Firing McCoy is necessary, hiding behind the vote to do it is chickens*t

Chargers fans everywhere likely rejoiced when they woke up to a tweet from Ian Rapoport stating the next two games were "critical" for Mike McCoy's tenure in San Diego.  I imagine most fans exhaled a gargantuan sigh of relief, smiled, and probably mumbled something to the effect of, "Finally", under their breath upon reading that.  And while I'm pleased the Spanos family is considering firing their clueless head coach, I also see through their cowardly rouse.

Not only that, but but I'll call them out for being the chickensh*ts they are.

Anyone who knows my work either for @BFTB_Chargers or on @Lightning_Round podcast knows I believe McCoy should have been fired last year, so I'm not defending him at all.  He needs to go.  All that being said, the timing of this announcement and the mere suggestion that the next two games are in any way critical for a team destined to finish 4th in the AFCW is a farse.  Moreover, I'd argue it's painfully transparent and represents a microcosm of Dean's failings as an NFL operator.

Simply put, it's chickensh*t.

I know, I know...how can firing someone I think should be fired be chickens*t?

I can hear the wheels turning. It doesn't make sense to fire him after losing to the Raiders because they have the Broncos on a short week next week.  It's smart football move to fire him after the Bronco game because they'll have ten days to right the ship before they head to Atlanta.  This makes sense.

I see where you're going, but here's the problem with that; if Dean fires McCoy in the next two weeks he won't be doing it for football reasons.  He won't be firing McCoy to give his interim head coach, whom I fear would probably be John Pagano, a chance to save his season because mid season coaching changes rarely, if ever, save the season.  In fact, while it might galvanize the fan base, more often than not making such a move is akin to waiving the white flag because you're telling your players the season is lost.

The truth is, calling the next two games "critical" is a ploy.  Let's face it, Mike McCoy is 5-15 over his last 20 games as head coach and, in all likelihood, is headed for his 11th straight AFCW loss come next Thursday.  He's short handed, out classed as a coach, and seems to be losing his locker room by the day.  Even if he manages to win one of these games, let alone two, there is no doubt in my mind the Chargers will struggle to win more than six games this season.

So why fire McCoy if it isn't about saving the season? Simple; Dean Spanos actually believes firing McCoy might convince San Diego to vote yes on C.  In other words, he's hiding behind the vote to do something he should do anyway because he's terrified of making difficult decisions.  That's pretty much the definition of chickens*t in my book, folks.

Time for some harsh truth; making Mike McCoy your sacrificial lamb isn't going to get Prop C passed next month.  It may sway a handful of votes, but this referendum is no where near close enough to be swung in one direction or another by a handful of votes.  The truth is, the vast majority of minds have been made up on both sides of the topic for months and axing McCoy isn't going to change that.

In fact, I would go so far as to suggest this vote isn't even about getting the required 66% to pass the referendum.  Rather, it's about seeing how close to (or hopefully how far beyond) 50% they can get because anything over 50% probably convinces the Chargers to either take the matter of whether raising the TOT tax requires 66% to the California State Supreme Court or, to take another shot at it with more time to plan.

That's why Dean should stop hiding behind the vote and do what most any other NFL operator would have done after a 4-12 season; fire Mike McCoy because he's a bad football coach.

So, Dean, it's time to stop spinning this nonsense that the next two games are critical for a head coach you know is incapable of winning said games, stop letting politics dictate how you run your franchise, and do us all a favor by making a football decision for football reasons.  You've already lost the popularity contest, so maybe you should try running your NFL franchise like you give a damn about winning for a change because unlike firing McCoy, exhibiting some competence as an owner might actually restore some of the confidence this city has lost in you.