their happy. They don’t respect the community or their workers, it’s buisness. That’s where having a Mark Cuban would be nice, until then we’ll have a team playing week to week against a opponent without any backing.
MikeTuck

Everyone has the right to their own oppinion, doesn’t make you right or wrong. That’s what sites like this are for, but don’t call out a fans loyalty because game time we’ll all be rooting for the same team. And if they win, it will cure all disagreements. I love the Chargers and know that with the skill they have they are closer to the Superbowl than in the 90′s. I also know there is something very wrong in the organization and it doesn’t have to do with the players. If the City of San Diego can’t get Spanos respect then even with a stadium either will LA. So let him build his own stadium inbetween in the middle of nowhere on his own dime and see how much backing he gets. The Fans are the most important part of any team in sports. We flip the bill so are oppinions should carry some weight. Spanos might own the team but without fan support he has product and no buyers.
MikeTuck

gtr_donald; Don’t sound bite like the journalist please. Your first sentance reread then tell me that. whittled down to one player. They really should have worked with Shawne on his steroid problem and his personnal life antics, he did some good during the fires. No offense, were all Chargers fans and want what’s best for the Chargers. Difference of oppinions, I wouldn’t over simplify anything causing problems for the Chargers. But I knew Spanos focus has been on a new stadium and he’s basing decisions on it, and not for the team!

And, if you really want to over-simplify the situation, the problem with the Chargers could be whittled down to one player: Shawne Merriman. Ever since his body started breaking down, so did the Chargers defense.( He was, at least for the first few years, a dominant play-maker on defense. Until they can come close to replacing that sort of play-making ability, it will be a crap shoot.)

gtr_donald

@MikeTuck I think you’re missing my point. The Chargers need the sort of play-making that Merriman provided his first few years to push the defense to the next level. Play-makers cover a lot of weaknesses, create turnovers and sacks at critical times, and make their teammates better. That is what the Chargers defense has been lacking the last couple of years, It’s not that they need a complete make-over, they need that one play-maker to massively improve their play.

MikeTuck

Hurts doesn’t it, when the Chargers spanked the Ravens just a few weeks ago. The Chargers are a team that lacks direction and inspiration. That game showed Turners ability to call a great game when not under pressure. He’s just a fish out of water when it comes to Coaching.
MikeTuck

Almost everyone is a Brees fan, for goodness sake erivers is a Brees fan. Brees is a stand up guy that teamates loved. It was a hard decision and I don’t blame AJ on this one. If it weren’t for the money they could have kept both and been protected. The hard part for most is Brees is 10 times the man Smith could ever be. So fans have a tough time excepting that. But Smith had the hardest job in the NFL deciding. So for MR.gtr_donald yes I’m a Brees Fan to, and a Sproles fan, and a Welker fan. yes you see I’m a fan of alot of picks Smith has made, sorry he let them go, you bet. You question a Chargers fan, look in the mirror. Were fans and because of his failure to hold on to really great players we question. Are you a Smith fan over a Chargers fan. That is a unfair question just like yours.
MikeTuck

Your right, and they didn’t trust the job over to Applewhite, Holt, etc. So they changed they’re defense over to a zone prevent stile which got Rivers beat up and made our secoundery look vulnerable year after year. The change came with Turner and he was Smith’s decision. Barnes filled in after Laboy got hurt and Turner had nothing to lose, he though his time there was gone. And they played jacksonville Bills then Ravens and handled them easy because of the change in Defense Playcalling we got the turnovers. Then the Chargers stood a chance to make the playoffs. So Turner went back to playing safe, which ment going back to zone and prevent style defense only rushing 3, and a occasional blitz. So we lost to detroit as we got ate apart at the hands of a good QB. Again nothing to lose so they changed the defense back to pressure Palmer and beat the Raiders. It’s the Style of defense that killed them not the personell. I challenge you to revue the games if you taped them.

gtr_donald

@MikeTuck Turner is now calling the defensive plays, too? That’s impressive! I’ve never seen a coach who calls both the offensive and defensive plays!

MikeTuck

Because they know he’s the best offensive coordinator they could have. And those guys you named are all leaders. And the Leaders out there are consentrating on their game and responsibilitys. The Head Couch Is the one that is responsible for getting his team up, he could delegate those responsibilitys to one of his asst. and if he did I think he’d improve his outcome somewhat. Turner is a great mind and is really consentrating on the next play. Which leaves him no time to be general.
MikeTuck

I diddn’t say Turner called the D plays. Turner Gameplans, if he wants to play it safe he’s the head coach. So the O-Coordinator and the D-Coordinator make their play decisions on the Gameplan. That’s why Rivera and Manusky, both agressive style coaches looked meager. The gameplan has to be to dominate, take it to the other team. That’s what teams do that have the personnel. ( we don’t have the personel) then why when the pressure was off and we kept phillips and barnes at the line to blitz and they constantly pressured Baltimore, Buffalo, Oakland did we win so well. It’s the way the game-plan set up. I’m sorry you don’t see it that way, but the proof is watching last and this years games and seeing the Safe play (Zone and prevent, give but don’t break.) and the Dominate ( Take the game to them Blitz, trust your secoundery and try to turn them over). If you watch the games we looked like the Chargers of 2004-2007 when we brought pressure and in turn played off turnovers aggressively. Seriously there are 2 types of style Coaches out there. Those that are scared of their job and don’t trust their team to make plays. And Coaches that trust their Gameplan and players and get after the opposing team.