Chargers front office = INCOMPETENT

[mr.jameswoods]

No, firing Schottenheimer was not the problem....firing Schottenheimer a month too late is the problem. What the heck was AJ Smith and Spano thinking. Were they really that naive to think Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips wouldn't get head coaching offers and potentially leave at the end of the season? Did they really need to wait until Schottenheimer was without his two famous coordinators to realize he didn't look that appealing without Cameron and Phillips at his side? I wonder how these people become GM's? Seriously, what about the common sense factor? AJ Smith hated Schottenheimer to begin with. The person responsible for grooming their young QB and creating their offense is about to leave for head coaching jobs elsewhere. So what does he do? He lets Cameon leave and allows Schottenheimer to remain as head coach only to fire him a month later.

This is pure imcompetence! These people don't deserve to be GM's

 

[Eddie]

There's a reason SD is one of the most inept franchises in NFL history. There's a reason why Eli refused to play for them.

Hey, maybe we can change our rallying cry of ineptitude from, "At least we're not the Bengals" to, "At least we're not the Chargers". :laugh1:

 

[visionary]

" common sense is the least common sense"

Anon

 

[carphalen5150]

No, firing Schottenheimer was not the problem....firing Schottenheimer a month too late is the problem. What the heck was AJ Smith and Spano thinking. Were they really that naive to think Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips wouldn't get head coaching offers and potentially leave at the end of the season? Did they really need to wait until Schottenheimer was without his two famous coordinators to realize he didn't look that appealing without Cameron and Phillips? I wonder how these people become GM's? Seriously, what about the common sense factor?

The Phillips hiring was kind of out of left field. Cameron was mentioned for jobs a year ago, but he was passed over. Scottenheimer is at fault here...I mean he wants to hire his brother? Come on.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

From what I understand Marty wanted to bring his brother in to fill one of the vacated postions on his staff. He and AJ got into it and supposedly they never really liked each other anyway. With a team without coordinators, at that point AJ figured he could bring in his own HC to put his stamp on the team (since Marty wasn't an AJ hire).

 

[CalCBFan]

From what i read on BSPN last night, he was fired because he and the GM were at odds all the time. Marty liked for his assistants to move up and get better jobs so was willing to let them interview for better positions; Smith (GM) did not. Spanos said the organization was getting too "dysfunctional" to properly operate so he fired Marty who only had one year left on his contract anyway. You can read all of this at ESPN.com...

 

[Cochese]

There's a reason why Eli refused to play for them.

I thought that reason was because shEli was a little sissy?

 

[superpunk]

From another thread - this made the msot sense to me

When was the last time the coach of a 14-2 team was fired? Sheer idiocy.

However, the only way this could end up being a great move is if they let their two coordinators leave for other gigs, then had an easy excuse to fire their head coach since the whole thing is in shakeup mode anyway, and then have a secret big name on the horizon.

Firing Marty this late in the game makes no sense whatsoever........unless maybe you are going to hire Pete Carroll.

Just speculating, but if that's the plan, then you were in no hurry so you let your top two coordinators leave so there would be no holdovers and no uprising to have one of them named head coach, then you fire Marty and have absolutely no one on the burner....totally fresh start....hiring Pete Carroll would now look like a master stroke from a team in a dire situation.

As for Carroll, he's done right by USC...all the recruiting is finished, everyone has declared...your top assistant who looked to be going to Oakland changed his mind (hmmm...wonder why?...maybe he knows he's in line for the head USC job). If you are Pete, is there a more attractive NFL job right now for you?

He would inherit the team with the best NFL record, youth on both sides of the ball, NFL MVP on offense with a great young QB and TE, etc. etc....not to mention great talent on defense.....and.....you don't even have to move your family....they get to stay in California!!!

Maybe I'm crazy, but to me it's the only scenerio other than the owner and gm in SD being totally insane.

 

[dallasfaniac]

From another thread - this made the msot sense to me

Agree, however it makes too much sense to be true. :

 

[Big Country]

I don't know if you could consider a team that goes 14-2 inept, but Marty has always had trouble with his teams in the post-season

As far as the SD front office ineptitude, it can be summed up with one name - Ryan Leaf

 

[joseephuss]

No, firing Schottenheimer was not the problem....firing Schottenheimer a month too late is the problem. What the heck was AJ Smith and Spano thinking. Were they really that naive to think Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips wouldn't get head coaching offers and potentially leave at the end of the season? Did they really need to wait until Schottenheimer was without his two famous coordinators to realize he didn't look that appealing without Cameron and Phillips at his side? I wonder how these people become GM's? Seriously, what about the common sense factor? AJ Smith hated Schottenheimer to begin with. The person responsible for grooming their young QB and creating their offense is about to leave for head coaching jobs elsewhere. So what does he do? He lets Cameon leave and allows Schottenheimer to remain as head coach only to fire him a month later.

This is pure imcompetence! These people don't deserve to be GM's

Are Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips that great? I agree that if the Chargers wanted to fire Marty, they should not have waited. Just fire the guy and move on, but I just don't see either Cam or Wade as being great choices to be head coach. I don't see Wade as a great choice for Dallas. There really aren't any great choices as far as experienced coaches available this off season. Teams have to take a chance on an unproven guy like the Raiders and Falcons have done. Or be like Dallas and hope a guy who has been so-so can take the team to the next level. Maybe Smith didn't want to rely on so-so Phillips. It may still be incompetence, but I just don't put too much faith in Phillips and Cameron.

 

[ZeroClub]

A bad situation, no doubt.

At the season's end, the Chargers should have signed Schottenheimer to a true extension or they should have fired him.

By keeping him on as a lame duck, San Diego compromised their ability to bring in new, high quality assistant coaches to replace the ones who left.

Very poor planning.

 

[CalCBFan]

Believe it or not, Sean Salisbury was the only one who said it was a bad move. Merrill Hoge and Mark Schlereth said the Chargers should keep their GM and let Marty go.

Before he took the Washington job Marty's name was mentioned as HC for the Cowboys and I heard him say he didn't think he and Jerry Jones would get along too well. Read that as "I'm not interested". I think it was just bad carma w/ his GM and lack of PO winning and BSPN said he should be a front runner for one of 10 HCing jobs that will be available after the 2007 season...

 

[mr.jameswoods]

From what I understand Marty wanted to bring his brother in to fill one of the vacated postions on his staff. He and AJ got into it and supposedly they never really liked each other anyway. With a team without coordinators, at that point AJ figured he could bring in his own HC to put his stamp on the team (since Marty wasn't an AJ hire).

I'm aware of what AJ was thinking. He thought he could bring in his own coordinators to work under Marty. Still that's a pretty big gamble especially when you are essentially paying the price for this gamble by allowing Cameron to walk away. And even if Marty was hypothetically okay with whoever Smith appointed as his coordinators, who was available that would be better than Cam Cameron running that particular offense considering it was Cameron's offense and players.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

Are Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips that great? I agree that if the Chargers wanted to fire Marty, they should not have waited. Just fire the guy and move on, but I just don't see either Cam or Wade as being great choices to be head coach. I don't see Wade as a great choice for Dallas. There really aren't any great choices as far as experienced coaches available this off season. Teams have to take a chance on an unproven guy like the Raiders and Falcons have done. Or be like Dallas and hope a guy who has been so-so can take the team to the next level. Maybe Smith didn't want to rely on so-so Phillips. It may still be incompetence, but I just don't put too much faith in Phillips and Cameron.

In the context of the San Diego Chargers, Cameron is great. Remember, it's a lot easier for a coordinator to find success being promoted on his own team than it is to have success on another team. He has so many advantages when remaining on his own team. Those are his players. That's his offense. They are used to him; he is used to them. He is far more likely to succeed in San Diego than any other team. So in that context, Cameron was the best candidate for the job.

 

[MagicMan]

I thought that reason was because shEli was a little sissy?

 

[DipChit]

The key was prolly Wade. Had he not gotten any looks as a HC (and lets face it.. but for us, he wouldnt have) they might've carried on with Marty/Wade (at least have *some* continuity that way) or just given Wade the gig since he and the GM have "history".

And for all we know once Wade actually did interview with us and then there was that limbo period, maybe Wade and the GM talked about Wade being offered the SD job as an effort to keep him and he declined for the time being, hoping instead Jerry would eventually pull the trigger on him.. since coaching us is his dream.

Once Wade officially got the nod here, the GM said screw it... we lost everyone else... might as well dump Marty too since he's no sort of play caller or anything anyway.

And they're not really any more screwed than we were cause all the same likley candidates are still out there.. cept for Wade.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

The key was prolly Wade. Had he not gotten any looks as a HC (and lets face it.. but for us, he wouldnt have) they might've carried on with Marty/Wade (at least have *some* continuity that way) or just given Wade the gig since he and the GM have "history".

And for all we know once Wade actually did interview with us and then there was that limbo period, maybe Wade and the GM talked about Wade being offered the SD job as an effort to keep him and he declined for the time being, hoping instead Jerry would eventually pull the trigger on him.. since coaching us is his dream.

Once Wade officially got the nod here, the GM said screw it... we lost everyone else... might as well dump Marty too since he's no sort of play caller or anything anyway.

And they're not really any more screwed than we were cause all the same likley candidates are still out there.. cept for Wade.

But if he liked Wade so much, why would you need to keep Marty around? Why not just promote Wade to head coach. What can Schottenheimer offer to Wade's defense. Schottenheimer is just a motivational speaker like Dennis Green. He is not an X's and O's coach.

The are screwed in the fact that they could have appointed their offensive coordinator and bright young mind to their head coach. He only groomed their QB and established the highest scoring offense last year.

 

[joseephuss]

In the context of the San Diego Chargers, Cameron is great. Remember, it's a lot easier for a coordinator to find success being promoted on his own team than it is to have success on another team. He has so many advantages when remaining on his own team. Those are his players. That's his offense. They are used to him; he is used to them. He is far more likely to succeed in San Diego than any other team. So in that context, Cameron was the best candidate for the job.

I agree with that. I guess Smith does not. He may think a total change is what the Chargers need. Still may end up being a dumb move.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

I agree with that. I guess Smith does not. He may think a total change is what the Chargers need. Still may end up being a dumb move.

Do you really think Smith wouldn't kill to have Cameron as his head coach right now?