Loading ...L.J. and USC need to pipe down…
As a lifelong Kansas City Chiefs fan, I feel I have a responsibility to comment on the recent actions of our “star” running back Larry Johnson. After a tough loss against division foe San Diego, L.J. decided it was necessary to spout off about his current situation, which is the following: He is stuck on a bad team, not getting the touches he thinks he deserves, and losing all the while.
"People can barely remember that I used to be good...let me go spit on someone to remind them who I am." (AP Photo/Dick Whipple, File)
Johnson decided the best way to vent his frustrations would be to verbally assault members of the media, his coaching staff, and the organization by using a gay slur. He especially targeted new coach Todd Haley, claiming that he wasn’t a good coach and didn’t know how to use him (correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t Haley the only reason Johnson still had a job? Because no one would have taken him after the two years he just got done having). L.J. also mentioned how his dad playing on the Titans team from the movie Remember the Titans, and those people knew how to coach football – which implied that his new coach didn’t.
Now, let me make it clear that while I am a Chiefs fan, I am also an NFL fan…so I am not ignorant. I know I am a fan of a bad team, we are rebuilding (and have been for quite some time), and I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be a “star” and be stuck on that team (I felt bad for Tony Gonzalez before he got traded to Atlanta). However, that does not give anyone the right to critique that situation, especially when he is a big part of it. Todd Haley and I may not know as much the members of that team from Remember the Titans, but we both know that L.J. stinks – and we will be lucky to get anything in return for him if we trade him…on the other hand, Johnson will be lucky if he can still find a job in football after this mess is done.
Larry wants his touches, but when he gets them, he doesn’t do anything with them. He hasn’t had a solid, injury-free-season, since 2006. Now, one can easily argue that he hasn’t had a good team since 2006 (no O-line, and the loss of fullback Tony Richardson didn’t help either). In my opinion, he is done; he has nothing left, maybe one solid year left. He is now 29-years-old and isn’t getting any younger. Couple that with the fact that he is a problem off the field (spitting on and accosting women at clubs, openly criticizing the organization, and – recently added – using gay slurs to describe media members as well as his new coach).
"Why can't we be as good as everyone says we are?"
On a side note, USC got smashed by Oregon. The Trojans, who the BCS computers had sitting pretty at #5 (even with one loss to a then, and currently, unranked Washington Huskies team) – and people (Kirk Herbstreit and EPSN analysts) still had them playing in a National Championship. Unfortunately, USC had to play Oregon (then #10 in the BCS), at Oregon, and got beat down 47-20 (and the Ducks only allowed the Trojans to score three points in the second half).
All this game did was prove me right, and show the country (yet again) that USC is overrated and should not be involved in National Championship talks until they beat a BCS opponent that isn’t Ohio State or from the PAC 10. Oregon, a team who got beat by Boise State – now #7 in the BCS – and also managed to lose their “star” running back at the end of that game, managed to destroy the mighty Trojans and hand them their worse loss ever under head coach Pete Carroll. How they manage to only fall to #12 in the BCS only proves my point – they get favored. They should at least have fallen out of the top 15 with a loss to Oregon and unranked Washington.
But enough of harping on USC, because to be honest, every team looks overrated so far this season. Alabama looks solid, but the two teams ahead of them – Florida and Texas – both look inconsistent. With all the frauds this season, I am routing for Iowa…any team that has a QB who throws five picks and can still win (and manage to make that game look like a blowout) gets my support.
I don’t know why I drafted Larry Johnson on my fantasy team. He’s killing me.
…and there goes iowa. at least there will be some kind of playoff with the “semifinal” in the SEC championship and then a popularity contest for number 2. hell, they might as well play that game twice cuz it will be close and everyone will still be all over both teams