See Cleveland Browns backers, it could be worse.  You could be a San Diego Chargers fan right now.

And why is a team that was 14-2 and on the brink of a Super Bowl appearance a worse place to be - at least for today?  Because they fired the head coach that got them where they are.  Being abruptly let go is a trademark of Marty Schottenheimer's career.  It happened in Cleveland.  It happened in Washington and now San Diego, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a good coach.   He took a Chargers organization that was in complete chaos five years back and turned it around.  This year they were poised to win it all.  And some would be quick to blame Schottenheimer's inability to coach in big games as a reason, but the last time I checked he didn't turn the ball over four times against the New England Patriots.

Is this a complete disaster for the Chargers?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  However, I tend to think it'll be hard to overcome for the next season.  Why?  Well, who's gonna coach the team?  Who's left out there given that teams looking for leaders in the off season have already chosen the best of the lot?

Let's see.  There's Norv Turner.  Great offensive mind, lousy head coach judging from his record.  There's Jim Mora Jr. That may have possibilities given that he won't have to deal with a player who is increasingly looking more like a gimmick rather than a quarterback.  But beyond that, you're looking at potential rookie coaches such as Ron Riviera, defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears and Mike Singletary, the legendary linebacker of the Bears and current San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach.  Ultimately, either of those guys might just work out.  But…(you just knew that was coming) do you really want to trust a team with a prolific offense and dominating defense to a rookie head coach who will have to hire new offensive and defensive coordinators?  San Diego's offensive guru Cam Cameron went to the Miami Dolphins as head coach and Wade Philips, their defensive guy, found himself recycled once again in Dallas.   Ummmm…no.  Think new offensive system, new defensive schemes and, for now, it looks like little more chaos than when Marty first arrived.

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.