Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman is upset after general manager A.J. Smith described San Diego’s play this year as being “soft” at times.

From ESPN.com:

On Wednesday, Smith was quoted in The San Diego Union-Tribune as saying, “Everything is wrong with it right now. I’m not the least bit happy in a lot of areas. I’ve seen us be tough and physical to soft and bewildered.”

Merriman at first declined to comment, which would have been a first in his five-year career.

“I don’t know too much of that. That’s an opinion of a person, and it’s not needed,” Merriman said. “We know that we have to play better. We met for an extra hour and a half as a defense as a whole to discuss what we need to do and things we need to do to get better. And we’re going to make adjustments in this locker room as far as players and our attitudes and getting after people a little more. But all that extra [stuff] is not needed at all.”

Merriman said it would be easier to absorb such talk if it came from a teammate.

“The only opinions that matter to me are the ones in this locker room. Anything else, it doesn’t matter,” he said.

Merriman’s comments in reaction to what Smith said weren’t that bad. In some respects he’s right – comments from a GM regarding the play of a team aren’t needed.

That said, the Chargers’ defense hasn’t been as aggressive as in year’s past. They allowed the Steelers to do whatever they wanted last Sunday night and even when Jacob Hester gave them new life with his fumble recovery-turned-touchdown, San Diego’s defense sat back as Pittsburgh strolled back down the field and put seven more points on the board. When they absolutely needed a stop, they couldn’t get one.

So no, Smith’s comments aren’t needed. Nor are they off the mark.

In an update to an earlier story, Shawne Merriman denies harming his “female acquaintance” Tila Tequila.

Per ESPN…

In a statement late Sunday, Merriman said he was worried for the safety of Tila Tequila because she appeared to be intoxicated and he didn’t want her to drive.

Merriman also said paramedics who were called to his home in Poway, north of San Diego, reported no injuries to Tequila, best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV.

His attorney told the AP via phone that there are numerous eye witnesses that will corroborate Merriman’s version of events.

You read that right. Shawne Merriman is (or was) dating reality TV star Tila Tequila and was arrested on Sunday for assaulting her.

Per ESPN…

San Diego Chargers star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested Sunday and accused of choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star Tila Tequila, as she tried to leave his suburban home.

Tequila, 27, signed a citizen’s arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Steadman said.

Deputies responded about 3:45 a.m. to Merriman’s house in Poway, north of San Diego, after a woman called to say she was choked by the player and thrown to the ground when she tried to leave, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jan Caldwell said at a news conference.

Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV. The bisexual dating show featured men and women vying for Tequila’s affections. She has also modeled for Playboy and other men’s magazines.

A few words of free, unsolicited advice for Mr. Merriman: 1) stop choking people, and 2) stop dating bisexual reality TV stars.

If this incident doesn’t quickly “go away,” then Merriman could face another suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy.

9/7 Update: Merriman denies any wrongdoing.

In this week’s installment of “Ochocinco, as The World Turns,” Chad challenges Shawne Merriman to a boxing match.

Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco and Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman are known for their talk on the field, but it’s their online chatter that’s becoming good offseason entertainment.

Ochocinco said this week on the social networking site Twitter that he was confident the Bengals would win the Week 15 matchup between the two teams and challenged Merriman and the San Diego defense.

Merriman’s reply of “Are you serious?” prompted Ochocinco to challenge the Chargers OL to a boxing match. The receiver, who is sparring this offseason, also posted: “Shawne Merriman tryin to stop Ocho Cinco, CHILD PLEASE, better chance at finding Osama!”

In response, the Chargers linebacker, who’s working his way back from knee surgery last season, posted a video of himself sparring, looking ready to shut up the Bengals receiver Ochocinco.

A brief tale of the tape gives the advantage to Merriman, who’s 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds compared to Ochocinco, who’s 6-1, 192.

As usual, Ocho is just goofing around trying to get a rise out of people. Two weeks ago he put fake tattoos on his face, last week he said he as staying at Carson Palmer’s house for the summer and this week he’s challenging Merriman to a fight. It’s all an act.

Glad to see he’s having fun again, although I’ll reserve laughing until he actually puts up good numbers this season.

Is the AFC still the NFL’s dominant conference? Probably not. The reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants reside in the NFC. Two of the AFC’s best players (New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and San Diego Chargers LB Shawne Merriman) are lost for the entire season. And the NFC is 4-2 vs. the AFC in interconference play after two weeks of the season.

The NFC has not had a winning record against the AFC since 1995. Last season, the conferences were even (32-32) in head-to-head competition for the first time since 2001. And entering last season’s Super Bowl, the AFC had won six of the last seven title games.

Improved offensive play is a big reason why the NFC is flourishing once again, as 13 of the 16 NFC teams are averaging 20 or more points per game this season. A few star players in the conference have successfully returned from injury this season. Donovan McNabb is healthy, rejuvenated, and the Philadelphia Eagles are once again one of the top scoring teams in the league. And Jake Delhomme has brought his signature enthusiasm and gunslinger personality back to the undefeated Carolina Panthers after missing all of last season due to ligament-replacement surgery in his right elbow.

Scoring has been a staple in the AFC, thanks largely to the play of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Historically, the AFC has always been considered “the conference of the quarterback, “and on most Sundays they will have more first-round starting quarterbacks than their NFC rivals. But Brady’s season-ending knee injury and the struggles of Carson Palmer have hurt the QB quality in the AFC.

Typically, the NFC has been a conference that features strong defenses and solid running games. But that philosophy could be changing, as some NFC teams are copying the AFC formula: basing their success on the play from the quarterback position. The statistical numbers do not lie; Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, and Drew Brees are all having hot starts to their seasons. The passing numbers haven’t been this good in the NFC since the Kurt Warner era in St. Louis. And during this recent AFC’s domination, Brett Favre and McKnabb have been only premier quarterbacks the NFC had to offer in competition.

The supremacy of the AFC could be ending this season, as the gap seems to be closing between the two conferences. Perhaps now the NFC will get the respect it deserves.