LT Throws in the Towel

Well, what we were all expecting is finally here. Yesterday LaDanian Tomlinson said he doesn’t want to play for the Chargers anymore. In a radio interview this week he stated that he felt disconnected and questioned the commitments of some of the players. If you can’t tell, he doesn’t want to go quietly.

“I don’t know what it is,” he said. “We’re (at) the point where these guys that come into the league, it’s not about the same values no more. It’s not about football, the things that you’re taught — faith, family, football. To them, it’s notabout that no more. It’s the name … It’s ‘me.’ And that’s the thing that’s so disappointing to me, because I can’t deal with that no more. If that’s going to be allowed I just can’t deal with that type of stuff.”

Co host Scott Kaplan of the “Scott and BR Show” on XX Sports Radio asked LT about his disappointment as a team leader, and in some of the things in the Chargers playoff loss.

“Some of this I feel like is taken out of my hands,” Tomlinson said. “You said a leader and all this kind of stuff, but there was a big part of this year, where for whatever reason, I didn’t feel connected as far as the team, the unity, togetherness, family. I didn’t feel that at times in the season. There were times that I did. But I’m saying that was a problem in the locker room, I felt like. Just my opinion.”

Tomlinson said he was as happy this season as he had been in some time, saying he felt the current Chargers team cost him his best chance at a Super Bowl. A playoff loss, a game in which the team committed numerous uncharger-like mistakes, changed his thinking.

The way I think of it, it would be tough to be LT. He used to be the face of the Chargers. The Chargers were HIS team. But, now Philip Rivers is the team leader, and LaDanian is no longer as big of a name as it used to be. I don’t think he wants to take the pay cut, or share the stardom either. When you think San Diego Chargers, you don’t think LT anymore. You think Philip Rivers, Darren Sproles & Vincent Jackson. That would be hard on any declining NFL stars ego.

I don’t know what us football fans are supposed to think. I don’t think the Chargers will be a very different team without him, as he wasn’t getting a lot of playing time anyway. Maybe the Bolts wont choke this year.