The next time LaDainian Tomlinson gets the ball we should not be chanting L.T. No, that label does not do this man justice. A man who has the most touchdowns in the NFL — with 22 — and who is on track for 35, to shatter the previous mark of 28 set by Shaun Alexander last year. A man who is just eight yards from the rushing title.
No, chanting L.T. would be like calling Tomlinson something he is not. How can that be? Well, it’s not fair to call by the same initials as Lawrence Taylor. They are not in the same class. I know they have the same letters; but I think Tomlinson needs a new nickname: M.V.P.
Yes, M.V.P. I know all Charger fans love chanting L.T., but this young man is more than just the best running back in the league. He is the best player. The closest running back with as many touchdowns is Larry Johnson with 14, and “MVP” has more touchdowns than Peyton Manning, 20, who many “experts” have said is the best player in the NFL. Not to mention Tomlinson is a triple threat. He has 19 rushing touchdowns, three receiving and one passing, which is not counted towards the total season's stats.
“LaDainian is a remarkable, remarkable player,” San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said. And he ranks Tomlinson the best running back he’s ever seen.
“He’s as good as there is,” Phillip Rivers said. “He’s going to keep performing at that level. Now, is he going to keep having four touchdowns every game and having 150 yards? Maybe. I mean, he might. That was like when he had a couple of 70-yard games in a row and everybody was wondering, ‘What’s the matter?’ And to us, nothing was the matter. He was still dominant. Certainly, he’s a force.”
This season, Tomlinson has set an NFL-record for most touchdowns scored in a six games span with 19, and has become the fastest player to reach 100 TDs, 89 games, surpassing the previous mark of 93 held by Hall of Famer’s Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith.
He is undoubtedly this years MVP. His stats alone give him the award, but what makes this man even better is his humility. It’s a breath of fresh air the way MVP gives all the credit to his team when he does something good, and takes all the criticism when the team looses. Also, he doesn’t celebrate after every touchdown. He doesn't act like he won’t ever see the end zone again.
Even after the Denver Bronco games when he was asked about his accomplishments this season, he answered with typical modesty. “My offensive line, I’ve got to really point out the way they have played. They’re just a relentless group of guys and they love to battle and they love to take something out of the defense every time they hit them. And obviously Lorenzo Neal is the best (fullback) in the business blocking. I’ve been fortunate enough to go along with the ride.”
For all these reasons and more, we need to start chanting, "MVP! MVP!" every time Tomlinson makes a great play and or scores 6. And it starts this Sunday. Instead of yelling at the top of our lungs L.T., Charger fans should be chanting MVP because we need to tell the whole football world that greatness plays in San Diego. That even though Tomlinson is modest and not flashy, he should not be overlooked, because we are witnessing history: one of the greatest players of all time.
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