COSTA MESA, Calif. _ Antonio Gates, you are cleared for takeoff.
A hat tip goes to the man in the air-traffic tower, Anthony Lynn.
Lynn, the rookie head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, put out a small fire in the best way possible Tuesday, saying Gates has his permission to forgo practice against the Los Angeles Rams and attend LaDainian Tomlinson's induction ceremony Saturday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gates lauded Lynn as "very, very understanding" during their recent chant.
A day earlier, Lynn came off as tone deaf for the first time since he was hired in January.
He spoke vaguely on whether Gates would be allowed to skip the practice, and didn't convincingly refute a published report that he had blocked Gates from leaving the team.
He said Tuesday he granted permission because it the Hall ceremony is a unique opportunity for longtime friends and teammates, Gates and Tomlinson.
"They were basically neighbors for a lot of years," Lynn said. "I feel like at his age, with the things he's accomplished _ it's a big day for us, for sure _ but I'd rather he be with L.T."
Gates seconded the coach's logic.
"Some things, you feel like, you'll never get back," he said.
Teammates won't begrudge him the getaway because Gates puts in long hours, in addition to being a useful mentor. Partly out of respect to Lynn, he attended the start of voluntary workouts last spring. Gates, 37, typically sits out a few practices every August to preserve his legs.
For San Diegans, the connection Saturday in Canton, Ohio will be as real football itself.
Thousands of San Diegans cheered both Tomlinson and Gates for several years at the publicly financed Qualcomm Stadium. The two were offensive teammates on five playoff teams, four of which won the AFC West.
"He was the wheels on the tank, if you will," Gates said of the former running back. "He was a staple of what we did here, and I was a big part of that as well.
"When you have a guy that you played with between the lines and battled with, you always want to be their to support him for a special event like this."
Crucially, Lynn has established that toughness is very important to him.
Denying Gates and L.T., two men who've outperformed what the Chargers have paid them, would've been taking the tough stance too far.
His players understand that Lynn is tough. A former running back who scratched out an NFL career as a running back, he has used peer pressure to bring the heat in the film room, where players are subjected to highly detailed, public airing of their "loafs" and other miscues.
Joey Bosa said the peer pressure is toughening the players mentally.
A leader's ability to adjust, too, is part of preparation.
"He's played in this League," Gates said of Lynn, "so you wouldn't expect nothing less than a guy like that who understands how to run a team and understands players. And that's what's important. He really understands people."
