A note on LT/Patriots feud

[bigpern23]

When the game's done, the showmanship ought to stop. You walk to the middle of the field, shake hands, then go to the locker room. If they wanted to mock the Chargers, they had all game to do it. A celebration is fine, it's expected from the winning team, but you don't mock the losing team there. Show some class.

No excuse for the Patriots' actions. Act like you've been there before.

Even less excuse for LDT's actions. You lost the game. STFU.

I'll hold the instigators up to more scrutiny here. Patriots have won three Super Bowls, they ought to know how to act following a second-round victory.

Is Merriman not the real instigator? He's the one that does the dance after every play and brings the attention to himself. The Patriots have "been there before" and you almost never see them act out like that. The only other time I can think of was the wings flapping in the Eagles Super Bowl, and that was in response to Freddie Mitchell and TO. If you talk trash or worse, have a signature dance, you open yourself up to getting it thrown back in your face if you don't deliver.

Why is LDT even getting mad? Shouldn't it be Merriman? LDT should be pissed at Merriman for not doing anything in the game, not worried about the 'roid head being "disrespected."

I also don't get the emphasis on the midfield logo. Would it have been less disrespectful if it was done on the bolts on the 30's or in the end zone? Midfield is just the natural place to celebrate when you run off the sideline.

The Patriots celebrate as much as anyone after a big play during the game (anyone ever watch Tedy Bruschi play?). Hell, even Tom Brady occasionally drops a first down signal in the face of his opponents.

It was a classless move by Hobbs. I did, however, hear something about Merriman doing some radio show earlier in the week and joining with San Diego fans chanting "Brady sucks! Brady Sucks!, so that could be the motivation for specifically doing his dance.

 

[Oz]

The Patriots celebrate as much as anyone after a big play during the game (anyone ever watch Tedy Bruschi play?). Hell, even Tom Brady occasionally drops a first down signal in the face of his opponents.

Brady did that at least once during the Jets playoff game. Bottom line, it's one thing to taunt during the game, it's another to do it right after you've ended someone's season. After the game, it's simply cold and classless.

As for Merriman, I read somewhere -- Peter King, maybe -- that perhaps the Pats were still upset that Merriman on whoever's pregame picked the Jets to win. Be upset with that and the sack dance all you like, you don't taunt like that after the game is done -- unless you're the Miami Hurricanes.

Here's hoping karma bites the Pats this week.

 

[shotglass]

I still think LDT needed to take the medicine there and shut them up next season.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Chargers vs. Patriots in the Thursday opener next season. Book it!

 

[LiveStrong]

The Patriots celebrate as much as anyone after a big play during the game (anyone ever watch Tedy Bruschi play?). Hell, even Tom Brady occasionally drops a first down signal in the face of his opponents.

Brady did that at least once during the Jets playoff game. Bottom line, it's one thing to taunt during the game, it's another to do it right after you've ended someone's season. After the game, it's simply cold and classless.

As for Merriman, I read somewhere -- Peter King, maybe -- that perhaps the Pats were still upset that Merriman on whoever's pregame picked the Jets to win. Be upset with that and the sack dance all you like, you don't taunt like that after the game is done -- unless you're the Miami Hurricanes.

Here's hoping karma bites the Pats this week.

It certainly bit the steroid users last week.

 

[RAMBO]

Man why would you do something like that I love the Patriots but I can't believe one of the players would do that Bill B. needs to punish who ever did this.

 

[old_tony]

I can barely watch NFL telecasts for all the taunting and dancing.

More serious -- the other day I saw two 12-year olds throwing a football in a busy street. One caught a ball, then lay down in the street pretending to nap, a la TO. A car SHould have run him right over.

fixed

 

[MacDaddy]

Man why would you do something like that I love the Patriots but I can't believe one of the players would do that Bill B. needs to punish who ever did this.

Run-on sentences deserve even harsher punishment.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Man why would you do something like that I love the Patriots but I can't believe one of the players would do that Bill B. needs to punish who ever did this.

Because they are the charmions.

 

[kingcreole]

I agree that the Patriots should have shown more class. That kind of stuff is beneath them.

Wasn't it during their last Super Bowl when they taunted the Eagles all game by flapping their arms?

Go Colts.

 

[Blitz]

I agree that the Patriots should have shown more class.

Go Colts.

Yes, we need Colts and Saints to advance in order to guarantee the best possible matchup and thus, keep deserving readers and other fans appeased.
As for the taunting: Take your medicine LDT
Why let something like that bother you.
If you were physically assaulted, that's another thing.
Otherwise, let the creeps have their little fun.

 

[Lugnuts]

I was thrilled to see Tomlinson's reaction. I'm so sick of the chumminess on the field after these games. He's under no obligation to shake anyone's hand.

He lost, and he's pissed. GOOD! We need more of that.

 

[outofplace]

I was thrilled to see Tomlinson's reaction. I'm so sick of the chumminess on the field after these games. He's under no obligation to shake anyone's hand.

He lost, and he's pissed. GOOD! We need more of that.

True, but you don't often see an NFL team **** itself in such a spectacularly frustrating fashion as what the Chargers did Sunday. One of the ESPN talking heads (I think it was Salisbury) pointed out last night that it's especially ugly knowing the would have been heavily favored against any of the remaining teams.

 

[Bruce_Shoebottom]

This has been one of the sillier non-issues to pop up in recent memory. Let's see, the Chargers wouldn't sell tickets to the game to people outside SoCal; there was actually a story in the U-T the day before the game detailing their plans for the Super Bowl parade, before they had even played a playoff game; they're second in the league in arrests behind the Bengals; there's a youtube video out there of Merriman leading a "Brady sucks" chant at a rally in the week leading up to the game; and Merriman has been taunting people with a silly dance all year.

But Ellis Hobbs mimicks Merriman afterwards and the Patriots are painted as the classless team. Ridiculous.

 

[Bruce_Shoebottom]

Incidentally, here's the lead to Tom Curran's game story in the Providence Journal from the day after the Chargers ended the Patriots' home win streak last year:

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, October 3, 2005
BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

One after the other, sweaty, smiling members of the San Diego Chargers walked through the massive concrete artery that leads to the visitors locker room in Gillette Stadium.

As they walked, tearing grass-stained tape from their hands, they gloated aloud about their just-finished, 41-17 hammering of the New England Patriots.

"That's a [butt]-whipping," said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

"21-1, now," tackle Leander Jordan announced, referring to the Patriots' punctured 21-game home winning streak.

"[Bleep] New England and their team," suggested cornerback Drayton Florence. Florence then said to the collection of onlookers in the hallway. "Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."


But I suppose that's the Chargers being classy, again.

 

[MacDaddy]

Don't want a team celebrating on your field?

Beat 'em. Otherwise, STFU.

 

[Oz]

Bruce, Peter King says those quotes came out of left field, because he didn't hear them from the Chargers after they won.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/01/16/playoffs/index.html

I have read the dredged-up postgame comments from last year's 41-17 thrashing of the Pats by the Chargers in New England, the ones where defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was quoted as calling it "an ass-kicking'' and defensive back Drayton Florence said, "[Bleep] New England and their team. Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."

Funny. I was at that game, covering it for Sports Illustrated. I bet I talked to eight Chargers after the game and none of them trash-talked the Patriots. I remember walking out of Gillette that day thinking the players were almost honored to beat the Patriots and break their long home-field win streak. "I'll probably believe it when I wake up in the morning,'' tackle Roman Oben said. "I wish I could have watched this game from the stands. We give up no sacks, rush for 183, against the Patriots. Amazing.'' LaDainian Tomlinson said: "I'm on the sideline in the fourth quarter looking up at the scoreboard and I see '31-17,' and I think to myself, 'This is really happening. We're beating New England at their place, really beating them.' ''

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

Peter King should be snuffed out.

 

[LiveStrong]

Bruce, Peter King says those quotes came out of left field, because he didn't hear them from the Chargers after they won.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/01/16/playoffs/index.html

I have read the dredged-up postgame comments from last year's 41-17 thrashing of the Pats by the Chargers in New England, the ones where defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was quoted as calling it "an ass-kicking'' and defensive back Drayton Florence said, "[Bleep] New England and their team. Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."

Funny. I was at that game, covering it for Sports Illustrated. I bet I talked to eight Chargers after the game and none of them trash-talked the Patriots. I remember walking out of Gillette that day thinking the players were almost honored to beat the Patriots and break their long home-field win streak. "I'll probably believe it when I wake up in the morning,'' tackle Roman Oben said. "I wish I could have watched this game from the stands. We give up no sacks, rush for 183, against the Patriots. Amazing.'' LaDainian Tomlinson said: "I'm on the sideline in the fourth quarter looking up at the scoreboard and I see '31-17,' and I think to myself, 'This is really happening. We're beating New England at their place, really beating them.' ''

well, if peter king wasn't standing right there with Curran, it must not have happened.

 

[Bruce_Shoebottom]

So is Peter King calling Tom Curran a liar, then?

More Chargers behavior from Sunday: the headbutting penalty, and Rivers doing a flop trying to draw a roughing-the-QB flag late that would have made the Portugese national soccer team envious.

Yeah, there was an organization that acted bush league from top to bottom in that game. But it wasn't the Patriots.