Let's play a word association game - words being spoken and written this week about the San Diego Chargers:

POSTSEASON: Not this season for this franchise. Enjoy watching the Saints-Lions game, the Falcons-Giants game, where you will see players the Chargers gave away, Michael Turner, Darren Sproles and Drew Brees, playing very well for other teams. It will also bring you flashbacks of past Bolts banished in other places, who by the way, got Super Bowl rings. Remembering Rodney Harrison, Junior Seau and John Carney.

UNDERACHIEVING: That is what the national media says about San Diego. All this firepower, triggered by quarterback Philip Rivers, all this skill talent at wide receiver, tight end, running back. How could you not be a perennial playoff team?. If it were not for Jerry Jones and his Dallas Cowboys, with just two playoff wins since 1996, San Diego would rank as the worst.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Not much of that at Chargers Park, where a once elite team has now become mediocre middle of the pack. Ownership seems willing accept records of (8-8) and (9-7) than the odd-occasion great season. Of their last seven first round draft picks, only one has been an impact starter - running back Ryan Mathews. Accept it, yes, because no, they have not done anything to the people responsible for it.

SPINELESS: A cruel description of owner Dean Spanos and his inability to make the right decision. Three times he has had to make tough calls in his management career, and three times it appears he failed to make the right call. See the history book on the Bobby Ross era, the Marty Schottenheimer ending, and read and listen to the responses on the Norv Turner situation.

NEPOTISM: A stinging description of how people from the outside view what has gone on, inside the building. AG Spanos is being groomed to be the CEO of the franchise. On his watch, the young exec has seen the season ticket base erode and a franchise flail and fail to get any traction on a stadium. John Spanos, Director of Scouting, is being mocked for making a statement, "Dad called to ask about this trade". Act like you earned this job, and was not just given this job.

APPALLING: Pick any game over the last four years of the Turner regime and it aptly fits. Losing to the likes of the Chiefs, ripped apart by injuries, the lowly Bengals, last year's Rams, bottom feeder Carolina, Buffalo. When it is big time and it counts for something, they hardly ever win. When they need to be tough, they get taken out. It happens again and again and again. And it seems to be tolerated by club management.

MEDIOCRITY: As Dean Spanos used the word 'continuity' this past past week, in saying he wanted to retain his General Manager and his Coach, the national media and the fan base must have heard the word 'mediocrity' instead. Sports Illustrated mocked Spanos, calling it insanity to keep doing the same thing with the same people but expecting different results. SI.com called it commitment to mediocrity. ESPN asked "'how can these people keep their jobs?"

SCAPEGOAT: Another bad season in the books, so someone must pay the price. Fire some assistant, dump the trainer, take it out on a secretary, cut loose someone in PR. Blame anyone but the people in charge, AJ Smith and Norv Turner.

BACKSTABBER: That is harsh, but that is what is being written across the country over the decision to fire defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, ten months after your hired him. The team promoted longtime linebacker coach John Pagano to the position, the same guy they bypassed three other times when the coordinator job was open. He becomes the 4th coordinator in six years chosen by this leadership group. Manusky might not have done a good job, but he did not have good players either. Twice this week, Norv Turner praised Manusky. Forty eight hours later they fired him.

VINDICTIVE: Though promising to change his ways, GM AJ Smith remains in his same mode. Dealing more empty rhetoric, about failing to do his job, getting invited to the postseason tournament, blah-blah-blah, we see what you have made your franchise into. I wonder if a man, who has spent three decades in the NFL, can change the way he does business, in player personnel, in football philosophy and core values. As for changing his ways, there are eleven media people who regularly cover the team, and at one point this season, Smith was refusing to talk to seven of them.

CANCELLATION: I bet the US Postal service will be delivering lots of those notices from season ticket holders in the next couple of weeks. The fans are in a fury, and are not just speaking out on talk shows or message boards, but appear ready now about speaking with their wallets, not renewing their tickets.

PLAYOFFS: Something you will watch this weekend, like they will watch on television. Post season games, which the Chargers did not qualify for. Again.

Lee 'Hacksaw' Hamilton talks sports weekday mornings loam on 'Sport swatch on XX-1090