Chargers' Norv Turner: It's time to go!

Let’s not even start out by saying that Norv Turner should be fired as head coach of the Chargers.

That’s so obvious … well; I guess we have to say it.

The only hope for Charger fans is that the team follows San Diego State’s lead.

Aztec coach Chuck Long was told he would be back for 2009 … but he’s gone.

We can only wish the Chargers do the same with their vote of confidence for Turner.

Owner Dean Spanos should have learned the first time.

When coach Bobby Ross and general manager Bobby Beathard were at odds, he fired the coach after the 1996 season.

Ten years later, he did the same thing when coach Marty Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith were at odds. (Coach goes; GM stays.)

By 1998, the Chargers were in shambles. Same thing; 10 years later.

This year’s team has an offense that has turned offensive.

The Chargers could muster only 201 yards in Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, with their longest (and only) touchdown drive covering 20 yards.

If Turner is an offensive genius, he’s doing a good job of hiding it.

And speaking of hiding, that’s exactly what the Charger brass should do if it brings back Turner and his history of not making the playoffs for another season.

San Diego State needs to drop football

San Diego State has said good bye to football coach Chuck Long.
Now SDSU needs to say "good riddance" to its football program.
In short, the program is a joke. The Aztecs have suffered 10 straight non-winning seasons while recording a .333 "winning" percentage.
SDSU is among three of 23 California State University (CSU) schools still playing major college football.
Of the other two, Fresno State is successful and San Jose State at least keeps its head above water.
In tough financial times, SDSU President Stephen Weber keeps handing millions of "discretional" dollars to athletics.
Forget about overcrowded classrooms. Forget about the library.
Good money keeps being thrown at a horrible football team.
University sources say all departments are being told to tighten their financial belts during a bad economy.
Student fees will even be raised (again) to cover the athletics budget. (This, during a time when the CSU will admit 10,000 fewer students next school year.)
SDSU would have to leave the Mountain West Conference if it drops football.
So what. There is still the Big West, a competitive basketball conference which would save on the travel budget.
And at a time when the economy is at its worst, the worst thing for SDSU to do is keep alive a football program that is a terrible drain on the university budget.

Who is the worst football team in San Diego?

Who is the most disappointing football team in San Diego?

Is it:

The Chargers, who may not even make the playoffs?

San Diego State, which may not win another game?

You can make a case for both.

The Chargers were supposed to be good enough to win the Super Bowl. At 3-4, they would be out of the race already in some divisions … luckily; they’re in the worst NFL division in the AFC West.

The Aztecs were at least supposed to be competitive this year. After a 70-7 loss at New Mexico last week, one must wonder if they have given up on the season … and will suffer the first 10-loss season in school history.

How bad is it?

People are now starting to write letters to the editor again, questioning if Norv Turner is back to his historic losing ways as a head coach.

Yet there’s so little interest in SDSU football that there’s not even a firechucklong.com Web site to be found.

Both teams are beyond disappointing at this point. There will be great interest (or lack of) to see which team can snap out of the doldrums.

San Diego State desperately needs a win

It’s going to be something to see how the Chargers and San Diego State react on the football field this weekend.

The Chargers will just be playing/hoping not to get anybody hurt when they close their exhibition season Friday night at San Francisco.

But it will be much different Saturday night for SDSU.

The Aztecs will be fighting for their season when they open by hosting Cal Poly, a team from the next division down in college football.

This is the same Cal Poly bunch that came to San Diego two years ago and upset the Aztecs, 16-14, when Coach Chuck Long became too conservative.

If SDSU loses to the Mustangs again, it may be the beginning of the end for Long on Montezuma Mesa.

While experienced on defense, the Aztecs are very young offensively.

Much of their season rides on redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Lindley out of El Capitan High School.

His father, Tim Lindley, was a water polo All-American at Monte Vista High School. Ryan will try to take the family genes to another lofty status when he begins his Aztec career.

The SDSU defense is solid; the offense may not be. We’ll see.

Prediction: SDSU 20, Cal Poly 13

Poinsettia Bowl: Aztecs out, Utah in?

Would you like to see San Diego State play in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl this year?

Keep dreaming.

First of all, the Aztecs (4-5) would have to win two of their final three games to become bowl eligible.

Where do you find two wins with games at Air Force (Nov. 17) and at home vs. Texas Christian University (Nov. 24) and Brigham Young (Dec. 1)?

Even if the Aztecs finish 6-6, the Poinsettia Bowl would have to choose a Mountain West Conference team with seven wins over SDSU.

The best that can be said for the Aztecs at this point is they’re on a two-game winning streak and have surpassed last year’s victory total of three.

“We’re excited to play,” SDSU coach Chuck Long said. “We have an upbeat practice tempo going. Guys are really starting to gel and really enjoy being around each other. We've had a great time with this team all year.”

But after nine years of the Mountain West Conference, they are still the conference’s only team never to appear in a bowl game during that time.

As for the Poinsettia Bowl, look for a match-up between Navy (6-4) and Utah (7-3). Navy has already accepted a bid to the game.

BYU (7-2) will win the Mountain West and go to the Las Vegas Bowl. That leaves Utah and New Mexico (7-3) as the leading contenders for the Poinsettia Bowl, but Utah has a much better “name” than the Lobos.

The Aztecs will be on the outside looking in, but what’s new?

This week’s prediction:

Air Force 27, SDSU 23

Aztecs trying to make friends

San Diego State is to be lauded for donating 4,000 tickets to firefighters, police, American Red Cross, military and others who protected San Diego County during last week’s fires.

The Aztecs are also selling field level tickets for $5 to this Saturday night’s home game against Wyoming.

All told, hopefully this means the Aztecs will have more than 20,000 people actually in the stands for the game.

As much as SDSU is reaching out to the community in some ways, it still isn’t winning football games. And that’s why people are not coming, no matter what the discount.

Chuck Long is just 5-14 in his first 1 ½ seasons on Montezuma Mesa. Since he’s in the second year of a five-year contract, SDSU isn’t going to buy him out anytime soon.

This team just isn’t making an impact in the community. The Aztecs haven’t had a winning season since 1998 … and it doesn’t appear one is on the horizon.

They will make some friends this weekend with the free and discounted tickets.

But to make friends in the long run, they will need to win more than once a month.

Prediction:

Wyoming 27, SDSU 17

Aztecs missed out on Tedford, Harbaugh

Jeff Tedford coaches the California Bears, ranked No. 2 in the nation by the Associated Press.

Jim Harbaugh is the first-year coach at Stanford, which pulled off arguably the Upset of the Year last weekend by beating then No. 2 USC, 24-23.

So, what do these two coaches have in common?

Among other things, both could (and should) have been named the head coach at San Diego State when their time had come.

Tedford’s time was before the 2002 season. SDSU tried to hurry the former Oregon assistant coach into a decision, causing him to withdraw from the process.

Harbaugh’s time was prior to the 2006 season.

After leading the University of San Diego to the first of two national titles for schools of its size, Harbaugh politicked for the SDSU job. The Aztecs didn’t even give him a sniff.

What do you think the Aztecs would be like now if Tedford or Harbaugh was the head coach?

It’s a question to ponder, because it will never become reality.

Instead, Chuck Long is 5-12 overall in his second season. He’ll take a 2-3 overall record (1-0 in the Mountain West Conference) into Saturday’s game at Utah.

Tedford? Harbaugh? Long?

You make the call as to which coach would have fit best at SDSU.

Prediction:

Utah 33, SDSU 21

Aztecs face 'must win' this week

It’s amazing when your “must win” situation comes against a team from the ridiculously-called Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).

But that’s what San Diego State faces when it hosts Portland State at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in front of a big crowd coming to see the postgame KGB Sky Show; not the football game.

If the Aztecs lose this one, it will be worse than the loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last year.

Lose this one and it may as well all but be the end of Aztecs football. Few people seem to care now; it’s hard to imagine anybody (outside of the players and coaches) will care if they can’t come through this week.

Portland State is only 1-2, with losses coming to not-so-powerhouses McNeese State and UC Davis. At least the Aztecs (0-2) have lost to Pac-10 teams.

When it comes to coaching, Portland State clearly has a superior staff to SDSU’s.

The Vikings are under the direction of former NFL coach Jerry Glanville. Offensive coordinator Mouse Davis is the originator of the run-and-shoot offense.

We all know the Aztecs seem to come into games very unprepared. Portland State will show numerous looks offensively and defensively.

That could spell trouble for SDSU.

The Aztecs are touting this game as the chance for a third straight victory at home. I guess that means you can spin the numbers any way you want to and throw out the fact that the team is 3-11 under current head coach Chuck Long.

They better win this week … or else.

Prediction: SDSU 24, Portland State 20

Aztecs face another tough weekend

Do you want to make some money this weekend?

Take Arizona State and give the 28-point spread to San Diego State for Saturday night’s game in Tempe, Ariz.

Why?

There are 469 reasons, as in the 469 passing yards Washington State rolled up in a 45-17 win over the Aztecs last weekend.

And that was Washington State, a weaker link in the Pac-10. Arizona State figures to be a factor in the tough Pac-10 this year, which figures to be bad news for SDSU.

The Sun Devils have the nation’s No. 23-ranked passer in Rudy Carpenter.

After facing coach Chuck Long and his Aztecs, don’t be surprised if Carpenter ranks among the top 10 nationally.

Prediction: Arizona State 44, SDSU 10

Aztecs in for long season?

What can be made of the San Diego State football team?

Going into Saturday’s season opener against Washington State in Seattle, the Aztecs:

Have lost 16 straight games to Pac-10 opponents
Are coming off a horrible 3-9 season
Face the possibility (probability) of becoming the first team in school history with 10 losses

Yes, season No. 2 of the Chuck Long era on Montezuma Mesa looks like a longshot at best.

SDSU is meeting its match … at least in terms of preseason forecasts … against Washington State. Both teams were picked to finish eighth in their respective conference … which tells you why this game is not even being televised.

Of course, it does not bode well for the Aztecs that they are in the Mountain West Conference; a much weaker conference than where the Cougars reside.

“We are well aware of the fact that we haven’t been too successful against Pac-10 teams in the past and that we haven’t been to a bowl game in a while, but we are trying not to focus on that,” SDSU wide receiver Chaz Schilens said. “Going into the game this weekend, we are focusing on matching up well with a good team.”

The Aztecs have been anything but a good team this millennium and more, failing to have a winning season or reach a bowl game since 1998.

Unless this team with a very suspect offensive line comes around quickly, it could be staring a 10-loss season in the face.

“A win is a win and that is something we strive for every week, but obviously beating a Pac-10 team to start the season would get things off on a good note for us,” Aztecs linebacker Russell Allen said.

Don’t count on it.

Prediction: Washington State 38, SDSU 13

Fighting Phillies are in town

These types of pitching match-ups don’t come along that often.

It’s All-Star Cole Hamels for Philadelphia vs. All-Star Chris Young for the Padres tonight at Petco Park.

What makes the showdown even more intriguing is that Hamels is a local product from Rancho Bernardo High.

Hamels will be pitching in Petco Park for the second time. He gave up three runs in 5 2-3 innings with no decision in San Diego on July 17, 2006.

“My heart was definitely beating the whole time,” Hamels said afterwards. “I haven't had that excitement in a long time. It was great to pitch in my hometown.”

Hamels (11-4, 3.83 ERA) is one win behind National League leader Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs.

Young (8-3, 1.97), meanwhile, has virtually taken over from Jake Peavy as ace of the Padres.

He leads the majors in ERA and has held the opposition scoreless in five of his last eight starts.

According to the latest odds, the Padres are a 13-10 favorite to win tonight.

Advantage, Young.

Aztecs on the right path academically

As spring football practice continues at San Diego State, Chuck Long has the Aztecs on the right path … at least academically.
SDSU’s second-year head coach has spelled out a 4 ½-year plan for his players to apply both on the field and in the classroom.
Under the plan, the Aztecs expect players to graduate within 4 ½ years to keep the grass from growing between the time they finish football and graduate from college.
Here’s how it works: Say a freshman comes in with the current 2007 class. If he redshirts this season and plays the next four years, his SDSU football career concludes in December 2011. If he graduates in 4 ½ years, that also occurs in December 2011. Under this scenario, players won’t be tempted to leave school after their football career is done without graduating.
According to the most recent NCAA Graduation-Rate Report, SDSU student-athletes graduated at a rate of 81 percent. This percentage is higher than for the general student population.
SDSU was also recently recognized with the Diversity in Athletics Award for being one of the top athletics programs in the country for its graduation rate of African-American male student-athletes and Title IX compliance.
Chuck Long and his staff are definitely trying to keep the Aztecs on pace academically. Now if they can do something about last year’s 3-9 record and actually go to a bowl game, it would be another feather in SDSU’s cap.