At the risk of echoing the anti-intellectual blatherings of Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton, who insists real fans who aren’t total pussies have to “choose sides” in this debate, I’m not sure there’s any appropriate comeback for San Diego’s sad sack head coach Norv Turner (above) besides the time tested, “well, everyone’s got a right to their opinion.” Instead, the man who inherited a 14-2 team and more than a dozen Pro Bowlers thinks he’s got a snappy reply for his Jets rival, who earlier this week suggested the Chargers would have won a Super Bowl by now had they, y’know, hired Rex Ryan instead of Norv Turner. From NBC San Diego’s Michael Gehlken :
Turner, the man given the job, had his usual subtle smile while standing at the podium. He confirmed that Ryan called him earlier, reportedly to clarify that the comments were not meant as a slight to Turner.
“It really was between he and I,” Turner said of the conversation. “I think we’ve had enough coaching drama in the league the last few days. We don’t need anymore.”
Then — shoot, why not? — Turner stirred the pot with the boisterous Jets coach.
“I hadn’t seen the quote; I was a little surprised when he called,” Turner said. “And then, after I saw the quote, I didn’t have a chance to ask him this, but I was wondering if he had those rings with the ones he’s guaranteed the past couple of years.”
Maybe nose tackle Antonio Garay said it best.
He sat quietly on a stool in front of his locker, raising his right hand and slowly brushing it over the top of his face. He then exhaled with a low sigh.
“Write that down,” Garay said.