Outsports, which is apparently a part of SB Nation now, posted an article today about the reaction of current and former NFL players when asked about the possibility of there one day being an openly-gay NFL player. Some of the quotes might surprise you.

"In the game of football, it's like a war out there," Jevon Kearse said. "Once you get out on the field, all that stuff is to the side. You're on my side. I played in the NFL for 11 years, I'm sure there were at least one or two guys along the line that were gay."

His former Titans teammate Eddie George, who averaged over 1,100 rushing yards a season for his career, agreed.

"I just don't care about that," George said. "If that's what you do, that's what you do. I don't hate you because of it or dislike you because of it. That's not my personal preference, but I respect your decision. I'm not going to like you less or not be your friend because of that."

America, and the NFL, is eventually going to get past its closed-minded view on homosexuality (relatively) the same way it eventually worked past civil rights issues (relatively). Instead of me explaining what I mean, let's see the beginnings of it with Ahman Green (continued after the jump because it's fairly long)...

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It's that time of the year again, when the NFL bigwigs get together and try and improve the game of professional football with rules and mandates. You may have already heard about some of these, but here's the entire list of changes.

• All players are required to wear knee and thigh pads starting in 2013. (The player's complaining that these pads will slow them down realize that it would also slow down the opposing team too, right?)
• The NFL Trade Deadline has been moved from Week 6 to Week 8. (More trades! Awesome.)
• One "marquee" player will be allowed to return from the Injured Reserve list and practice with the team after the sixth game. He will be allowed to return to game action after the eighth game. (Basically, they've made it easier to use the regular-season PUP list)

Losses: Tommie Harris

Additions: Kendall Reyes

Returning: Corey Liuget, Antonio Garay, Luis Castillo, Cam Thomas, Vaughn Martin, Jacques Cesaire, Charlie Bryant, Damik Scafe

Projected Starters: Corey Liuget, Antonio Garay, Luis Castillo

Strengths:

• Depth: The may be a question over the quality of the depth, but there are certainly enough players the Chargers like to cover this position for the coming season.
• Upside: Liuget, Reyes, Martin and Thomas are all young and have untapped potential. Especially Liuget and Reyes, who were both high draft picks and drafted based on upside. Castillo returns from an injury that kept him from contributing last season.
• Experience: Liuget now has a year under his belt, Castillo and Cesaire have plenty, Garay and Thomas will be playing their 4th year for the Chargers and Martin is in his 5th.

Weakness:

• Level of play: The play of the defensive line in 2011 could best be described as below average. Some will attribute that to a decline in performance from Garay, the absence of Castillo or Liuget not living up to being a 1st round pick. In any case, if their 2011 performance is repeated in 2012, then level of play is a definite weakness.
• Pass rush: The 3-4 defense, especially the one the Chargers run, typically don't use their defensive line to directly generate pass rush. However, you'd still expect to see a better push that causes more disruption in the pocket. That being said, the Chargers have been one of the better 3-4 teams the past two years at getting sacks from defensive linemen. 13.5 in 2010 and 11.5 in 2011. Other 3-4s rarely enter double digits.

Rivers reunited with his other brother from another mother - Kevin Acee
Every teammate can rightly call Philip Rivers a friend as much as they can call him a leader. Rivers considers filling all three of those roles the most significant aspect of being a quarterback.

What will we learn from OTAs? - Jon Clayton
The Chargers haven't focused on slot receivers in years. Norv Turner can experiment with his new offensive personnel during the minicamp.

View from the Top - Christopher Smith
Chargers President Dean Spanos reflects on last week’s Celebration of Life honoring Junior Seau and shares his thoughts on the new CBA’s impact on offseason conditioning and signing draft picks.

San Diego's team supports San Diego's ship - Bill Johnston
San Diego has a new Navy warship named in its honor – the USS San Diego – and the San Diego Chargers were one of the key sponsors of the Commissioning ceremonies over the weekend.

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Oh. Looks like Richard Wade didn't do the Daily Links today. I guess he's fired or something, I don't know. I guess I could give it a shot....

A Q&A with Chargers safety Brandon Taylor - Scott Bair
Brandon Taylor is an interesting guy.He has eight siblings, including a twin sister, and two screws that were once surgically added to his foot. He has a brother already playing in the NFL, and is a prominent figure in his own right in his home state of Louisiana.

Peyton Manning (and Tom Moore)’s Indianapolis Colts Offense: How a Handful of Plays Led to a Decade of Success - Chris
For thirteen seasons — spanning three head coaches, two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl victory, four NFL MVP awards, and countless incredible games — Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts. In eleven of those seasons, the Colts won at least ten games, including for nine straight seasons, not counting 2011′s disastrous Peyton-less year. But now Manning is a Bronco, in a new town, playing for a new team, and in a (somewhat) new scheme.

Chargers players call required pads 'ridiculous' | UTSanDiego.com
"It's dumb," Jammer said. "Ridiculous to me. I don't think anybody should be required to wear (them). I don't get hit, so I don't need to worry about pads. Offensive players should wear them because we hit them, but I don't think it should be mandatory.

Candidates tackle Chargers stadium funding | UTSanDiego.com
Listen to San Diego’s four major mayoral candidates and you might say the odds of a new Chargers stadium are getting longer. But look at history and you might say the candidates’ noses are. I’m not calling them liars. I’m suggesting that positions have a way of evolving on this issue.

CHARGERS: New receivers build rapport with Rivers : North County Times - Californian
There may be no better combo to demonstrate that point than Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates. The two seem to share a brain when it comes to playing catch. Meachem believes he can reach that level with Rivers as the offseason progresses.

That wasn't so hard. Maybe I should fire Richard.

Today's Posts:

• SBN Studios allows NFL rookies to interview each other (Video)
• The San Diego Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson: A Match Made in Heaven?
• Why is the Chargers confidence poll always so low and looks like its decreasing? (FanPost)

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First, a confession. LaDainian Tomlinson is probably my favorite football player, or was. I don't know how to put it without sounding gushing, but LT came along right as I was starting to lose it as a football fan (I didn't start following the Chargers until 1998). Getting him and Drew Brees, the two guys that were so much fun to watch in college that I actually watched college football for a year, we like a dream come true. Watching him go on to have the career he had in San Diego was even better.

Second, I already kinda wrote this post. Here's what I wrote just four months ago:

People think with their heart more than their brain most of the time. Tomlinson was not well liked in the locker room, he can barely be called a running back anymore, he's expensive and he dislikes both Norv Turner and A.J. Smith. I know he is the favorite player of a lot of Chargers fans, but so was Kellen Winslow Sr. That doesn't mean Winslow show be signed this offseason to replace Randy McMichael.

The Chargers should not, and will not, bring back Tomlinson. He'll either hook on with some team and hope to not get cut in training camp (Jerry Rice with the Broncos, anyone?), or he'll call it a career. I hope, once he does that, the Chargers sign him to a one day contract so that he can retire where he started. However, any contract longer than 24 hours should be kept away from him.

Many people agreed with me when I wrote that post. Then, a few things changed. Have I changed my stance? Have you?

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