Tony Gwynn addressed the assembled media about departing Monday afternoon’s practice with a stunning sunset as the backdrop. He declared, It’s time, believe me,” to retire.

When SDSU fired head coach Claude Gilbert amid the weekly gathering of sportswriters and sportscasters at San Diego Stadium 43 years ago on Saturday, it was a bizarre scene. It happened with Chargers coach Don Coryell storming out of his office to criticize the SDSU administration, fifty of Gilbert’s Aztecs players standing in the back of the room backing him with a signed petition, and the Aztecs’ athletic director scrambling to provide an explanation.

“Some individuals are so blind and foolish, it’s unbelievable,” Coryell remarked. “One of the top coaches in the nation is right here, and they fired him.”

And this: “They are unsure of the nature of the issue. Their problems won’t be solved by firing this coach, who is the best darn coach they could have here. Their heads are buried so deep in the earth that they are blind.