So 14-2 is no longer good enough in the land of the Bolts to keep your job.

First place in the division isn’t good enough. First place in the conference isn’t good enough.

So what is good enough for the San Diego Chargers?

Apparently not Marty Schottenheimer, who was fired by the Chargers last Monday. Dean Spanos, team president, cited a “dysfunctional situation” as grounds for the firing.

It was no secret Schottenheimer and A.J. Smith, San Diego’s general manager, didn’t get along over personnel moves. But you have to figure Smith did something right to give Schottenheimer the talent to win 14 games, and Schottenheimer did something right to coach the team to 14 wins.

Heck, Smith traded the unhappy Eli Manning and turned him into Phillip Rivers, Shawn Merriman and Nate Knaeding while also drafting Shaun Phillips. Not too shabby.

Schottenheimer took Phillip Rivers, a first-time starter at quarterback, and helped him progress enough to have a good season and be voted into his first Pro Bowl.

Sure, Schottenheimer’s playoff record looks as pretty in the sun as dry rot, having not won a playoff game since ’93 and owning a 5-13 record overall in the postseason, but you can’t fault him this time. They ran into golden boy Tom Brady and the Patriots in the playoffs with Rivers at quarterback in his first season as a starter. Golden boy always wins in this situation.

You can only wonder why Schottenheimer and Smith couldn’t put aside their differences in the name of bringing a championship to San Diego.

Look no further than Indianapolis for an answer.

The Colts, going into the playoffs two years ago, had a 14-2 record and had won their division and conference. They were ousted by the Steelers in the first game they played in the postseason.

Sound familiar?

This season, the Colts came back determined to learn from their past experience. Though their regular season record wasn’t as glossy as in 2005, they still made the playoffs. Hmmm…wonder how that worked out for them? Oh yeah, they won the Super Bowl.

Why couldn’t the Chargers have done the same thing next season?

But it’s not like I’m complaining or anything. Being a Chiefs fan all my life, I am thoroughly enjoying how teams in the AFC West are self-destructing.

Players from the Raiders look in the mirror and see no reflection, the Broncos ran a quarterback out of town that only went 40-18 in the games he started for them and now, the Chargers fire a coach who won 14 games in a regular season.

Seems like the Chiefs need to keep their wits about them or they may join the triangle of stupidity and do something like trading in L.J. for a nice herd of donkies or something.

But then again, they could actually beat on a brick wall with real workhorses running the ball 40 times a game with a donkey or two on the roster.