Tomlinson proves classiest player in the NFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t even win at home against the lowly Oakland Raiders.

The New England Patriots couldn’t hold a 9-point lead vs. the Miami Dolphins.

So much for the six-time champion Steelers and the three-time champion Patriots (all in this millennium.)

You want someone with real class in 2009?

How about trying LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers?

As soon as LT passed former Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown for eighth on the all-time rushing list, he knew what to do Sunday.

Tomlinson immediately patted his heart and saluted Brown from where he was sitting in the stands.

Earlier this season, Brown had stated the Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings was the most complete back in the NFL.

Even though this was a slight to Tomlinson, it did not impair his sight of NFL history.

Of all the classy moves in the NFL this weekend, none was more significant than Tomlinson saluting Brown.

Parity? Not in the NFL

For the first time ever, there are three undefeated teams in the NFL through Week 7.

Say hello to the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.

On the other side, there are three winless teams.

Say goodbye to the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.

Maybe the reason there are so many good teams in the NFL is because there are so many bad teams to make perfection possible.

Speaking of horrible teams, don’t forget the likes of the Cleveland Browns (1-6), Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) and Detroit Lions (1-5). Throw in the Washington Redskins (2-4), who are a total mess, and you can see that the bad outweighs the good in the NFL.

So much for the theory of the NFL having “parity.”

This weekend’s scores alone show just how bad the disparity has become.

Consider the following: New York Jets 38, Oakland 0; Indianapolis 42, St. Louis 6; San Diego 37, Kansas City 7; Green Bay 31, Cleveland 3; New England 35, Tampa Bay 7. All were mismatches with the good vs. the bad.

Then there was Cincinnati’s 45-10 win over Chicago, which fit the mold of good vs. bad (although both teams are better than average in this year’s NFL.)

The late Commissioner Pete Rozelle used to preach parity in the NFL ... but so much for parity in 2009.