2012 Chargers

 

Blacked Out

 

Chargers 2012 Season In Review



Charger faithful packed the stands of the Q on Sunday to
witness their beloved Bolts drop to a very disappointing 5-9 on the season.
The stadium atmosphere could only be described as electric, which sounds
dangerous, providing me a justifiable explanation as to why almost nobody was there. 

http://www.nfl.com/playoffs/playoff-picture (Guess who's not in it)



It was no surprise that once again the Chargers home game television broadcast was blacked out to San Diegan's this past Sunday. An abysmal sub-500 squad, failed to sell enough tickets to meet contractual obligations in order to have the game televised, leaving residents of America's Finest City with re-runs of The Price Is Right. That's right. While robotic geologists, JPL's twin exploration Rover's, Spirit and Opportunity, gathered samples from Gustev Crater on the surface of Mars -- nearly 100 million miles from Earth -- primitive Bolts fans were left to their radio broadcasts while they learned to utilize fire to warm their caves.

"31-7 against the Panthers?!"

Playoff hopes died for San Diegan's died sometime back in October. It was Monday night, October 15th, during the 3rd quarter, to be exact. Peyton Manning mounted a massive comeback emblematic of what certainly will one day be a Hall of Fame career, while Philip Rivers and Norv Turner did what they do best. But it wasn't until this past Sunday, when a Cam Newton led, 4-9 Carolina Panthers squad, picked up their fifth win of the year, routing the Chargers 31-7, that the final, mathematical, nail in the coffin was driven in.

This latest loss most likely spelled the end of the Smith/Turner era. For weeks now, rumors and reports of imminent firings involving Head Coach Norv Turner and General Manager A.J. Smith have been blanketing San Diego like a cloud of methane over a cattle farm.

Team owner Dean Spanos has repeatedly, vociferously, denied these reports. But 2012 will mark the third consecutive season the Chargers have failed to make the playoffs. The Chargers have, in fact, managed to become progressively worse under each Norv Turner led season, a remarkable feat for any team in any division, but particularly impressive in a division that includes both the Chiefs and Raiders.

If the Chargers players harbored any grandiose ideas of pulling together another emotional rally to try to save the job of their coach coach, just the way they did last week against Pittsburgh, they had a strange way of showing it. I guess Norv's job wasn't worth a second win.

A quick recap of the Turner coached era:

2007 10-6 record. AFC Championship game appearance, lost to the Patriots 21-12

2008 Chargers began the season 4-8, before winning the AFC West. The Chargers defeated the Colts in the playoffs for the second consecutive year, before falling to the eventual Superbowl winners, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the Divisional round. An unforgettably painful game in which LT watched from the sidelines with a groin injury.

2009 13-3 record, 3rd straight division title. The Chargers sealed the 2nd seed in the AFC and a first round bye. Lost 17-14 in their first game to Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets.

2010 9-7 record. 2nd in the AFC West. No playoff appearance.

2011 8-8 record. No playoff appearance.

2012 5-9 record (and counting). No playoff appearance.

San Diego fans are left with only their imaginations of what once nearly was, what could have been -- and the hope that the December 30 regular season finale against the Raiders, will be the very last of A.J. and Norv's painfully disappointing tenure.



But how did things turn so bad? This team made numerous playoff appearances! Where did it all go wrong?!



During the mid-2000's, Chargers GM A.J. Smith brought joy, excitement and hope, to a disembodied franchise and a city starving for football success. There were moments of astounding brilliance, moments where it seemed everything he touched turned to gold. Smith conquered the NFL Draft, pillaging the talent pool like Blackbeard to a merchant vessel.

Smith's draft success could not be stopped.

Smith picked at such a high success rate, people started to question if he could miss. Early picks include marquis names, such as: Nick Hardwick, Marcus McNeal, Philip Rivers, Michael Turner, Vincent Jackson, Antonio Cromartie, Shaun Phillips, Shawne Merriman, Darren Sproles -- the list goes on. Give credit where credit is due.

During the 2004 NFL Draft process, University of Mississippi QB Eli Manning let his opinion of the Chargers franchise be publicly known. He openly declared that any attempt by Chargers management to draft him with the first overall pick, would be met with refusal to sign a contract and a no-show QB.

Smith responded by pulling off a trade that sent Eli to the New York Giants, while acquiring NC State QB Philip Rivers with the 4th overall pick, in addition to receiving future draft picks. As compensation, the Chargers received a 3rd round pick in 2004 (used to select Nate Kaeding), a 5th round in 2005, and a 1st round pick in 2005 used to select Shawne Merriman 12th overall selection. Merriman went on to win AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Smith was firing on all cylinders.

But along with an uncanny aptitude for draft wizardry and an ability to amass roster depth and talent, came an astute business sense as austere and unforgiving as a guillotine. Smith's unbending management style created more than a few contentious relationships along the way (unnamed coach, rhymes with Darty Flothensheimer).

Turning point.

 

Following the 2005 season, unassuming fans made the mistake of assuming that Chargers starting QB Drew Brees, would be either re-signed, or slapped with a second consecutive franchise tag, regardless of the fact he sustained a shoulder injury during the last game of the 2005 campaign. The Chargers however, had already committed a large sum of money toward their future QB, and had other plans in mind. Instead of re-signing Brees, Smith allowed Brees to hit free-agency, where he signed a 6-year, $60 million deal with the Saints, quicker than the Katrina's flood-waters breached New Orleans' dilapidated levee's. Brees went on to hoist the Lombardi trophy. The Chargers received no compensation for Brees.

 

Draft success becomes draft excess

Unfortunately for Smith, the bubble that had become his astounding draft success, eerily paralleled that of the Real Estate market type simultaneously occurring. Smith began taking a gestapo like approach to his player personnel business dealings and players began to take notice. Using business decorum expected from North Korea, Smith gratuitously drove a wedge through the morale of a talented, battle-tested locker room. A new truth became known within the walls and confines of the locker room. In order to be paid a deserving salary -- one needs seek greener pastures elsewhere. The NFL is above all else a business. Players left.

If one had to pinpoint a singular moment in time where the bubble burst, it would be generally agreed upon it was the 2007 NFL Draft. Buster Davis was selected by the Chargers in the first round with the 30th overall selection. Davis started 2 games as a Charger and is no longer in the league. However costly a first round miss can be to an organization, one egregious error is forgivable. The NFL draft is far from a sure-thing and every GM across the league misses on occasion -- it's trends you have to look for.

But recent drafts have not fared much better for Smith. Names like Antoine Cason, Larry English and Jacob Hester began to replace those of former All-Pro's and Pro-Bowlers. In 2010, the heir-apparent to LT, Ryan Matthews, landed on the roster with a thud, injuring himself in the process.

All said and done -- Smith's brash and arrogant management style yielded 0 championships and chased most of the real talent out of town in the process. Premier NFL talent high-tailing it out of town started to become a reoccurring theme, representing the Charger brand nearly as much as the teams signature powder blue.

In March of 2008 we saw Michael Turner sign with the Atlanta Falcons. Darren Sproles went to the Saints in July of 2011. Most recently, after several frustrating years of waiting for a long-term contract offer from the Chargers, a top 5 receiving talent in Vincent Jackson, headed for Tampa Bay before the 2012 season. Every year it's another great player leaving San Diego, a testament to both Smith's genius and haughtiness.

The move most emblematic of Smith's career, would have to involve the great Ladanian Tomlinson. Arguably the greatest Charger of all-time, Tomlinson scored 153 career touchdowns (third all-time), 138 rushing touchdowns (second all-time), and rushed for 12,490 yards (eighth all-time), all while donning Charger blue. He was unceremoniously released by the Chargers on February 22, 2010 at 30 years old.

Still, there is hope. 

 

 

Not all of Smith's recent picks have been complete duds, though one major critique is that his picks have been defensive heavy at a time when it's the offense so clearly struggling. However, recent drafts have left the Bolts loaded with defensive potential. LB Donald Butler, DT Cory Liuget, CB Marcus Gilchrist, DE Melvin Ingram and DT Kendall Reyes have been bright spots. Last off-season's free-agency signing of LB Jarrett Johnson has paid off decently as well.

One area in particular which has shown stoutness has been run defense. The Bolts currently rank 7th in the league against the run, allowing only 97 yards per game and 7 rushing touchdowns all year. Although they rank 16th league in points allowed, at 22.3 per game, it's important to keep in mind the numbers are perhaps skewed, as a reflection due in part to poor field position and a barrage of offensive turnovers.

Charger fans can only hope that enough defensive talent has been amassed by Smith to lure in a big-time head coach this next off-season (a coach not named Andy Reid).

 

Enter Chucky (Please)

John Gruden is the first name that comes to mind. A fiery coach and a proven winner is exactly what the Chargers need. He's the type of person and coach that can make a splash, rally a city and make people excited about football again. Bill Cowher would be another of this type.










A.J. Smith and Norv Turner are both good men. Both charitable, gracious and noble men. But all good things come to an end -- and the time has come for both to move on. The dawn of a new day brings optimism and with that comes hope. These men forever left their mark on Charger City, their 2012 Chargers a reminder of times both good and bad.

After the 2012 season draws to a close, San Diegan's will inevitably wake up hungover, with a red wine stain on their living room carpet. The party might have been fun, but the damage too costly to ignore. But like a buildup of plaque, or chunks of undigested red meat, both A.J. Smith and Norv Turner will remain inside the hearts of San Diegan's for quite some time.

At least we aren't the Raiders.