Yahoo.com: Passing the torch

ChargerRay · Dec 12, 2006

Great Article on AJ Smith

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...bYF?slug=cr-ajsmith121206&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports

SAN DIEGO – The picture sat behind a desk, near a giant glass wall of an office that overlooked a practice field. A man donning slicked silver hair and a Hawaiian shirt turned to the photo and studied it. It was the simplest of pictures, really. Just two men sitting in a golf cart. On one side, former San Diego Chargers general manager John Butler was captured slumping over the wheel of the cart. And at his right side in the photo, A.J. Smith – the protégé and successor to Butler – stared into the distance through glasses seemingly borrowed from a 1950s chemistry professor.

"We spent all of our careers in golf carts," he said, chuckling and shaking his head. "A lot of discussions and decisions were made in that thing."

Smith paused.

"I think John would be proud."

There's a hint of vulnerability in the statement, which is unique. Of all the things Smith is prone to being called in NFL circles – shrewd, blunt, egotistical, cheap, stubborn and even brilliant – vulnerable is rarely an adjective that comes up. But Butler is his soft spot. As well he should be.

"I miss him," Smith said.

BFISA · Dec 12, 2006

Great article, Ray!! :icon_toast:

BoltsFanUK · Dec 12, 2006

Brilliant read Ray

Kwak · Dec 12, 2006

That was a great read!

Hey Archie!! :icon_finger:

exodus · Dec 12, 2006

Great read. Thanks. AJ is definatly onto something when it comes to putting players together. Man, it's just amazing. O and to hell with that dumbass old geezer archie.

AnteaterCharger · Dec 12, 2006

Me personally, i think AJ's been doing things that BUtler could never have dreamed of doing. This is not to disrespect JoBu but JoBu loved big free agent contracts, often to players who didn't deserve them (McNeil, Molden, Wiley, Boston, Alexander, Dwight) and that would eventually leave us with some major dead cap space. Having said that Jobu was a great drafter and he taught the prophet very well

Concudan · Dec 12, 2006

We all miss JoBu!

Yahoo.com: Passing the torch

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Yahoo.com: Passing the torch

ChargerRay Producer/Host of BoltTalk

BFISA New Member

BoltsFanUK Well-Known Member

Kwak ....

exodus Well-Known Member

AnteaterCharger Calibrating Bolttalk, Podcast by Podcast

Concudan Caffeinated Commando

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