So I'm driving back from the dry cleaners an hour ago, and I hear an AM sports station talking about the Chargers. A guy with a thick accent called in, saying that LaDanian Tomlinson is a big baby, because he's not playing. The guy went on about the college football player that recently had part of his finger amputated so he could continue to play (if you didn't hear that story...it's wild; he could've either waited months for his finger to heal, in which the season was over, and being a senior, his football career over. he instead opted for having them amputate the digit, so he could play the last game of the season).

The guy also brought up Terrell Owens playing while injured in a Super Bowl for the Eagles. Which is a good point.

But I think it's funny when people say that athletes are faking injuries. These guys are hardcore competitors. It's the reason Tomlinson was almost in tears when the Patriots did the Chargers/Shawn Merriman "Lights Out" dance after beating them.

Deion Sanders got into trouble for saying Tomlinson was "faking" his injury last year. And when I met Sanders a few months ago, I asked him about that. He got angry and said, "Well, he was!"

I'm not sure how Sanders was so sure, and I didn't think about it until later. I would've loved to ask Sanders how he could make fun of anyone for not being "tough enough", when he was one of the few cornerbacks in the history of the sport, that was afraid to tackle people. He'd try to push them out of bounds if he could.

And don't get me wrong, the guy was an amazing cornerback. He just didn't like to get physical. Which makes me want to call him one of the character names from The Sopranoes.

Anyway....I have the opposite reaction with LT. I cringe when he tries to play, and he's only 50%. You can see those games, and how he's not making the cuts he can usually make. And, back when the Chargers had Michael Turner (this years leading RB), and now Sproles, we've got back-ups that are not only capable, but better than an injured LT. Yet, the competitor in him wants to play. Which is all well and noble. I just wish he'd think about what is best for the team.

The last I heard, LT wasn't going to play Sunday against the Steelers. And their injuried QB was.

It's going to be a tough game. But, having a Charger team that was 4 and 8 make it into the playoffs in such dramatic fashion...and beat the heavily favorited Colts (with league MVP and leader in commercial advertisements Peyton Manning)....

Nobody can be upset with the season they've had.