POSTED 12:58 p.m. EST, November 13, 2007
LACK OF DISCIPLINE IN SAN DIEGO? by Michael David Smith
The story didn't get much attention, but Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Sunday that some Chargers players stayed out past curfew last Friday in Minneapolis, 36 hours before the team turned in its worst performance of the season in a loss to the Vikings.
Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated reported during an appearance today on ESPN First Take that one of those players was linebacker Shawne Merriman.
According to Acee, the team responded to the curfew violation by not only fining the players involved, but also firing director of security Mike Cash, whose job description includes overseeing the security guards on the players' floor at the team's hotel and ensuring that the players are in on time.
Whether or not there's any link between the players staying out late and their weak performance against the Vikings, this raises the question of whether there's enough discipline on the Chargers.
Marty Schottenheimer, the coach the Chargers fired after last season's 14-2 record and first-round playoff loss, is known for having a good relationship with his players but also for running a tight ship. Norv Turner, the coach brought in to replace Schottenheimer, doesn't have that reputation. Jerry Rice, who played for Turner on the Raiders, once said that Turner "had no control" over the team.
Neither Turner nor General Manager A.J. Smith (who made the decision to fire Cash), would discuss the curfew violations. But if the Turner-coached Chargers don't start playing more like last year's Schottenheimer-coached Chargers, the questions about whether there's enough discipline in San Diego are not going away.