You can click both excerpts to view the entire articles from the Union Tribune but the meat is found below with intriguing comments by AJ Smith in Gold and a statement from LT's website in Blue. My assessment is that AJ Smith is a cocksucker....what's yours?
Union Tribune Article by Nick Canepa (Thursday 1/22)...Click Here For Full Text
The talk about the Chargers now centers on LT, and whether he'll be back next year, and partner Darren Sproles, who is an unrestricted free agent, and whether he'll return. But the Chargers are starting to talk contract with Rivers, whose deal expires after the 2009 season. And if they don't get him signed, they can have 10 running backs and it isn't likely to matter.
Smith has some tough decisions to make. Rivers might be one – if Smith didn't have a brain, and he does. Think he would have allowed Drew Brees to walk if he didn't have Rivers around?
“You think I wouldn't like to have Michael Turner around or Darren Sproles tied up for six years?” Smith says. “It's like I'm penalized for drafting. I try to sign guys to keep the window going, but sometimes an agent is going to say, 'Let's look around.' Kris Dielman did. I was sick. But he eventually signed back with us.
“I'm not looking forward to the things I have to do. I know bullets and shells are coming. It goes with the job. I'm aware of the community. I know what the pulse is, and I'm not afraid of it. I know I'm not 100 percent right. I'm not good at community relations. I know they're going to hate me. Nothing I can do about it.
“We're not good enough yet. I have to do a better job. We'll probably miss the playoffs along the way. That's how it is. It's on me.”
It's on him, all right. To keep Philip Rivers salaried – and standing upright.
What a freakin' crybaby! We have a diva GM....the next article excerpt is really bad, as in condescending and DICKED....
Union Tribune Article by Kevin Acee (Wednesday 1/21)...Click Here For Full Text
A.J. ON LT
Smith empathized, yet was typically unmoved by the sentiments expressed by LaDainian Tomlinson on his Web site Wednesday.
Tomlinson's statement was actually not anything different than what he had said in previous weeks on the topic of his time in San Diego possibly coming to an end.
The statement read:
“I have been getting a lot of messages on my site regarding me leaving San Diego. I feel that I need to make it very clear that I have NO intentions of leaving San Diego. San Diego is where my career started and where I'd like it to end. I have nothing but love and the upmost (sic) respect for this team, the players, and the Spanos Family. Me being traded is completely out of my hands. I have ABSOLUTELY no control in that decision making. All I can do is wait and see how it all plays out. As for now, I am a Charger and will be until I am told otherwise.”
Smith, who has acknowledged he is contemplating whether to release or trade Tomlinson or renegotiate his contract, was later asked about Tomlinson's statement.
“My first reaction was we both have similar feelings,” Smith said. “I have no intentions of leaving San Diego. San Diego is where my GM career started and where I'd like it to end. I also have nothing but love and the utmost respect for this team, the players and the Spanos family. I have absolutely no control over how long I will be with the Chargers.
“As for now, I am the Chargers' GM, and I have major decisions to ponder for the organization now and in the future. My recommendation to Dean Spanos will be what's in the best interest of the team – both short and long term. That's my job. That's what Dean hired me to do.”
If you're going to cut a San Diego Icon and future Hall of Famer at least do the guy right on his way out the door. LT doesn't deserve to be treated like this. If he's done he's done but you don't have to be a douche AJ!
Any thoughts?
"Even until the end of the game after Favre had single handedly lost the game, Sims was still singing his praises....What is the media's deal with this guy? Was he not watching the same game? Most overrated athlete in sports."