Why Norv Turner should be fired!

1.  Marty Schottenheimer was fired for going 14-2 and losing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the New England Patriots.  Norv Turner went 13-3 and had the exact same playoff result, except to a weaker team in the #5 seed New York Jets.  People will say "Norv couldn't control how the players on the field choked it up".  Well then, you have to use the exact same argument to defend Marty when his players also choked it up after clearly outperforming New England. 


2.  Since Norv Turner has replaced Schottenheimer, the Chargers regular season record has gotten worse 3 seasons in a row (except for this season where you can then refer to point #1 above).  The team has eroded and committed more penalties every season.  Plus the window of time for this team to win now is closing.  This isn't a bad team that Turner inherited (as most coaches will inherit bad teams when being hired).  Which leads to point #3...


3.  The problem with the Chargers isn't personnel.  They are a very talented team, in a weak division.  Their leadership is weak.  It starts with A.J. Smith (the Chargers GM) who is so stubborn he won't even listen to suggestions.  He has an excellent scouting department, so you have to give him kudos there, but when it comes to leadership, he is almost the opposite.  He hires a coach he knows he can dictate to and not hand the keys of the car over to (a la Jerry Jones in Dallas).  He actually won't fire Norv Turner because Norv is someone that AJ can push around and AJ likes that. 


4.  Norv Turner isn't a coach who can get his team to the next level.  Norv is a good coordinator, but not a good head coach, and being a head coach comes with the responsibilities of elevating your team.  He does not lead/inspire his team and at crucial times in games his play calling has been terrible.  A funny coincedence that Brain Schottenheimer took it to Norv and outcoached him in the playoff game!


5.  People say "Marty can't win the big one", well it seems to me that Norv Turner hasn't made the big one either.  Norv Turner can't win in the playoffs and doesn't help improve his team so they can win in the playoffs.  Also, Norv Turner has a good regular season record now thanks to inheriting a great team that Marty Schottenheimer built up for him!  There really should be asteriks by certain stats! 


Clearly A.J. Smith fired Marty Schottenheimer over personal reasons, and not business reasons.  If you want to run a team/organization properly, you have to put business before personal. 


Again, it was not Marty's fault the Chargers missed kicks, fumbled and dropped so many balls against New England, just like it wasn't Brad Childress's fault the Vikings had 5 turnovers against the Saints.  (It was Childress's fault for making bad decisions, i.e. 12 men in the huddle after a timeout late in the 4th quarter, but that's neither here nor there).  Norv Turner should have been fired based on the precedent/reasoning/justification set up by A.J. Smith when he fired Marty Schottenheimer!


But instead AJ Smith hires Norv Turner to a 3 year contract extension....go figure....