Chad Squared

Today we begin a weekly feature on Naked Bootleg called Chad Squared, offering two opinionated columns by a couple of goofs named Chad. The segment will run each Friday with Chad in the J.C. and The Other Chad commenting on the latest and hottest football-related topics. Sometimes they agree, and sometimes, like today, they disagree. In this week’s edition, Chad in the J.C. claims the Chargers are nuts for letting Drew Brees go to New Orleans. The Other Chad says the Bolts are right in blowing off Brees. (The Other Chad has too many scars from being a Jets fans.) Enjoy the first edition!

Chad in the J.C.: A Light Brees Blows into Naw'lans
It's hard to say since I'm not a coach on the Chargers staff. So I guess we all have to believe that Phillip Rivers really has been a Steve Young backup in practice and the coaches are confident he can continue their winning ways. If it were a smarter organization I wouldn't second-guess them. But, we're talking about the Chargers here. It has just seemed to me over the years that they are more worried about making money than winning championships. Remember when they finally went to the Super Bowl? Then Junior Seau and Gary Plummer left that great defense for more money? Well, the Chargers haven't been back since. So, now a playoff caliber team a Super Bowl contender team that beat the 14-0 Colts... now, let's their Pro Bowl QB go and believes that Phillip Rivers - who has been sitting on the bench - is going to come in and start this year and lead them to the Super Bowl!?!? It's just sad to see a team that close loose everything because of upper management only looking at the bottom line.

The Other Chad: Chargers right to let Brees blow
The San Diego Chargers allowed Drew Brees to blow out of town like a (Ryan) Leaf. Brees, who guided the Chargers to a 12-4 season in 2004 and their first playoff appearance in 10 years, was allowed to test free agency after he injured his right shoulder trying to recover a fumble during the team’s 2005 season finale. Good move by the Chargers to let him go. Observers only need to look at what happened to Chad Pennington and the New York Jets last season to know that it’s far too risky to place a team’s season hopes on a quarterback’s bum shoulder. The New Orleans Saints, with nothing much to lose these days, signed Brees Tuesday, guaranteeing him $10 million in year one of a six-year contract. The Chargers made a low-risk counter offer of $2 million guaranteed money. Brees, of course, chose the Saints and the larger dollar amount. The Chargers get nothing in return for letting their quarterback join another team. Instead of taking a risk with Bress, San Diego General Manager A.J. Smith and coach Marty Schottenheimer wisely opted to hand over the starting QB duties to untested backup Philip Rivers. Accompanied by a high-powered offense that features running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates, Rivers will have plenty of tools around him to help him succeed. Smith, Schottenheimer and the Chargers now can prepare the offense to flow with Rivers and not have to worry about the season being blown each time Brees takes a hit.