With no disrespect to the NFC's Giants-Packers undercard, top billing this weekend goes to the AFC's main event, where the surprising challengers from San Diego try to knock out the NFL's undefeated heavyweight, the Patriots of New England.

The NFL has never seen an 18-0 team. To keep Bill Belichick and Co. from scaling that historical peak, here are five things the Chargers need to pull one of biggest upsets ever:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson must be a difference-maker: He's got his MVP trophy. He's got his records, accolades and Pro Bowl berths. He was briefly known earlier in his career as the league's best player on a bad team. But this is by far the biggest game of LT's seven-year NFL experience, and in the playoffs, great players further their legend by stepping up when the stakes are the highest. Tomlinson is the greatest back in the NFL this decade, and if the Chargers have a chance, this has to be his showcase game.

Yes, San Diego won last week at Indianapolis without LT playing a large role. The odds of duplicating that feat are astronomical. The Chargers are his team, and they need him at his devastating best, hyper-extended knee or not.

They need him to gash New England with big plays in the running game and as a receiver, and maybe even throw a touchdown if he has to. They need him to put the entire San Diego offense on his back and carry it for as long as necessary. Most importantly, they need him to channel all that passion and anger he felt last January when the Patriots knocked the Chargers out of the playoffs, and transform it into the payback from hell.

2. A surprising contribution from an unsung player: If Philip Rivers (knee) can't start at quarterback, or if he leaves the game prematurely, the Chargers aren't in bad hands with Billy Volek under center. The guy's no slouch. If A.J. Feeley and Kyle Boller can hum the ball against the Patriots defense the way they did late in the season, Volek could pose real trouble. In 2004, Volek started eight games for Tennessee, and his 918 yards passing in one particular two-game stretch made him just the second player in NFL history to top 900 yards in a two-week span (joining Phil Simms, 1985). Volek's 2,789 yards passing in his first 10 career starts led all NFL quarterbacks since 1970.

As one AFC personnel man told me this week: "If Volek has to play, he'll scramble around and make some throws for San Diego. He's a very good backup in this league, because he's a guy who can go in and carry you for two or three games. Rivers is a better quarterback, but it's not a huge drop-off. Volek has some moxie to him. He's the son of a football coach. He's extremely bright and he knows where to go with the football. He plays within his abilities, and he's a better athlete than people give him credit for.''

Watching Volek last week on the game-winning drive against Indy, I got the feeling he didn't know he wasn't supposed to be doing that to a Colts defense that had looked so superb all season. Rather than the high-strung Rivers, maybe he's just the guy to handle the suffocating atmosphere of Gillette Stadium in January.

3. Keep those turnovers coming: The Chargers led the NFL in takeaways with 48, picking off 30 passes and recovering 18 fumbles. They've added five more in their first two playoff games (three interceptions and two fumble recoveries), meaning they're averaging just less than three takeaways per game for the season. Given San Diego's injury situation, one way to balance the field Sunday would be if its defense could present its offense with a few short-field scoring opportunities.

But the next time New England gets sloppy with the football will be the first time New England gets sloppy with the football this season. The Patriots turned the ball over just 15 times this season, a franchise record and the fifth-lowest total in league history. New England lost a mere six fumbles this season and didn't have a fumble by a running back. Four of the team's six fumbles were by quarterback Tom Brady in strip-sack situations. One was by kickoff return man Ellis Hobbs, and one was on a muffed punt by Troy Brown (when the ball hit off his face mask).

That's a remarkable statistic, and if the turnover trend holds for New England, the Chargers' upset chances are greatly reduced. But if San Diego's defense can keep its ball-hawking ways going, especially if it prevents New England from scoring in the red zone as it did to the Colts last week, the Patriots could be beat.

4. Harrison and Seau play more like old Patriots rather than ex-Chargers: New England safety Rodney Harrison and inside linebacker Junior Seau both made their NFL names in San Diego, playing nine and 13 years, respectively, for the Bolts. Both left sunny Southern California after the 2002 season, Harrison for the Patriots and Seau for the Dolphins.

My point is they've been around for quite a while now. Seau turns 39 Saturday, and Harrison is 35. And while they take excellent care of themselves and almost always play well from the neck up, at this point in the year they do show signs of wearing down. Harrison has been hurting the Patriots by drawing too many needless personal foul penalties in recent games, and Seau is often part of the problem when the interior of the Patriots defense struggles against physical opponents.

What if the two ex-Chargers are players that San Diego's offense hope to exploit? You have to figure that somebody who's still around in San Diego knows how they best can be had.

5. History to repeat itself: Do you know what happened the last time the Chargers ventured into Gillette Stadium with a historic Patriots winning streak on the line? They beat the two-time defending Super Bowl champions to a pulp, 41-17, in Week 4 of the 2005 regular season. New England entered that game having won a franchise-record 21 consecutive home games dating to Week 17 of 2002.

So what's a little 17-0 perfect season to deal with compared to that? And it's not like these Chargers don't remember that 2005 game. Tomlinson ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns, Antonio Gates caught six passes for 108 yards, and Marty Schottenheimer's club rolled up 431 yards of offense and scored more points than anyone had against a New England defense in nearly seven years. San Diego scored the game's final 24 points and afterward even tried to take pity on the Patriots, who were playing through a host of injuries at that point.

I wouldn't be surprised if current Chargers coach Norv Turner trotted out that game tape this week, showing his underdog team the mighty Patriots can be beaten, even at home. Of course, that game was played in early October. New England hasn't ever lost a playoff game at Gillette, and its only postseason home loss in franchise history came 29 years ago. So there's that. Good luck, Chargers.

How do you define a successful life? Is it by how much money or stuff you have amassed, or is it by the legacy you leave behind? All too often we equate a successful life with material possessions. Yet, there are millions of people out there who lead successful, fulfilled lives who may be of modest means. They may not be rich in the financial sense, but they are rich in life and values.

So what are the things we should strive for to make our lives successful and have a positive impact on those around us? Here is a list of traits that I think defines what true success in life is all about. Does your list differ?

Sincerity. Be sincere in your actions. Don't try to deceive or impress others. Be yourself, and do what you feel is right based on your values and beliefs. You will be surprised at how people accept you when you stop trying to be someone you aren't.

Unfeigned. Be genuine in what you do; your actions speak louder than your words. Don't falsify or embellish events that may have happened. Don't say one thing and do the other.

Wholehearted. Be enthusiastic about what you do. Show it. Be committed to life and everything that you set out to accomplish in life. Devote yourself to your family, friends, and community and commit yourself to being the best father, husband, wife, mother, friend, and neighbor you can be.

Honest. Be honest in your dealings with yourself and with others. When others interact with you, let them see someone who is reputable, respectable and genuine. Do what you say you will do and never use fraud or deception to get ahead in life. Let ethics, morals, and honor be your compass.

Heartfelt. When you do something for someone, or they do something for you, let your thanks and emotion be openly and outwardly expressed towards them.

Hearty. Be someone who displays an honest, warm, and exuberant personality to those around them. Let your feelings show and let them be genuine when they do.

Humility. Don't lead a life thinking you are better than others or are superior to those around you. Modesty and humbleness will leave a far more ever lasting impact on people than trying to show off.

Personal Integrity. Always follow your heartfelt values, and never let a situation or anyone steer you away from doing what you know is right. Be someone that people can look up to and respect and not someone who trades his or her moral values for material gains in life.

Incorruptibility. Let it be known that you stand firm for what you believe in and that your morals, values and actions are not for sale. Don't let outside forces corrupt the person you are.

Sound. Show good judgment and sense in life. Don't let prejudices or emotions cloud your judgment.

Whole. Be focused on what you want to achieve in life. Give everyone you interact with your complete and undivided attention.

Courtesy. Practice good manners even though others around you may not.

Civility. Graciousness and respect go a long way in life. What is more, they are viral - when people see you doing it they are more apt to practice civility themselves. Be kind to others and extend courtesy towards them. Don't interrupt people when they speak and don't dominate the conversation.

Wisdom. Gain from the wisdom that is inside you. Understand the inner qualities of people and learn how to understand situations that might be different than we are used to.

Charity. Practice kind, gentle, and compassionate treatment of others - especially those who may be undeserving. Learn to extend a hand to help others, even though they themselves may not have helped you.

Empathy. Be aware that each person is different and may have different values and beliefs than those that you hold. Be understanding of the feelings and thoughts of others without having to be told or reminded of them.

Sympathy. Share your feelings with others and understand the emotional situations that people go through. Put yourself in their shoes.

Compassion. When someone is in distress, reach out with a genuine interest in helping alleviate their suffering.

Altruism. Think of others without thinking of yourself. Do good things for people without expecting something in return for yourself.

Magnanimous. Be generous in life. Give of your time, money and wisdom. Share with others so they can see the true joy and adventures of life themselves.

There are the qualities I think helps lead a person to life a successful life. Clearly everyone's views will differ, as they should.

What are some qualities that you think define success in life?

 

Its season is shorter and has fewer scheduled games than any other major American pro sport; nonetheless, the NFL has a firm hold on the title of "national obsession" in the U.S. In fact, it's a Sunday and Monday night (and sometimes Thursday night) ritual from September through early February for its tens of millions of fans.

As the nation's top dog, the powerhouse league has faced more than its share of challengers through the years, all eager to get a piece of its hugely lucrative pie. They include the World Football League of the early 1970s, the USFL of the early ‘80s, Vince McMahon's 2001 XFL, and (excluding the AFL of the 1960s) its toughest challenge, the All-America Football Conference of the 1940s -- none of which lasted beyond four seasons. The NFL has an impressive -- though not perfect -- winning record as the defendant in antitrust lawsuits, and its tremendous influence is slowly stretching beyond America's vast and lucrative borders.

Without further ado, we present five things you didn't know about the NFL.

1- The Redskins were the NFL's last segregated team
By 1961, 13 of the league's 14 teams had, to some degree, been desegregated and featured black players on their rosters. The one hold-out could be found in the nation's capital. The Washington Redskins were the league's last all-white team, and whether it was coincidental or not, they were also the worst (from 1959 through 1961, their record was 5-30). Team owner George Marshall had staunchly refused to desegregate, claiming he would do so when the Harlem Globetrotters hired white players. That all changed with the incoming presidential administration.

JFK had been elected, in part, thanks to his pro-civil rights platform, and having the league's only all-white team in the nation's capital was an eyesore for the administration. JFK, therefore, instructed his Secretary of the Interior, Stewart L. Udall, to threaten Marshall with federal retribution if the team didn't hire black players; namely, they would be evicted from District of Columbia Stadium. In doing so, it became the first time in history that the federal government had attempted to desegregate a professional sports team.

2- The NFL scores forfeits 2-0
According to the official NFL rulebook, a forfeit occurs: "... when a game is not played because of the failure or refusal of one team to participate. In that event, the other team, if ready and willing to play, is the winner by a score of 2-0" (the points earned in a safety). Why a two-point safety? Because those points are the league's only scores that are not credited to any one player.

This little-discussed rule is even less frequently applied, since dating back to 1920 there has been just one forfeit. Specifically, December 4, 1921, when the Rochester Jeffersons lost by forfeit to the Washington Pros/Senators. Since the league was just a year old and this rule was not yet established, the referee scored the game 1-0. No word on whose stats got padded with the point.

3- It was created in an automobile showroom
Organized professional football dates back to 1920 and a legendary meeting in Canton, Ohio. Fittingly, it featured a handful of former athletic standouts, such as George Halas and Jim Thorpe, hanging out in an automobile showroom, slamming beers and talking sports on a Friday night. Among other things, they settled on a name, the American Professional Football Association, and a membership fee, $100.

Since then, more than just the name has changed. Today, the NFL is a revenue juggernaut. According to Forbes, the mean value of the NFL's 32 teams exceeds $950 million, making the NFL the world's richest and most profitable professional sports league. It can further boast of having the world's most valuable sports franchise, the Dallas Cowboys, valued at a cool $1.5 billion.

4- The origin and meaning of the 25 stars on the NFL's logo are unknown
The top portion of the league's iconic logo, or "shield," has had 25 white stars against a blue background since the 1940s, and despite plenty of research on the part of the NFL's brand and marketing operations, it is unknown precisely what they're meant to represent. This is just one reason why the league has decided to revamp the logo.

The league's new logo will debut at the draft in April of 2008. Overall, it's been streamlined: It is thinner, the background at the top is a darker shade of blue, the font of the NFL letters has changed, the football image in the top middle now resembles the football atop the Lombardi trophy, and it features four larger stars on each side, denoting the league's eight divisions.

5- No TV broadcast tapes of the first Super Bowl are known to exist.
The first Super Bowl following the merger between the NFL and the upstart AFL was a far cry from today's extravaganza; it was so lowly regarded, and its outcome seemingly obvious to so many, that the 1967 game between Green Bay and Kansas City didn't even sell out.

Nonetheless, since CBS held the broadcast rights for NFL games and NBC held it for AFL games, both networks covered Super Bowl I, making it the only pro football game to be simulcast on two networks until the New England Patriots-New York Giants game on December 29, 2007.

In a decision that accurately reflects the lack of interest and assumed historical importance of the game, both networks destroyed their televised tapes. As a result, the only known footage of Super Bowl I was shot by NFL Films, a production company that, until two years before the game, had been privately owned and operated under the name Blair Motion Pictures.

As the each New Year rolls around, there's only one reason why the NFL is searched -- the Super Bowl. In the very early years, the Super Bowl was little more than a football game between conference champions that attracted football fans. Today, it is organized and marketed so effectively that tens of millions of rabid fans, and an untold number of non-fans, tune in for a variety of reasons. For example, 2007's Super Bowl XLI featured entertainment by Cirque du Soleil, Brazilian pop artist Romero Britto, DJ Louie Vega, Billy Joel, and Prince, not to mention the phenomenon of the highly anticipated -- and increasingly expensive -- commercials that run during the game.

No surprise here: The NFL's future with the public's interest looks pretty well set. In 2006, the league signed six-year, multibillion dollar extensions with CBS, NBC and FOX, assuring about $2 billion in TV revenue per year until 2011. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has also hinted about granting a franchise outside the U.S. -- notably to Toronto or Mexico City -- further expanding the league's fan base.

Additional public interest, albeit unwelcome, continues to come from the NFL's status as the pro sports league with arguably the worst image problem in the U.S. -- thanks to the likes of Michael Vick, Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson.

Posted by Reynaldo "Rasy" Stephens