Chargers announce both AJ Smith and Norv Turner are returning

She's likely more qualified than you.

By not firing AJ Smith, Dean Spanos has indicated (or stated whichever you perfer) that there are not a better GM available to hire. Are you freakin' kidding, Dean? This mans ego prevents him from spotting talent if it hit him in the face from a traveling port-o-potty! This, plus his philosophy of picking up free agents from teh scrap heap (ie: Bob Sanders, etc) and not when they are in their prime will implode any organization. Anyone who states that AJ is a good GM or can spot talent has got to be buying their bathroom mirror from AJ Smith.

Welcome to the forum

So you picked up an alternate ID to post this? Lame.

Fair enuff Loren. We can still support the team with out supporting the owners bypaying to watch them!~

I will always be a Chargers fan no matter what happens...but the event that have unfolded have left me dumbfounded and disheartened.

Just like in Norv's coaching, there is no responsibility taken by the teams owners. They have reponsibility to the fans to ensure that the ream is always pushing foward and trying to right the mistakes made...they justdon't seem to be doing that!

It is disgusting that our last coach can be fired (for whatever reason) after a 14-2 season and Norv is given another chance after going 8-8!!

Just F*ing pathetic!!

What is the teams owners trying to tell us? That they don't care about winning a superbowl? Do they just want to compete in the regular season?? Do they not respect their teams fans?? Do they think we are idiots that will blindly put up with what ever they dish up???

I know we as fans feel this should be the case. But where exactly in the Owners Handbook does it say that that's a requirement. If this was some kind of rule then Mike Brown would have been stripped of his franchise in Cincinnati 5-7 years ago... William Clay Ford of the Lions some time in the last decade. The Gladwells of the Bucs a long time ago. Like it or not, these are the guys who are making the rules.

I realize, and empathize with the sentiment, that this is unfair... but that's life. The league financials are structured in such a way that unless you've got a massive amount of debt or contracted money yet to be paid out (i.e. large, long contracts), a franchise doesn't have to be successful for it to be profitable, so long as the league en majority is profitable (which basically means more teams than not in the league are "successful enough"). Disheartening, yes. But welcome to the wonderful world of reality.

I'm going to have to assume that I am a minority of 1 or very, very few that think Dean did the right thing.

I don't know that it's the "right" thing - and I really won't render judgment on that until I see the result of the first 5-6 games of next season and the roster we take into week 1. It's not a move I'm particularly fond of, but I also do get some of where he's coming from. I don't agree with what seems to be the outlook of a number of others that it's a "completely unjustified or unjustifiable decision".

Congrats, Dean has you fooled hook line and sinker.

It took more balls to take this stand than to dump Norv and/or AJ.

This season is it for them both if they don't produce. And just as likely the end of the Chargers in SD.

well, I am trying to stay positive on this and knowing that Denver, KC and the Raiders could be looking for a OC. Well it is possible that Dean is holding on to these guys while the dust settles in those cities. Why face a Norv team when he will have them being a successful passing team.

Or, the HC they really want has not become available and Dean is trying to stay consistent with the coaching staff.

I don't know if it's the right thing, or even the safe thing, but it was definitely the more controversial thing. Speculation on my part, but in a way, I think Dean is trying to deflect all the blame off Norv and AJ and onto himself. Only time will tell if it was the right move or not.

It happened and now we just gotta deal with it in what ever way we all see fit. Some are cancelling their season tickets, which I totally understand, I was on the fence myself on the issue, but when push comes to shove I will renew and support the team. It was a dream of mine as a kid to have Chargers season tickets, and now that I do have them and can continue to afford them I will. It is one of the things my wife and I love doing together, even when the team is fcuking retarded, we still have fun @ the games one way or another.

I'm just trying not to get aggro over this. It has done me no good in the past, so why worry about it now? I can cancel my tickets and pretend I don't give a crap but I do.

And I have absolutely no problem with that. I totally get it and don't blame you one bit. My views on the whole renew or cancel thing are wholly my own and do not apply to anyone but my wife and me. That said, it's still gonna be tough making them payments...

Sorry... This is a stupid statement.

Do you honestly believe that the ownership does not want to win just because they did not fire everyone because the fans and talking head like Scott Kaplan were crying for full scale terminations?

Sure you have the right to not reup your tickets. But if you are doing it because you have determined something like this, then this is the first time I can say a fool and his money are not easily parted...

Dean did not make a whole scale change. That is his call. It does not mean he only wants mediocrity or any of the other easy glib catch phrases we the fans can come up with.

The fact that he said he will be more involved in ensuring the team continues down the correct path should tell you that it is not mediocrity he is interested in. "I am 100 percent committed in doing whatever it takes to help these two individuals get us back to the playoffs and ultimately a Super Bowl."

I feel that the decision Dean made was the hard one. It would have been easy, a bit more expensive, but a lot easier to just fire both and hire a new GM, new HC and whatever assistants. I think it will be a very interesting year and I am hoping the there are a number of internal changes and that the team does a lot better. They may not, but there was never any guarantee either way.

And the congregation answered, " Amen"! The only way to get Deano's attention is through the dollar. People in general don't realize that a unified front is very powerful. Imagine 100k fans not buying gear or attending games. You better believe this would get any owner's attention!

Might it get his attention, sure. But you're overestimating how much of an impact it would actually have on his pocketbook... much less how exactly do you plan to organize a 100K person movement there, Cesar Chavez?

See... I just don't have the money (otherwise I'd probably just buy yours off you), but the wife and I already dropped $1500 into a 1/4 share of 4 season seats for the 2012 Angels season... and we're supposed to be saving for the long-term for a down-payment on a house for that great someday (principles of economics say it'll come at some point... right...?) when the market recovers and I can actually sell "our" (my) condo.

Playing it safe would have been caving in to the fans & firing Norv. That would likely go much further towards selling season tix at the very least.

Dean actually is taking a chance.

Your financial support is, of course, your decision. I made up my mind not to spend a dime on anything NFL-related other than NFLTicket during the lockout.

Really? Wow so glad you took so much time to AGREE with me on you can do what ever you want with your money.

Who inside the organization said the right move was to fire AJ and Norv? Can you cite one source? As far as the fan being upset, well when are they not? The majority of the fans are hindsight geniuses. If a play works it was a great call, if it doesn't it wasn't no matter what caused it to fail. IF you are saying as an owner you would run the team on the whims of people like Matilack and yourself... Well you would soon be the laughing stock of the NFL. Something no matter how many of the Chargers fans want to cry the Chargers are, they are far from it.

Do with your money what ever you want. But for pity sake, start thinking with your head and not with what 'the fans' think.

Ya see my avatar? that should be Norv's head.They coulda brought Gruden in here to kick some names and take some ***. Even my wife is beside herself, as an accomplished administrator herself she can see the weakness in him. This sh*t is becoming too painful to watch NO ACCOUNTABILITY! THE NORV NEEDS TO BE LOVED BY HIS GUYS... AWWW HOW SWEET IS THAT? I'll see you guys later when Spanos sells the team...F'IN PITIFUL!


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"WENT THROUGH A TOUGH STRETCH AND NO ONE QUIT..."
WENT THROUGH A LACKLUSTER EFFORT AND NO ONE WAS HELD ACCOUNTABLE! AND IT GETS A LITTLE WORSE EVERY YEAR THAT THE FRAZZLE QUEEN NORV IS "IN CHARGE". WHAT ARE THE PLAYERS GONNA SAY? OH YES MR SPANOS PLEASE BRING IN SOMEONE WHO WILL KICK OUR BUTTS FOR SCREWING UP???
MAYBE KNOWING HOW BADLY HE MESSED UP WITH NORV, HE'S AFRAID TO EVEN TRY AGAIN TO GET A REAL LEADER OF MEN. I DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION NORTH TO THE 9ERS FOR AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT COACHING CAN DO.

WHAT WAS THAT? SPEAK UP! I'M A LITTLE HARD OF HEARING!

You can't bring in coaches who are not interested in coaching.

I know the feeling. I was in the minority on Kaeding.

Just stick to your guns if this is what you feel. I just think that this is extending the inevitable by a year.

You know what i cant actually agree with you, The 49ers have alex smith at the helm who was considered a bust, until the coaching was changed this year, and now who does he look like?? Steve young, look at the 49ers offence its a simple offence That works, not the norv run run throw punt, It's amazing that one person, a leader as a head coach has lite a fire under the belly of these players, They took on a team with more talent in the saints, even though the 49ers were the home team they were a underdog, and they went out there with less than 30 seconds left and scored and won the game. We have talent they have a drive and a motivation, DISCIPLINE to win. thats why there in the playoff and were not