Sore Loser Award

The New England Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers to advance to the American Football Conference's Championship game. After their demise on the field, Chargers All-World RB LaDainian Tomlinson, stormed the field to confront Patriots players celebrating on the Chargers symbol at the middle of the field. Patriots players were rubbing their upset victory in by imitating linebacker Shawn Merriman's sack dance, a dance that he himself did standing above Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after knocking him down on a pass attempt during the game. After listening to Merriman's cocksure comments on everything short of eating Brady's non-existent children the week leading up to the contest, the sealed-lipped Patriots must have been at a boiling point.

After a missed field goal by San Diego and resulting Patriots win, the Patriots released their aggression with zeal, doing Merriman's dance. The shock of defeat combined with the well-aimed Patriots comeback sent LT into a firestorm, sending him in a fury across the field at Patriots players and into the post-game with fiery words spouted at Patriots coach Bill Belichick. While LT's frustration can be understandable, Merriman's explanation of events, on the contrary, is laughable. I have been waiting all week from a comment from the Patriots camp to explain to simple-minded people that the Patriots were merely expressing their exhilaration defeating a team that was running their mouths before and during the game. The national media, so obsessed with getting a juicy story, forgot to validate reality by only seeing it through LT's eyes. Had it reviewed the behavior of Merriman, his pre-game comments and on-field celebrations with any depth, this would not be a story of a winning team without integrity, but a few sore losers.