NFL

Awkward: The San Diego Chargers’ Owner, Who Is Firing Norv Turner At Season’s End, Gave Norv Turner The Game Ball

Norv Turner will be fired at season’s end. It’s been a long time coming, the Chargers not having made the playoffs since 2009-2010, and the team seemingly never living up to its potential. That’s why, in part, yesterday’s rout of the Steelers by a score of 34-24 was so surprising. Sitting at 4-8 heading into the game, it seemed Norv and the Chargers had already all but given up.

Though technically Norv Turner has yet to be fired, and Chargers owner Dean Spanos has denied that any decision about his and GM A.J. Smith’s futures have been made. Still: there will be new football decision-makers in 2012-2013, and Norv Turner knows that he will not be one of them.

That’s what makes this story so unbearably awkward – for Turner, that is.

Via Chargers.com:

“As a result of securing the franchise’s first win in Pittsburgh, as well as scoring the most points against them, Chairman of the Board and President Dean Spanos stood in front of the entire Chargers team after the game and presented Turner with a game ball. As soon as the words came out of Spanos’ mouth, the entire team clapped and cheered wildly as Turner accepted it.”

“Here ya go, old ball coach, the game ball! Now see over there, that’s the door right there. Enjoy your party favor on the way out.”

[Chargers.com, via ProFootballTalk]

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