SAN DIEGO - In a press conference today at City Hall, civic leaders repudiated widely-held public belief that San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner is to blame for a series of devastating wildfires that have forced the evacuation of more than 250,000 residents of the area.
"We believe that these fires were caused by a variety of factors, including record drought, incredibly dry winds and extremely high winds," said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said. "I know that it may be hard for the general population to believe, but at this time we have found no evidence that Norv Turner had anything to do - intentionally or unintentionally - with these fires."
Speculation had turned to Turner, who has earned the scorn of many Chargers fans after a 3-3 start to this season after replacing Marty Schottenheimer following a 14-2 campaign last season. Callers to local sports talk radio shows had been adamant that the deadly fires plaguing the area were tied into Turner's perceived lack of ability as a head coach.
"First we can't run the ball, then we can't stop the pass, and now this," said a caller identified as Paul from Poway told one local show. "I'll say this: you can bet the smoking hull of my house that this wouldn't have happened if Marty was still here."
Despite fans' suspicions, Mayor Sanders insisted that there was no evidence that Turner was involved.
"We've identified the flash points of each fire, and we have a good idea that Coach Turner wasn't involved," he said. "Plus, these fires have not responded to baking soda but have responded to water, which is completely inconsistent with the type of grease fire that you would normally associate with Coach Turner."
However, the City Council did pass a special emergency ordinance banning Turner from being 500 feet from any brush or other tinder "as a precautionary measure".
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