A recent appearance by retired running back LaDainian Tomlinson on NBC SportsTalk has sparked a debate regarding whether a player should prefer winning a title to a spot in the Hall of Fame. A league source with knowledge of Tomlinson’s career has a different take on the situation.
Per the source, Tomlinson’s remarks reveal much about his football character.
“That’s why the Chargers could never win the big one,” the source said. “L.T. was selfish and a selfish leader. They had all the talent in the world and should have beaten the Patriots [in 2006], but they couldn’t do it because they had too many guys like L.T. and he was the ringleader.”
(We wish the source had told us how the source really feels.)
This isn’t my opinion; it’s the opinion of someone who, in my opinion, is in position to express an opinion reliably.
“LaDanian was a great player, but he was never a champion and he never behaved like one,” the source said.
It’ll be interesting to see whether any of the 44 Hall of Fame voters have sources with a similar opinion, and whether that opinion will delay for a year or two Tomlinson’s entry into the Hall of Fame.