Rotoworld.com's Gregg Rosenthal asks a question we were probably all thinking Sunday afternoon: should Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson be taking some heat for spending most of the AFC Championship game on the bench with a balky knee?
By all accounts, LdT is one of the nicest guys in football, and he's never had much of an injury history. It's probably unfair to question his desire to play in the conference finals. But juxtaposed against quarterback Philip Rivers' gutty performance, it's kind of hard to ignore. Whatever, the NFL Network's Deion Sanders had some thoughts on the situation (courtesy of Pancake Blocks):
"You understand what T.O overcame to get back in the game, what Plaxico Burress goes through each week, and what Philip Rivers went through to play. LT told us he was close to 100%. The problem is, when you tell me that, I have expectaions, and when you don't meet those expectations, you open yourself for us to try to guess. Now what's the problem? You're a big-time player. And big-time players must play in big time games.
I know a lot of people will give LT a pass and say we don't know what happened. As a teammate, as fans looking on, it must be a surgery for him to get a pass on this one. I hope he comes up with something in the offseason, nothing severe, but a surgery for him to get a pass on this one."You know, I agree with Sanders. I'm in no position to determine how severe an injury must be before it's okay to sit out, but given the context -- that Tomlinson said he was nearly 100% ... and then he only had two carries -- I think it raises some legitimate questions.
Of course, LdT could've just been blowing smoke in the days leading up to the game (it wouldn't be the first time a team exaggerated an injury one way or the other), and that's what is sounds like. As Rosenthal mentions, this could be a potential injury-report violation, but the NFL enforces that rule about as often as Tom Brady has a three-interception game. And until commissioner Roger Goodell cracks down on the practice, don't expect anything to change.
In the meantime, Tomlinson will have to spend the off-season answering questions about why he didn't play, which to me, seems like deterrent enough.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Are you saying that the Chargers just might be...cheaters?! Say it isn't so? I thought the Patriots were the only team who bended the rules/made pacts with Satan.
Posted at 11:51AM on Jan 21st 2008 by Gary
2. LT is a whiner all the way from his classlees comments, tothrowing a fit on the side lines when things are not going his way! He is a crybaby all the way around. Oh by the way I loved it when our 4-12 team kicked that SD butt on their own turf!
Posted at 1:51PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Chieffan
3. There's something up with L.T. And it seems like the CBS broadcasting crew sidestepped it completely.
Posted at 2:15PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Cosmonaut
4. It is said that LT suffered a sprained MCL and Wilfork and Seau popped the same knee on his first carry of the game. Happy now?
Posted at 2:18PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Greg
5. It's obvious LT was really hurt. Who sits it AFC Championship game?
Posted at 2:18PM on Jan 21st 2008 by bet the super bowl
6. Having played football High school, college and US Navy) for 14 years total, I understand the "team effort" concept very well. I must say this; as his team mate I would have felt a thorough sense of disappointment when my big play maker would not make the sacrifice the rest of us were making. LT did not "ride for the brand" as it was said in the early west." Sacrifice is what football is about. It is a game of sacrifice and we are all expected to give for the benefit of the whole. I could never play on the same team as LT and have any amount of confidence for a "team" victory. LT...you better come up with something real good for this one because you have broken the cardinal rule. Your teammates will never look upon you the same way if you don't. You owe an apology to your comrades!
Posted at 3:47PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Jim Hagan
7. I'd be pretty surprised if his teammates didn't know what was up with LT. Since we haven't really heard anything frmo his teammates, about being "let down" I'd say its pretty safe that he had a reason to sit out.
Posted at 3:58PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Deechi
8. I cna't believe this guy is being ripped for this. Do you really think that if he could have gone that he would have sit on the bench. This is lame. These teams hate each other and I can't imagin him sitting out on his own. That would be like brady not wanting to play the colts. Lets not jump the gun here and wait to see what the situation really was.
Posted at 5:05PM on Jan 21st 2008 by angryguy77
9. Richiemac, will you have the same things to say when moss has a melt down? He may not this season, but it will happen. Even if what you say is true, your team has a guy famous for taking plays off. And at least he has never run anyone over with his care on purpose. NE fans are automatically disqualified from making statements about the character of players on other teams. You have on of the biggest all time thugs on your roster who is only a man when he wins.
Posted at 5:10PM on Jan 21st 2008 by angryguy77
10. Richiemac,I loved it when the Titans tight end came across and decleated Merriman! I thought it served him right for his lights out dance!
Posted at 5:22PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Chieffan
11. L.T. might be a great guy to those who know him best, but my observations are that when SD wins he is all smiles, and when they lose, he pouts and stamps his feet i.e. the last time the Patriots beat them in SD. I truly believe he knew they had no chance to beat the Pats so he didn't play, besides it was to cold for him. He was upset because when the Pats won in SD they danced on the field and just happened to be on their LOGO???? He acted like an immature spoiled brat. He never complained when Merriman danced on the logo of opposing teams.[Double standard you think???]
Richiemac
Posted at 5:45PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Richiemac
12. Did you not hear LT...his knee was hit on the first play, which made it impossible for him to "explode" on subsequent plays. Maybe Neon Deon needs an LT stiff arm to straighten out his thinking!
Posted at 5:49PM on Jan 21st 2008 by charles
13. LT proved the kind of man he is. When his team needed him he sat on the bench with his visor on so nobody could see him cry. When they needed him, he couldn't even root them on. When they lost, he wouldn't even shake hands with anyone.
He's an ASS!!!
Posted at 6:56PM on Jan 21st 2008 by chris
14. LT's facemask is awesome
Posted at 7:49PM on Jan 21st 2008 by czinkel
15. Angryguy77. I will sit and read what you have to say and defend your right to say it, but don't you try to take away my right to how his demonstration impressed me. And as far as the Patriots being thugs, the way I see it is all football players are thugs in their own way. Besides the topic of conversation was LT so how in hell does Moss fit into the picture on this blog????? And one other thing, what right do you have to disqualify anyone from giving their opinion on any given situation???
Jealousy seems to run rampart in the football world if one is not a Patriot Fan. I somtimes find it difficult to understand the hate that I read on some of these blogs, and please DON'T GIVE ME ANY CRAP ABOUT CHEATING, THAT IS GETTING PRETTY REDUNDANT. We Patriot fans will live to see the Patriots lose and rest assured we will accept it well. You see we are used the Patriots losing but we never gave up on them. I have been a fan since the first day they stepped on the field, and saw many losing seasons. So now I find it difficult to understand why so many people resent the fact that we are basking in the glory of success. So I part with this to all of you Patriot Haters.
"EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT"
Posted at 8:14PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Richiemac
16. he's no Emmitt Smith thats for sure!
Posted at 9:18PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Matt
17. It happens to every running back. Can you say PAST HIS PRIME!!!
Posted at 9:26PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Matt
18. Wow LT haters out in full force. I have no doubt that if LT felt he could be a real contributor to the game he would have been playing.
Why does the light out dance bother people so much? Plenty of players celebrate after making a tackle or sack, why dont you complain about them?
Most of the time when a team is losing you see the players sitting on the sidelines, looking less than happy, somber. So why give LT such hard time for not smiling when his team is down.
Oh and I forgot that LT is supposed to keep everyone on the team in check and reprimand them for celebrating sackr, running their mouths or taunting fans. Just because we dont see it doesnt mean it doesnt happen. And if he doesnt than oh well, thats not his job anyway.
LT had off year and was still the rushing leader, I would say he is far from past his prime.
Posted at 10:41PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Jessica
19. An absolute embarrassment to his team...
Posted at 11:32PM on Jan 21st 2008 by dA
20. Because Merriman ended a guys career while he was jacked up on roids! That is why he is critcized for his lights out dance. As for lt he is a baby!
Posted at 11:42PM on Jan 21st 2008 by Chieffan