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Shutdown Corner

Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:29 pm EDT

The Chargers are hungry and Larry English is buying

By MJD

It's a San Diego Chargers (and perhaps NFL) tradition. The team's rookie first-rounder is obligated to take the rest of the team out to dinner, and without fail, at this dinner, every monstrous defensive tackle on the team gorges themselves on lobster tails like they haven't eaten in a month. No one's really shy about running up the bill.

This year, Larry English(notes) was the lucky rookie. Shaun Phillips tweeted the damage:

Immediate reaction: Yikes.

Upon further review, though, Larry English got off light. Shawne Merriman(notes) says that after he was drafted, his rookie dinner cost him $32,000. Maybe Merriman took everyone out to a fine steakhouse, and Larry English insisted on TGI Friday's. Five dollars to make a couple of deserts a la mode doesn't seem unreasonable.

The other famous Chargers rookie dinner came back in 1998, when a young man named Ryan Leaf was expected to take everyone out to dinner. Leaf was, um, reluctant, we'll say ... so Junior Seau(notes) stole his credit card and made it happen anyway. Leaf had a fit, and his bill was only $3,000. I hope everyone enjoyed their Extra Value Meals that night.

Other outrageous stories across the Yahoo! network:
• Robbery suspect returns, asks victim out on a date
• Man raids court to give tennis star a kiss, gets arrested
• Thieves steal Ripken statue, act like morons, get caught

Related: NFL Oddness

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1338 Comments

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  1. Johnny Appleseed
    1. Posted by Johnny Appleseed Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:51 pm EDT

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    Where can I work where the tip is $2000?
  2. AgentUtah
    2. Posted by AgentUtah Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:58 pm EDT

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    Who's going to fess up to ordering the raspberry sorbet?
  3. Eskimo Monkey
    3. Posted by Eskimo Monkey Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:06 pm EDT

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    The raspberry sorbet sounds like a kicker dessert
  4. -SMASHMOUTH-
    4. Posted by -SMASHMOUTH- Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:44 pm EDT

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    Dammit, AgentUtah! You took the typed words right from my fingertips with the sorbet comment. Funny.
  5. d rock
    5. Posted by d rock Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:45 pm EDT

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    A whole football team, it was more a banquet, I'm sure they had multiple servers and busboys.
  6. Redskins21
    6. Posted by Redskins21 Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:45 pm EDT

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    What a tip that server received that night. $1,167 in taxes.. Really that's some BS, but there rich NFL players so aye. more power to the rookies.
  7. -SMASHMOUTH-
    7. Posted by -SMASHMOUTH- Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:47 pm EDT

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    Raspberry sorbet is about as tough and masculine as powder blue uniforms.
  8. sportsnut888
    8. Posted by sportsnut888 Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:49 pm EDT

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    Turns out Leaf needed the money, since his NFL career was such a disaster.
  9. Jon
    9. Posted by Jon Wed Sep 09, 2009 1:56 pm EDT

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    That's $273 a person for a 53 man roster.
  10. yardpenalty
    10. Posted by yardpenalty Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

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    Leaf is a jerk!
  11. The Wiz
    11. Posted by The Wiz Wed Sep 09, 2009 2:47 pm EDT

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    First off the Raspberry Sorbet is a rip-off and the individual who ordered it, my guess (Rivers), should be ashamed. Overall fine way to blow 14 grand.
  12. Scotty
    12. Posted by Scotty Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

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    They probably ordered the sorbet for English to cheer him up for running a 14 grand tab on him...gotta love your teammates. I also would love to see the rest of whats on that bill
  13. Robert B
    13. Posted by Robert B Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

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    The real travesty is the $2,500 the place got to charge for "admin" and "event" costs. Really?? No server is going to see a dime of that.
  14. Hugh Jass
    14. Posted by Hugh Jass Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:32 pm EDT

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    Why does this writer have a job??
  15. Matta G
    15. Posted by Matta G Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:40 pm EDT

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    WTF are all those extra charges? I get the grat, but "Admin Charge" and the extra "svc charge"? What a load of crap.
  16. brian b
    16. Posted by brian b Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:42 pm EDT

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    No one ever clicks the advertisements on purpose.
  17. Mac
    17. Posted by Mac Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:49 pm EDT

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    Oh yeah, $2.50 to put ice cream on something is totally reasonable...in crazy town.
  18. captparrot
    18. Posted by captparrot Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:09 pm EDT

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    Tgifridays !!!!!!!!! come on thats embarassing for a nfl player !!
  19. sean
    19. Posted by sean Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:10 pm EDT

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    how long do you think that receipt was. 4-5 feet?
  20. throwbackblack
    20. Posted by throwbackblack Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:10 pm EDT

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    I thought we were in a recession.
  21. atollerud
    21. Posted by atollerud Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:11 pm EDT

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    At most places, if it is a giant group, or party, an establishment will tell the party ahead of time. The bill was 12000, and with a 20% tip, which would seem well deserved for 53 guys, would make it about 14000
  22. Boy_Toy21
    22. Posted by Boy_Toy21 Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:12 pm EDT

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    These rookies will never learn lol
  23. KEYSER SOZE
    23. Posted by KEYSER SOZE Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:14 pm EDT

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    matta g, do you ever think before you post. at least grab a calculator and make sure numbers match up. the service charge is a combination of the admin fee 333 and the tip 1890 that comes out to the svc charge total of 2223. Thanks have a nice day.
  24. Joe G
    24. Posted by Joe G Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:15 pm EDT

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    My money's on the kicker getting the Raspberry Sorbet.
  25. Dodge
    25. Posted by Dodge Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:15 pm EDT

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    Regarding those service charges:
    it's CA, fellas... remember?

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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