Marty scorned. Reid torn. LaVar not up to form.

Schottenheimer dumped
When your NFL team finds success, other teams raid your coaching staff. The 14-2 San Diego Chargers were highly successful and Dallas and Miami lured the Chargers' coordinators away with head coaching positions. It cost Chargers head coach Marty Schottenheimer his job. Team president Dean Spanos cited the loss of Marty's coaching staff and the dysfunctional relationship between Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith as reasons for firing the coach. Schottenheimer and Smith engaged in escalating disputes over personnel, including the decision on whether to keep or release QB Drew Brees. Smith won and Brees was gone. Now Marty is gone. In January, Spanos said that Schottenheimer would return for the last year of his contract.

Faced with the same choice in 1999, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder kept the coach and fired the general manager. He would later say that he fired the wrong man. Stay tuned to see how the San Diego drama works out.

Schottenheimer has another issue. His regular season won-loss record is 200-126-1, and he has had an enormous influence on NFL coaching staffs. He has not won, or appeared in, a Super Bowl. Under the emerging Monk Rule, whereby stats are meaningless and career achievement have no value, Schottenheimer will not be selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ever.

Unless he returns to the media.

Reid on leave
Eagles coach Andy Reid is top drawer, but his sons are knuckleheads. So the coach is taking a one month leave of absence from the team to deal with some tough family business. Reid has been master of the East with six playoff appearances in eight years guiding the Eagles. He is taking time to master his house. Best wishes on that one.

Arrington takes one giant step -- out
Maybe now the LaVar Arrington - Dale Lindsey feud can end. The New York Giants released Arrington today, along with LB Carlos Emmons and T Luke Petitgout. The Redskins released Lindsey, Arrington's coaching nemesis, in January. LaVar suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the Dallas game October 23.

It didn't take long for new GM Jerry Reece to make bold moves. Arrington's release is big news in Washington, but cutting Petitgout must be bigger news in New York. It's the equivilent of the Redskins releasing Jon Jansen.

Photo: Marty Schottenheimer (top), The Washington Post
Photo: LaVar Arrington and Marty Schottenheimer (right), The Washington Post