American Legends: Your Daily Fix 2.13.07 [J. Mark English]

Santa Clara (who?) ends the nations longest home winning streak by defeating Gonzaga in Spokane Washington last night.

After saying his job was secure, the San Diego Chargers turn around and fire Marty Schottenheimer: Schottenheimer, who has 200 regular-season wins and no Super Bowl appearances, was fired as San Diego Chargers coach on Monday, a month after being told his job was safe despite another January collapse. Team president Dean Spanos interceded in what he called a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach who led San Diego to an NFL-best 14-2 record and his general manager.

John Clayton has more on this: Schottenheimer couldn't get along with general manager Smith and vice versa. Such problems exist in the NFL, but these situations are usually not as well publicized as this spat. Smith and Schottenheimer coexisted in the coach's first year in San Diego in 2002. In 2003, the relationship started to deteriorate. Schottenheimer made recommendations that year on personnel matters, and Smith disagreed. By 2005, Smith was working around Schottenheimer on personnel matters and even some coaching decisions. By March 2006, the two didn't speak.

Don Banks adds his own thoughts: It was the inevitable conclusion to a saga that should have ended in January. What Spanos should have seen four weeks ago was the Schottenheimer-Smith marriage couldn't be fixed, and wasn't worth the extra energy and time spent that could have been used to move the Chargers organization forward....Think about this: Four weeks down the road, all San Diego is now is worse off for its dawdling and poor decision-making. The Chargers have lost both of their respected and talented coordinators -- Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips -- to other teams' head-coaching searches. Either Cameron, now in Miami, or Phillips, saddling up in Dallas, would have made a quality replacement had Schottenheimer been dismissed in mid-January, after San Diego's divisional-round home playoff loss to New England.

Tiki Barber hangs up the cleats and signs a mega deal with NBC: Former New York Giant great Tiki Barber has been named a correspondent for NBC News’ “Today” and an analyst for NBC’s “Football Night in America.” The announcement was made Tuesday by Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, and Steve Capus, President, NBC News.

The Oklahoma Sooners football program is being investigated by the NCAA: The NCAA has alleged a third Oklahoma football player received excess pay from the same car dealership where former Sooners Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn received similar benefits, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Bill Cosby is at the Westminster Kennel Dog Show: Erinn Cosby called her famous dad, then ran onto the green carpet at Madison Square Garden for more pressing business: Kissing one lucky dog smack on the mouth. Co-owned by Bill Cosby, a 6-year-old Dandie Dinmont named Harry won the always tough terrier group at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Monday night.