Angel
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Chargers' festering situation addressed
March 5, 2006
At the last minute, the words in this column had to be rewritten – which could be taken as good news for the Chargers.
Until yesterday, the plan was to write that club president Dean Spanos should surrender day-to-day control of the team to someone with better people-management skills; that his failure to intervene in the public spat between his general manager and his head coach was a painful indication that the job was either too demanding or too potentially dirty for him.
Thankfully for the organization, however, Spanos showed he can learn from the past. Instead of ignoring the situation or talking to the employees (adversaries?) separately, as he did in the case of Bobby Beathard vs. Bobby Ross and, later, Greg Gaines vs. Billy Devaney, Spanos yesterday took time out of a beautiful Saturday to call both men into his office.
He let them know that the situation – and coach Marty Schottenheimer's comment that he was unsure if everyone in the organization was pulling in the same direction, made last week in the Union-Tribune – were unacceptable to him.
“The issues raised by Coach Marty Schottenheimer in last Sunday's newspaper have been dealt with and the matter is now concluded,” Spanos said in a statement released to the Union-Tribune yesterday. “This week I had several discussions with General Manager A.J. Smith and Coach Schottenheimer. Today I met with the GM and Coach together. I told them in no uncertain terms that I don't pay them to be friends. I made it absolutely clear that I pay them to do their jobs.
“I expect nothing less than the highest level of professionalism from both the coach and the general manager. I expect both of them to pull in the same direction at all times, toward a Super Bowl for the Chargers. The three of us left the meeting in agreement, and we will now move forward, together, as an organization.”
The comments are similar to those Spanos made earlier in the year when asked about the friction between his coach and general manager. He said that the situation had been addressed and was behind them.
He was wrong.
If there's one thing Spanos loathes more than a dysfunctional city government that threatens his dream of a new stadium in San Diego, it's having turmoil within his own organization aired in public. Can't say that I blame him, although Spanos has to accept a large measure of responsibility for the situation deteriorating to the point that it had.
His failure to bring the sides together, face to face, allowed the acrimony to go from a simmer to a boil. Anyone close to the team knew there was a problem. It didn't require a decoder ring.
Still, Spanos didn't call for a conference until yesterday, after both men, in their own way, went public with their feelings – Schottenheimer questioning whether everyone in the organization was pulling in the same direction, and Smith saying his job is to identify and acquire talent, not make friends.
That's why yesterday's meeting was so critical. Current and former employees have contended for years that Spanos dislikes confrontation and seeks to avoid it whenever possible. They say he would just as soon fire someone – or have one of his lieutenants do the dirty work – as get in the middle of an uncomfortable situation.
Not so yesterday. By bringing everyone together, Spanos showed leadership. It was reminiscent of what Atlanta owner Arthur Blank did several years ago when some of his players and his head coach were making controversial remarks in the media.
According to two coaches on that staff, Blank, in only his second full season as owner, called all the players and coaches into a meeting room and closed the doors. He allegedly began his remarks with: “I love all of you, but I love some of you more than others.”
Blank then went around the room and called out former coach Dan Reeves and the players who had been popping off in the media, telling each one individually – in front of everyone – that the person would be fired or cut if he made another negative remark to reporters.
Whether Spanos made such a threat/promise is unknown; he declined an interview request, choosing instead to issue a statement. However the fact that he brought the men together should be viewed as a sign of growth by the organization and its president.
Brees to Packers?
The Packers are known to have an interest in Drew Brees should the Chargers QB hit the market as a free agent. On the surface, that seems strange considering Green Bay used its first-round pick last year on QB Aaron Rodgers. But on further review, it makes sense.
New Packers coach Mike McCarthy was the offensive coordinator at San Francisco last year, and since the 49ers had the first pick in the draft, he spent a lot of time studying Rodgers and Utah QB Alex Smith. The Niners ultimately selected Smith, so perhaps it should not come as a surprise that McCarthy would look to add to the mix a QB if Brett Favre retires.
Vinatieri to walk?
Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady understandably get a lot of credit for the Patriots winning three Super Bowls in four seasons, but kicker Adam Vinatieri was just as important, and now the team seems prepared to let him walk as an unrestricted free agent.
New England used the franchise tag on him the past two seasons, but opted not to do so this year because it would cost the Pats $3 million. If Vinatieri does hit the open market, Green Bay and Dallas will attempt to sign him right away. For good reason.
Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., is one of the tougher places to kick because of swirling winds and bad footing late in the season when the weather deteriorates. Still, Vinatieri has converted on 82.8 percent of his field goals in the stadium since it opened in 2002. He has an 88.9 percent conversion rate in the postseason at Gillette.
Vinatieri reportedly turned down a multiyear deal from the Patriots that would have kept the game's highest-paid kicker, unimpressed that the deal averaged around $2 million a year. While in Orlando, Fla., recently, he spoke of the Patriots in the past tense, telling a reporter: “I really enjoyed my 10 years with the Patriots. It's been a great time. . . . (But) the New England Patriots are bigger than I am.”
Vinatieri started the Patriots' run of three Super Bowl titles in four seasons by kicking the tying and winning field goals in a defeat of the Raiders in heavy snow. He also provided the winning points in each of New England's first two Super Bowl wins, one as time expired against the Rams, the other late in the fourth quarter against the Panthers.
Left tackle needed
The Chargers are in the market for a left tackle to groom as a replacement for Roman Oben. If recent history is any indication, they will find that player on the opening day of the college draft. Consider:
Of the 32 left tackles listed as starters on season-ending depth charts, 16 were first-round picks, three were second-round picks and six were third-rounders. That means 25 of them were first-day draft selections. The remaining seven were comprised of one fourth-rounder, one seventh-rounder and five players who were undrafted.
Williams impresses
If the Texans trade out of the top spot in next month's draft, they might be hard-pressed to pass on North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams – even though they could use help along the offensive line.
“God didn't make too many guys like that,” Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn said of Williams after observing his workout at the Scouting Combine. “I don't know how in the world he can stay on the board too long.”
Williams, who just turned 21 in January, had a 40-inch vertical jump, bench-pressed 225 pounds a total of 35 times and was timed at 4.71 in the 40 – this from a player who is 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, with 7.6 percent body fat.
Williams seems ideal for the Texans' 3-4 scheme and, should Houston trade down, might be a better pick than offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060305/news_1s5trotter.html
March 5, 2006
At the last minute, the words in this column had to be rewritten – which could be taken as good news for the Chargers.
Until yesterday, the plan was to write that club president Dean Spanos should surrender day-to-day control of the team to someone with better people-management skills; that his failure to intervene in the public spat between his general manager and his head coach was a painful indication that the job was either too demanding or too potentially dirty for him.
Thankfully for the organization, however, Spanos showed he can learn from the past. Instead of ignoring the situation or talking to the employees (adversaries?) separately, as he did in the case of Bobby Beathard vs. Bobby Ross and, later, Greg Gaines vs. Billy Devaney, Spanos yesterday took time out of a beautiful Saturday to call both men into his office.
He let them know that the situation – and coach Marty Schottenheimer's comment that he was unsure if everyone in the organization was pulling in the same direction, made last week in the Union-Tribune – were unacceptable to him.
“The issues raised by Coach Marty Schottenheimer in last Sunday's newspaper have been dealt with and the matter is now concluded,” Spanos said in a statement released to the Union-Tribune yesterday. “This week I had several discussions with General Manager A.J. Smith and Coach Schottenheimer. Today I met with the GM and Coach together. I told them in no uncertain terms that I don't pay them to be friends. I made it absolutely clear that I pay them to do their jobs.
“I expect nothing less than the highest level of professionalism from both the coach and the general manager. I expect both of them to pull in the same direction at all times, toward a Super Bowl for the Chargers. The three of us left the meeting in agreement, and we will now move forward, together, as an organization.”
The comments are similar to those Spanos made earlier in the year when asked about the friction between his coach and general manager. He said that the situation had been addressed and was behind them.
He was wrong.
If there's one thing Spanos loathes more than a dysfunctional city government that threatens his dream of a new stadium in San Diego, it's having turmoil within his own organization aired in public. Can't say that I blame him, although Spanos has to accept a large measure of responsibility for the situation deteriorating to the point that it had.
His failure to bring the sides together, face to face, allowed the acrimony to go from a simmer to a boil. Anyone close to the team knew there was a problem. It didn't require a decoder ring.
Still, Spanos didn't call for a conference until yesterday, after both men, in their own way, went public with their feelings – Schottenheimer questioning whether everyone in the organization was pulling in the same direction, and Smith saying his job is to identify and acquire talent, not make friends.
That's why yesterday's meeting was so critical. Current and former employees have contended for years that Spanos dislikes confrontation and seeks to avoid it whenever possible. They say he would just as soon fire someone – or have one of his lieutenants do the dirty work – as get in the middle of an uncomfortable situation.
Not so yesterday. By bringing everyone together, Spanos showed leadership. It was reminiscent of what Atlanta owner Arthur Blank did several years ago when some of his players and his head coach were making controversial remarks in the media.
According to two coaches on that staff, Blank, in only his second full season as owner, called all the players and coaches into a meeting room and closed the doors. He allegedly began his remarks with: “I love all of you, but I love some of you more than others.”
Blank then went around the room and called out former coach Dan Reeves and the players who had been popping off in the media, telling each one individually – in front of everyone – that the person would be fired or cut if he made another negative remark to reporters.
Whether Spanos made such a threat/promise is unknown; he declined an interview request, choosing instead to issue a statement. However the fact that he brought the men together should be viewed as a sign of growth by the organization and its president.
Brees to Packers?
The Packers are known to have an interest in Drew Brees should the Chargers QB hit the market as a free agent. On the surface, that seems strange considering Green Bay used its first-round pick last year on QB Aaron Rodgers. But on further review, it makes sense.
New Packers coach Mike McCarthy was the offensive coordinator at San Francisco last year, and since the 49ers had the first pick in the draft, he spent a lot of time studying Rodgers and Utah QB Alex Smith. The Niners ultimately selected Smith, so perhaps it should not come as a surprise that McCarthy would look to add to the mix a QB if Brett Favre retires.
Vinatieri to walk?
Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady understandably get a lot of credit for the Patriots winning three Super Bowls in four seasons, but kicker Adam Vinatieri was just as important, and now the team seems prepared to let him walk as an unrestricted free agent.
New England used the franchise tag on him the past two seasons, but opted not to do so this year because it would cost the Pats $3 million. If Vinatieri does hit the open market, Green Bay and Dallas will attempt to sign him right away. For good reason.
Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., is one of the tougher places to kick because of swirling winds and bad footing late in the season when the weather deteriorates. Still, Vinatieri has converted on 82.8 percent of his field goals in the stadium since it opened in 2002. He has an 88.9 percent conversion rate in the postseason at Gillette.
Vinatieri reportedly turned down a multiyear deal from the Patriots that would have kept the game's highest-paid kicker, unimpressed that the deal averaged around $2 million a year. While in Orlando, Fla., recently, he spoke of the Patriots in the past tense, telling a reporter: “I really enjoyed my 10 years with the Patriots. It's been a great time. . . . (But) the New England Patriots are bigger than I am.”
Vinatieri started the Patriots' run of three Super Bowl titles in four seasons by kicking the tying and winning field goals in a defeat of the Raiders in heavy snow. He also provided the winning points in each of New England's first two Super Bowl wins, one as time expired against the Rams, the other late in the fourth quarter against the Panthers.
Left tackle needed
The Chargers are in the market for a left tackle to groom as a replacement for Roman Oben. If recent history is any indication, they will find that player on the opening day of the college draft. Consider:
Of the 32 left tackles listed as starters on season-ending depth charts, 16 were first-round picks, three were second-round picks and six were third-rounders. That means 25 of them were first-day draft selections. The remaining seven were comprised of one fourth-rounder, one seventh-rounder and five players who were undrafted.
Williams impresses
If the Texans trade out of the top spot in next month's draft, they might be hard-pressed to pass on North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams – even though they could use help along the offensive line.
“God didn't make too many guys like that,” Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn said of Williams after observing his workout at the Scouting Combine. “I don't know how in the world he can stay on the board too long.”
Williams, who just turned 21 in January, had a 40-inch vertical jump, bench-pressed 225 pounds a total of 35 times and was timed at 4.71 in the 40 – this from a player who is 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, with 7.6 percent body fat.
Williams seems ideal for the Texans' 3-4 scheme and, should Houston trade down, might be a better pick than offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060305/news_1s5trotter.html