FOF2004 - Interest Chargers

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
July, 2003

They said it was an accident. Alex Spanos was just crossing the street one morning when a black sedan ran him down and left him bleeding in the street. There was only one witness, who was only able to provide a simple description of the vehicle, and no license plate number. The police never found the car or the driver.

Suspicions were raised when it was discovered that while most of Spanos' estate was left to the expected heirs, his will stated that the San Diego Chargers would be left to Bruno Triveri, a wealthy car parts distributor with whom Spanos had limited investment dealings but was rumored to have numerous criminal connections.

The probate process was swift - none of the other heirs raised any protest over the distribution of assets, and Bruno was left as the owner of the Chargers. He promised swift changes that would turn the franchise into a sensational winner, and the city began to buzz with excitement over the new owner's enthusiasm.

The hype ended when Triveri was arrested for first degree murder. The police had arrested the man who had killed mexican crime boss Carlos "The Squid" Calimari three years earlier, and he turned over evidence linking Triveri to the crime. Details were sketchy, but it had something to do with a breed of trout that Triveri was fond of raising.

Triveri fled the country, but before he did, he arranged for transfer of ownership of the San Diego Chargers to Franklin Brown, a seemingly hapless computer technician from Northern California.

Brown had no NFL experience - in fact, he had no football experience at all since playing in high school in Maryland. Why had Triveri handed over ownership of an NFL franchise to this person, free of charge?

This is his story...

[Franklinnoble]

Placerville, California
August, 2003

There's nothing like being awakened at 2 a.m. by a screaming baby in the
basinet next to your bed. Junior was awake, hungry, and determined to let
everyone in the county know about it. Unlike an alarm clock, there is no
convenient snooze button, no "five more minutes." The creature demands to be
fed, and does not relent until you comply.

Franklin stumbled out of bed as his wife comforted the three week old baby.
He snatched the bottle from the nightstand that Junior had emptied just two
hours prior and mumbled as he walked into the kitchen. The dogs were barking;
probably at a deer. He walked over to the sink to rinse the bottle and was surprised to see a pair of headlights in the drivewayas he looked up out the window.

Double checking the clock on the microwave as he heated the bottle, he decided
to see who it was after he made sure Junior was eating. He handed the bottle
to his wife. "There's someone in the driveway. I'm gonna go see who." She
nodded sleepily and continued feeding the baby.

Franklin walked out to the driveway and approached what appeared to be a black
Crown Victoria, but the man behind the wheel didn't appear to be a police
officer. He tapped on the driver side window, and the man rolled it down.
"Can I help you, buddy?"

A voice from the back seat spoke. "Actually, I think you can. Do you have a
moment?"

"Dude, it's like 2 a.m."

"You're right. Would $5000 cash be worth losing a few minutes sleep?"

Franklin stepped back from the car. "I don't want any trouble."

The back door of the car opened, and a lean, graying man of about 55 stepped
out. "Actually, this will be the one honest deal I've made in a while.
Please, I've got to leave shortly, and if I don't take care of this now, it
will all be for nothing."

"Fine. Talk. But keep your money."

"Fair enough. My name is Bruno Triveri..." Franklin snorted.

"Hah. And I'm Clark Kent. Don't mind the cape."

Triveri smiled. "I need to leave the country for a while, but I'd like
someone to look after my football team. I cannot trust any of my current
associates."

"Ah. Sure. But you can trust a guy living on a dirt road in the middle of
nowhere that you just met. Look, I don't know who you really are or if I'm on
some sort of new reality TV show here, but I don't have time for this - I have
to work in the morning. The road you're on doesn't go anywhere - if you're
lost, you need to turn around and go back the way you came. "

"Mr. Brown, humor me for a moment." Triveri smiled - he could tell by the
look on Franklin's face that he was wondering how he knew his name. "I have a
helicopter that is going to land on the back of your property in about ten
minutes. The valley that your land borders provides a route out of the county that the authorities will have a difficult time trying to trace."

"Why are you in El Dorado County in the first place? And there are a hundred places along this valley you could fly out of..."

"I had some unfinished business in Sacramento. This is about the last place they'd expect my escape route to begin from. But I chose your property for a reason." Triveri grinned.

"Why's that?"

"I've always wanted to own a football team, you know? It was a lifelong dream of mine to manage and build a franchise into championship form, and just as I was able to acquire a team, I am forced to flee the country due to some outstanding legal issues I have."

"Is this the part where I get out my violin?"

Triveri grinned again. "Does the name Jim Gindin mean anything to you?"

Puzzled, Franklin replied. "Yeah. He makes computer software. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I have to leave the country. Tonight. I also have to sign over my interest in the San Diego Chargers to somebody else before I go, or the team will be operated by the league until they decide what to do with it. I cannot trust any current business associates. I have no family. I need someone to own the Chargers and that someone is you."

"You lost me."

"You know, Front Office Football is the only thing I know how to use on my computer? I've bought over 100 copies of each version, just to help make sure that Jim keeps on working on the next version. I called Jim a few hours ago. He told me he has one client in El Dorado County who has bought every version of the game since FOF2. That client is you."

"So, basically, because I play Front Office Football, you want me run the San Diego Chargers?"

"Correct."

"Riiiight. And what if I told you I played Grand Theft Auto once?"

"I have the papers right here, Mr. Brown. Charles here is a notary public, he will witness your signature of them. You have nothing to lose."

Franklin began looking over the papers that Triveri had placed on the hood of the car. They looked real enough. "Why would you do this?"

"I know that you have at least some interest in running a professional football team, and some basic idea of how it works. A man of your limited means doesn't spend over $100 on different versions of the same game for no reason. I will lose the team if I don't sell it to someone. I'd rather it go to someone who might at least try to make something of it." Triveri paused. "Of course, there is one catch."

"What's that?"

"I'm going to be living overseas, and, to be blunt, I'll need the money."

"Well, hell, I'll just run down to the credit union and see if they'll make me a loan for the San Diego Chargers. That'll be, what, $300, $350 million? I'm sure they'll have no problem with that."

"There won't be any banks involved, Mr. Brown. You will transfer $30 million dollars from the San Diego Chargers to an off-shore 'investment' account every year for at least the next 20 years. If you have not won the Super Bowl in that time, you will continue to transfer $30 million per year until you do so. You can not sell the team at all in the next 20 years."

"It doesn't mention any of that in the papers here."

"Of course not. It would be entirely illegal to do so."

"I see. But you have people like Charles here to enforce the terms, right?"

"It won't come to that. If at any point you decide not to continue the arrangement, you let me know. We'll arrange a transfer to someone else at that point."

A helicopter could be heard approaching in the distance. Triveri looked towards the back of the property. "My ride will be here in moments. You must decide now."

Franklin thought for a moment. What the hell. Even if it was a big scam, it couldn't hurt to sign the papers. "Alright. I'll play along. But I still think you're full of shit."

Triveri collected the papers after Charles had signed and stamped them, and placed them back in his briefcase. "You'll hear from my people in a few days. After that, I would expect the media will be very, very interested in speaking with you."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll give you a shout out if they ever put me on TV."

Triveri smiled again, and walked off towards the hilltop out back where a sleek black helicopter was just landing. Franklin shook his head and went back inside.

[Franklinnoble]

Two Days Later...

Franklin was awakened by a loud knocking on his front door. With his hair a mess and wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, he opened it to face a television camera and much more nicely groomed newsreporter with a microphone in hand.

"Mr. Brown, tell us how you know Bruno Triveri, and why he sold you the San Diego Chargers for $1."

Franklin looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. It read 6:03 A.M. He muttered into the microphone, "Ugh. It's too early for this shit." He shut the door.

***

After explaining to his wife what really happened in the driveway two nights ago, Franklin turned on his computer and began reading the stories being published about him, Bruno Triveri, and the San Diego Chargers. Legal experts were saying that the purchase documents were in order, even if the circumstances were highly irregular. The NFL had published a statement saying that they would have to approve ANY new franchise owner, and that they would have no further comment until they had a chance to investigate the situation. San Diego sportswriters were aghast at the circus that had been made of their football team. Chargers players expressed bewilderment, but refrained from being critical of any new management situation.

One of the attorneys that had been interviewed by several media outlets was sports and entertainment lawyer Russell Winston. Franklin decided he was going to need representation if this was going to work, so he picked up the phone and called the number listed on Winston's website.

"Winston and McKenzie, how may I help you?" A cheerful voice greeted him.

"Hi, I need to speak to Russell Winston."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Winston is not available. May I take a message?"

"Yeah, tell him that Franklin Brown called. I'm sure he can figure out how to reach me. Stuart Scott was able to find the number..." Boo-yah. Franklin grinned as he recalled how he had told Stuart he'd only take an interview from Kenny Mayne.

Franklin hung up, and listened as the phone continued to ring. He'd stopped answering it an hour ago, and had just been letting the machine screen the calls. A peek through the blinds revealed that a news van was still parked in his driveway. His attention turned to the answering machine when he heard, "Mr. Brown, this is Mr. Triveri. Please pick up the phone."

Franklin grabbed the phone. "I thought you said your people would call me before all this hit the fan?"

"Well, that was before I realized that the government of Costa Rica was planning to turn me over to the FBI. I've been busy."

"Forgot to bribe the right government official, eh?"

"I can't talk for long, Mr. Brown. Your phone is tapped."

"Well, then you shouldn't be calling me at all."

"Fortunately, where you live, it's easy enough for me to have someone cut your phone line and splice in a satellite receiver - but the FBI will have figured this out by now and are no doubt racing to find out where the line was interrupted. After you're done talking with me, you'll have about 20 minutes of peace before your service is back on.'

"Maybe I can catch a nap. What do you want?"

"You're going to need help getting installed as the new owner of the Chargers. You'll need legal representation, and we'll need to take care of the league office."

"I've already got a call in to Russell Winston. He sounded pretty smart on Jim Rome's show."

"Winston is fine. He knows the game, and will do the job right so long as his bills are paid. I'll have my people talk to him so that he understands the nature of the situation."

"So what do we do about the league? There's no way they'll let someone like me own a football team."

"Anyone can be bought, including the commissioner. You just nod your head and give short answers when they interview you next week, and the rest will be taken care of. Gene Perkins will be calling you later. He's the head accountant for the Chargers, and he's on the level. He'll treat you like the boss - and you now have access to all the assets of the organization. Have him set up the accounts so you can get to San Diego and get to work."

"What about my family?"

"Take them with you, if you like. Or commute - I don't care. Just remember - you owe me $30 million a year, so don't spend it all in one place."

***

Twenty-five minutes later, the phone was back on, and Russell Winston called. He had already spoken to Triveri and Perkins, and said he would have his office arrange transportation to San Diego for Franklin and whomever he wanted to bring along. He said he'd also taken the initiative and contacted the FBI, since they would almost certainly want to talk to Franklin about the case. He would have to meet with a few agents in a couple of days, but the interview was expected to be brief, as there was really no criminal connection between Triveri and him.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's department had finally cleared the property of nosy reporters, and Franklin was taken by limousine to a small airport in Cameron Park where a private jet waited to take him to San Diego. He would meet with Winston and Perkins first thing the next morning to discuss how they would complete the transfer of ownership, and then make the Chargers profitable.

[Booj]

Great stuff so far. I'll be reading.

[Poli]

Rock on.

Don't cut Eric Parker. And keep Cam Cameron if he's in there as offensive coordinator (which I highly doubt...and I don't know, because I don't have the game ).

[JeeberD]

That is some damn fine readin'...

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
One Week Later...

The FBI had been spoken to. The Chargers had issued a press release welcoming their new owner. The family was shopping for real estate in southern California. The NFL had agreed to approve the new team ownership for a trial period of three years. Everything was in place.

Franklin's new office was modestly appointed, with a window overlooking the Chargers' practice fields. A meeting was scheduled with Russell Winston and Gene Perkins this morning to discuss the Chargers financial situation. Franklin suspected it wasn't very good. San Diego had the least-valuable franchise in the NFL, according to Forbes. The books from the Spanos era were incomplete and nearly incoherent. Nobody really had any idea what the team budget looked like. Hopefully, Perkins would be able to sort it out.

The two men arrived, and Franklin began. "Gene, what's the situation?"

Perkins passed him a plastic-covered brief. "It's a mess. We know this much - we have about $10 million in cash, and I'm working on our credit line. Season ticket sales are poor, and our ticket prices are already one of the lowest in the league. We've sold 50,900 of the 71,600 seats at Qualcomm Stadium, and we have a little over $18 million in cap space this year."

Franklin nodded. "We'll need to take a hard look at the roster and trim things back. I want spreadsheets made up that have everyone's contract numbers on them, as well as our current scouting reports. We're going to cut or trade a lot of players, and re-negotiate a lot of deals, plain and simple. It's too late to make any coaching or scouting staff changes, but I suspect that will be necessary at the end of the season."

Winston spoke up, "Mr. Brown, with all due respect, you really should hire a cap specialist to handle this, as well as a general manager. You have no idea how to manage personnel on an NFL roster, and the press will crucify you for making too many changes on your own in such a short period of time."

Franklin scowled. "Here's a reality check, Russel: I am the sole owner of the worst franchise in the NFL. I have to immediately make it profitable. I don't have the time or the money to hire a bunch of people to do my dirty work. I can read a scouting report as well as anyone else, and perform an impartial cost-benefit analysis on the entire roster. I'm willing to retain you to assist with the technicalities of drawing up player contracts, but the bottom line is that I will decide who works for this organization and how much they get paid. If you are unwilling to support this policy 100%, then I must ask you to leave."

Winston nodded. "Hey, you're the boss."

Perkins spoke up, "So, where do we start?"

Franklin replied. "Get me that spreadsheet and scouting report. Today. I also want a report of available free agents that can come in immediately to replace the player's we'll have to cut. I want phone numbers for every other GM in the league, so I can work on making trades where possible. Pre-season starts in one week. I want the roster set by then."

Winston asked, "Have you told the coaches this? They're gonna be ticked if you make such large changes to the roster this close to the season."

Franklin replied, "I don't have time to do it any other way. I have the coaching staff coming up here in about 45 minutes, and I'll fill them in. Unless there's anything else, I suggest you gentlemen get to work."

***

Franklin looked over his summary report on his core staff. He had a brief on his key personnel, and he would have to decide who to keep and who to let go.

David Fulcher
Lead Scout

Fulcher was hired by the team last season, and had 5 years left on his contract that paid him a modest $170,000 - one of the lowest in the league. He was an average scout, with a talent for evaluating receivers and defensive linemen, but not terribly gifted with young player evaluation. He was 52 years old, and unless someone better became available at a comparable salary, he would likely remain on as the Chargers lead scout.

Donovan Moore
Head Coach

Moore was in the second year of a three-year deal to coach the Chargers. He was a defensive-minded coach and a decent motivator who excelled at keeping his players healthy. His salary was also very reasonable by league standards, at $1.6 million.

Tommie Jamison
Offensive Coordinator

Jamison had four years left on his deal with the team. He was a pass-oriented coach who wasn't very good at coaching his offensive linemen, but did an excellent job with the young talent on his squad. His salary was $1.6 million.

Mack Holtz
Defensive Coordinator

At only 37, the best hope for Holtz was that he was bound to improve. Decent with most of the squad but awful with linebackers, Holtz had 3 years remaining on a $630,000 deal.

Overall, the staff wasn't too bad, and wasn't overpaid. There would be limited room for improvement in this department. All four men arrived at Franklin's office not long after Perkins and Winston left.

Franklin began. "Gentlemen, I'll be direct. The Chargers are financially desparate, and I am not personally wealthy. I am going to be making widespread roster changes to bring the finacial situation back within the realm of profitablity, and I expect your support during this process."

Moore spoke up. "Just how widespread are we talking about here? I thought our cap situation was pretty good."

Franklin replied. "It is pretty good. But the previous ownership left the rest of the books a mess, and until we have a year or so to sort out what our revenues and operating expenses are going to look like, we need to cut it to the bone. I won't lie - it sucks, and it will be difficult to remain competitive under these circumstances. I expect you all to conduct yourselves in a professional manner and with a winning attitude regardless, and I will do the best I can given the limited financial resources at my disposal."

Jamison asked, "Are we going to have any say on who stays or who goes?"

Franklin handed him and the other two coaches a scouting report. "This is the scouting report that Mr. Fulcher has prepared. Feel free to add to it as you see fit. E-mail your input to me by this evening, and I will take it into consideration. However, money is going to be the deciding factor here, gentlemen. If we have talent making high dollars that isn't willing to re-negotiate, they will be traded or waived. Period. There will be very few exceptions to this rule."

The other men nodded, and stood up to leave. Franklin sat back down and began going over the scouting report. It was going to be a long day.

[Franklinnoble]

Seattle, Washington
Opening Game of Pre-Season

Managing for the cap and managing for the bottom line were two different things. Lots of players and their agents were willing to negotiate cap-friendly deals, but they all wanted signing bonuses to do so. Unfortuately, signing bonuses hit the bottom line the hardest, and were pretty much out of the question, so several players with large salaries were simply cut or traded to drop expenses in a hurry. Nobody on the roster was left with a salary of more than $1 million, with the exception of RB LaDainian Tomlinson.

QB Doug Flutie re-negotiated for a low salary and no bonus, so Drew Brees was traded to Pittsburgh for their second-round pick in next year's draft. DT Jamal Williams drew no interest, and was cut. T Vaughn Parker was traded to New England for their second round pick in 2004. DT Jason Fisk was cut, along with WR Tim Dwight, TE Stephen Alexander, and T Damion McIntosh, as none were tradeable.

Rookie free agents were signed to fill in the gaps, and the Chargers now had nearly $35 million in cap space - over 50% more than any other team in the NFL. Now, all that was really left was to play the games and see how the financial situation played out. It would be a bonus if the team actually won at all.

Seattle pounded San Diego 20-3 in the first pre-season game of the year, and Franklin received a call on his cell phone shortly after the game. It was Bruno Triveri.

"Tough start, kid."

"It's only going to get tougher. I don't think this squad could beat a Division II team."

"Well, you've got your work cut out for you. I'll be watching."

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
February, 2004

The Chargers had finished the season at 4-12, which was tied for third worst in the league. The only individual standout performances on the team came from DE Macellus Wiley, who had 17.5 sacks (but probably wouldn't stay with the team much longer, as his contract becomes very cap heavy next year), and WR David Boston, who had 81 catches for 1267 yards.

Franklin had just returned from the Super Bowl in Houston (one of the perks of being an NFL owner), where the Chiefs had defeated the Eagles 21-10. It was now time for the year-end audit of the Chargers financial situation.

The Chargers had generated total revenues of just over $81 million. their total expenses were just over $48 million, leaving them with a profit of $33 million - just enough to pay off Triveri for the year and put a little in the bank. Franklin addressed the meeting he had called with Winston and Perkins.

"Well, that's good, but it will have to improve. We'll need to continue to be frugal, but I think we might have enough for some modest signing bonuses this year."

Perkins spoke up. "We have $18 million in cap space, and we expect our current draft picks to cost around $6 million to sign."

"Then we're dumping some draft picks. We need to reduce the cap number again. That was the only thing that let us hit our profitability mark this year."

Winston asked, "How about asking for a new stadium? Or at least a renovation?"

Franklin replied, "I can't do that. It's bad enough I've got to raise ticket prices after a 4-12 year - I can't ask for public money for a ballpark, and we have nothing to make a stadium payment with."

Winston nodded. "Alright. So, any idea who we're going to lose?"

Franklin shook his head. "I don't know - but I have a feeling anybody who had a good year last year is gone. It doesn't look good. We may well reach the point of putting nothing on the field but undrafted rookies, with perhaps a few key veterans with low salaries."

The mood in the room was grim as the meeting adjourned. Who would pay to watch such a poor team?

[Northwood_DK]

Great read. I am really looking forward to follow this story.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
April, 2004

Franklin looked up from his desk as there was a loud knock on his office door. "Come in," he commanded.

The door swung open and Chargers QB Doug Flutie walked in.

"Hi, Doug. What can I do for you?"

Flutie sat down on one of the chairs in front of Franklin's desk. "I think it's time for me to hang 'em up, Mr. Brown."

Franklin still had a hard time being called "Mr. Brown" by the legendary QB who was nearly old enough to be his father. "Are you sure about that? I know things are a little rough around here right now, but we could really use your leadership on the team."

"I'm sure. I'm going to be 42 this year, and I'm just not able to take the punishment at my age." Flutie was understating the matter. He had been sacked 46 times last season behind the porous San Diego offensive line.

"Well, I won't argue with you, Doug. I really appreciate everything you did to help us out last season. If there's ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to call me."

Flutie nodded and left the room. The Chargers were now without a quarterback. The only two left on the roster were restricted free agents who were signed as undrafted rookies last year. Franklin knew that if he spent any money at all this year, it would have to be at that position.

***

The Chargers had the 5th overall pick in the upcoming draft, and it was already decided that they would trade it. There were no quarterbacks in the draft worth the high risk, and nobody had forgotten the Ryan Leaf debacle.

The free agent pool was generally disappointing and overpriced. QB's Tim Rattay and Josh McCown were signed for two-year minimal salary deals with no bonus. Neither excited the Charger faithful, but either would likely prove more productive than an undrafted free agent.

Franklin was able to negotiate a deal with the Seattle Seahawks that sent them the #5 pick, along with the 25th pick in the second round in exchange for QB Seneca Wallace (who had a very cheap two years remaining on his contract) and the Seahawks first round pick in 2005. Wallace was considered a very solid prospect, and would almost certainly be the Chargers starting QB after training camp.

The Chargers also made minimum-salary offers to free agent offensive linemen Brian Waters, John St. Clair, and Kevin Shaffer, with hopes that some veteran talent up front might provide a better foundation for the offense. All three signed, but none were considered all-pro talent.

***

Draft day wasn't very exciting for Chargers fans. The team had no first round pick, and traded its two second-round picks to Cleveland for their #1 next season. By the second day, the talent pool was full of unheralded players, and nobody really seemed to notice or care who the Chargers selected. The San Diego Union-Tribune published the team's draft picks on page C-7 after the draft was completed:

Round 3
Christian Manderville
Tackle
University of Oregon

Round 4
Ricardo Dubose
Running Back
Syracuse

Round 5
Deron Carpenter
Tight End
Mississippi Valley State

Round 6
Ron Lake
Quarterback
University of Pittsburgh

Round 7
Cris Prichard
Inside Linebacker
University of Colorado

All five rookies were signed immediately. Although money was still a concern, the cost of negotiation with low-round draftees was considered negligible compared to the value of having everyone in training camp.

Undrafted rookies were signed to fill out the remainder of the roster, and the Chargers were off to training camp with just over $14 million in available cap space (although $10 million was lost in "dead" money this season). Franklin hoped that the modest increase in ticket prices would make up the difference and leave the team with enough money at the end of the year to make the payment to Bruno Triveri.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
August, 2004

Franklin picked up the phone and dialed the number to Jacob Atherton, the attorney in New York who represented Bruno Triveri. "Good morning, Mr. Atherton."

"Good morning, Mr. Brown. What can I do for you?"

"Can you connect me to Mr. Triveri, please?"

"Will do - might take a few minutes. Do you mind holding on?"

"No problem," Franklin replied. All his calls to Triveri were routed through his lawyer's office, as Atherton had won a court order stating that no calls in or out of his office could be monitored by any government agency.

A few moments passed, and Triveri was on the line. "Well, well, Mr. Brown. We've had a busy off-season, haven't we?"

Franklin replied. "Not as busy as I'd like. I'm still sitting on a ton of cap money that I can't spend, and it doesn't look like the season tickets sold too well. We kickoff the pre-season tonight, and we've sold 41,800 seats out of 71,600."

"Hmm... and you're worried that you won't have the $30 million at the end of the season? Didn't you raise ticket prices?"

"Yes, but only marginally. If we don't win some ball games, it's going to get very ugly around here."

"Well, you have a line of credit from the bank - I'm sure you'll manage to make the payment." Triveri didn't seem about to budge. He knew Franklin was hunting for a little slack, and he wasn't going to give it to him.

"Alright. I hope this Wallace kid works out... I'll be in touch, Mr. Triveri." Franklin hung up, and sighed. This could well be his last season as owner of the Chargers.

[Franklinnoble]

Placerville
February, 2005

It was an appropriately cold and rainy morning when Gene Perkins finally called Franklin at his northern California home with the final balance report for the previous season, during which the Chargers finished a league-worst 1-15.

"Well, Gene, what's the bad news?"

"We made $11.4 million dollars last year, Mr. Brown." Ordinarily, that'd be a pretty nice profit for a corporation with $79.8 million in revenue, but Perkins read it as if it were a death sentence.

"What do we have in the bank?"

"There was about $10 million left from the Spanos ownership, plus the $3 million we cleared last year."

"So we're still about $5 million short?"

"Correct."

"Alright. Call the bank. Get a loan for the amount we need. We're just going to have to slash the roster again this year - there's no choice. If we can clear about $35 million next season, we'll be alright."

"And if we don't?"

"Then I'm done with this team, and I'll go back to living a normal life." Franklin hung up. There had to be a way to make the team more profitable, but people wouldn't pay to see a losing ballclub. He picked up the phone and called Russell Winston.

"Winston, we need to go ahead with that stadium deal."

Winston replied, "If you say so, but we did worse this year than we did last year. Our chances aren't good."

"I know that. Put the proposal together anyway. I want something on my desk by next month."

"OK. I'll call a few architects and have some bids put together."

"Thanks, Russell." Franklin hung up. If the Chargers couldn't get a new ballpark in San Diego, maybe they'd have to move.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
March, 2005

Head Coach Donovan Moore's contract was up, and he was asking for over $3 million a year to re-sign. The Chargers made it clear that there was no way they could possibly pay for his services any longer, and began to search for another candidate.

Thirty-nine year old Jermaine Lane was hired for a more reasonable $1.5 million. Lane was a decent coach who had success as the head coach at Sacramento State. Most Chargers fans were uninspired by the move.

Franklin decided to leave ticket prices alone - there was no way he could pitch a stadium deal AND jack up the cost of admission in the same offseason and have any hope of attracting a crowd. The proposed new stadium would have a total seating capacity of 80,000, with 15,000 club seats and 300 luxury boxes, at a total cost of $261 million. It was placed before the city council, and put on the ballot. The vote would take place shortly after the draft.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
April, 2005

The bloodletting was swift, and was completed before the draft. High-dollar salaries were simply cut or traded - no attempt to re-negotiate was made, as no one was expected to re-sign with a 1-15 team without a reasonable bonus.

DE Marceullus Wiley, LB Donnie Edwards, and S Kwamie Lassiter were sent to Arizona for their 1st round pick in 2006. WR David Boston, QB's Tim Rattay and Josh McCown, DE's Ray Lee Johnson and Adrian Dingle, and C Cory Raymer were all cut.

Most surprising was the trade of LaDainian Tomlinson. Tomlinson was in the last year of his deal, and scheduled to make $2 million in 2005. The Chargers couldn't re-sign him anyway, so he was sent to Tennessee in exchange for RB Christopher Brown and their second round pick in 2006. Brown had two years left on his contract and was scheduled to make under half a million each year.

In another cost-cutting move, WR Reche Caldwell was also traded to Tennessee, along with the Chargers 2nd, 3rd, and 5th round picks, in exchange for WR Tyrone Calico. Calico was a superior talent, but more importantly, had two years left on a low-salary deal, while Caldwell was in the last year of his contract.

The Chargers did not sign a single free agent prior to the draft, and they traded every remaining draft pick to Arizona and Detroit for future picks. It had already been decided that things couldn't get any worse than 1-15, even with nothing but more undrafted rookies on the roster.

Franklin pondered the roster moves as he watched the draft day coverage on ESPN. They were certain to lose more of their fan base, and the stadium deal looked doomed. His only hope was to make enough money until a new stadium was built - either in San Diego, or elsewhere.

[Franklinnoble]

Placerville
May, 2005

Franklin was picking up a truckload of alfalfa at the corner feed store when his cell phone rang. The damned thing never got good coverage out here, and it took a while for him to realize that it was Russell Winston on the line.

"....stadium.... "*pssst*

"I can't hear you, Russell, I'm in a bad spot. Can you call me back?"

The phone hissed more, then, "Did you hear me? It PASSED!"

The call was dropped. Franklin stared at the phone in disbelief as they finished loading the bales of hay into the back of his pickup. It couldn't be.

He left the feed store and drove up the road to a spot he knew got better reception, and called Winston back.

"Russell, tell me I'm not hearing things. Did you say the stadium measure passed?"

Winston was practically giddy. "I can't believe it, either. 50.2% to 49.7%. San Diego is gonna build us a new ballpark."

"That's amazing! How the hell did that happen?"

Russell cleared his throat, "Umm... I have a few ideas, but I'd rather not talk about it."

"Right. Well, I'll give him a call when I get home after I get this hay stacked. That's great news, Russell. Thanks for calling."

This changed everything. While the roster cuts were sure to alienate fans, the fact that a new ballpark was on the way would guarantee that the Chargers weren't leaving anytime soon. There would still be lean years ahead, but there was a light at the end of the tunnell now, and Franklin knew it would only be a matter of time before his team had the resources to really compete for a title.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
August, 2005

Franklin relaxed in the plush leather recliner in his owner's box at Qualcomm Stadium. He was expecting Russell Winston and Gene Perkins to join him in just a few minutes, as the Chargers prepared to kick off another preseason.

Winston arrived first, and greeted him. "How's it going, Franklin?"

"Not bad, Russell. I don't expect much more of this year's squad than last year's, but if the money's there, we might have a little room for improvement next season."

"Let's hope so. I don't want to sit through another year at 1-15."

Perkins arrived, and greeted the two men. He handed Franklin a three-page report. "Season ticket sales. Down again from last year."

Franklin looked over the report. They had only sold 37,900 season tickets. "Well, that's to be expected. The team sucks, and the new ballpark is still five years away. Hopefully we cut enough salary to make up the difference."

Perkins replied. "I think so. We're over $50 million under the cap this year, and that's after you subtract $8.5 million in dead money. We'll have at least another $7.4 million in dead money next year, too. Honestly, we can't field a football team for any less."

Franklin nodded. "We're hardly fielding a real team now. Like I was just telling Russell, if the budget works out, I'm hoping to spend a little more next year. The new stadium deal is going to eventually increase the value of the franchise, and that should improve our credit rating as well. I don't want to have to borrow more money to pay off Triveri, but the fact is, we're going nowhere if we don't get a top-notch quarterback in the near future. Wallace doesn't seem like he's gonna cut it."

Winston replied. "He's got two years left on his contract, and right now, it's a very cheap contract."

Franklin nodded, "I know, but if we don't find someone better before his deal is up, and he doesn't turn into an all-pro, we're letting him go."

Winston added, "You know, he doesn't have much to work with out there."

Franklin replied, "I know that, but I'm not paying top-dollar to a QB unless he's the kind of player that can carry a bad team like this. He might improve, but if not, I'd rather spend the money elsewhere."

Franklin turned his attention to the field, and the half-empty stands. All it would take now is patience.

[Franklinnoble]

Indianapolis
February, 2006

Franklin stood in the stands about thirty rows up from the sideline at the RCA Dome with a clipboard in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other. He could have moved down for a closer view, but he preferred to be alone. There wasn't much comraderie between him and the other NFL owners - they mocked his frugal roster and scorned what they perceived to be greed over his hoarding of his team's salary cap dollars. If only they knew...

There were a few stud running backs in the upcoming draft, and the Chargers had the first two picks. Franklin was debating the merits of drafting two of three players - a running back, an offensive tackle, and a wide receiver. The Chargers needed help all over the place, and after finishing last season 0-16, anything would be an improvement.

He didn't even notice the approach of Bruno Triveri until he was sitting in the seat next to him. Maintaining his composure, he asked, "Shouldn't you be in the Cayman Islands or something?"

Triveri replied, "Hurricane season. That's just not the place to be right now."

"Whatever. Why are you risking federal prison to sit in at the NFL Scouting Combine?"

"The Chargers need a quarterback."

"I know that."

"There are no great quarterbacks here."

"I know that, too. Are you interviewing for a scouting position? Because we don't pay very well."

"You should trade those draft picks."

"Who's running the team here?"

Triveri grinned. "You did a good job on that stadium deal. The funny thing is, despite the rumors, I had nothing to do with the outcome of the vote. Somebody in San Diego likes you, at least better than they liked Spanos, because he could never get a stadium done."

"I think they like the team, and with the way I've been running it, they were probably thinking I was planning to move it - which would be true, because that's exactly what I had in mind."

"Either way, you've done well. You made the $30 million you needed to pay me this year, and you even had enough left over to pay back the $5 million you borrowed for last year. Adding a new stadium will increase the value of the team significantly. There's only one thing left to do."

"What's that?"

"Improve your roster."

Franklin rolled his eyes. "What do you think I'm here for, the $8 hot dogs?"

"In the NFL, a franchise quarterback is the key to the whole organization. There's no sense in building a team without one."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, trade your draft picks. Operate the team just like you have been - on a shoestring. I know attendances is going to suffer. Pay me whatever profit you turn, even if it's less than $30 million. Don't worry about the rest. When a good, young franchise QB becomes available, get him, and then pull out all the stops."

"Why?"

"You owe me $600 million over twenty years. One way or the other, I will get it. My offshore accounts have better than I'd hoped, because, honestly, I didn't think you'd make the $30 million payments in the first three years like you did. The best way for me to ensure the long term financial health of my investment is to let you build the team - but that's the one condition that I must insist upon; that you get the quarterback first, then go after the rest of the talent."

"I'm sick of losing, Bruno."

"So am I - but when it's time to start winning, I want to make sure we can win it all." Triveri got up and walked away.

Franklin sat and pondered what he had said for a while, then threw his clipboard on the ground and left. Until he found his quarterback, there'd be no point in wasting any more time trying to acquire decent talent. It might be nothing but undrafted rookies for a long time.

[Franklinnoble]

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
March, 2007

Futile rays of sunshine peeked from behind the dense cloud cover as gusts of wind gave an added chill to the air. Dressed in grey sweatpants and a red t-shirt that read "Hoosiers," Alvin Lane seemed unaffected by the dreary weather as he launched a football 40 yards down his old high school football field, hitting his receiver in stride. Chargers scout David Fulcher mumbled, "Nice arm."

Franklin nodded. "Yep. But Jeff George had a nice arm, too."

"I don't think this guy's another Jeff George."

"He doesn't seem like it. He hasn't had much trouble off the field... there was that frat party incident during his freshman year, but there's nothing on him since then."

Fulcher nodded, "And he's got all the physical tools. Not to mention that he's a big guy - he's probably tougher than most of our current offensive linemen." That wasn't far from the truth. Lane was 6'3", and weighed 245 pounds. Fulcher continued, "He's got good times in the 40, he's tested out well, and he looks as good as any kid coming out of the draft in recent history. Plus, he's spent all four years in school. He'll be 24 before training camp."

Franklin rubbed his chin. The Chargers had the #1 overall pick again this year, after posting another 1-15 regular season record. They had made a profit of $23 million, but people were just not showing up. They averaged a home attendance of less than 31,000.

Lane whipped another pass downfield, this time dropping the ball into a trash can sitting in the end zone. There was no doubting his arm strength, nor his precision. He had also demonstrated an ability to run with the ball while at Indiana, and he had good hands. He was as good a prospect as you could look for in a rookie - but that had been said about so many quarterbacks coming out of college, and the truly great ones were rare. Still, the Chargers needed a miracle, and they would have to take a chance.

"Fine. We'll draft him. I'll call Russell Winston and have him start negotiating with the kid's agent. But we're still trading off the rest of our picks this year. If he looks good in training camp, we'll start spending money - but if he's a bust, I want to keep the damage at a minimum."

Fulcher grinned. He was clearly excited about having Lane on the team, and who could blame him? For so long, he had done nothing but scout for cheap, undrafted rookies. It was the first time he had been able to look at big-league talent, and he wanted Lane to work out as badly as anyone.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
December, 2007

Franklin had called a meeting with Russell Winston, Gene Perkins, and David Fulcher to wrap up the Chargers season and discuss plans for the off-season. There was a glimmer of hope in San Diego, and its name was Alvin Lane.

Russell spoke first. "So, what's the plan, boss?"

Franklin began. "I think Lane might be the real deal." Everyone nodded in agreement. Ten weeks ago, there had been much doubt. The Chargers started 0-8. Lane had thrown 11 interceptions and no touchdowns. Everyone was beginning to cry "bust," but through it all, number 12 continued to plug away, getting beat up behind a terrible offensive line, and having no other talent on offense to help him. San Diego suddenly ripped off three wins in a row, and went 4-4 during the final half of the season. Lane was the only difference from the team that went 1-15 the previous year. He finished with 11 TD's, 14 INT's, and was sacked 42 times. In eight games, he threw 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He was clearly getting the hang of it.

Fulcher spoke up. "So what are we going to do about it?"

Franklin replied. "We're going to get him some help. We'll have a ton of draft picks, and lots of cap money to spend in free agency. We have two more seasons before the new stadium opens, and we're going to have a winning team to put on the field there."

Everybody smiled. It hadn't been much fun working for the Chargers for the last several years, but things were finally beginning to turn around. Lane was the leading candidate for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, and fans finally had someone to cheer for.

Franklin adjorned the meeting, but his mood turned somber after everyone left. He knew that part of re-building the organization was hiring better staff, and some of the people that had stuck through the hard times would have to be let go.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
January, 2008

For the first time in years, the Chargers made front-page news with a positive story.

Shocking! Chargers Clean House - New Staff Hired

Perhaps team owner Franklin Brown finally found his wallet. Yesterday, in a move entirely contrary to his usually frugal nature, the Chargers boss fired his entire coaching and scouting staff, and announced new and expensive replacements.

The Chargers will now be coached by Russell Feingold, who is considered one of the hottest young coaches in the league. Feingold was hired away from Jacksonville, where he led the Jaguars to the playoffs twice in five years. At 40, he is still the youngest head coach in the league. Feingold announced that Bennie Blackwell has been hired as his offensive coordinator. Blackwell comes from the Indianapolis Colts, and is considered a wizard with young quarterbacks. While at Indianapolis, the Colts made three playoff appearances, including a berth in the Super Bowl. Dominic Swiney was named defensive coordinator, having just guided the Tennessee Titans defense to a Super Bowl victory.

The Chargers have also replaced lead scout David Fulcher with Brenden Walsh, who has no prior NFL experience.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
April, 2008

It wasn't long before you couldn't recognize the Chargers roster any more. San Diego had been especially aggressive in free agency, and while they signed 17 players, they managed to keep well under their expected salary cap needs. Aggressive scouting and negotiation led to a whole new look for the Chargers before they even began the rookie draft. Notable acquisitions included:

Justin Smith DE

One of the most talented free agents available, Smith has recorded 55 sacks over the last 5 years for the Bengals. He signed a six-year deal that was heavily backloaded in the last two years for cap purposes.

Horace Walker WR

Acquired from the Browns in exchange for two late 1st round picks in this year's draft, Walker is a second-year receiver that is expected to be on the brink of stardom, and the Chargers staff decided that they needed a big-play target for Alvin Lane, and nothing better was available via the draft or free agency.

Vincent Upshaw G

One of two offensive line veterans who will be expected to open holes for the running game and keep Lane upright more often.

Derrick Dockery T

Dockery has tremendous potential that he has been unable to showcase while at Washington due to the Redskins' two very talented starting tackles.

Ricky Williams RB

The tenth year veteran gives the Chargers an immediate rushing threat, and Williams was willing to sign for a very reasonable price to play for his hometown team.

Jamal Reynolds DE

Coupled with Justin Smith, Reynolds will give the Chargers a serious pass rushing tandem that should rattle opposing quarterbacks.

Nate Burleson WR

Burleson is a solid second WR that should complement the Chargers passing game nicely.


Jake Delhomme QB

His physical skills are in decline, but Delhomme will be a good mentor to Lane and should be a serviceable backup if needed.

In the rookie draft, the Chargers selected:

Teddy Burks T Arizona State

Burks is expected to be the anchor of the Chargers line, and will be responsible for protecting Lane's blind side.

Claude Henson T Kansas

Between Burks and Henson, the Chargers should have a pair of all-pro bookends to a solid offensive line.

Daniel Moser DT Millersville

A risky pick - but if he lives up to his potential, he could be an immediate all-pro.

Clarence Davidson S Virginia

The best defensive secondary player in the draft. Talented, smart, and hard working - expected to be a very solid player.

Daryl Lang LB Purdue

An effective run-stopper as well as a pass rushing threat.

Deron Jefferson G Duke

Jefferson is an intelligent and strong player who is expected to emerge as a leader on the OL.

Edwin West LB Clarion

West is a middle linebacker who has proven to be a punishing run stopper.

J.T. Strother C Purdue

The final piece of what is expected to be a very strong offensive line.

Derek Williams QB North Carolina

A QB who was projected to go early in the first round, but fell to the late 2nd. Obviously, he's a risky selection, but one that the Chargers can afford.

Ross Garcia K Western Carolina

If the games are close, we're going to need a better kicker...

All the draftees were signed prior to training camp. Franklin wasn't taking any chances. He had one shot to start winning ballgames and getting fans back out to see the team. He knew the balance sheet would probably be in the red this season, and he couldn't afford to keep it there very long.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
August, 2008

Franklin sat at the top of the bleachers overlooking one of the Chargers practice fields. The offense was running passing drills, and coach Feingold had asked Franklin to come out and watch.

Feingold climbed the bleachers and approached Franklin. "Well, Mr. Brown, what do you think?"

"You're the coach, you tell me. I think they look great, but I thought Seneca Wallace looked great, too." Wallace was now a backup QB for the Jaguars, and hadn't played a down since San Diego had traded him at the end of the 2005 season.

"Well, we might have a small problem."

"What's that?"

"I don't think Alvin Lane is the best quarterback on this team right now."

Franklin raised an eyebrown. He had heard that Derek Williams was lighting it up in camp, and was doing well in pre-season, but he hadn't expected to hear this on the eve of the season opener. "Lane was rookie of the year last season. You think Williams can do better?"

"Derek's timing is a little off - not unusual for a rookie - but overall, he throws the ball better than Alvin does. I think he's really much better than anyone expected, and it looks like we got a steal in getting him late in the second round."

Franklin nodded. "Coach, I don't care either way. I want to win. You play whoever you think gives us the best shot."

"Fair enough. I think Lane will start, just because he has more experience. But don't be surprised if I have a short hook on him." Feingold got up and walked off.

Franklin pondered the irony of the situation. The team was built around Alvin Lane, and now it looked like the quarterback they took a chance on in the second round might be the one to lead the squad after all.

[pskov]

Der der derrrrr!!!

Good dynasty (story?) Franklin.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
March, 2009

Gene Perkins was in a cold sweat when he entered Franklin's office. Obviously, last year's spending hadn't done much for the financial condition of the Chargers.

Franklin gestured toward a chair. "Sit down, Gene. What's the bad news?"

Perkins handed him a financial report. "I just got off the phone with the bank. They're very unhappy."

"I imagine they would be. How bad is it?"

"We had a deficit of $118 million last year."

That wasn't really a surprise. Franklin had kept track of what he had spent. $43 million in player salaries, up from $29 million the year before, $93 million in signing bonuses, and an additional $38 million in coaching and scouting costs from the previous year. It could have been worse. Unfortunately, the expense only amounted to a 7-9 record - a big improvement, but not enough.

Franklin spoke. "Alright, well, we took the biggest hit from all those signing bonuses. The roster we have is the roster we'll have to live with for a while. We'll stick with what we've got, and keep the spending down this season."

"We have to stay in the black next season - or at least as close to it as possible. The bank won't let us borrow much more - they'd have forclosed on us by now if it weren't for the fact that the new stadium is on the way. What about Triveri?"

"Triveri knows he's not getting any money this year."

"Yeah, but does he know how overdrawn we are?"

"He's not stupid. I'm sure he's done the math. He knows our revenue sucks because we have an old and empty ballpark. When we have the new park and a winning team, the revenue will increase - but we're going to lose a little money to get to that point."

"We can't lose much more, or the bank will force the sale of the team." Gene left the room.

Franklin was hoping to sign a big-name tight end, and maybe another good wide receiver, but those plans would have to wait. Hopefully, the team they had would be capable of continued improvement. A playoff appearance would do wonders for the fan base.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
January, 2010

Nobody expected the last game at Qualcomm Stadium to be the AFC title game. Even when the Chargers had managed to win the AFC West with an 11-5 regular season record, they didn't have home field advantage or a bye week, and nobody figured that they'd win two games AND face another underdog in the championship game.

But that was exactly what had happened. The Chargers had dispatched the Raiders in the Wild Card round by a score of 27-19. That set up a divisional game at New Jersey, which they narrowly won by a score of 24-21. Cincinnati won at Pittsburgh, and while they had the same record as the Chargers, they weren't division champs, so the Bengals were visiting San Diego.

Franklin sat in his owner's box, looking out over the first sell-out game he'd ever seen as the owner of the Chargers. Even the Wild Card game had plenty of empty seats - people were still skeptical of the Chargers chances. But they were now one win from the Super Bowl.

Alvin Lane hadn't even been all that great. While throwing for 3,500 yards, his passing rating was a modest 78.5, and many fans still wanted Derek Williams to get a shot. But Lane had taken them this far - he would get the start today. Ricky Williams was the centerpiece of the offense. Even though he was getting old for a running back, he had managed a career high 1344 yards this season.

The stadium had been mostly empty all season. Would a run deep into the playoffs win back the fans and improve the team's fortunes?

[tucker342]

Great read so far! Glad to see you're starting to turn the team around

[Franklinnoble]

Cabo San Lucas
September, 2010

Only the evenings were tolerable in Mexico this time of year. Thankfully, he was meeting Bruno Triveri for dinner, and not lunch. Franklin entered the restaurant at the Westin resort and was escorted to a private table towards the back of the dining room. Triveri was already waiting.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be at the game tonight, but you know the FBI would have the whole place staked out." Triveri rose to shake his hand.

"It's alright - this is probably the safest way to meet. They'd never expect that I'd miss the Monday night regular season opener at my new stadium."

"So what's so important that we couldn't discuss it over the phone?"

"I have something for you." Franklin took a small wooden box out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

Triveri opened it. There was a large diamond-encrusted gold ring inside that read "Super Bowl XLIV Champions" on the crown. The name "Triveri" was engraved on one side over an impression of a Chargers football helmet. Triveri beamed. "I didn't expect to get one of these."

"I had the jeweler do that one up special. Paid him cash and made sure he kept his mouth shut. But he's the same guy that did all the other rings, and that's just like the one everyone else received."

Triveri tried it on for size. Franklin began to brief him on the team's financial status. While the Chargers had earned some additional revenue during their run to the Super Bowl, they still came up $35 million short last season. Fortunately, the sale of the naming rights for the new "Intel Stadium" had covered most of the loss, but there would be no such windfall next year if the Chargers couldn't generate more revenue. Both men were optimistic that a new stadium with a defending Super Bowl champion should improve the situation. They finished their dinner and went their separate ways. If the jet made good time, Franklin might be home just before the game ended.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
February, 2011

A new stadium and back-to-back Super Bowl titles can do wonders for a downtrodden football team. The Chargers finished the 2010 season with an $82 million profit, despite paying out over $42 million in signing bonuses that year. The banks were happy, Triveri was happy, and the fans were happy.

The year started out on a forboding note. Quarterback Alvin Lane complained of impaired vision after the opening play from scrimmage during the first game of the season. He was out for six weeks. In that span, the Chargers went 5-1 under the leadership of QB Derek Williams, and Lane never got his job back. San Diego squeaked into the playoffs as a 10-6 wild card team, but won three straight on the road in convincing fashion to defend their title in the Super Bowl, where they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 20-13.

Franklin enjoyed the victory, but he feared the success would not last. The Chargers were nearly $20 million over the cap for 2011, and a lot of changes would be in store. Additionally, they were still heavily dependent upon the rushing of Ricky Williams, who ran for over 1200 yards, but wasn't getting any younger - a replacement needed to be found, because it was unwise to rely too much on the legs of a 34 year old running back.

A lot of big contracts were in their final year - including Alvin Lane's. Hard decisions would have to be made, and it would be difficult for the Chargers to keep their playoff form much longer.

[Franklinnoble]

Kansas City
September, 2011

The Chargers were set to open their regular season on the road against their divisional rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. Franklin was in town for the game and had agreed to meet with ESPN Magazine sportswriter Melvin Brock for an interview a few hours prior to kickoff.

10 Questions With Chargers Owner Franklin Brown
by Melvin Brock

From his mysterious installment as the owner of the San Diego Chargers seven years ago through his guidance to the team's back-to-back Super Bowl titles, Franklin Brown has taken a hapless team and transformed it into a powerhouse, both on the field and on the balance sheet. We sat down with him prior to the Chargers season opener and asked him a few questions.

Brock: To this day, no one really knows why Bruno Triveri gave you the San Diego Chargers. Can you give us some explaination as to how someone with no football experience whatsoever ends up as the owner and general manager of an NFL franchise?

Brown: Now, that's not really fair, Melvin. I was a pretty good special teams player on my high school varsity squad.

Brock: I assume you're still maintaining your silence with regards to your relationship with Mr. Triveri. Why did it take so many years for you to start investing money in the franchise?

Brown: I didn't have any money to invest in it from the beginning. I took over an organization that was nearly bankrupt, and until we secured the commitment for the new stadium, there was no way we could secure the investment capital to improve the team.

Brock: Isn't that what every owner says? "Build me a new stadium, and THEN I'll put a winner on the field."

Brown: Are you saying I haven't put a winner on the field?

Brock: Fair enough. Did you ever consider moving the Chargers away from San Diego?

Brown: Absolutely. At the time, we had an aging ballpark that was 75% empty. The Chargers are my only business and my only means of income. If they weren't going to be financially viable in San Diego, we would have immediately found someplace else to turn a profit.

Brock: Once the stadium plan was approved, the Chargers spent two years fielding a terrible team. Why did it take so long to start bringing in quality talent?

Brown: Well, for starters, the plan was approved right before the start of the 2005 regular season. There was no time to re-tool the roster that year. Prior to 2006, we were unable to find the key pieces we needed to build around in the draft or in free agency, so we waited to implement the re-building plan for another year.

Brock: You're referring to quarterback Alvin Lane, correct?

Brown: Correct. We knew that we couldn't have a championship team without a great quarterback. Until Lane came along, there was nothing to build around.

Brock: To many fans in San Diego, Lane was the savior of the franchise. How do you respond to criticism over your decision to trade him to Miami in the offseason?

Brown: Alvin Lane is a great quarterback, and he's going to make Miami a better team. However, we had to make a decision based upon financial constraints that every team in the NFL has to deal with. Derek Williams came off the bench last year and played very, very well for us. In fact, his numbers and his QB rating was vastly better than those Lane produced. We could not afford to keep two franchise quarterbacks on the roster, and Lane's contract expires this year. The decision was pretty obvious.

Brock: Is the same thing in store for Ricky Williams? You've just spent a fortune drafting running back Bubba Pierce in the off-season.

Brown: Ricky has played 12 years in this league, and his best years have been the last three that he's played for us. But he's also 34 years old, and has taken a lot of punishment. It would be foolish of us not to prepare for the inevitable need to give him fewer carries.

Brock: You had to cut nearly every backup player from last year's roster and sign a dozen undrafted free agents to get under the salary cap this year. Can this team make it through a 16 game season, and how much longer can you keep this core of veterans together?

Brown: It's not unusual for NFL teams to have high turnover these days. The salary cap demands it. A lot of our second-string guys will get a shot to start on other teams. Others will be out of work altogether. It sucks, but there's no way around the veteran minimum salary, and you have to sign younger players to stay in line with the salary cap if you're going to keep a handful of superstars on the team. I honestly don't know if we have enough depth to be successful this year, or how much longer we'll be able to keep it together. I run this team one week at a time.

Brock: Many experts say that you can't be a good owner and general manager at the same time. What is your opinion on the subject?

Brown: When I took over this team, I couldn't afford a general manager, so I had to learn to do the job myself. Since we've had the money to bring in good talent, we've managed two world championships. I know a lot of owners and a lot of GM's in this league who've yet to accomplish half as much. Can everybody do it? No. But then again, this is all I do. I don't spend time playing golf or vacationing in Europe. Football is my business and my job, and I'm determined to be the best I can be at it.

[Franklinnoble]

Jacksonville, FL
January, 2012

Franklin walked down to the locker room after the game and personally thanked every player on the team. Soaking wet and covered in mud, they had just lost 21-17 in the AFC title game after a brutal regular season.

Injury depleted and short handed, the Chargers had complied a 9-7 regular season record. Fortunately for them, the AFC West was woefully weak that year, and San Diego won the division title. Gritty performances in the Wild Card and Divisional rounds had given fans hope for another Super Bowl run, but the title defense ended tonight.

Ricky Williams shook his hand and spoke, "I think that's it for me, coach."

Franklin nodded. His carries had been halved this season, and he had managed only 542 yards rushing. "Ricky, if you want to start somewhere else, just say the word. I'll make it happen."

"No, I'm done. I've got two rings, and I'm ready to settle down. I wanted to finish my career in San Diego, and I've been able to do that."

With that, he headed off to the showers. Franklin wasn't surprised. There would be more changes coming in the offseason, as the Chargers were scheduled to be way over the cap (again). Their title run was over, and only time would tell if they'd be able to make another one.

[Franklinnoble]

San Diego
February, 2013

Franklin was going over scouting reports in his office when his phone rang. It was Russell Winston. "What's up, Russell?"

"Well, it looks like we might want to find a new offensive coordinator." All of his front office staff was at the end of their contracts. Lead scout Brenden Walsh had re-signed, as had head coack Russell Feingold, but defensive coordinator Dominic Swiney had already been hired away to be the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. The Chargers had replaced him with Norman Burnett, who had served in the same capacity last season for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

"Why is that? I didn't think there were any other head coaching jobs available." Bennie Blackwell was currently the Chargers offensive coordinator, but hadn't liked any of the offers he had received right after San Diego lost in the first round of the playoffs to Indianapolis, and he was expected to stick around.

"His agent tells me San Francisco wants to talk to him."

"They don't need permission if they're interviewing him to be head coach."

"They're not - they want to give Dan McKenzie one more year there, but they want a new offensive coordinator to help him out."

"Is Blackwell interested?" He couldn't imagine why. San Francisco had been woeful the last few years.

"He is. I think he wants a head coaching job, and he figures he hasn't gotten enough credit for helping out here. If he can help turn the 'Niners around, he'll be a hot prospect."

Franklin nodded. "OK, let him go. We've already prepared for that contingency anyway. I'll call Feingold and let him know. He was going to promote Deron Cathey from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator if Blackwell left, anyway, so we'll just do that."

A few new staff members wouldn't hurt, and they were less expensive than their predecessors - which only helped offset the hefty raise that Feingold earned.

The Chargers had a lot of cap space to clear, and needed to improve their defensive secondary in the offseason. Franklin went back to his scouting reports. Indianapolis 500's QB Chad Pennington had picked apart the Chargers secondary in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season, and their best pass rusher, DE Justin Smith, had just retired. Hopefully some help could be found in the draft, as the team had little hope of being able to afford any free agents.

[Franklinnoble]

Miami, FL
February, 2014

Some experts say it can take between 5 and 7 years for a pro quarterback to really learn the game and hit his stride. Those experts would have been right about Derek Williams.

Williams emerged as the undisputed league MVP in his 6th season, producing a passing rating of 123.1 and throwing for 4475 yards and 44 touchdowns, leading the Chargers to a 14-2 record in the regular season.

Williams was on the sideline at the Super Bowl in Miami late in the 4th quarter, as the Chargers were enjoying a 38-13 lead late in the game, and there was no need for him to be on the field any longer. He had destroyed the Vikings secondary with three touchdown passes, and would no doubt be named the game's MVP.

Franklin celebrated in the owner's box, enjoying the perfect end to a season that he wasn't even certain would result in the Chargers having a winning record. Now they were just a minute away from winning their third Super Bowl in five years.

The best part was that most of the key players were under contract for at least two more seasons. While some re-negotiation would have to happen, the Chargers would be able to stay mostly intact. Whether or not they would enjoy another season as injury-free as this one would remain to be seen.

[Franklinnoble]

Reston, VA
March, 2027

Franklin arrived at Redskins Park in a black limousine. There were no reporters there to record his arrival - nobody suspected what was about to happen. He was met at the door and escorted by a young woman to a waiting area outside a conference room. "Mr. Snyder will be over shortly; his previous meeting ran a little late. May I bring you anything?"

"No, thank you." Franklin relaxed on a plush leather sofa and contemplated his decision once more. There was still time to change his mind, if he really wanted to.

No, he thought, this was the best decision. He had made the San Diego Chargers into one of the most lucrative and successful franchises in sports, and he had a fistful of Super Bowl rings to show for it. He had made a personal profit of over $130 million per year for the last 8 years (Triveri had been paid off long ago), and he certainly didn't need to hang on for the money. When Derek Williams announced his retirement after his 18th season, in which he secured a solid hold on the all-time passing yardage record with over 72,000 career yards, Franklin knew he didn't want to have to re-build the Chargers again around another quarterback. Besides, there was a rare opportunity for him here in Washington - one he couldn't pass up.

Dan Snyder had been the owner of the Redskins for 30 years, and had never won a Super Bowl. Bitter and defeated, and plagued with a chronic heart condition, he had decided to retire. He privately wanted to sell the team, but few parties were interested. The Redskins were no longer a top draw in D.C., and the aging FedEx Field was in dire need of repair or replacement, and the local government had refused all overtures requesting aid. For the last several years, Snyder had only kept a passing interest in the day-to-day affairs of the club, hoping that someone would offer him enough for the team to cover its debts and leave him with a comfortable retirement fund. That was why Franklin was here today.

Snyder and his attorneys arrived, along with Russell Winston, who had been working with Snyder's people on the deal. They entered the conference room and got down to business. Snyder's attorney spoke while Snyder just stared blankly at the table.

"Alright, gentlemen. We have a simple contract here. Franklin Brown will buy Mr. Snyder's 51% interest in the Washington Redskins for $300 million. Mr. Brown will also buy out the minority investors for $299 million. Additionally, Mr. Brown will be responsible for settling $400 million in debt that the team owes. Any questions?"

The lawyers talked some more, but the details didn't bother Franklin. He had enough cash to buy the team as it was - and that was before he sold the Chargers, which was going to net him over $1.2 billion.

Before the meeting adjourned, Snyder spoke up. "Why are you doing this? You already own one of the most successful and lucrative teams in the NFL."

Franklin smiled. "The Chargers are a well-oiled machine. They're in the playoffs just about every year. My stadium sells out every home game. My franchise QB just retired, and it would be easy to re-build the team, but where's the fun in that?"

"So this is just some game to you?"

"Football is a game, Mr. Snyder. I happen to have a knack for owning football teams, and I will enjoy the challenge of re-building another lost franchise. Besides, there's another reason..."

"What's that?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Mr. Snyder. While I love my Chargers, I grew up a Redskins fan. If I were able to pick any team in the world to bring back to glory, it would be the Washington Redskins. Well, now I'm able, and that's exactly what I plan to do."

"I already tried."

"You did, and there's no questioning your effort. Now I'd like a shot at it."

With that, the papers were signed, and the deal was done. A press conference was scheduled for that afternoon, and there would be a lot of questions to answer.

[Franklinnoble]

Vote here on the future of this dynasty.

[Franklinnoble]

OK... I've kept the storyline running, and I'm taking the dynasty in a totally new direction.

Click here to read "Escape to Yesterday"

[finkenst]

HOORAY!