Chargers’ Henning Certainly Isn’t Scraping for Scapegoats
Multiple choice
The Chargers . . .
A. . . . are panicking because of intense pressure to win.
B. . . . are retrenching to get onto the same page.
C. . . . are doing neither of the above.
So maybe it is a bit abnormal to essentially fire the starting quarterback the week before the regular-season opener and do the same thing to the offensive coordinator (and assistant head coach) the next week.
Dan Henning, the head chef and bottle washer, is simply doing a tap dance around the notion of getting out of the kitchen if he cannot stand the heat.
What Henning has done is clear everyone else out of the kitchen. Consequently, whatever he produces is his and his alone.
This assumption of responsibility for the Chargers’ offense is rather gutsy, particularly since the next item on the menu is a trip to San Francisco to face the 49ers. This would seem a smarter time to be in position to spread blame, rather than accept it.
Should the Chargers lose this week up north and then the next week in the home opener against Atlanta, owner Alex Spanos might just show up with his broom.
Multiple choice
Benito Santiago should . . .
A. . . . run for mayor of San Diego.
B. . . . join the Chamber of Commerce.
C. . . . zip it.
Go for C.
It does him no good to be ripping San Diego fans for their supposed lack of knowledge of the game of baseball. The concept that collective fans in one city or another is smarter than those of another is a little ridiculous.
What’s more, if Santiago paid a bit more attention to some very basic fundamentals, such as pitch selection, he might be worth as much as he thinks he is . . . but isn’t.
Multiple choice
The Sockers will find players . . .
A. . . . through classified ads.
B. . . . through a fantasy camp.
C. . . . in Ron Newman’s Rolodex.
These guys definitely are not doing much of a job of keeping the players who just won the ninth indoor title in 10 years.
Paul Wright, Brian Quinn and now Waad Hirmez are gone, and it looks as if Branko Segota might be going. This is like the Padres losing the Nos. 2 through 5 hitters from their batting order and expecting to have any semblance of an offense.
The Sockers have had leakage in the past and patched things up and kept on winning, mainly because Newman seems to have a knack for finding players and putting them together as a competitive unit.
However, this looks to be a most hopeless chore, even for a magician like Newman.
Multiple choice
San Diego State’s football coaching staff . . .
A. . . . knew all along that Cree Morris would be the starting quarterback.
B. . . . simply could not decide between Morris and David Lowery.
C. . . . milked the controversy to help the Fill the Murph ticket campaign.
If Dan McGwire, with all his skills, could not sell out the stadium last year, a controversy surrounding two unknown commodities was not going to do it. Junk that theory.
No, the SDSU staff could not decide between the two redshirt sophomores. This was a particularly important decision because the winner is likely to be asked to lead this team for the next three years.
The only problem seems to be that the uncertainty was caused more by inconsistent practices rather than two guys both forcing themselves to the forefront.
Multiple choice
Greg Riddoch . . .
A. . . . couldn’t manage the ’27 Yankees.
B. . . . has done a fine job in the face of adversity.
C. . . . is the Billy Joe Tolliver of managers.
In a sense, Riddoch really is learning on the job . . . a la Billy Joe. He is not taking quite as much heat, at least in the ballpark, but the natives sure grumble a lot about some of the moves he makes or does not make.
However, it is hard to look at the won-lost record, the National League West standings and consider the problems this club has had and still find fault with the job this man has done.
It’s beginning to look more and more like he will be back as the Padres’ manager. No one has yet given me a reason why not.