Bill Johnston, Director of Chargers Public Relations, posted a story on Chargers.com yesterday, telling fans to take a chill pill?

Personally I can not believe that the Chargers' organization would write something like this to its fans. Telling every one of us to "take a chill pill" and referring to the collective fan base as "you people"....very condescending, wrong message from the wrong person. Especially with how disappointing the Chargers have been under Norv for awhile now and the utter collapse and embarrassment from the MNF game against the Broncos.

My neighbors are a couple who are diehard Chargers fans. They've had season tickets for 25 years now. They told me yesterday they are done. They are giving away the rest of their season tickets this season and aren't renewing. WOW! Seriously.....Makes you wonder how many others are in the same boat. And to top it off you now have the organization telling them to chill out? Talk about being disconnected from reality. Expect more black-outs for the rest of the season, that is for sure. And only good old Dean has himself to blame....and on top of it, he probably still won't reduce the black-out threshold to 85% now, just to show how much more disconnected from reality he truly is. Thanks Dean!

http://www.chargers.com/news/a...de-6de3bd0c1c74

AMEN to that brother!

It just goes to show you the arrogance and lack of respect this team (not including the players - except for Phillips.. - of course) has for the fans.

Take a chill pill...  how Californian!  

You think a New Yorker would put up with that?  LOL

Chargerhonk wrote: Bill Johnston, Director of Chargers Public Relations, posted a story on Chargers.com yesterday, telling fans to take a chill pill?

Personally I can not believe that the Chargers' organization would write something like this to its fans. Telling every one of us to "take a chill pill" and referring to the collective fan base as "you people"....very condescending, wrong message from the wrong person. Especially with how disappointing the Chargers have been under Norv for awhile now and the utter collapse and embarrassment from the MNF game against the Broncos.

My neighbors are a couple who are diehard Chargers fans. They've had season tickets for 25 years now. They told me yesterday they are done. They are giving away the rest of their season tickets this season and aren't renewing. WOW! Seriously.....Makes you wonder how many others are in the same boat. And to top it off you now have the organization telling them to chill out? Talk about being disconnected from reality. Expect more black-outs for the rest of the season, that is for sure. And only good old Dean has himself to blame....and on top of it, he probably still won't reduce the black-out threshold to 85% now, just to show how much more disconnected from reality he truly is. Thanks Dean!

http://www.chargers.com/news/a...de-6de3bd0c1c74

One of the most insane PR responses I've seen in a very long time.

Same attitude that Phillips displayed last season. What's new? The fans shouldn't be upset because they are unable to understand the inner and behind the scenes workings of the team. MMQB's sig. was "In AJ I Trust." Not it.

I like how this guys says "it's one loss." 

It's not one loss. Four of our last eight games (Denver, NO, Atlanta and Detroit) have been ridiculous meltdowns. 

I think everyone on this board can swallow a terrible game here and there. It happens. But lashing out at critics and fans at this juncture is beyond insane. What's even worse is how amateurish his rant is. Half the posts on this board are more articulate. 

It's making our already stupid looking franchise look even more stupid. To be honest, I'm amazed the FO's anti-fan rant is still up on the website. Not surprisingly, the national media is taking notice:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/...l-pill/1643727/

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/...53412--nfl.html

And Yantha -- nobody in SD really says "take a chill pill" unless they're trying to be ironic.

Unbelievable. But then again, really not. Support your team & blindly hand over your hard earned cash so it can help pay my salary - and this from the PR Director? What's even more amazing is the arrogant chastising tone, as if they should somehow be afforded the same respect as our US military.

Aloha

I can see both sides of the argument.  I get that Bill Johnston is saying that the season is still young and recordwise we are tied for first place in the division.  However, I think what he's neglecting is that in every year but one under Norv, this team has had a long stretch during the season where they do not show up for the games and endure a long losing streak with last year being the best and most recent example.  I don't think the fans are out of line in any way to be mad that the team is showing all of the signs of that happening again this year.

The link provided doesn't work. Here is a functional link: Click here.

For those that actually read the article, was he wrong when he wrote this:

A few of the more recent Chargers teams have been declared dead by quacks, only to awaken in good health. ...The ’07 Chargers started 1-3 before winning 10 of their last 12.  The ’08 Chargers won their final four in a row and the ’09 team won its last 11 games.

I was there in '07, '08, and '09 when Honk was blowing his horn, sounding the alarms, and telling everybody the sky was falling.

That is accurate.

However, he's 100% inaccurate in saying "it's one game"

It's the Denver game, the Saints game, the Falcons game and the Lions game.

Four of our last eight games, the team has s**t the bed. 

Bill Johnston response: "It's one game. What is with you people. TAKE A CHILL PILL."

Quite simply, this is not the right time to get indignant with critics of the team's performance. And the fact that the Chargers PR Director did so says a lot about how inept franchise at the top.

chargers4life wrote: The link provided doesn't work. Here is a functional link: Click here.

For those that actually read the article, was he wrong when he wrote this:

A few of the more recent Chargers teams have been declared dead by quacks, only to awaken in good health. ...The ’07 Chargers started 1-3 before winning 10 of their last 12.  The ’08 Chargers won their final four in a row and the ’09 team won its last 11 games.

I was there in '07, '08, and '09 when Honk was blowing his horn, sounding the alarms, and telling everybody the sky was falling.

Mr. Johnston is correct. During Norv's first three years (after inheriting a 14-2 team, mind you), there were more than a few fans and writers that gave up on them, only to be proven wrong when they actually came alive to make the Playoffs. Granted, not a single AFC West opponent posted a winning record during those years, but of course they can only play in the division in which they are assigned, so fair enough. It is interesting that the very first year that Norv's team competed against a division opponent with a winning record (KC at 10-6), the Chargers failed to make the Playoffs. And of course, we're all painfully aware that last year's division winning Broncos sported a scintillating 8-8 record.

So in the interest of full disclosure, it would have been much more accurate of Mr. Johnston to mention that while those who predicted doom and gloom during Norv's first three years were eventually proven wrong, they were technically also proven right during the last two seasons. Of course, that's hardly the most important point when assessing his recent browbeating soapbox session, is it? Taking off my fan hat for a moment, from a pure business perspective, there are two particular reasons I can think of that make this a regrettable decision for Mr. Johnston.

1. Running an NFL football team means that your organization will be subject to the whimsical nature of public opinion, regardless of whether or not the prevailing opinion is deserved. That is part of the landscape, and yes, that is what your team gets millions of dollars to deal with. Anyone who comes in expecting otherwise is 100% in the wrong business.

2. Of all people, a PR director who chastises his organization's fans for lack of faith makes for a completely laughable display of podunk town professionalism. That he completely oversimplifies and ignores recent history only makes it worse, but again that's hardly the point. His job is in PUBLIC RELATIONS with the ultimate goal of trying to sell the paying public a product. And yes, let's get that straight - it is a product. 'You people', meaning the Chargers, are not doing this out of the goodness of your hearts, so please spare us with the 'support your team' mandates. The only folks deserving of such unconditional support are my God, my family, and my country.

By the way, did someone mention something about a new stadium?

"Aw shucks folks, I was just hackin on y'all!" ~ Bill Johnston

Aloha

Awesome post Aloha. All very well said.

Get this, Canepa wrote a pro-Johnston column. Nick's column right after the MNF game fooled me into believing he had the cojones to actually be critical of this team. But the day after, he was back to calling fans "villagers" and now he's busy being a mouthpiece for Johnston. 

Speaking of which, why is Johnston so frustrated and angry? Canepa and Acee are a PR Director's wet dream. Imagine if Johnston had a PR job for the Jets ... dude would be locked up in a straitjacket.

Tragic!

HunterSTomlinson wrote: Get this, Canepa wrote a pro-Johnston column. Nick's column right after the MNF game fooled me into believing he had the cojones to actually be critical of this team. But the day after, he was back to calling fans "villagers" and now he's busy being a mouthpiece for Johnston. 

Speaking of which, why is Johnston so frustrated and angry? Canepa and Acee are a PR Director's wet dream. Imagine if Johnston had a PR job for the Jets ... dude would be locked up in a straitjacket.

I looked everywhere and  could not find a chill pill so after last monday nights implosion I just simply started drinking!

LOL. Last Monday's game ruined my buzz.

slammer8 wrote: I looked everywhere and  could not find a chill pill so after last monday nights implosion I just simply started drinking!

Not tragic. Just lame.

chargers4life wrote: Tragic!

HunterSTomlinson wrote: Get this, Canepa wrote a pro-Johnston column. Nick's column right after the MNF game fooled me into believing he had the cojones to actually be critical of this team. But the day after, he was back to calling fans "villagers" and now he's busy being a mouthpiece for Johnston. 

Speaking of which, why is Johnston so frustrated and angry? Canepa and Acee are a PR Director's wet dream. Imagine if Johnston had a PR job for the Jets ... dude would be locked up in a straitjacket.

The FO would rather tell fans to shut up than deal with the problems this team has. Instead of putting ALL their efforts into making this team a winner, they have time to sheperd the fan base into happy villagers.

Getting hard to wear the gear fellas. I can feel the time where I just lose all intrest in this team getting here soon.

I've recently read some blurbs from media friends of his and Charger personnel trying to squash the outrage this article left with fans. The tactic being used is to talk about Bills personal issues and great of a person he is.

My response to that is how many Charger fans have personal issues and are great people in the community and get called "angry villagers" "Angry mob" "Vitrol and Venom" for being upset where this team is headed?

No remorse for the common fan but lets all circle hug and cry for "chill pill" writer!