New Orleans Saints RB follows Faulk's footsteps

Marshall Faulk of the NFL Network won’t be the only former San Diego State University running back at this week’s Super Bowl.

Lynell Hamilton of the New Orleans Saints could see a few snaps at running back as long as an ankle injury doesn’t prevent him from playing.

Do you remember Hamilton?

He came to SDSU as the most highly-touted running back since Faulk … and he started out like he might be the next great Aztec runner.

Then, a serious Joe Theismann-type knee injury his freshman year slowed him down for the rest of his SDSU career. Even so, Hamilton still finished with 1,087 rushing yards as a freshman and became the 10th Aztec ever to rush for more than 2,000 career yards.

While primarily a blocking back with the Saints, Hamilton did score a rushing touchdown in the Divisional round playoff game vs. the Arizona Cardinals and is the team’s third-leading rusher in the playoffs.

All told, Hamilton rushed 35 times for 125 yards and two TDs during the regular season. The second-year running back had his best career game with 10 carries for 48 yards and one TD in the regular-season finale vs. the Carolina Panthers.

When you think of the New Orleans offense, certainly players such as Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Devery Henderson, Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey come to mind.

But don’t forget Lynell Hamilton: He could become the first SDSU running back since Marshall Faulk to possess a Super Bowl championship ring.

NFL plays Scrooge to Chargers on Christmas

What is it about the NFL that does not agree with the San Diego Chargers at Christmas time?

OK, so the Chargers didn’t play on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day last year ... because there were not any NFL games on those days.

But go back two years and those were the Chargers hosting the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football on Christmas Eve; which happens to be the holiest day of the year to some people.

Fast forward to this year and you have the Chargers playing at the Tennessee Titans on Christmas Night.

Is this fair to Norv Turner, Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Luis Castillo, Shaun Phillips, Shawne Merriman, Quentin Jammer and all on Christmas?

No way.

First of all, this is the NFL Network’s "Thursday" game on a Friday. The game certainly could have been played on Saturday ... or the day after Christmas ... just like last Saturday’s Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints game.

In addition, the Chargers are traveling 2,000 miles to play the game; more than any other team has traveled all year for a non-Sunday or -Monday game. And, yes, it is Christmas.
So the Chargers must say thanks to the NFL for once again playing Scrooge with their Christmases.

Prediction:
Titans 23, Chargers 20

Let's hear less from ex-athletes on TV

Jeanne Zelasko deserves credit for standing up for what’s right.

During the pregame show on Fox-TV’s baseball Game of the Week, the topic of comments Curt Schilling from the Red Sox made recently about Barry Bonds arose.

Kevin Kennedy, being an ex-player, stood up for Bonds and said Schilling was way out of line for his comments (who cares if Schilling told the truth originally, before retracting his statement?)

Zelasko responded it’s a fact that Bonds took steroids … and let’s move on to another conversation.

Good for her!

It’s about time we hear more from “people who never played the game” such as Zelasko and Ken Rosenthal on Fox baseball, or football analysts such as Chris Mortensen (ESPN) and Adam Schechter (NFL Network.)

For most of us, it’s getting old hearing athletes … or ex-athletes … defend the poor behavior of other athletes.

What we need are more people like Zelasko, who will stand up to the excuse-making athletes covering for the shame of others.