I was watching the news last night and saw the caption LT tells San Diego, “I’m not coming back” and gasped, waitttt what?! LT is leaving the Chargers??? Apparently the longtime Chargers’ running back Ladainian Tomlinson told The SD Union-Tribune that he knows he’s played his last game for San Diego. How will the San Diego Chargers ever be the same without LT? I know, I know… people get traded all the time, but to me LT was one of the greatest Chargers of all time, what happened?

This is actually the pretty wild part… Tomlinson admits that he is sick of playing football with players that lack heart. Wow, someone else is pissed off at the dedication and drive most the Chargers lack? In a radio interview for AM 1090, LT tells the host that the game just isn’t the same these days, players don’t play for love of the sport anymore. Hmmm isn’t this what I was just talking about?  LT goes on to say that he feels disconnected and questions the commitment of some teammates.

“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 not about 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.”

When other teammates were asked about LT’s statements, many disagreed. Just so happens those disagreeing are the ones out poppin bottles every weekend. The other teammates also said they did not agree that those were issues that affected the Chargers losses.

“I really don’t think so,” linebacker Shawne Merriman said.

“I don’t see anything like that,” receiver Vincent Jackson said.

Merriman and others said they didn’t believe that any instances of selfishness or maturity affected the playoff outcome against the Jets. Are you kidding me?

What’s wrong LT, you don’t quite grasp the idea of hitting up strip clubs the weekend of a playoff game? I knew I always loved LT for a reason, he gets it. He always seemed true to the game and was one of the few in it for the right reasons. I remember his story of sleeping with a football every night he would go to bed as a kid. How cute is that. And every single time I saw LT speak about football you could see the love for it in his eyes. When they lost, you could see how devastated he was. When they won you could see the excitement overflowing from him. LT was an amazing player and person, he wanted to play football to play football. It wasn’t about the money, the ho*s, the perks… he simply loved the game.

It’s crazy San Diego has to lose one of the few dedicated players left with heart simply because the other players lac one. As sad as it is to see LT go, I admire his reason for leaving. I wouldn’t want to be part of such a selfish team either. At least he can say he stayed true to himself and true to the game, a thing most San Diego Chargers can’t claim. I will forever rock my LT jersey and miss him tons!

Tomlinson is due a $2 million roster bonus on March 5, the first day of the new league year. Provided the new league year isn’t postponed to allow for further collective bargaining negotiations, Tomlinson will most likely be released before then. The Chargers don’t seem interested in paying his $5 million total salary. Both sides have said the deal would not be reworked again.