http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5048333 The Jordan/Pippen reference was good. LT: Chargers passed on run FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- LaDainian Tomlinson says you shouldn't believe everything you see on film when it comes to his last few seasons in San Diego. The New York Jets' newest running back said Thursday after a team workout that several factors led to his decreased production with the Chargers. "The things that happened in San Diego, everything was taken away from me," Tomlinson said. "There wasn't an emphasis on running the football anymore, my best fullback was gone, the linemen were pass blocking and it was a passing quarterback and a passing coach. So, the situation's kind of misleading when you look on film." Tomlinson, who signed a two-year deal worth about $5.2 million with the Jets last month, has a point about San Diego's offensive focus. He was no longer the center of the Chargers' attack the last few seasons. Instead, coach Norv Turner increasingly allowed Philip Rivers to throw the ball down the field. The eighth-leading rusher in NFL history was cut in February after nine seasons in San Diego and a career-low 730 yards rushing and 3.3 yards per carry. There was speculation after the 2008 season that the Chargers might try to trade or even release him, and Tomlinson said he was unhappy with the team after last season. "To be honest with you, I felt like last year was going to be my last year in San Diego," he said. "After the problems we had the previous year with the organization, I knew it was time to leave. The transition wasn't as hard because I kind of prepared myself for it and I was ready to kind of move on to something else." Tomlinson turns 31 in June, but insists he hasn't lost a step and can still make defensive players miss. He's also motivated by those who say he's washed up -- the 30-and-done running back rule -- and is no longer a dangerous player. "It really doesn't bother me as much because I accept everything as a challenge and that's fine with me," he said. "I can stick that on my wall and look at it everyday and it can motivate me to go out and work hard. At this stage of my career, I've got to outwork everybody else and prove that I can still play." That's a big reason he's participating in voluntary workouts this offseason. "I think the most important thing is getting here and working out, having guys see how I work," Tomlinson said. "You build a chemistry through the offseason by lifting weights and running. Guys see how you work and judge it from there." With the Jets, Tomlinson is expected to be a complement to Shonn Greene, who was promising during his rookie season. Tomlinson thinks they can help each other stay fresh by sharing carries. "Shonn and I work well together," said Tomlinson, whose locker is next to Greene's. "Hopefully we're like Jordan and Pippen." Tomlinson chose the Jets over the Minnesota Vikings because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's system and the chance to win a championship. He also relishes the opportunity to play in the AFC East, particularly against the Patriots. "It's going to be fun," he said. "The Patriots have always been one of them teams that, it's hard for me to swallow that pill of losing to them, so it's going to fun to play them twice a year. And, it's going to be one of my main goals to beat them twice." The dining options have also made for a smooth adjustment from Southern California to New York. "Well, I never was a sushi guy," he said, laughing. "I love Italian food and pizza, obviously, so it's been great. With my wife being pregnant, she loves that type of food, so all the better."
"It's going to be fun," he said. "The Patriots have always been one of them teams that, it's hard for me to swallow that pill of losing to them, so it's going to fun to play them twice a year. And, it's going to be one of my main goals to beat them twice." You gotta love it.
I was waiting for this "I need to teach Shonn how to do the LT TD Dance, it was good but he needs some practice"
BWAHAHAHAHA. He sounds just like Rhodes when Rhodes made his now infamous comments, and now LT is a "class act" and people like what he's saying, but Rhodes was a whiny crybaby bitch. People never cease to amaze me. FTR: I don't take issue with either of their comments.
You're right, they are very similar. LT is complaining about having the ball taken out of his hands on an offense that was moving away from the run, and Kerry was complaining about responsibilities being taken out of his hands on a defense that was moving away from sucking. I see where you're coming from.
Neither player's play is at issue here. It's the comments that are. If one person burned bridges (which he didn't) then so did the other. And you can point to LT's performance just as much as you can Kerry's, if you really want to get technical. While it's fair to speculate that LT's drop was due to a change in philosophy, the same could be argued regarding Rhodes. My point stands. It's hypocrisy.
i never really cared much about what kerry said either but this a bit different. L.T. is complaining about something that was pretty obvious to a lot of people. the chargers shifted their focus to a pass first team and the run game suffered. rhodes was complaining about his role in the number one defense in the league last season. both guys definitely gave off a bit of a bitter vibe but it is hard to buy a guy complaining about being part of the #1 defense in the league.
To me it doesn't seem that he is complaining about the Chargers, just stating the fact that they moved to a pass first offense and he no longer fit in.
Only if you're trying to find an angle to defend Kerry Rhodes. I think LT's comments are just as bitter as Kerry's and he was vocal about it in San Diego as well. LT had been supplanted in his old stomping grounds and lost his BMOC status, and made it loud and clear why he wasn't the man anymore. I thought it was kind of a punk thing to do and I still do, although he's not as much of a bitch about it as Rhodes. San Diego finished the season ranked 20th overall in rushing. Kerry Rhodes in 2008 was calling signals for a defense that ranked 29th against the pass. That is fucking putrid. He lost his BMOC privileges to a short white guy and then lost his starting job for 2 games because he refused to let himself be coached. All the while, the Jets became the top passing defense in the league. The main difference here is that one is a Hall of Famer who is still trying to maintain his level of performance, and wanted out so he could go to a team that would put the ball in his hands - while the other had one near-Pro Bowl performance 3 years ago, and hasn't done squat since, and got cut loose because he acted like a petulant child when he couldn't be the star anymore. LT has a leg to stand on. Kerry does not. Performance is definitely a factor, and if you're going to ignore it, then your head is in the sand.
Check out the report of this on Rotoworld. "Complanian" I'd bet if it was the Pats who picked him up, it'd be a stroke of genius and no one would dare call him Complanian for saying what he said about their offense. I don't know, maybe it's just me. LaDainian Tomlinson blames his lack of production in San Diego last season on the Chargers' offense and coaching staff."Everything was taken away from me," Complainian said. "There wasn't an emphasis on running the football anymore, my best fullback was gone, the linemen were pass-blocking and it was a passing quarterback and a passing coach." L.T. failed to point out that the offense skewed toward the pass because he could no longer establish a rushing attack.
Except LT is a hall of fame player, and Rhodes is a hall of fame faggot. Edit: Totally did not read Abyz's post upon typing that, haha.
I'm sorry, but the Chargers went to a pass first mentality "BECAUSE" LT wasn't getting it done, not the other way around.
Yep, it's great! Another guy who's caught up in the whole being too focused on the Pats! Remember how they "played like it was the SB" the first time they played NE. I really think that was a cause of some of their midseason letdown. Luckily they had just enough to get back in the playoff race. No one game is bigger than the next. The Jets are good enough to just worry about how they're gonna get to a SB rather than bring the Pats into every conversation.
It's just you. If the Pats picked him up, it would have been "the old old Pats keep getting older" just like when they picked up Taylor last year.
i have to agree with alio here. its interesting when very similar events occur and this site which now has a hierarchy of leaders and followers takes COMPLETELY different takes on it depending on what they WANT. i am concerned about tomlinson because he didnt have a burst the last few years, and you dont get or lose a burst because they decided to pass more. i am rationalizing this by saying he has been injured. we will see what happens but i am not concerned about his lack of carries or his lack of good line blocking. i am more concerned about his lack of burst when he did have the ball in his hands and needed to beat a guy. he just hasnt done that the last 2 years, he always beat that guy in the past.
Wow, bitter. He's right but he's not really taking anything in stride here. Norval coming in was pretty much the death toll for the running game in SD and he really didn't know how to use LT, or Spores for that matter, properly but this isn't really how you want to leave a job. Why he didn't bring AJ Smith's name into this, I'm not sure.
Wasn't Norv Turner the OC on the Dallas teams that ran Emmitt Smith into the ground? When did he become a pass first guy?????
