FanHouse LadainainTomlinson

I read MJD's headline at Shutdown Corner and just figured some enterprising soul had uploaded a video of Bill Belichick actually operating a video camera on the sidelines last season, or maybe we finally had visual proof that the Unabomber was in the stands during the Rams Super Bowl walkthrough, or perhaps someone uncovered more evidence that William the Great really gets off on pushing photographers.

No, no and ... no. This footage goes back to the '90s, when Belichick was coaching the Browns. And after an otherwise totally predictable throttling at the hands of division rival Pittsburgh, the Cleveland head coach, apparently fed up with it all, makes his way to the locker room after the game. But before he gets there, the Steelers' Greg Lloyd offers to shake his hand (as humans often do -- you know, as a common courtesy) and awkwardness ensues:



Shocking, I know. I mean, this is the same guy who LaDainain Tomlinson accused of "having no class", and who also left the field before Super Bowl XLII had ended, but well after the Patriots' fate had been decided.

Somebody get Senator Arlen Specter on the horn. I think we just found a reason to reopen the Spygate investigation.

[Shutdown Corner]
[KSK]

It's not particularly shocking that a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune might sometimes come off as a homer. Hey, even Dan Shaughnessy occasionally slips up and writes something laudatory about the Patriots. Whatever, Nick Canepa returns from Phoenix thinking that the Chargers very easily could've been the team hoisting the Lombardi Trophy if not for a few key injuries.

Chargers GM A.J. Smith often talks about luck, and injuries are a part of it. I'm now convinced that, if tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, tight end Antonio Gates and quarterback Philip Rivers were healthy for that game, there might have been a parade for these guys downtown this week.

Obviously, it didn't work out that way, but Canepa notes that "the window of opportunity for San Diego never had been more open." I can't disagree; the Chargers are young, stacked and when completely healthy, very hard to beat -- even with Norv Turner at the helm. Put differently, San Diego has had 14- and 11-win seasons under Marty Schottenheimer and Norvell.

Who knows if talent -- even when healthy -- will be enough to get the Chargers to the Super Bowl in '08. The Patriots suddenly look very old, but the Colts and Jaguars are also the early favorites to go deep into the postseason. Still, a year ago, this team was just getting ready to can Schottenheimer; that they've had so much success in light of all that's happened is pretty amazing. And I'm pretty sure nobody saw it coming. Even A.J. Smith.