Haven't we been through this before? Sure. It's San Diego. There's a very familiar feeling crawling under the barbed wire surrounding Camp Charger, that a crack in the earth has developed between General Manager A.J. Smith and coach Marty Schottenheimer, that they couldn't see eye to eye if they put their foreheads together.
This, Schottenheimer and Smith deny, and before Schottenheimer takes offense with me (again) for saying he's bending the truth, I wouldn't expect him to admit it if it were fact. Nor would I expect Smith to say he'd like Schottenheimer to become his godfather, although the word for quite some time is they're more oil and water than pasta with the clams. If their laundry is dirty, they don't want it hanging outside.
One would, however, expect club President Dean Spanos to step in and referee, which he didn't do the last time something as serious as and similar to this arose. Word now is he has, signaling ownership maturity. Spanos has admitted his failure to bud-nip in Beathard vs. Ross has been his biggest mistake.
It was 1996, and The Two Bobbys, GM Beathard and Coach Ross, weren't in a hate-hate relationship, but no relationship whatsoever. Spanos, taking Beathard's side – happens when owners must choose between a good GM and a good head coach – handed Ross a pink slip, and not the kind you wear.
Marty Schottenheimer
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"I heard a rumor awhile ago that they haven't been speaking, but I don't have contact with people down there anymore," Beathard, now retired, was saying from his North County home. "Bobby and I always talked. The problem wasn't Bobby. It was (offensive coordinator) Ralph Friedgen, and then it ended up being Bobby."
Beathard was one of those GMs who liked to see his young players get a chance. But he claims Friedgen was averse to it, which is why current Chiefs quarterback Trent Green got no shot while a Charger. And it was Friedgen who wanted the lockout.
"We (the personnel people) were ordered by Bobby not to come in the coaches' area," Beathard recalls. "I used to go in and talk to the coaches all the time about personnel. It was Friedgen who didn't want anything to do with the scouts, so Bobby said we'd rather not have you guys come around."
Incredible.
"Bobby said I could meet with him every Monday but not with the other coaches," Beathard said. "I'd worked with Don Shula and Joe Gibbs and never had that problem."
A.J. Smith
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Beathard claims there was one way for the relationship to be repaired. "Only if Ralph had been out of there," he said. "I suggested he get another offensive coordinator. This could have been avoided, but I knew Bobby wasn't going to, nor did I expect him to."
Ross was a fine coach, and what happened following his dismissal were years of organizational ineptitude, on and off the playing surface. (Interview requests made for Spanos were not accepted.)
When was the last time Schottenheimer spoke to Smith? Schottenheimer yesterday answered: "About an hour ago. It's typical divide-and-conquer – (somebody) is trying to create a theoretical schism. I'm saying everything's fine. Maybe somebody has an agenda. My agenda and A.J.'s agenda is to win football games.
"A.J. and I see eye to eye. We're after the same thing, to win a championship. We're doing fine, and that's a fact."
Well, maybe the coach thinks everything's fine, but rumors abound Smith would love to replace Schottenheimer with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Now I know Smith is a great admirer of Phillips, and rightfully so. Phillips, son of legendary Bum, is a fine coach, good guy, and he and Smith were together in Buffalo, where Phillips, in charge, won too much to get bounced.
"Everything's fine with the head coach," Smith said. "All these rumors flying around. I have all kinds of messages, and I heard that Coach (Schottenheimer) might not be back. There never was a situation where he wasn't coming back. Dean Spanos has addressed this. I don't know that I have to confirm his statement.
"It's false. Our relationship is fine. We talked twice today. He's the coach of the San Diego Chargers and will continue to be the coach of the San Diego Chargers."
When Smith, who rarely calls his coach by name, was asked if he considers Schottenheimer a friend, said: "I don't discuss personal relationships."
Asked if he goes out to dinner with Smith, Schottenheimer said: "No."
Obviously, this isn't Wallis Simpson and Prince Edward.
But Schottenheimer, who was hired to win, has won 21 games over the past two seasons. He and his staff had to do something wrong this season, because this team should still be playing. But the pasture shouldn't be beckoning him just yet. If 21-11 is firing bait, I'm Nick Dickens.
Too many folks gladly would supply the tar and feathers as parting gifts for Schottenheimer. But continuity is key now. The team, despite the (correctable) shoulder injury to quarterback Drew Brees, should be very good for years to come. Smith just had one of the greatest drafts in years. There is talent here. Plenty of it.
Word is Spanos has stepped in, not wanting a replay, to calm the situation. And there is a situation, I'm convinced of it. But Schottenheimer should stay. Handshakes, if not hugs, should be exchanged. There's too much at stake for the past to be repeated.
Nick Canepa: (619) 293-1397; nick.canepa@uniontrib.com
