Chargers fire strength and conditioning staff MOBILE, Ala.— In the coming days, Mike McCoy plans to announce some changes to the Chargers staff. A new strength and conditioning team will be among them. Jeff Hurd, strength and conditioning coach, and Vernon Stephens, his assistant, have been fired, a source said Monday. They joined the organization in 2007, arriving with former coach Norv Turner. McCoy, hired last week as new Chargers coach, was asked directly Monday at the Senior Bowl about their dismissals. He confirmed them but declined to name the replacements. It is common for a head coach to bring his own strength and conditioning staff with him. He said the reason wasn't related to any of the team's previous injury issues. During the 2012 offseason, the Chargers underwent a self-study, comparing the frequency and nature of their player injuries to the rest of the league. The totals, while higher in 2011 than the league average, were not to the extent to suggest immediate change was needed. "I've had a plan in place for who I would hire for a staff for a long time," McCoy said.
How did they make it so long. I am liking McCoy... Is he reading our threads here to find out what to do?
Acee says team has always been impressed with Chao's knowledge of injuries, has always been spot on with giving an estimation on how long it would take to recover and also his input on if they should be I.R.'d or not.
You mean medical experts, err, fans with absolutely no direct knowledge of the doctor's job performance don't know what they are talking about? I'm shocked.
You monster! How dare you insinuate that our lack of info could make our (under-informed, yet strong) declarations dubious?!?
Yeah, the fact that he's been the recipient of numerous malpractice suits, and he's in danger of having his medical license revoked is immaterial, since the Chargers hold him in high esteem. Chargers Doctor Loses Malpractice Case And Investigated By Federal AuthoritiesPublished 1, January 10, 2011Bizarre , Criminal law , Society , Torts There is an interesting case involving the team doctor to the San Diego Chargers, Dr. David Chao. Kathleen Adams, a former patient, was awarded $2.2 million by an arbitration panel due to Chao botched hip surgery in 2007 in which he lacerated her femoral artery, vein and nerve. What is most interesting is that Chao, 46, has a long history of malpractice despite his high-profile position with the Chargers. As the article below attests, Chao “has been sued 20 times since 1998 by patients alleging malpractice, personal injury, negligence or fraud.” He had to settle with Tom Fagan, who alleged that Chao’s negligence in a knee surgery led to having his right leg amputated n 2007. Worse yet, federal agents searched Chao’s office and alleged he had written 108 prescriptions with himself listed as the patient. That record makes the Chargers 9-7 enviable in comparison to the record of its doctor. Chao was also the doctor for cyclist Floyd Landis and wrestler Rey Mysterio as well as the USA rugby team and Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment. His website states: Dr. Chao, an internationally known sports medicine expert, has been practicing orthopedic surgery in San Diego, California for the past 15 years at OASIS. He is the head team physician for the San Diego Chargers, where he specializes in orthopedic sports injuries. High profile professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, and MLB trust him, and so can you. When a sports related injury requires expert medical attention, Dr. Chao has the experience and expertise you need in a physician.It is astonishing that he has secured so many high-profile clients with this record. Lawyers, including myself, have long objected that malpractice among doctors is committed by a relatively small percentage of doctors who drive up insurance rates and cause continuing harm. Indeed, many of us have been critical of the AMA for failing to adequately police its own ranks. Chao seems to have led a charmed life as a celebrity doctor and less than a charmed life as an actual physician.
Like many here, I read the Turley (cited above, unattributed) article when it came out over 2 years ago. Just how similar or dissimilar Chao's record truly is, compared to doctors of similar volume and prominence, I really don't claim to know. I'm curious, but unqualified to say. It's a very, very safe bet that his employers are much, much more familiar with his legal issues than am I. Add in hundreds, if not thousands of in-person, direct contacts with the doctor, that I am not in any way privy to, and my severe handicap, re. judging Dr. Chao becomes overwhelmingly clear. Don't get me wrong, I've made jokes, re. his legal troubles, many times here, because, well, he's an easy target for humor. But, on a serious level, though, do I sincerely presume for a moment to be 5% as informed about Mr. Chao as are his employers? Of course not. That would be deluded and just plain ignorant. (I'm not defending or attacking the guy...just frankly acknowledging how little us fans actually know)
Do you really think it's normal for a doctor's offices to be raided by the feds?....... I can assure you that it is not. The number of malpractice suits we are talking about is not the norm either. To say that Dr. Chao has led a "charmed life" is not an exaggeration. Doctors in his position have lost their license to practice medicine.
Well, you and I seem to have different ideas, re. imagining that we know things we really don't. So, your theory is that you are qualified to know that Chao is terrible, but the folks whose profession it is to decide when to revoke a doctor's license to practice medicine have not done so...uh...because...uh...Chao enjoys the protection of fairies and pixies? Okay. Just so's we're all on the same page, re. what passes for knowledge.
Just because you don't have an idea of what "normal" may be in medical practices, doesn't mean others don't. Just because you can act like a horse's *** doesn't mean you have to.
Well in all fairness it is more electric. As in neurons firing... Bull defecation has nothing to do with this, unless your are fertilizing your garden... Just sayin
If you truly know more about Chao than his employers, you've (totally!) hidden that knowledge brilliantly
Don't need to know more about Chao than his employers to say that his behavior as an doctor has both been unethical and incompetent. I said his record is not at all ordinary, and I stand by that.... it's the truth. The facts are quite clear. He's been formally reprimanded by the California board, he's lost a major malpractice suit, and he lied on his state forms about his drunk driving. It's also quite possible that the Chargers would have their own reasons for not criticizing Dr. Chao publicly. He wrote over 100 prescriptions (for himself )..... many of which were restricted painkillers. The Chargers had a former player caught with a bag full of painkillers. Don't be too shocked if there aren't a few skeletons in this franchise's closet that they'd prefer never see the light of day.
Okay, okay...I get it. You really think you're informed, and no lack of evidence is going to crimp your wacky opinionatin'. I still reserve the right to gently point out that you're just bs-ing. So now we're to hypothetical skeletons, to prop up the story...? And--Occam be damned--I'm guessing the next part of your story needs to be the Chargers bribing the board to keep an unfit doctor practicing...how else could such a monster still have his license? Okay, Blewy, you've surpassed my tolerance for pretend insight...you're on your own from here on out.
Your willingness to accept whatever comes out of this organization at face value shows a sad gullibility on your part. Considering the Chargers were one of the original steroid cheaters in the league, I'm sure they are plenty of things this team would rather not have come to light when it comes to their "medical staff. Chao's 100+ "self" prescriptions, lawsuits, and lying on state forms are another black eye. Chao's record should be seriously troubling to any fan who doesn't have their head buried in the sand. There...... I made my point without resorting to emoticons.
