An open letter to LaDainian Tomlinson

Dear L.T.,

We understand that you were the NFL’s “golden boy” and the face of the league this season. As the league’s most valuable player and the franchise player on the league’s best team, viewers were bombarded on a weekly basis about how you are transcending the running back position.

The current professional sports landscape seems overly saturated with criminals and other individuals that lack moral fiber, but throughout your six seasons you’ve carefully sculpted your image in the media and have truly been a class act.

It is this history that created the media firestorm for your comments and actions following last Sunday’s 24-21 season-ending loss against the visiting New England Patriots.

For those who might have been stuck in traffic or unable to view a television screen since last weekend I will enlighten you.

The leader of the San Diego Chargers challenged Patriots defensive back Ellis Hobbs and linebacker Rosevelt Colvin after they egregiously mimicked San Diego defensive end Shawne Merriman’s “lights out” dance on the sideline after sealing the Chargers fate.

Is it possible that the source of all this commotion and the degradation of L.T. and his teammates honor stemmed from a foot shuffle and some energized jazz hands?

It is perfectly reasonable for you to take offense at the classless celebration antics exerted by those two members of a three-time Super Bowl champion franchise. I can only imagine how obnoxious that must have been standing there watching a player perform a dance like that.

Oh wait, come to think of it, you probably felt the embarrassment and anger that your opponents felt all season long as they watched Merriman perform his dance after his involvement in every non-significant play.

It was apparent to that the dance had become out of control early in Sunday’s game when Merriman actually went into his routine after merely bumping into Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Keep in mind, he didn’t sack Brady, he merely laid a hit on him.

Perhaps it wasn’t the dance that upset you L.T., but the blatant copyright infringement. If only Colvin and Hobbs had gone the Major League Baseball route and gotten the expressed written consent from Merriman before they started their dance dance revolution.

You didn’t seem to have a problem with the trash talk in the week leading up to the game and you didn’t voice your displeasure when one of your teammates head butted a Patriot player following a failed first-down conversion attempt.

Although most found it sensible for you to complain about the occurrence in your post game interview, a true “class act” wouldn’t have drawn attention to it on the field.

Come to think of it, a classy person wouldn’t have taken a shot at the opposing head coach following the incident and wouldn’t still be whining and complaining about it three days later.

Your comments and continued complaining only lead us to view you as a poor sport. If you want to be mad about something, be angry that you only had eight touches in the second half of a game that for the most part you controlled.

L.T., do us all a favor and enjoy your pro-bowl vacation to Hawaii, the rest of the off-season and then take your $7.5 million a year salary to buy yourself some luxurious items because we’re tired of taking part in your cry party.

You lost the game and now you’re starting to lose my respect.

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