As Chargers President Dean Spanos has watched his team’s past three games, his ruminations have...

As Chargers President Dean Spanos has watched his team’s past three games, his ruminations have indicated he is greatly impressed by the fact the Chargers have rebounded from the brink of hopelessness to play a dominant brand of football.

The boss, in no small part, gives much credit for this resilience to head coach Norv Turner.

...

Has Turner, even as he is possibly on the verge of unemployment, done his best work ever to even get the Chargers to this point? Is it plausible that maybe, just maybe, Turner and his staff have massaged and nursed and motivated a team with every right to be 4-10 and have it at 7-7?

Analysis: Considering possibility Turner has raised Chargers' game

Kevin Acee makes the case that the Chargers' woes this season have more to do with devastating injuries, and less to do with everyone's favorite whipping boy: Norv Turner.

5 months ago creanium 21 comments 0 recs |

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and let the bitching begin

by cameronm on Dec 20, 2011 9:56 PM PST reply actions

Bitch bitch bitch

Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch Bitch…

I hate scooter pie

by Lmbs2slaghtr on Dec 20, 2011 10:01 PM PST up reply actions

And thus Spanos can justify yet another year of norvocraty.

The team will never be better than mediocre as long as norv continues to be unable to inspire or motivate his team.

by bstew95 on Dec 20, 2011 11:36 PM PST reply actions

At what point

does a team of supposed professionals stop needing a daddy figure to motivate them?

Or a fan base, for that matter?

If the thunder don't get ya then the lightning will!!

Robert Hunter

by Buck Melanoma on Dec 21, 2011 1:26 AM PST up reply actions 6 recs

I get so sick of hearing this b/s from people. I can speak for myself and plenty of friends who have played football at various levels, coaches motivation is waaaaaaaaay overrated. The overwhelming majority of football players don’t need someone to give them a “Marty” speech before a game. Going out and winning is motivation enough.

by BigRed61 on Dec 21, 2011 4:34 AM PST up reply actions

Rec This

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Dec 21, 2011 8:33 AM PST up reply actions

So good.

Follow @RichardWade

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Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan

by Richard Wade on Dec 22, 2011 10:06 AM PST up reply actions

Clearly, Acee's article is way too rational and logical.

Fire Bud Black.
Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser. -- Vince Lombardi

by Sam (sdsuaztec4) on Dec 21, 2011 5:21 AM PST reply actions

Motivation differs from discipline

I fully agree that pro athletes don’t need motivation, heck they get paid well enough. But the only time they got to the SB they had the ultra-strict Bobby Ross. I think there is something to the discipline end in football. Norv is a great coordinator but I prefer the head guy to be a Coughlin/Knoll/Marty type.

by romobolt on Dec 21, 2011 8:09 AM PST reply actions

Coughlin was actually on his way out of NY when they suddenly hit a win streak

The thing the players said made the biggest difference? He lightened up.

by Ferguson1015 on Dec 21, 2011 11:08 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

I absolutely agree that injuries have played a huge role in the way this season has gone.

People like to say “injuries are no excuse” or “every team has injuries”, but it’s a simple fact that when the starter goes down, his backup won’t be as good, and team performance will suffer. And when the first backup goes down and you have to go to the second, or third backup? Team performance suffers even more.

That said, I don’t want to use that to gloss over the serious issues I believe this team still has. They still have a pretty bad defense. They still have problems adjusting to what the opponent throws at them and constructing a gameplan designed to take advantage of the opposition’s weaknesses.

I think what’s happening here is that Rivers is coming out of his slump, and the team has regained some semblance of health, enough to be able to execute Norv’s offense. The best case scenario, I think, is a return to the 2008-2010 peak for the offense. Which is plenty good, but still with the same deficiencies that we’ve all come to know and hate.

A pirate I was meant to be!
"You say you're nasty pirates,
scheming, thieving, bad bushwackers?
From what I've seen I tell you
You're not pirates, you're just slackers!"

by Zach (maestro876) on Dec 21, 2011 8:46 AM PST reply actions

correction

it’s a simple fact that when the starter goes down, his backup won’t be as good, and team performance will suffer

unless it’s barnes replacing laboy!

by classicmfk on Dec 21, 2011 10:20 AM PST up reply actions

haha

laboy is pure garbage, he only starts so barnes can play STs. cause if it was the other way around there we be no point in not having gamble activated and your boy laboy in sweat pants

Winning

by Foilhat on Dec 21, 2011 8:21 PM PST up reply actions

Team performance suffers against the run with Barnes in there instead of LaBoy.

Follow @RichardWade

Bolts from the Blue // "At least when Wade is spewing vitriol he does so with an intellectual flair." - insanebolt21
Bloody Elbow // "I think we're poking fun at Leland's 'boner.'" - Michael Fagan

by Richard Wade on Dec 22, 2011 10:09 AM PST up reply actions

I feel like Discipline and Motivation in the form of Marty Schottenheimer's yelling speeches before games are overrated

Same with acting classless like Rex Ryan or just being a loudmoth.

But what can’t be forgotten is the importance of a coach who knows how to intrinsically motivate his team; that is, how to instill the feeling of responsiblitly that makes them feel the need to stay a little longer in the weight room, or run a little longer, or work a little more with their conditioning coach etc.

Motivating does not mean yelling and saying exciting things right before or during a game or practice. But I do think its important that our coaches help instill a feeling of responsiblity in our players to their teammates and to themselves. Many people say that players at this level don’t need that type of motivation, but if that was the case, then explain the 49ers to me. I’m pretty sure we could all name off at least 5 players who, when they first came into the league, needed help building upon their own intrinsic motivation even though the strength, physical ability and football IQ was already something they possessed.

"Well, he ought to go home and find somebody else to bang." Jerry Coleman

by cubbuster on Dec 21, 2011 12:00 PM PST reply actions

I guess

all the poor clock management, giving up before the half, predictable play calling, confusion on the sidelines…is forgiven

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

by Hormel on Dec 21, 2011 1:27 PM PST reply actions

I doubt clock-management has been forgotten.

It’s a factor that has to be balanced alongside everything else.

A pirate I was meant to be!
"You say you're nasty pirates,
scheming, thieving, bad bushwackers?
From what I've seen I tell you
You're not pirates, you're just slackers!"

by Zach (maestro876) on Dec 21, 2011 1:33 PM PST up reply actions

For instance

Harbaugh turtled and gave up at the half. Do we fire him?

A pirate I was meant to be!
"You say you're nasty pirates,
scheming, thieving, bad bushwackers?
From what I've seen I tell you
You're not pirates, you're just slackers!"

by Zach (maestro876) on Dec 21, 2011 1:33 PM PST up reply actions