Beathard Officially Signs With Chargers
Bobby Beathard took the lectern Wednesday looking as if he were relieved to be back wheeling and dealing with football players rather than football rumors.
Then the former Washington Redskin executive, who will complete one year with NBC on Jan. 14, was formally and finally introduced as the new general manager of the San Diego Chargers.
Owner Alex Spanos was brief as he introduced Beathard, the replacement for Steve Ortmayer, who was fired Dec. 18. The announcement confirmed what has been the worst-kept secret in the NFL for several weeks.
“There’s nothing much to say, outside the fact that Bobby Beathard represents an outstanding addition to our organization,” Spanos said at the news conference at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. “He is one of the best in football at evaluating and acquiring talent, and he will also be able to do whatever he feels necessary for us to have a winning ballclub.”
Beathard, who will turn 53 this month, and Spanos met early Wednesday morning to discuss details of his contract. One report said it was a three-year deal, but neither would provide any details.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Beathard said. “I want this to be my last football job. I want to be here as long as I can. I love it here. I don’t want to make another move.”
Neither would Beathard pinpoint the areas in which the Chargers require immediate attention. But he was optimistic, despite San Diego’s back-to-back 6-10 seasons.
“I don’t like to get into predictions about how many years (it will take),” he said. “I got into that with the Redskins. I don’t want to do that again. But I do think we’re a lot farther ahead now than the Redskins were when we took over there. That’s the only comparison I can make.”
He did say he liked what he saw from the team recently.
“I was impressed by the way they played coming down the stretch,” Beathard said of the Chargers’ victories in their final games at Kansas City and at home against division winner Denver.
“I thought it was important that they played hard when there was nothing at stake,” he said. “I was excited to see (rookie quarterback Billy Joe) Tolliver play. I thought Dan Henning made an excellent choice in getting Billy Joe back into the games at the end. Just playing at home and beating three of the good teams, the Raiders (14-12 on Nov. 12), Kansas City and Denver . . . that has to go a long way in helping our players think they can compete in this division.”
Beathard, who grew up in Los Angeles, says it has been his dream to return to work in California, a desire he cited when he left his post with the Redskins last May. His new residence in Leucadia--he still has a home is Virginia--is 13 miles from his parents’ home in Oceanside.
“The proximity is nice,” he said.
Although Beathard said he enjoyed his year at NBC--he was one of the network’s “Insiders,” reporting NFL news and rumors--he said he feels more involved now that he’s back in day-to-day team dealings.
“In football, you’re working at it every day,” he said. “You feel more involved. (At NBC), I guess you get that feeling, but it’s one or two days a week. There’s a little difference.”
Besides, he said with a laugh, “My feeling was that if I stayed away any longer, no one would want me.”
Beathard said he wasn’t worried that Spanos is regarded by many as one of the league’s more impulsive and impatient owners.
“I wouldn’t be here if I thought it would be the wrong situation. I would have gone somewhere else or stayed with NBC,” he said.
After completing his other commitments, Beathard will first concentrate on Plan B free agency.
“I’m not so worried about the (April) draft as much as Plan B, or protecting the right players at our club and being aware of the players left unprotected at other clubs,” he said. “After that period, we’ll be concentrating on college players.”