Marty Schottenheimer - what we’ve got here is a failure to communicate
Marty says - You talking to me? oops, wrong movie.
You do remember that line out of the Paul Newman movie Cool Hand Luke!
Paul says that line at one point in the movie, but it is said first by Strother Martin playing a Captain at the prison. Here is what he said
What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach, so you get what we had here last week which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it. And I don’t like it any more than you men. source
Shameless Movie review Cool Hand Luke Excellent movie, go rent it now. (the Squibster has spoken!)
You know it is sometimes telling and sometimes just odd… how some teams handle sucess. The Chargers had an awesome season. Then during the playoff game against the Patriots, they happened to do more goofy stuff than my 5 year old does while watching Cartoon Network and have since, just imploded.
The coaching staff has left one by one, including Wade Phillips going to the Dallas Cowboys to be their new head coach.
Wade Phillips is the new Sheriff in Dallas
The other notable move was Cam Cameron going to the Miami Dolphins to become their new head coach.
Now the General Manager, A.J. Smith, who has never seen eye to eye with Schottenheimer, has decided that the lack of communication is such a problem that Marty has to go.
But A. J., the record was 14 - 2.
People will point to Marty’s 6 straight losses in the playoffs, but you can’t hold this last loss totally against him. It was the Patriots. The Chargers did have an inexperienced quarterback.
Unfortunately, right now, Marty is being remembered for being the winningest coach to not go to the Super Bowl.
NFL Football Fan Question Would you want your team to hire Marty Schottenheimer?
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POSTED IN: NFL Football, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers
20 opinions for Marty Schottenheimer - what we’ve got here is a failure to communicate
Ron B Free
Feb 13, 2007 at 6:32 am
Tell San Diego there are a few ex-Lion head coaches looking for jobs. Tell Marty he should have coached in Detroit. At 14-2 Ford would have given him a 10 year contract, keys to the Ford Mansion and never held him accountable if they never made the playoffs again under his direction (aka Matt Millen).
James
Feb 13, 2007 at 9:58 am
Had to laugh. The same Detroit things were rolling through my head. Can you imagine going 14 - 2 and being able to fire the head coach? For us Lion’s fans that seems like an impossible dream.
Geoff Young
Feb 13, 2007 at 11:59 am
The names being mentioned out here to replace Marty are Bill Parcells, Pete Carroll, Norv Turner, and Ted Cottrell. Turner actually was the offensive coordinator before Marty came to SD.
If nothing else, this move confirms that the GM always trumps the head coach under the Spanoses — it’s Bobby Beatherd vs Bobby Ross, Part II.
Rockwell
Feb 13, 2007 at 7:31 pm
I suppose Smith wins because he assembled such a talented team. But when the Bolts come up limping next year, he’s to blame. He has poisoned that well. (Don’t get me wrong… San Diego will still compete strongly but that is one tough division to be trying this type of move.)
And what about Mike Martz? He seems perfect for this offense. Oh, right, same type of prickly personality who needs to run his team his way and doesn’t get along with the front office.
I see this as the ultimate stick it in the ribs to Marty who Smith really must hate. He fires him AFTER all the coaching positions are filled. There was talk that the Dolphins really wanted Marty not Cam Cameron but Marty wasn’t available.
Marty has proven time and again he is a very good coach…. somebody may still pick him up in 2008.
Beck
Feb 13, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Marty is a great coach. I’m a Chiefs fan and we miss him. And just as with this last playoff game, there were a couple with the Chiefs that weren’t really Marty’s fault. i.e. kicker missing an easy field goal, Bronco’s win and continue to win Super Bowl.
The only positive note to the whole S.D mess is, the Chiefs have a better chance without Marty coaching against them.
I hope that when the Chargers fall this year, AJ Smith gets a permanent pink slip from the NFL.
James
Feb 14, 2007 at 1:56 am
Rock,
don’t be stealing my Lion’s Mike Martz. We know we only have him on loan, but let us enjoy it for a while. We get so little to enjoy.
James
Feb 14, 2007 at 1:59 am
Beck,
if they want to hire Matt Millen from the Lions, there is about 1 million fans that will let them!
Rockwell
Feb 14, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I like Martz quite a bit and I think if he stays in Detroit he will eventually get that turned around too… (but don’t tell Millen).
Beck
Feb 14, 2007 at 12:17 pm
James - I was referring to Marty, as in Schottenheimer as a great coach. Washington shafted him and now SD. I don’t think Matt Millen has done a good job either.
James
Feb 14, 2007 at 3:48 pm
no, my intent is to give them Millen when Smith is fired. :)
James
Feb 14, 2007 at 3:53 pm
No way Martz is staying in Detroit. It would be too frustrating.
Hey, Rock, won’t Marty want to be a head coach again? That is the speculation in Michigan.
James
Feb 14, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Beck,
just figured out, you are the original Squibkick!
Awesome!
Rockwell
Feb 15, 2007 at 8:44 am
Sure, I think Marty still wants to coach. Otherwise he would have left on his own power. I just think he got a raw deal (agreeing with Beck) with the Chargers and in DC too. And Smith shafted him by waiting so long to fire him. (How can anyone believe in their job security in that organization?) The Dolphins and others would have strongly considered Marty for their head coaching jobs… but that derby is closed now.
Beck
Feb 15, 2007 at 10:29 am
Positive note: Marty can now sit in his mansion for a year and draw his 3 million from AJ Smith. Next year there will be openings.
James
Feb 15, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Beck, it is getting scary, Rock is agreeing with you. Not me, you will find me just sitting in my starter home collecting my 30 bucks!
How do the Chargers come back from this?
Beck
Feb 16, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Ha James! Wow we live in the same house (yet never ran into each other) and have the same income!
Unless some miracle coach Bill Walsh-like coach comes out from nowhere I believe they will step down a notch.
In my infinite “lack” of wisdom, I will give my opinion of what makes a a complete winner:
25% talent (I believe it was in the 80’s at one
time the Dolphins had 19 No.1 picks on their
team and were mediocre at best.)
15% QB with the right stuff - talent, leadership,
adjustable, quick thinker, does’t choke and
make mistakes under pressure.
15% Head Coach - leader, motivator.
15% Quick Defense - This maybe is more important
than 15%, but talent can be tied into this.
10% Assistant coaches.
10% Team chemistry. (This means the Chargers
better not trade for T.O.)
5% An offensive line that consistently protects
the QB and gives him ample time to find the
receiver.
5% An accurate field goal kicker. Maybe a
talent category, but this is important enough
to list separate.
-5% A GM that is too pig headed to let the coach
be involved in personnel decisions.
-5% An owner who interferes too often (Jerry
Jones) or doesnt step in when needed to coral
egos.
SD’s score -
Talent 25%; QB 13%; HC 2%; Defense 15%; Ass. C 0%; Team Chem 2% (loss in playoffs and coach depatures); OL 5%; Kicker 5%; GM -5%; Owner -3% (should have sat AJ & Marty down and worked this out)
Total = 60%
60% means 9-7 to 10-6 team. Especially with their schedule.
Beck
Feb 16, 2007 at 2:23 pm
KC Chiefs:
Talent 12%; QB 10%; HC 12%; Defense 8%; Ass C 6%;
Team Chem 8%; OL 2%; Kicker 4%; GM -5%; Owner 0%;
Total = 57% (9-7 team) Sigh!!!!
James
Feb 17, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Lions Talent 1% (he is a hotdog vendor) QB 1% HC 3% Defense 3% Ass C 0% Team Chem 3% OL 0% Kicker 5% (Jasen Hansen even though he is 80 years old in football years) GM -5% (are you sure -5 is as far as you can go down?) Owner -5% Total 1% (thank god for the hotdog vendor!) record 2 - 14 (assuming Oakland, Houston, Atlanta, and Green Bay are all on the schedule) :)
Beck
Feb 19, 2007 at 6:47 am
Hysterical laughter over the “80 years old in football years”. Gosh, that makes Brett Farve 120.
The main way I feel I can relate to Detroit is, I grew up as a St. Louis Cardinal Fan until they moved to Arizona. They had some notable players but never really enough to put it together. Bill Bidwell, the owner, was the culprit there. The Arizona Cards (Bidwell’s son now runs things) still flounder under the same mentality.
Ya always loved the team, hoped next year things would be better, loved draft day, but always came away disappointed at the end of the season (actually by mid-season). (But, then there were those games you beat Dallas that seem to ease the pain.)
James
Feb 19, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Yeah, luckily the Lions are in the worst division ever. They even had the Bucs in the Division before they were any good.
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