MARTY OUT IF BOLTS BLOW IT?
John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reports that, if the Chargers lose on Sunday to the Patriots, coach Marty Schottenheimer will be out of a job.
It's a hell of a reward for a guy who led the team to a 14-2 record in 2006, but it does not surprise us. In the process of clunking together the heads of Schottenheimer and G.M. A.J. Smith as the duo were cat-fighting in the offseason, ownership made it clear that absent a significant improvement in 2006, both of them would be in trouble.
And another playoff one-and-out surely won't be enough to placate ownership, if the Chargers lay an egg against the always-dangerous Pats.
But let's take Czarnecki's report one step farther. We believe that, if the Bolts blow it, Smith could be out the door, too.
Still, the ultimate question that the Spanoseses need to ask themselves is whether they'll be better off in 2007 with the devils that they know, or the devils that they don't. Can a better G.M. and/or coach be found and then hired? In a season where it once seemed that there would be only a couple of head-coaching vacancies, there already are five -- and counting.
Maybe one guy the Chargers can get is Brian Billick. Because we also believe that, if the Ravens fly into a plate-glass window on Saturday against the Colts, owner Steve Bisciotti might show the eight-year coach the door.
With all that said, we think that one guy who could help either of these teams get over the top is Tampa coach Jon Gruden. He has a reputation for energizing a team on a short-term basis, even though the message gets stale after a few years. Though Gruden hasn't been (and likely won't be) fired, a mutual parting wouldn't surprise us.
Then again, if the Glazers get the chance to hijack another team for the two first-rounders, two second-rounders, and $8 million that were forked over to the Raiders five years ago, their opinion of Gruden might dramatically improve.-PFT
John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reports that, if the Chargers lose on Sunday to the Patriots, coach Marty Schottenheimer will be out of a job.
It's a hell of a reward for a guy who led the team to a 14-2 record in 2006, but it does not surprise us. In the process of clunking together the heads of Schottenheimer and G.M. A.J. Smith as the duo were cat-fighting in the offseason, ownership made it clear that absent a significant improvement in 2006, both of them would be in trouble.
And another playoff one-and-out surely won't be enough to placate ownership, if the Chargers lay an egg against the always-dangerous Pats.
But let's take Czarnecki's report one step farther. We believe that, if the Bolts blow it, Smith could be out the door, too.
Still, the ultimate question that the Spanoseses need to ask themselves is whether they'll be better off in 2007 with the devils that they know, or the devils that they don't. Can a better G.M. and/or coach be found and then hired? In a season where it once seemed that there would be only a couple of head-coaching vacancies, there already are five -- and counting.
Maybe one guy the Chargers can get is Brian Billick. Because we also believe that, if the Ravens fly into a plate-glass window on Saturday against the Colts, owner Steve Bisciotti might show the eight-year coach the door.
With all that said, we think that one guy who could help either of these teams get over the top is Tampa coach Jon Gruden. He has a reputation for energizing a team on a short-term basis, even though the message gets stale after a few years. Though Gruden hasn't been (and likely won't be) fired, a mutual parting wouldn't surprise us.
Then again, if the Glazers get the chance to hijack another team for the two first-rounders, two second-rounders, and $8 million that were forked over to the Raiders five years ago, their opinion of Gruden might dramatically improve.-PFT
