As the NFL Turns: The Chargers, Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Cowher
Posted January 17th, 2007 by George Thomas
This is why there's no off-season in the NFL, there's always some semblance of drama unfolding with America's favorite sport.
In this case, it's Marty Schottenheimer and the ringing endorsement the San Diego Chargers have given him in a statement from COO Dean Spanos. Yup, they're willing to allow Marty, the third winningest coach the past three season and fifth winningest active coach in the NFL to work next year and they even offered him a whopping one-year extension. Yee Haw!!! Betcha Marty's turning somersaults over that one. Actually, he turned the Chargers down, according to reports.
At this point in time San Diego, the fans of Cleveland would be perfectly willing to take him. This isn't a knock on current Browns coach Romeo Crennel - he's only had two seasons - but should the Browns not make significant strides on the field next year, I can't envision a scenario in which Crennel stays. That makes things very interesting with respect to coaching vacancies next year.
Yes, we all know the knock against Schottenheimer. Hell we'd better considering it started here - he can't win the big one. He can't kick it to the next level. We all know it was Marty who was playing defense when John Elway engineered The Drive. We all know that he was carrying the ball when its loss soon became known as The Fumble. Hell, Marty's the reason the Cuyahoga River caught fire decades ago. We also know that last weekend it was Marty on the field when his Chargers committed four turnovers and at least two idiotic penalties that I can recall.
With all fairness, I'm hoping that the Browns make the playoffs next year. That's a big hope at this point. You know - like hoping for world peace and actually getting it. But allow me to look forward in my mental time machine for a second and the Browns have muddled through another year of mediocrity.
Schottenheimer and former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher are out there - who do you take? An intriguing possibility isn't it? When Schottenheimer left the Browns unceremoniously after the 1988 season, I was always under the impression that he left feeling the job was unfinished and he took a lot of flak for what happened in two AFC Championship Games. As for Cowher, he's a Marty disciple who played here and coached here under him. Should the Browns find themselves in the unenviable position of searching for yet another coach, either would suit me just fine thanks. The year of intrigue has begun.
