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LaDainian Tomlinson, he of the bruised left knee, expects to play this Sunday against the Patriots. That's great news, I guess. More encouraging, however, would be to learn that he expects to play well.
L.T. in the playoffs
LaDainian Tomlinson
San Diego Chargers
Running back
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ATT Yards AVG Long TD
77 273 3.5 15 3
This has not been a good postseason for the man whose Web site advertises him as "the NFL's best player." If you're a Chargers fan, he owes you one. More than that, though, he owes the Patriots a game.
It was a year ago yesterday that the Patriots beat the Chargers in the Divisional Playoffs. The fact that San Diego had given up a fourth-quarter lead at home seemed to bother Tomlinson a lot less than the manner of New England's celebration. The Pats actually had the audacity to imitate Shawne Merriman's sack dance. In a game of comic-book muscularity, in which grown men try to maim each other on every play, this was beyond the bounds of good taste. Not only did the Patriots taunt the tauntee, they did it on San Diego's hallowed home field — that cathedral known as Qualcomm — a clear violation of sacrosanct traditions.
Actually, now as then, I don't understand what all the fuss was about. But LaDainian Tomlinson sure did. "Yes, I was upset, very upset," he said later that day. "When you go in the middle of our field and start doing the dance Shawne Merriman is known for, that's disrespectful to me. They showed no class at all, absolutely no class, and maybe it comes from their head coach."
This was, mind you, nine months before anyone knew of Spygate. Bill Belichick's Patriots were still regarded as models of professionalism and football etiquette. But Tomlinson's accusation seemed to put them on the defensive. Lee Jenkins, then writing in the New York Times, noted that the Pats had become "everything they had preached against."
If it was difficult to like Belichick, it had been more difficult not to respect his team. Tomlinson's complaint gave rise to the public's notion — now commonly accepted — of the Patriots as villains.
His teammates took his lead. As linebacker Shaun Phillips declared, "Every time I play New England it will be a personal grudge."
In no other sport are players so intent on being disrespected. Half of what passes for insults are exaggerations, the other half, imagined. It stands to reason that the average NFL coach isn't much for inspiration. How else to explain the desperate search for bulletin board material?
Still, Tomlinson's remarks stood out. Aside from Eric Mangini, he proved to be New England's best motivational speaker. Give him credit, too. In contrast to standard NFL policy, he didn't back off. The following September, when asked about Belichick's illicit filming of the opposition's defensive signals, he said: "I think the Patriots actually live by the saying, 'If you're not cheatin', you're not trying.'"
Four days later, the Patriots beat the Chargers 38-14, holding Tomlinson — the reigning MVP and all-time single-season touchdown leader — to 43 yards on 18 carries.
Must-read:
Kriegel: Can L.T. back up his words
"One of the most satisfying wins of my career," said Tedy Bruschi, the Patriots linebacker.
Yes, it was personal then. But it's even more so now.
I'm sure LaDainian Tomlinson is as great a guy as everyone says he is. And while I don't mean to further confuse victory with virtue, it's worth nothing that, through seven pro seasons, he hasn't done much in January. It's not all his fault, the Chargers being, well, the Chargers. But he is the face of the franchise, and it shouldn't be too much to ask him for a big game — especially when Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates are listed as questionable. San Diego should not have to live and die with Darren Sproles.
Sunday will mark Tomlinson's third playoff game this month. The first two were less than satisfactory, certainly for a guy regarded as the best running back of his era. Against the Tennessee Titans, he managed but 42 yards on 21 carries. Anyone who saw the game knows how lucky he was that the linesman didn't blow his whistle immediately after the Titans met him at the goal line. As it happened, Tomlinson's touchdown seemed all but accidental.
Tomlinson didn't fare much better in Indianapolis, running for 28 yards and fumbling once before leaving the game with the bruised knee. Now Tomlinson says he'll return for the rematch with the Patriots, knowing full well that the Chargers don't have even a chance unless he plays very well.
The Patriots have no class, he said. You'll be hearing that a lot this week. Then again, class is a much overrated commodity in pro football. So are all the records. If LaDainian Tomlinson really wants to make things right, he'll find a way to do a sack dance in Foxborough.
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