Stupid.  In Webster's Dictionary, defined as "Smith, A. J., General Manager of the San Diego Chargers."

GIven Smith's ego that dwarfs the entire state of California, you knew that it was only a matter of time before Smith opened his mouth and showed the entire football world that he is, indeed, nothing more than an ass.  His recent comments regarding LaDainian Tomlinson confirmed that.

Two years ago, fresh off a surprising but understandable loss to the visiting Patriots, Smith got his way and got Marty Schottenheimer fired.  The team didn't exactly embrace Martyball to start, but came to appreciate it once they saw the on-field success.  Whether Marty is directly responsible for his horrid playoff coaching record or whether the man is a walking cloud of bad karma is debatable.  However, Schottenheimer did what no other coach since the 80s did with San Diego - made them relevant.  This is a team that drafted Ryan Leaf.  Maybe it's good that they did since they got LDT in the process, but the fact remains that they still drafted Leaf.  Then, Smith comes in and immediately clashes with the stoic, conservative to a fault Schottenheimer, and it was ON.  Smith won, naturally.  He was in a position to ensure that he won.  He didn't gloat too much; instead he went out and hired Norv Turner of all people.  Why I'll never know.  What it started was the slide.  Yes, that inexorable slide back into mediocraty and irrelavance that San Diego faithful have endured for too long.  And now Smith is greasing the slide with his recent comments that was a thinly veiled attack at Tomlinson.

Tomlinson, to be fair, did not have a good year.  But toe injuries are damned difficult things.  LDT is a slasher back - he needs to have his toes, feet, ankles, calves, knees and the rest of his lower body functioning perfectly to perform his best.  He's the type that can make that ultra-quick tiny cut while sprinting full speed towards the sidelines, and the next thing you see is that LDT turned a 2-yard snoozer rushing play into a 7 or more yard success.  All from that little cut.  And make no mistake - great players have been felled by toe injuries.  Two other players come to mind - Jack Lambert and Jonathan Ogden.  One's in the hall of fame, the other will surely make it one day.  Toe injuries.  For fans, we just don't get it I guess.  I have no idea what it would be like, but watching LDT this year told you more than he ever wanted to speak aloud.

Then, in the waning moments of the Chargers season finale, Tomlinson hurt his groin.  He was immediately cast in doubt for the Colts game, and the whispers of the previous year erupted again.  When LDT stood on the sidelines watching his teammates lose a tight one to the Patriots while the Chargers press said that his return was probable, people didn't understand.  He was blamed.  A guy like LDT wouldn't say much; instead, he'd work twice as hard to prove his doubters wrong.  But then the word finally leaked out before the Pittsburgh game that LDT had a detached tendon in his groin.  This was a far more serious injury, and honestly no one really expected him to play once that announcement was made.  And it made AJ Smith furious.  Why?  Because I believe that he alone thinks he knows what's best for the team and his players, and refuses to allow his players to have their own voice. 

Personally I think that the clock is ticking.  LDT is perhaps no more than a season away from donning the colors of a new team.  While I will feel badly for San Diego fans in general when this happens, and I don't wish ill will to their fans one bit, at the same time I hope LDT goes to Denver and racks up over 350 yards rushing, 100 yards passing and 4 TDs against Smith's Chargers.  And I hope after the second game he announces on the NFL Network using his most sardonic tones that the game ball goes to AJ Smith for allowing him the opportunity to have a second chance at football.  And then I hope AJ Smith's head explodes.