LT Lashes Out at Patriots, Belichick
According to numerous published reports (video evidence has yet to surface), several members of the Patriots celebrated their win by performing a dance, similar to that which linebacker Shawne Merriman does following sacks, on the Chargers' logo at midfield.
"I would never react in that way. I was very upset," Tomlinson said (ESPN). "When you go to the middle of our field and start doing the dance Shawne Merriman is known for, that is disrespectful. They showed no class and maybe that comes from the head coach."I understand Tomlinson's frustration at what he perceived to be a slap at his team, but what's interesting is that he takes a swipe at Patriots head coach Bill Belichick with his comments. Belichick's recent episode in which he tried to force feed a photographer his camera could be viewed as somewhat classless. And of course, there's the other little being-named-as-the-other-man-in-a-divorce-petition thing, but somehow I doubt that's what inspired Tomlinson to specifically single out the head coach.
More likely, he and his teammates have been hearing comments all season about Belichick the genius versus Schottenheimer, the grim reaper of the playoffs. And combined with the tough ending to a great season, the frustration just boiled over when he saw what QB Philip Rivers described as fingers pointing to the scoreboard, players mimicking the dance, and stomping on the Chargers logo at midfield.
If that indeed was what happened, yes, it wasn't one of the Patriots' better moments. Taking things to the other team's logo just takes things to another level above the normal trash talking and such. But it's not the end of the world. Acts that lack class are common-place anymore in the NFL. Players have choreographed dances they pull out every time they do what, you know, they're getting paid to do. Which leads to other players mocking those moves... which leads to even more bad blood.
And it's an emotional game. So it's really not surprising following such a huge contest that the juices are going to be flowing, and the bravado is going to be boiling over for the victor, and that the hurt that comes with the finality of such a loss might just make a normally-humble man bitter.
The sad thing is, the images of neither the Patriots nor Tomlinson benefited from this incident.
Comments
I think it’s a little rich for LT to be complaining about a Patriots victory dance after all the trash talk (and trash actions) that came from the Chargers before and during the game. Nothing gets the Patriots riled more than an opponent who doesn’t seem to take them seriously, and they’ve had plenty of them in the last several years. Most have gone home unhappy.
How do you figure that Jacflash. All I’ve heard and seen out of your New England brethern has been trash talk. You’re showing just how classless the Boston area fan is by justifying that garbage we saw on the field yesterday. Just shake hands, walk off the field and prepare for the next week.
And a head butt is a class action.
listen all you cryin chargers, if your gonna talk the talk then you better walk the walk. your players should have kept their mouths shut all week and concentrated on football instead of p arades and hotel arrangements for the super bowl. talent doesn’t always prevail but heart does! …..lesson learned chumpers
The truest test of “class” in sports, as in life, is how one deals with ADVERSITY. LT and many of his teamates got a double dose of it from the Pats; first by giving them their best shots and not being able to put them away, and then, suffering the anguish of defeat in a game they really should have won.
The Bolts celebrated all week, the Pats waited til they finished the job.
Lesson for SD, another title game for NE.
At the end of the game the zoomed in on LT racing towards a group of Patriots and he seemed very upset before he was pulled away and left.
If they were acting like that then that’s wrong. I just don’t see why it’s a surprise. They have done stuff like this for years now after they win and that is a reflection of the coach…
as a fan of football and not either team that played yesterday, i must agree that some of the patriots seems classless.
not really a surprise to me. did anyone else see the replay of the punch thrown by ellis hobbs? did anyone else see the shoving down of rivers after the whistle and the spike to stop the clock? not exactly class.
belichick snubbing mangini? belichick shoving reporter? not exactly class.
the organization not taking the best care of the field in the playoffs a couple of years ago as to gain an advantage over the faster colts - not classy.
i know that he and brady (with a lot of help from vinatieri) won 3 superbowls, but winning does not automatically equate classy.
i agree that merriman isn’t classy and headbutts aren’t classy - but i think tomlinson is on to something.
(ps, i’m not a colts fan either)
Hey Ladainian, go cry me me a river
Schottenheimer, nice try but it seems that you can not raise your playoff record of 5-13, ha, ha loser
Hey Ionnie, Rivers took a flop that would make the italians in the world cup blush.
Not that I like the Pats, but how many personal fouls did the Chargers have Sunday? Patriots are going down next week.. so no worries.
we will take revenge 56 to 0 next time we meet
Standing over a sacked QB and dancing, “Lights out” is full of class but getting fed back to you is not? Grow up Chargers and back up the talk next time. Winners dance not losers.
As long as men view sports as a war and not a game, tasteless actions and words will continue on and off the field. What’s wrong with”Great game, see you next year.” Has good sportsmanlike conduct become a thing of the past?
Its pretty pathetic that he is “mad” for the way the patriots celebrated. The Pats were the underdog, no one thought they would win. And then they decided to celebrate. The people who should be called immature are the Chargers, there sore losers.
pats going down against the colts? in your dreams kyle.
Class, HA
He wears a sandwich stained hoody with the sleeves cut off on the sidelines and possibly else where. Unless I am very mistaken he’s got his children calling plays from time-to-time. I won’t delve into his personal life out of respect for a person’s privacy and common decency (Class), but I think if I did I would not find the life of a British Monarch (Potentially Not Classy, but who is these days.) here. His mannerism could barley be describe as better than coarse. His sentences in public are brief and obviously intended to end public conversations.
Class, are you kidding me, Class?
You don’t like the way he shakes hands. You don’t like the way he walks through a crowd. You don’t like what you don’t know what he said to his players about dancing.
CLASS?
You want to criticize Belichick?
CLASS?
Man if that is your best, than your best will not do. I hate to break the news to you, but I think the only c-word on the Patriots agenda is Colt’s. Class! Wow, some really observant people in San Diego and the media that we have. Class, where have you people been? Is this a presidential election (I do realize that Presidential elections are not particularly classy, but I think this only serves my point.) or a football game? Perhaps Beli lacks some of the nuances of modern American sports culture, but it doesn’t seem like those nuances are particularly relevant to the final score and in turn being a good football coach. Master’s of the obvious you are. LT, you catch on fast. Gosh, I hope this story has traction. This is funny stuff. Class?
The general rule in the NFL these days is to show little class. Ladanian has been one of the few that has been classy. Well, you just blew that out of the water LT. You looked like a cry baby after the game. Say what you want about the Patriots but they do things the right way.
The Patriots only had good things to say about the Chargers the week leading up to the game. The human stroid commerial started with his big mouth during halftime of the Jets- Patriots game. The score was NE 17 NY 10 at the time, but the bulked up steroid breathing moron claimed at the time that ‘the Jets are playing like the better team and will win today’. Then this Steroid abuser goes on to claim that he will take Tom Bradys head off during the game, if he gets a chance. Nothing from the Patriots all week. During the game there were numerous cheap shots taken by the Chargers, many unflagged. Big Man Shawm M. was invisible during the game, spending several plays acting like a pancake to the classy Patriots offensive linemen. What a class-less freak! 2 tackles? Hey Chargers, look on the brite side. You still have the Pro Bowl to look forward too. And next year your Steroid inhaling freaks can pad the stats again against nobodies like the Raiders, Cards, & Clowns.
hahaha!! Lt makes me laugh! just like manning. I dun even understand how pats are always underdogs even after winning three Superbowls!!!!! Pats have always shutdown mvps nd im sorry to say, even though Lt had a great game, champs are champs!!!!!
Russ, the garbage came from your team, and is a big part of why they lost. The Patriots’ little dance was no more classless than what they were imitating, and the fact that it was out of character for the Patriots actually says a lot. I think your team has a little growing up to do.
What was worst in the Chargers behavior was the influx of Euro-soccer type behavior - calling for fumbles that were not there and Rivers taking fake falls when he wasn’t really touched - that is poor, poor stuff to come into football. LT’s problem was that he was really pissed - and he was like that well before the end watching him on the sideline - then he snapped - no class if you ask me…
If the Pats actually did what Diego is crabbin’ about, shame on them. It only encourages a fool when you imitate him. I’ve heard that they yelled “lights out!” into the Chargers locker room, not too cool. Being from NE obviously a Pats fan, but even I would expect a bit more from 3 time SB winners.
I think “g” has the best post, extremely funny!!
As for the Colts, give me a break, Pats fans couldn’t wish for betteror easier (can you rhyme “colts” with “bolts”?!)
Hopefully it’ll be the Bears in the Bowl cuz we know how to beat them too.
ONE incident after a extremely high pressure,nailbiting game. The Patriots since 2001 and actually in its history has a minimal amount of incidents of the 32 teams.
If LT does not calm down he will taint his own image.
LT has a right to be mad because all season long he has displayed grace and humility even during defeat. The Patriots have no right to showcase unsportsmanlike conduct. Besides that celebration will be short-lived because I cannot see them winning the Super Bowl!
Chargers got beat and that’s about it. Patriots, job well dobne.
Let’s get ready to wathc the conference championship games and then prepare for the Super Bowl game. After that we can get ready for some NASCAR racing a sport that has class.
Raider Fan
On to bigger and better things…..here the one about Belichek getting a call from Peyton Mannings’ head…..Peytons’ head calls Belichek and tells him that his room is ready….
I am not a fan of either team but less for the Patriots
.
But what I can say is that have any of you ever seen the OLD football games? They got away with a lot of stuff. Oh the good old days…
There are sooo many rules any more and that it really sucks.
Why should one not be able to celebrate?
This game was not just another game. It was a Play Off Game.
You loose your out. I would want to celebrate winning against a team that was supposed to make it all the way.
People are just too politically correct and their feelings hurt too easy.
We all know that is was a defeat worth celebrating no matter what went on before, after or during the game.
LT acted like a child, but so did many others. the problem is, he’s a STAR and should act accordingly regardless of “dances”. A real man would know that if a few opposing players act out, it’s no reason to act childish themselves.
It reminds me of an interview with Marshall Faulk on Inside the NFL. Costas (irritating as he is) asked a question Marshall didn’t like, he just ripped the microphone off and walked away, leaving the real gentlman (Kurt Warner) to continue the interview. LT is head and shoulders above Faulk in reality and class, but he let it slip then. It must have been hell for LT, but that’s the way the game goes doesn’t it
Really? Tomlinson sounds like an immature sore loser..Childish hissy fit..Finding fault with the winning teams..Maybe he should look at his own team and see what can be improved on so that this doesn’t happen next year…
Bottom line is, he’s still a multi-millionaire and so are all the others performing on the field. This is how sports millionaires make their money.
quit your crying, it’s football.
I was a LT and Tom Brady before this game. Now I’m just a Tom Brady fan.
The issue is that the Pats and their fans always claim they are the “class of the NFL” and they would never tolerate a guy like TO or Moss on their team. Yet they have arguably the dirtiest player in the league (Harrison), they constantly play 3 seconds after the whistle, and they generally show a lack of respect for their opponent after constantly playing the no respect card. Beli can’t give Mangini a hand shake because he’s upset that Mangini left for a better job (UNIVERSALLY accepted practice in sports) and signed a player from the Pats that they were attempting to wait on and low ball? Classless. Then they bring in Testaverde, their THIRD/EMERGENCY QB to take snaps at the end of the Jets game, just to rub it in the faces of fans who once idolized the guy? Most teams/players/organizations in sports are pretty light on class. But for the Patriots (and more importantly, THEIR FANS) to constantly belittle other teams because they can’t measure up to the integrity of the Pats and then to act the way they do is what is most upsetting to other players/fans. Just listen to what Ditka said on Mike&Mike. If anyone knows this stuff, he would.
All right,
so first off let me start by asking since when are the Bolts crybabies?
They Aren’t. end of story. i would do the exact same thing if somebody disrespected my friends family, or the team i play for.
Secondly, since when are the pats a class act? never. you new england fans try to justify Anything you do, even if it is negative. Weeeeeellll guys, at least my Bolts have never cheated to win games, and at least we don’t have An “I’m better than you so i can disrespect you and all your fans” mentality.