Chuck wrote on Jan 21, 2008 2:51 PM:From a man from Boston-Congrats to the Chargers-they showed both grit and class on Sunday.They had me worried from start to finish. the only negative for you (besides not being able to pull it off), was Tomlinson sitting it out-I couldn't believe it.
Sene him packing and get someone who wants to win a Super Bowl and San Diego will be all right.

Chuck wrote on Jan 21, 2008 2:52 PM:From a man from Boston-Congrats to the Chargers-they showed both grit and class on Sunday.They had me worried from start to finish. the only negative for you (besides not being able to pull it off), was Tomlinson sitting it out-I couldn't believe it.
Send him packing and get someone who wants to win a Super Bowl, and San Diego will be all right.

Not the real LT wrote on Jan 21, 2008 2:55 PM:Tomlinson was faking...I knew it!

Jaque wrote on Jan 21, 2008 3:16 PM:Will the true leader of the Chargers stand up? Rivers

Will the true pansy please sit down? Tomlinson

Tomlinson said he'll probably sit out the Pro Bowl. No kidding? Go ahead and play you whiner!

Concerned-1 wrote on Jan 21, 2008 3:58 PM:Wow, Rivers has really stepped it up in the last couple of months. I'm really starting to like him. I hope he gets the knife ASAP so he can be back 100 percent for next season. I'm glad LT doesn't have to go under. And BTW, please look at the facts, LT is a man and one of the best football players ever. Word. C-1.

Uh oh Is LT... wrote on Jan 21, 2008 4:06 PM:getting ready to pull a Barry Sanders on us? He seems a bit out of sorts of late. I wonder if he is finally getting frustrated being on the wrong team during his prime.
Just a thought...

Chief wrote on Jan 21, 2008 4:08 PM:Thats because Rivers gutted it out. He was there for his team. He is a leader. L.T. he chose to let his team down and become a spectator.

Jose wrote on Jan 21, 2008 4:45 PM:Two things:

First; With Rivers' and LT's rickety wheels, Norv should have sat them out of the game or the first half at least and let Billy V and the other backs contribute.

Second; Give LT the benefit of the doubt about his knee injury and his unconventional antics (helmet on and sitting away from the action). Let's see if he will buck up and explain why he acted the way he did. His behavior may have a legitimate reason. Time will tell.

Football Fan wrote on Jan 21, 2008 4:53 PM:Yea, LT will need surgery! On his heart, or lack there of!!!

MG wrote on Jan 21, 2008 6:21 PM:Before all of you jump off the LT bandwagon. Listen to the reports the Doctors did not want him to play. It was the coach decision to sit him out. The doctors went to the coach and said LT should not play. If, the chargers did not have Turner, LT would have played the whole game. Turner will be gone via free agency. Where will the Charger be without LT?

Joe wrote on Jan 21, 2008 6:49 PM:Let's see, LT does NOT need surgery and QUIT playing after gaining a whopping 5 yards (might have been too cold for him being from Texas) and Rivers HAD SURGERY 6 DAYS EARLIER and DID PLAY THE ENTIRE GAME!

It is very obvious who the REAL LEADER is now on the Chargers.

Rivers has earned the ultimate respect of his team mates (see quotes by Geoff and others) as well as other NFL players for spectacular courage and leadership in the most difficult of circumstances.

Who would you rather have leading your team-a firey quarterback or a sullen, moping, pouting, selfish and soft spoken running back?

Yes LT has accomplished a lot and it could be said that he "leads by example" but he simultaneously has demonstated numerous examples of not being a great team mate.

Having played football myself and understanding that, generally speaking, the offense hangs out with offense and the defense hangs out with the defense, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Rivers plays cards with linebacker Polk and the defensive linemen. Most quarterbacks would be too elitist to do such a thing but not our good ole southern boy Rivers.

It was painfully obvious in Norv's press conference that he had difficulty defending LT's decision to isolate himself from the team and not try to participate on the sidelines while not in the game. Mope, pout and hiding behind the dark shield was not a good image of him after gaining 5 yards and quitting. If you recall, he was OFF THE INJURY REPORT on Friday and practiced and proclaimed himself healed and healthy which, evidently, turned out NOT to be the case. Add to this him getting up and scowling when Philip sat down next to him on the bench and other similar incidents and he has developed a reputation for being a great football player but also a pouter and less than ideal team mate.

It was good to hear LT give Rivers his due kudos for manning up and playing the entire game (in below freezing tempatures no less) 6 days after surgery. I can only wonder whether LT would have played 6 days after surgery also. From what you know now, what do you think?

LT was voted today as team mvp as he did lead the league in rushing however, as it is now more of a passing league, the numbers required to accomplish that are considerably less than back in the day (remember when running backs would gain TWO THOUSAND YARDS?) when it was more evenly balanced with the 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

Good season Chargers and at least they "made some noise" and have something to build on for next year. Line them up 3 deep and let them compete!

Broncos Fan wrote on Jan 21, 2008 7:00 PM:Its the biggest game of the season, what happend to laying it all out on the line. Grit it up boys, how bad do want it. Hats off to Rivers, I have a new found respect for him, to bad he's not a Bronco.

Sam wrote on Jan 21, 2008 8:10 PM:Come on Joe, you of all people getting on LT for not playing on a strained MCL...that's ... ridiculous. There's a reason why Dan Marino, Brad Johnson, and Craig Morton played quarterback...because you don't have to ... run let alone jump cut and slash like LT does...Knee injuries on quarterbacks and runningbacks are completely different...why the Hell do you think Joe Namath could play on his crappy knees. Adrain Peterson had the same injury as LT...did he play the next week..NOPE OUT THREE-FOUR WEEKS...DUDE SERIOUSLY YOU SOUND LIKE ONE OF THOSE NO NOTHING RIDICULOUS KNEE JERK FANS...AND YOU PLAYED BEFORE...It's a four week recovery injury...you should know that...LT tried to come back after 7 days...seriously, did you really play at Florida because you sound totally ignorant right now...You have had some good posts but seriously get your emotions together...An MCL on a runningback who gets hit on every play, has to make hard cuts on every play is like a quarterback with a seperated shoulder...it ain't gonna happen...Marvin Harrison didn't need surgery and how many weeks was he out...are you really going to compare the two positions?...That's like comparing a DH and a centerfielder.....and now your trying to diminish his accomplishments with all this statistical crap. Clinton Hart said he had the same injury and you just can't do the cutting you need to do, especially at runningback.. DO YOU REALLY THINK LT WANTED TO BE ON THE SIDELINES IN THE BIGGEST GAME OF HIS LIFE...HE'S CARRIED THE FRIGGIN' TEAM FOR 6 YEARS...COULD'VE LEFT...AND ARE YOU REALLY QUESTIONING HIS HEART...THAT'S A JOKE...AND YOUR PREVIOUS POST IS EVEN A BIGGER ONE. As apparently you have lost respect for LT, I have lost all respect for you as a knowledgable fellow division one player. Are you really that emotional right now...oh, and please enlightenment on Jammer's play who you said should be moved to strong safety...remember, you're talking to a corner here...if you gave ratings for corners...Jammer's rating for the three playoff games would be somwhere in the 130's....

Injurys wrote on Jan 21, 2008 8:26 PM:Why risk your football career while playing. LT is a munch bigger target than Rivers. He could have serioulsly hurt himself. I support LT, Rivers was either really stupid or really brave. Only time will tell how they both will heal. I salute them both and the rest of the Chargers!

boltbeliever wrote on Jan 21, 2008 9:22 PM:I am proud of how the Chargers finally bought into being a team. Marty wasn't coming back ! Norv had his vision of how the team needed to change to go to the next level. I am sure all will reflect on if their decisions or actions helped or hurt the cause. We saw LT going through some changes. Maybe he was not always happy with Norv's decisions-but he needs to buy in to what is best for the team. It reminds me of how he regretted his actions and comments last year against the Patriots.Looking foreward to next season !

LT's decision was right. wrote on Jan 21, 2008 11:19 PM:Just because he doesn't need surgery didn't mean that LT wasn't injured. If he can't run, he can't run. We've got capable backups in Turner and Sproles. He did the right thing by letting them play in his place. LT was useless to the team with the sprained MCL, better to get someone healthy in his place.

For Rivers, he should have admitted his injury and not kept trying to play through it. Footwork is so important to throwing the ball, and if he was healthy, might not have thrown those interceptions. It would have been better to bring in Volek.

Sam wrote on Jan 22, 2008 9:58 AM:Everybody seems to be in love with the RAH RAH, YELLING LEADERS...who many turn out to be just like some of you fans...All TALK...YAP YAP YAP...I fully expected a healthy LT to have a big game like he did last year against the PATS when Cameron forgot about him in the 4th quarter. But I also had a suspicion that the team was fudging the injury report, which they did as well when I played at Colorado...when I saw LT's movement on his last pass I knew it wasn't just a hyperextension. Turns out it's a sprained MCL...If you've ever played ball, especially college or pro you know that an MCL on a quarterback and one on a runningback is completely different. A sprained MCL on him is like a dislocation or seperated shoulder on the throwing arm of a quarterback...it ain't gonna happen. DO NOT QUESTION HIS HEART IF HE COULD'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE HE WOULD'VE, IF YOU DON'T THINK SO THEN I ABSOLUTELY KNOW YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED FOOTBALL OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE AND DON'T KNOW CRAP ABOUT FOOTBALL. DUDE'S CARRIED THE TEAM FOR SEVEN YEARS...HE COULD'VE LEFT...IF YOU THINK IN THE BIGGEST GAME OF HIS TIME HERE THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE HEART TO PLAY YOU ARE QUITE SIMPLY...AN IDIOT

Everybody says LT is the leader of this team...he's the leader with his play he's never been, isn't capable, and probably never wanted to be the rah rah guy. I'm sure it took everything, in fact it took Marty to get him to call a team meeting. LT is like Marvin Harrison and Barry Sanders...dude doesn't like to talk much, is forced to by the press, does that make them bad teammates, selfish, or worse players? NOPE, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY ARE...Lo Neal, Rivers, Osgood, Merriman they are the vocal leaders...Him sitting on the bench...how is it different from any other game? When he's out of the game...he's almost always on the bench...have you seen Marvin Harrison, did you ever watch Sanders...We had some guys at Colorado who hardly said a word but they were the best teammates anyone could have. Ask any of the Charger players if they think LT is selfish...I WILL BET YOU TO A MAN THEY'LL LAUGH IN YOUR FACE, SHORT OF PUNCHING YOU IN THE FACE...WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE A BUNCH OF SPECULATING IDIOT, OVEREMTIONAL FANS OR THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES WHO'VE NEVER PLAYED BEFORE? You all get caught with quick cuts to LT sitting on the bench...maybe you missed some other coverage, but he was standing with the team as well...also, if you've played at Colorado or New England...everyone sits on the bench because it's friggin' heated...but all that's neither here nor there...NOT EVERYONE IS A RAH RAH GUY...

ASK THE CHARGERS THEMSELVES WHAT THEY THINK OF LT.

IF YOU QUESTION HIS HEART AND IF HE'S SELFISH YOUR JUST WAY OFF. WHAT I FIND HILARIOUS IS DEION (THE MAN WHO WROTE THE BOOK ON ME AND SELFISH) PONITIFICATING ON LT'S LACK OF HEART AND SELFISHNESS...THAT GUY IS A FRIGGIN' JOKE..SAME IDIOT WHO DEFENDED VICK...GET RID OF THAT MORON ALREADY ALONG WITH SOME OF YOU KNEE JERK FANS!

Chuck wrote on Jan 23, 2008 3:37 PM:Again-Those of you sticking up for LT are quick to forgive him- but name another "leader" not on the injury report that ever sat out a Conference Championship Game. I am sure he will "recover" and have a great regular season next year. He will NEVER
lead you to a Super Bowl. I wouldn't want him on my fox hole-I would rather have Tiki Barber!! (Joke-another quitter)