improvstone wrote:
At least you have chance ...  

(Feb. 13, 2007) -- Like few who ever coached the game, Marty Schottenheimer owned the regular season. Problem was, the postseason disowned him.

No coach suffered more misery, more misfortune, and more indigestion than poor old Marty, who watched his teams and his innards repeatedly trampled in January in Cleveland, in Kansas City and, finally, in San Diego last month, in an instant NFL classic.

Only Marty could win the NFL Coach of the Year on Jan. 8, 2005 -- and lose a wild-card game that night at home against the New York Jets in overtime. His kicker, Nate Kaeding, failed him that night against the Jets, just as former Kansas City kicker Lin Elliott did against the Colts during the 1995 season, when he missed field goals from 35, 39 and 42 yards with 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter in a game that Marty's Chiefs lost by a mere three points.

Only Marty could be beaten in games that coined catchphrases such as "The Drive" and "the Fumble."

Only Marty could take 13 teams to the playoffs and nine times, including four as a No. 1 seed, watch his teams go one and done.

But this was the year that was supposed to be different. At least everyone around San Diego thought so.

  
Posting the league's best record wasn't enough for Marty Schottenheimer to keep his job.     
This was the year San Diego had enough firepower to overcome any flaws. This was the year the Chargers had the game's best offensive player, the game's best defensive player and home-field advantage. This was the year the Super Bowl was being played Feb. 4, which also happened to be Marty's 40-year wedding anniversary to his wife, Pat.

If that wasn't a sign, what was? Good karma, like the talent on the Chargers roster, abounded. And then San Diego kicked off its postseason, and it was more Martyball.

Drayton Florence, the son of a retired Army officer of 20 years, head-butted Daniel Graham for a key unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Marlon McCree fumbled an interception that he never should have caught in the first place.

Kaeding missed a game-tying field goal. And it was another memorable postseason flameout for Marty, like the way it was in Kansas City.

For a while it seemed Marty was safe. But for a while, it seemed his last Chargers team was different.

Only Marty could go 14-2 in the regular season and lose out to his general manager, A.J. Smith, after the season.

It's another big defeat, maybe his most significant yet. A postseason defeat has taken on an entirely different meaning. Marty loses the chance to coach a Super Bowl-talented team to the one game that -- like peace with the Chargers front office -- has eluded him.

And now, done in San Diego, one more chapter added to Marty's misery.

The Collector's Trove wrote:Howdy Al,

Yay! Police reunion tour! Too bad they'll never come back here. Some dude got sick of his GF fawning over Sting and threw a bottle at him! Hit him right above the eye. Sting indeed...

Futures Bright,

Paul

Meanwhile....what has Sting been doing?

Sea-to-sky-games wrote:
I disagree with that statement.. at least with respect to Rivera. And its not really his fault either. Closers should command very little money the way they are used. Sure, you can have an ace in the pen and pay him accordingly.. but as much as starters? No way.

Kosh Vorlontay wrote:It seems this person is copying Tonya's listing style (or is that one of her employee's listing styles...    )


** expired/removed eBay auction **


Pretty much cut, paste, trim for use.

Badmike wrote:Any San Diego Chargers fans out there?  You guys just lost your entire coaching staff!!!!  The Def and Off coordinators had already gone (Phillips going to the Cowboys as head coach), now Shottenheimer has been fired!  After going 14-2, best record in the NFL!!! Crazy stuff!!!!