Chargers Electrocute Marty-Ball

If somebody were to tell former San Diego Charger coach Marty Schottenheimer that his club would post a league-best 14-2 record with a first-year starting quarterback and his running back would win the league MVP, he would take that and call it a season.

All of the above happened. The Chargers went 14-2 before bowing out in the divisional round of the playoffs after Tom Brady led the Patriots in a come-from-behind over the host Chargers.

Phillip Rivers finally stepped out of Drew Brees’ shadow and commanded the Chargers on the field with his calm and collective style. He made few mistakes. He may not have won games, but he did not lose them either. Rivers passed for 3388 yards and 22 touchdowns in earning a Pro Bowl berth, which he had to decline due to a foot injury he suffered in the regular season finale.

LaDainian Tomlinson re-wrote the NFL record book this season. The fifth-year pro from TCU broke Priest Holmes’ 2003 rushing touchdown record with 28. Holmes had set the record with 27.

Add all that up and Marty-ball will be playing somewhere else in the future.

Schottenheimer was fired on Monday as head coach of the Chargers due to dysfunction inside the organization after both his offensive and defensive coordinators – Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips – were hired as the head coaches in Miami and Dallas, respectively.

What was the real reason behind Marty’s dismissal?

A dismal playoff record? Marty is 5-13 as coach of the Browns, Chiefs and Chargers during the playoffs, including four losses when his team was the top seed. This season was the ninth year a Schottenheimer coached team lost in the opening round of the playoffs.

But, it is hard to find evidence to fire a coach simply because he could not win a home playoff game.

Would the Colts have won this season’s Super Bowl had they fired head coach Tony Dungy after squandering home field advantage with a loss to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers?

Highly unlikely.

The firing of Schottenheimer proves one simple theory:

There is no loyalty in the NFL.

Case 1: Ted Marchibroda

Entering the 1994-95 season, the Indianapolis Colts would have been lucky to achieve a winning record. They not only finished with a 9-7 record and advanced to the playoffs, but they fell one play from reaching the Super Bowl as Jim Harbaugh’s hail mary as time expired fell incomplete. Nevertheless, despite the Colts completing one of their most successful seasons in franchise history, Marchibroda was not offered an extension. Instead, he was given a hearty handshake and was kicked to the curb. In other words, “Thanks for nothing.”

Case 2: Ray Rhodes

After a successful tenure as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagle, Rhodes left the city of Brotherly Love to take over as coach of the Green Bay Packers after Mike Holmgren left for Seattle.

Rhodes did not get a fair shake in Green Bay as he was fired after one season in which he led the Packers to an 8-8 record.

Case 3: Trent Dilfer

Dilfer, a journeyman quarterback from Fresno State, finally demonstrated his potential on the national stage as he led the Baltimore Ravens to a convincing and dominating win in Super Bowl XXXV. Dilfer did not put up Peyton Manning-like numbers, but he was efficient and used his experience to prevent turnovers. Similar to Rivers of the Chargers; he did not win games, but he was sure not to lose them either.

What happened to Dilfer after winning the Super Bowl? He was not resigned and has since played for Seattle, Cleveland and San Francisco and has never been given a solid opportunity for another ring.

So, what happens to the San Diego Chargers now? If I could look into a crystal ball, I see a similar situation to 2001 when Tony Dungy was fired from Tampa Bay after posting four straight winning seasons. The Bucs brought in then-Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who hoisted the Lombardi trophy the following year.

Whoever general manager A.J. Smith brings in will be inheriting a talented team who is already the odds-on favorite to raise the Vince Lombardi trophy next year in Glendale, Arizona.

Phillip Rivers. LT. Antonio Gates. Lights Out Shawn Merriman. Potential candidates are drooling over the opportunity to coach these players.

The future coach of this organization should win immediately or else lightning will strike twice.

Let the Madness Begin

March Madness does not officially begin for another 31 days (29 days if you include the play-in game in Dayton), and there is still LOTS of basketball yet to be played, but it is never too early to nominate and eliminate some Final Four contenders.

The NCAA tournament this season has the makings of being one of the wackiest in recent years as Florida, Ohio State, North Carolina and UCLA have already taken turns as the top-ranked team in the land with Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and Texas A&M laying in the weeds.

Not to mention surprise teams such as Nevada, Washington State, Butler and Air Force who could be tough outs come mid-March.

Add all that up, and it is anybody’s guess as to which team will be cutting down the nets on April 2 at the Georgia Dome.

Several teams already appear to be potential locks as No. 1 seeds, but that does not always guarantee a free trip to the Final Four. Last year, none of the No. 1 seeds advanced to Indianapolis as a surprise 3-seed Florida knocked off a 2-seed UCLA team.

This year, expect much of the same. Perhaps more.

If the season were to end today, Florida, Ohio State, Wisconsin and North Carolina would appear as the front-runners for the coveted top seeds.

Florida has perhaps the best starting lineup in the country – and possibly the best of the past decade – but rarely does the favorite in February cut down the nets in April.

Just ask UCONN as they lost to Cinderella George Mason in the regional final last season.

Florida has virtually the same core of playmakers that claimed the school’s first basketball crown last year, but some things have changed.

Last year, the Gators crawled in under the radar. This season, they will be the hunted.

Prediction: It will be hard for Florida to withstand every team’s best punch for six rounds, which is why the defending champs will be ousted in the regional.

In the NFL, offense wins games but defense wins championships. Wisconsin has one of the more stellar defenses, but they will need to score more than 50 points to cut down the nets.

Despite national player of the year candidate in Alando Tucker, the Badgers just do not have the horses to hang with the higher scoring teams in the country.

Prediction: Wisconsin will struggle mightily and will not even advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

UCLA, last year’s national runner-up, seems like a shoe-in to be playing in Atlanta on the last weekend of March, but it is very difficult to advance to the Final Four year-after-year unless your school rhymes with Luke.

UCLA head coach Ben Howland has been a winner every place he has coached, but these are not the Bruins of the 60’s and 70’s that produced multiple titles under the Wizard of Westwood.

Prediction: The surprising success and depth of the Pac-10 conference this season will take too much out of the Bruins, who will fall in the regional final.

That leaves 2005 champion North Carolina. After an 83-79 loss at NC State on Feb. 3, the Tar Heels have looked like a championship caliber team in their past two outings. First, a win at Cameron Indoor Stadium over heated rival Duke, and then the dismantling of Wake Forest, 104-67.

Roy Williams has championship and Final Four experience that spans over 15 seasons, which gives him the edge over any other coach in the country with a contender.

Prediction: The Heels will falter in the ACC conference tournament, but will bounce back in a big way with a tournament run that will culminate in Atlanta.

As for who will join UNC, the list continues to grow. Some teams to be aware of are Texas A&M and Pitt, even though they are cruising through a pair of watered-down power conferences in the Big-12 and Big East, respectively.

Who will be this year’s George Mason? Beware of the Texas Longhorns. Kevin Durant – not only the best freshman, but the best player in the country – could easily become the next Carmello Anthony and shock the world by cutting down the nets on April 2.

So many favorites. So many underdogs. So many upsets await.

That is why they call it Madness.