Sore Loser Sunday

Sounded like an awful lot of crybabying coming out of Sunday's games.

I haven't followed the blow-by-blow of LaDainian Tomlinson's crybabying about the Patriots. What I saw immediately after the game was Tomlinson trying to get off the field before he cried. He was trying to get through Patriots quickly, without stopping to congratulate them, and some Patriots appeared to be detaining him.

I don't agree with it if the Patriots were truly forcing him to congratulate them, but it sounded like LT may have taken a little shot at someone who was dancing on the Charger logo.

That's where Tomlinson lost me on this and I'm on the Patriots' side in all this. They're not supposed to celebrate? Tomlinson ought to have wiped his nose and classed up instead of whining about how the Patriots were doing "the dance Shawne Merriman is known for." The Steroid Shimmy?

Besides that Merriman isn't a sympathetic figure, I don't abide anyone's gloating dance being off-limits. If you're going to dance in your opponent's face, expect your opponent to dance in yours. If you can't take it, I can't help you. Same thing happened this summer with AJ Pierzynski "showing up" Carlos Zambrano by doing "Zambrano's move" - you don't like it when you're down, then don't be an ass when you're up.

Also read a fair share of Seahawk whining. I notice I didn't hear any of this talk from the Seahawks who cost them the game, namely Kelly Jennings and last week's hero Babineaux. These guys got toasted all day by the Bear offense and they knew to keep their mouths shut.

Michael Boulware, the strong safety of the defense that allowed 371 yards to the Bear offense, is a real genius. He had to disrespect the Bear QB by saying his name wrong multiple times. Very adult. For example: ''All Gross Rexman has to do is help the team win. He doesn't need to be a Pro Bowl quarterback or try to make plays.''

371 yards of offense, asshole. That's making plays. Go get your shine box.

Darrell Jackson had some ideas as well: "We should have won the game easily. We're a better team than them. Some calls went against us, some calls we didn't get. We shot ourselves in the foot sometimes. I don't think their secondary can handle our wide receivers."

The Seahawks are a better team, see. The calls went against them. The most laughable statement there is how the Bears secondary can't handle the Seattle receivers. A pretty interesting comment coming from a guy who didn't catch a pass in the 2nd half. But I guess it makes sense coming from a guy who's complaining about calls, in a game where there were no penalties in the first half.

What calls are you talking about? You're not talking about the Seahawks winning the coin flip and coming right out to finish off showing who was the better team. You won the flip and you still got beat. Take it like men.

Here are the calls they're complaining about:

> Julian Peterson heard the reaction on the field. He just wished the Seahawks would have had an opportunity to get a second look after the ball came loose from running back Cedric Benson in overtime. "We had three [officials] say, 'White ball,' " and one guy say, 'He's down,' " Peterson said. "We should have at least been able to challenge that or something."

Bzzzzzzt. It wasn't close to being a fumble. You could have reviewed that all day and you weren't getting the ball, Jules. Anything else?

> That wasn't the only complaint the Seahawks had. Peterson cited a first-half hit by Leroy Hill on Grossman in which Grossman's arm was coming forward and the ball came loose. "He straight-up fumbled," Peterson said. "They called it incomplete. I didn't understand that."

Bzzzzzt. So you don't understand the rules. That's fine, but that's not the victorious Bears' fault.

Other quick thoughts:

- I never, ever want to see the Bears run another 2-man rush. No idea where it came from, but I'd like to send it back. If you're counting on coverage sacks or an idiotic INT like Hasselbeck threw when he couldn't find anyone, the Saints are going to make it a real long afternoon. Dropping DE Israel Idonije back 2 yards isn't going to work.

- Besides the plays with the 2-man rush, I was very impressed with the Seahawks O-line. I'm hoping that's valid, or I'll quickly become depressed with the Bears D-line.

- At least Lovie admitted that calling a timeout with 2 seconds in regulation and allowing a Hail Mary attempt was stupid. I almost threw up.

- On that note, I'm not so sure what he intended to do would have been much wiser. He said what he wanted to do was call the timeout with "more seconds" so that Devin Hester would get another chance. After 3 fumbles already on Sunday, I was pretty OK with ending regulation on a defensive stop. Devin, what are you aiming at, son? Let's go get them son of a bitches!

- If the premise of the show "24" is one 24-hour day (of shooting people), then how the hell did Kiefer Sutherland grow a 2-foot beard that day?

- I've read versions of this slam on perennial whipping boy Peanut Tillman about 18 times, this one from shallow-thinking Steve Rosenbloom, co-host of the most insipid radio program ever, "Rosenbloom and Salisbury":

"Tell you what, Charles Tillman can’t blow that sure interception for a sure touchdown next week."

Tell you what, Rosenbloom and other geniuses: watch the play. The ball bounces off of Tillman's chest because, at waist level, Darrell Jackson has a hold of both Tillman's hands. That was a sure touchdown if Tillman learns to catch it in his mouth.

- One other bit of ... not so much advice ... but thinking for Lovie. Seen this throughout the season and hated to see it again Sunday. The Seahawks special teams pulled a boneheaded play on a Bear FG attempt and gave the Bears a HUGE first down, when all the Bears were trying to do was make it a 24-24 tie.

This gave the Bears 1st-and-goal at the 8, and the Bears made nearly no effort to score. They never challenged the goal line. And my point on that is this: handing the ball off gives you a chance to score a TD. Both teams demonstrated that earlier in the game, with 10-yard TD runs by Jones and Alexander on 3rd and 4th down.

What doesn't give you a chance to score a TD is throwing a pass to the 6-yard line, with 4 defenders around the receiver. Right here, the 2nd and 3rd down passes were no threat to Seattle, there's no upside. Not Lovie's fault, but in this case the downside happened and the tip-and-pick almost killed the Bears.

> 1-8-SEA8 (15:00) T.Jones right tackle to SEA 8 for no gain (M.Boulware, G.Wistrom).

> 2-8-SEA8 (14:27) PENALTY on CHI-B.Berrian, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at SEA 8 - No Play.

> 2-13-SEA13 (14:09) R.Grossman pass short right to T.Jones pushed ob at SEA 10 for 3 yards (J.Babineaux).

> 3-10-SEA10 (13:40) R.Grossman pass short right intended for M.Muhammad INTERCEPTED by P.Hunter at SEA 5. P.Hunter to SEA 21 for 16 yards (O.Kreutz).

Where I was watching, we'd have been happy with a running play on pretty much every down in the 2nd half. So don't get caught up in any labels, Lovie. We won't call you conservative for handing off.

We'll only call you conservative if you run 3 pass plays that have no shot at reaching the goal line.

- And, Lovie, no one can call you emotionless either. I've heard that knock: Lovie doesn't shout at enough guys on the sidelines and what-not. I can't recall the last time I saw an NFL coach show such pure glee in rushing the field after a game-winning field goal. Nice jawb.