Well, Chargers fans…guess what that old fuddy-duddy Norv Turner did on the first play of the game Sunday afternoon against the Oakland Raiders?
You know ol’ Norv, don’t you? He’s the fella down the end of the block there, drives about 15 miles per hour below the speed limit, politely sends away the girl-scout-cookie kid without a sale, and rolls up the sidewalks every night ‘bout 8:30 p.m.
As head coach of our beloved Bolts, he always runs off-tackle left to open every game, and you all know what that means…the Chargers go three-and-out and never, ever score on their first possession. Hadn’t scored a TD to start a game in nearly a season-and-a-half, as a matter of fact.
So perhaps, you say, that couldn’t possibly have been Norv down there, letting his Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers let the ball fly 60 yards down field on the very first snap from center. But, unless he was taking a quick game-opening cat-nap, I’m sure I saw the old ball coach send in the play-call.
And, guess what? The ball came fluttering down into the hands of wide receiver Malcolm Floyd for a 53-yard pickup for the Chargers. Now, that’s the way to start a game!
First-and-goal at the Raiders six! And now Norv was really feeling his oats. All of sudden stepping into the role of a Riverboat gambler on a roll of sevens…“Tricky” Turner called for a Wildcat formation, with his Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson taking a direct snap from center.
The result, as you and I could have told him months ago, was predictable. Another seven — or in this case six, as Tomlinson waltzed into the end zone untouched. The dye had been cast, and the Chargers were on their way to a 24-16 victory.
Fun, fun, fun in the sun…and I must tell you I loved every minute of it. I’m sure most of you know why I did.
Not to take any credit or anything, but I’ve been screaming for the Wildcat since the season opened. Of course my pleas seemed as useless as suggesting that Norv coach every Sunday afternoon in a $5,000 tailor-made Armani suit.
But there was LT standing in the shotgun formation, waiting for the snap. Surely my eyes were deceiving me. For an instant, I though maybe Rivers had slipped out of sight behind massive Marcus McNeill. But no, it truly was going to be a play out of a formation Norv had insisted the Bolts would never use.
You know, he’s a cagey-one, that Norv.
Anyway, when Tomlinson raced easily into the end zone…for the first time all-season, I leapt up off the couch! I know, I know: no cheering in the press box, but I couldn’t help myself!
Now…I know my mom taught me to be classy and not to rub it in even when I was right…but I just can’t help it.
“Hey Norv!…I told you so! I told you so! I told you so! The Wildcat will work!…The Wildcat did work!…I’m a genius!…Did you see that, Norv!…It was a thing of beauty!”
OK…well, I feel much better now….But you know what would have made me feel even better? I’ll tell you in a question:
After Tomlinson’s easy score, why didn’t the Chargers ever run it again?Well, OK-OK, perhaps getting Norv to don a pair of snake-skin boots is going to take a while longer.
But at least Sunday was a start.
Interestingly, of course, Tomlinson told everyone who would listen after the game that the Wildcat formation has been in place since training camp. Leading me, of course, to another obvious query: why hadn’t the Chargers used it before?
Don’t tell me it wouldn’t have come in handy in, say, the Baltimore game when the Chargers lost, 30-26, because they had to settle for four chip-shot field goals. Or the Denver game when they had to settle for three more.
Oh well…As they used to say, it’s hard to teach and old dog new tricks — or in the case of our man Norv, any tricks at all. But now that’s he has finally seen the light, we can at least hope to look forward to some more fun as this season goes along.
The Wildcat has finally come out of the grab bag. Norv has traded in his Oldsmobile for a Corvette — well, let’s not get carried away here — say, a stick-shift P.T. Cruiser!
The Chargers are 4-and-3…and maybe they’re getting on a roll.
The rumpled mad genius has finally opened the shades and let some sun into his laboratory.
– Ello –
