The definitive "Yes, the Chargers were trashtalking and classless" thread

[JGaffney]

There's nothing new here - I'm just summarizing things we already know on the Pats boards.

If you're still registered on a Chargers board toss a link or a copy of this on any thread where you see people saying that the Chargers weren't starting anything - or even just wondering WHY any mocking took place. All of this has been discussed to death in these boards, but rarely on other team's boards and rarely mentioned by the media.

Here's why the Patriots were pissed:

Last week: Shawne Merriman says he will "punch Brady in the face" and leading a chant of "Brady Sucks" at a SD rally:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yHyLlL01tGA

Patriots attribute it to such things as:

"According to a published report in the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers had already begun meeting with police and city officials to discuss not only a send-off rally for the Chargers pre-Super Bowl, but also to begin planning a victory parade for the day after the Super Bowl."
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily...7/03sports.htm

The Chargers sassing Caldwell the week before the game:

"The Pats believed the Chargers were a little too confident and a little too public about their chances of reaching the Super Bowl, both in comments relayed to former Charger Reche Caldwell and made in print."
http://patriots.bostonherald.com/pat...ticleid=177243

Shaun Phillips had this to say:

“Every time I will play New England it will be a personal grudge,” Phillips said. “That was very classless. . . . When we went in and beat their head in New England (last season), blew them out (41-17), we did nothing but compliment them and say they were a good team. We would never disrespect a team like that. We have class, and that's how classless individuals are. Shaun Phillips will have a grudge against them the rest of his career.”

Apparently he forgot this:

Monday, October 3, 2005

FOXBORO -- One after the other, sweaty, smiling members of the San Diego Chargers [...] walked, tearing grass-stained tape from their hands, they gloated aloud about their just-finished, 41-17 hammering of the New England Patriots.

"That's a [butt]-whipping," said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

"21-1, now," tackle Leander Jordan announced, referring to the Patriots' punctured 21-game home winning streak.

"F--k New England and their team," suggested cornerback Drayton Florence. Florence then said to the collection of onlookers in the hallway. "Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."
http://www.projo.com/patriots/conten...s.8ae0256.html

Merriman, in a muscle shirt on national TV during halftime of the Jets/Patriots playoff game, says that the Jets will win because they are playing well - despite the 7 point Patriot lead:

"When asked which team will win this one, Merriman says he thinks the Jets because they’re playing well. [...] Why on earth would anyone even answer this question with anything other than the stock “they’re both good teams…we don’t care who wins…we’ll just prepare the best we can” answer?"
http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/arc....html#Merriman

Merriman taunts Taylor with T-shirt and popcorn after Taylor has issues with Merriman's steroid suspension:

"Shawne Merriman says of Jason Taylor: “I sent him a Lights Out hat and a Lights Out T-shirt and a bag of popcorn so he can watch us in the playoffs.” "
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...28merrima.html

(Which also has this lovely quote, which made me chuckle at the media)

"While Merriman [...] took the high road, some of his veteran teammates did not hold back in reacting to Taylor's comments."
High road?

Threadkiller over on the Planet summarizes classless headlines about the Chargers in the last year:

http://www.patriotsplanet.com/BB/sho...threadid=20780

Things I couldn't find links for (anyone have em?) but deserve a link if you find one:
Schotty in the locker room after last year said that the Patriots dynasty had come and gone.
Direct links to some of the things Reche reported from behind Chargers doors when he came to the Pats.

Please add more below!

Stay classy, Chargers!

[fleabassist1]

Good post, putting it all together in one thread. I like you already!

[Sunqueen212]

We should also make this a sticky for those who are interested in looking at the past. The rest of the threads on this page should be focused on everything related to the Colts and this weekend's AFCC game.

[shirtsleeve]

Originally Posted by Sunqueen212

We should also make this a sticky for those who are interested in looking at the past. The rest of the threads on this page should be focused on everything related to the Colts and this weekend's AFCC game.

Yeah! I tried to start a thread with that exact thought. It died upon arrival. Funeral arrangements to follow.

[JGaffney]

Originally Posted by Sunqueen212

We should also make this a sticky for those who are interested in looking at the past. The rest of the threads on this page should be focused on everything related to the Colts and this weekend's AFCC game.

Nah, no need for a sticky - this thread can happily die as the hubbub dies down. But do keep throwing links for it on other boards

Here's two editorial pieces from http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm which will fall off that board due to the way it archives, so I'll copy em here:

L.T. OPENS THE DOOR TO "CLASS" SCRUTINY

One of the realities of this new digital Internet age thing in which we now live is that most things any person with a public profile has ever done or said in public view are instantly available. Publicly.

With Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson suddenly the self-appointed hall monitor regarding matters of "class" in the NFL, a reader has sent us this photo of L.T., taken during training camp of 2005.

(attached pic)

So, under L.T.'s view of football etiquette, we suppose it's okay to wear a shirt that says the Raiders or any other team on the Chargers' schedule sucks, as long as you don't wear it on the field, right after beating the team to which the shirt refers.

And we suppose it's okay to announce that you plan to "punch" the opposing quarterback "right in his mouth", but not to comment on whether you were successful at it.

and

POSTED 11:40 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007

CHARGERS HAVE A SHORT MEMORY

Amid complaints from running back LaDainian Tomlinson and other members of the San Diego Chargers that the New England Patriots celebrated too fervently their unlikely victory over the 14-2 Bolts on Sunday, we've been reminded of the Chargers reaction to a similarly unlikely win from a year ago.

In New England.

After thumping the Pats by the score of 41-17 and shattering the team's 21-game home winning streak, the Chargers were not exactly humble.

"That's a [butt]-whipping," said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in an article penned by Tom Curran, who at the time wrote for the Providence Journal and who now works for NBCSports.com.

Cornerback Drayton Florence (or is it Florence Drayton?) was less tactful: "F--k New England and their team," he said, before turning to a "collection of onlookers" and adding: "Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."

So, you know, maybe a few of the Pats were remembering the way that the Chargers handled themselves in 2005.

And if L.T. is going to get bent out of shape because his opponents do this kind of stuff, we'd like to hear what he's been doing to persuade his teammates not to act that way, either.

Frankly, there aren't many NFL teams that can claim to be, top to bottom, the modern-day equivalent of Fred Blassie. So none of them should ever be *****ing when another squad does what they've surely done themselves at some point in the not-so-distant past.

[JGaffney]

On the "chip on the shoulder not caused by the Chargers" side of the ledger we have 8 of 9 experts picking the Pats to lose in the Chargers game...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/features/talent

[PATRIOT64]

Very good and informative post for a 'rookie' - well put together.

Now send it to Ladanians address somewhere in Crybaby,California and see if he still thinks his own team is classy themselves!

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Yeah San Diego is very classy... Wow we should be ashamed because we celebrated a playoff win... We Bad.. I guess Richard Seymoer should have said , Im going to kick LT in the groin or something like that..

[notex]

someone should post this on their forum, i think they are in denial that their players even said anything. honestly i just wanted this thread to be bumped up to the top for everyone to read so i added my 2 cents.

The chargers obviously don't draft guys for character like we do. I think every charger fan ive talked to is blaming marty, i honestly jsut think they dont ahve the heart of the pats

[Dirtywater]

Originally Posted by notex

someone should post this on their forum,

That's the irony, they won't let anyone register to post anything!