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Listening to the sports call-in shows this morning, I'm not sure which Tennessee fanbase is more frustrated after this weekend's events--the Vols or the Titans.
Look, I think most of us knew going into the Alabama game that the Vols would have a tough time hanging with Alabama for an entire game. But I don't want to take a moral victory because we were able to keep it close for a half. We've had a couple of these moral victories this year and I'm honestly ready to see that translate into something more like a win or actually being competitive in the third quarter. This year, the Vols have been flat in the third quarter all season and the conversation on-line and on sports call in shows is starting to get pretty ugly. I'm not sure what, if any, adjustments are being made at half-time but they're just not working. It's painful to watch at times.
And while I'm not ready to give up on the coaching staff, I think the excuse of lack of players is starting to wer a bit thin. At some point, you've got to coach them up a bit or find some creative ways to work within your limitations to do something great and give the team a burst of energy. I like Dooley and his staff and don't really want to see them be some interim group that does just enough to hang around in mediocrity for the next year or two. It's time to step up and get that signature win or close out a game or something. You have a fanbase that is yearning, begging for something to hang our hat on....and while I like beating Vandy and Kentucky as much as the next fan, those aren't exactly signature efforts or wins.
Meanwhile, the Titans....oh how ugly that game was yesterday. Did someone forget to tell them that the bye was last week?!? Because apparently no one from the Titans showed up at LP Field yesterday to play. At this point, I'm ready to give up on Chris Johnson for this season because apparently he got the playmaker money but doesn't want to make plays anymore. Every announcing team that comes to call a Titans game talks about how this could be the week he gets on track...and then it never happens. Of course, it might help if it seemed like he was the only one who didn't give any effort, but unfortunately he's one of many players who have phoned it in the past few weeks. I realize that Kenny Britt is a big loss, but seriously could we not have someone step up and make some plays. Again, you have a fanbase that is eager for something good to happen and we see nothing good happening out there for the past two weeks. I have a bad feeling this week's game vs the Colts could be a ugly one.
Labels: tennessee football, Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/24/2011 12:24:00 PM |
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Both teams from Tennessee (both pro and college) were at a crossroads in terms of their seasons. The Vols and Titans had some early successes that kindled some optimism but there were still a lot of questions out there. Both teams faced big tests this past weekend.
And, unfortunately, both teams failed the tests.
The Vols had everything lined up to take the next step in their return from the end of the Fulmer era and the year under he-who-shall-not-be-named. But the issues that have plagued us all year on both sides of the ball reared their ugly head and just wouldn't go away. The lack of ability to snap the ball consistently is plaguing us, throwing off timing. (And it could only get worse with Tyler Bray out due to his broken hand). The inability to run the ball and have consistent place kicking (seriously, we have a whole soccer team over there. Surely one of those players would like the chance to place kick! Hell, we've got a whole women's team we could audition as well. Either that or we put the UT Medical Center on figuring out a way to clone the Colquitts so we can have a punter again. Or maybe Jeff Hall has a son or daughter who is ready to step onto campus....) haunted us. Meanwhile, I think the Vols lost a lot of momentum when the refs took away our touchdown that would have tied the game. At that point, the air seemed to drain out of the team and Neyland Stadium.
The one piece of good news that I see is, ya know, Matt Simms played well enough to almost beat LSU last year. So, you never know.... (Yes, my glasses are orange-tinted...why do you ask?)
Meanwhile, the Titans....oh, the Titans.
It's like we have some mental block on the Steelers. I refuse to blame their terrible towel curse since I have to point this out yet again--it's just a stupid piece of fabric!!!!! Steeler fans who get all up in arms when anyone questions their stupid terrible towel make me ill.
But for some reason, the Titans looked like that pathetic team that played Jacksonville instead of the team we saw the last three weeks. I think a big part of it was the multiple chance to get a TD on the first drive and coming away with only a field goal. Another is the fact that Chris Johnson got his playmaker money, but hasn't earned it this year. He got his cash, but I guess we don't get any of his dash.
A terrible weekend for my favorite teams....well, maybe not the Redskins who on a bye got some distance from Philly and New York, who both lost. How long and hard did I laugh to see the Philly dream team go to 1-4? Long and very, very hard....Labels: Redskins, tennessee football, Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/10/2011 04:46:00 AM |
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Late yesterday afternoon, news broke that the Titans have decided to part ways with potential franchise quarterback Vince Young.
As a Titans fan, I have to admit I'm a bit conflicted about the news. On the one hand, there's part of me that remembers the stellar, game-winning and thrilling drive that VY engineered last year to give us a last second win over the Cardinals at LP Field.
Then, there's a part of me that thinks about his childish antics, lack of preparation and his polarizing effect on the team this season.
Vince has a lot of talent when it comes to the quarterback position. And there are times when we saw how good he could be--again, I think back to that stretch of games last year after the team started 0-6 and he came in and things turned around. But it seems like that he really hasn't taken advantage of the opportunities given to him by being drafted so highly and coming to Tennessee. I feel like a majority of Titans fans wanted to embrace him in the way we did Steve McNair, but Young made it difficult. He had all the goods on the field, but off the field and on the sidelines was another matter.
So, we're back to square one when it comes to the most important position on the field. I'm not sure where the Titans go now, but it could be interesting.
As for VY, thanks for the good memories. And I hope that wherever you land, you'll seize the new opportunity and really take advantage of it in a way you didn't here in Nashville.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 1/06/2011 12:00:00 PM |
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Pondering yesterday's loss to the Texans, a number of things struck me.
The first was whether this loss or the drubbing last year in New England is worse. I'm leaning toward this year's being worse since it effectively ends our season and there's little hope of any kind of change ahead to spark the team for the next five games. While both losses ended our season and playoff hopes, this year we won't get Vince Young inserted as a spark.
In a lot of ways, you saw a team giving up on the season and it confirmed what I'd feared had occurred with Bud Adams siding with Vince after last week's tantrum--Fisher has lost this team. This may be the straw that gets him sent packing. The winner there is the Evil Empire who I'm sure would love to have Jeff Fisher come coach in Dallas.
As I said last year when the Titans were mired in futility, the real losers here aren't the team or the fans. It's the charities that get donations for each field goal, sack or touchdown scored. They lost big-time yesterday and may continue to do so for the rest of the 2010 season.
With a possible lockout coming and the potential for no season in 2011, this is exactly the wrong way for the Titans to leave their fans to end the year.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/29/2010 05:55:00 AM |
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As a fan of both teams, you'd think I'd be happy no matter what the outcome. After all, one of my teams won this afternoon. And I got to be there to watch them play.
Unfortunately, that isn't necessarily the case.
I think a lot of Titans fans figured the Redskins would be an easy win after the way they were pushed around on Monday night by the Eagles. You let a team run up 28 points in the first quarter on the way to a 59 point win and it seems like they'd be easy pickings for the Titans.
Not so much this afternoon.
The complete lack of ability to adjust or cover on third down was terrible and terribly evident all this afternoon. The past three games, the Titans have been gashed over the middle with receivers or backs for the other team wide open. And when you get little or no pressure on the QB and allow them time to pick apart the defense and find these openings, it adds up to a long afternoon for your defense.
Not helped by the offense. This high-powered offense (we were first in the league in scoring a few weeks ago) has hit some big speed-bumps the past three games. We scored nine points in four and a half quarters today. Our only TD came from special teams.
You could sense the crowd at LP Field wanting to erupt, wanting to get excited, wanting something to go crazy and cheer about. It almost happened on the 4th and 2 TD pass to Randy Moss that was called back because of a phantom offensive pass interference call. That was a turning point for the game and this team. It could be a turning point for the season. Instead of going up seven, we are forced to punt and things continued to be mired in neutral for this offensive team.
Interestingly, the crowd wanted to get behind Randy Moss somehow. You could sense it. And yet, my big concern about him being a distraction seems to have been misguided. Or maybe it's that someone else on the team has stepped up to take that place. Apparently, Vince Young hurt himself during the game and was pulled by Fisher. I get that. But then, Vince's actions after the game and possibly during the game (not going to try and get back in) may have been the final straw for him here in Nashville. We thought he'd grown up a bit from his tantrums a few years ago, but he appears to have reverted and stepped back today.
A few weeks ago, I heard Rudy Kalis speak at my church and he was asked about Young and if he'd come into maturity. What Kalis said in response was interesting and I think we saw it played out today. He stated Young might have peaks and valleys to come and that we'd seen a peak. And that a valley could be coming for his maturity. Looks like we saw that today.
I just wonder if this will lead to Vince no longer being a Titan after this season is over.
And if any of this coaching staff will be held accountable. I know I said I was almost ready to climb on the Get Rid of Jeff Fisher bandwagon. Not sure if I'm on board yet, but I'm definitely on the Replace Chuck Cecil bandwagon.Labels: Redskins, Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/21/2010 04:50:00 PM |
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I think a lot of Titans fans and ESPN got a bit too excited about what the addition of Randy Moss would mean to this team. Listening to the hype, he was supposed to make us more explosive, more dynamic and to lead to great things for an offense that was already one of the tops in the league in terms of scoring and our passer rating. And while double coverage on Moss may have allowed Chris Johnson to gain some more yards yesterday, a lot of what I saw was more of the same from the Titans.
Maybe it's because Moss only had a few days to come in and get adjusted to things. Or maybe it was that our first half quarterback was overthrowing guys due to a busted fingers. I love Kerry Collins, but the best thing that happened to the Titans was he got injured and we had to put in Vince Young. Young looked better and watching him move around, I wondered why he was held out the first half. His ankle looked fine to me.
Where we looked terrible was on defense. Two games in a row that we can't cover across the middle of the field and we get gashed. Antonio Gates two weeks ago, Anthony Fasano this week. At what point after the same guy keeps gashing you time after time after time (esp. on third down and longs) do you stop and say, "Maybe we should cover him or somehow scheme to take him out of the game plan."
Apparently, if you're the Titans you just allow him to continue to run free and lose the game. Come on, Chuck Cecil. Make a friggin' half-time adjustment!
Living in a town with two sports call in shows, one associated with the Titans and one that's not, it's interesting to listen to the Monday morning quarterbacking. The non-associated one has an interesting take that Nashville is still just happy to have a team and that on-field results don't matter much, but that's slowly changing. At the center of that is questions about the coaching staff and their future.
One vocal group's central argument is that Fisher is a mediocre coach, at best. And that while he'll put up the occasional great year like the 13-3 a couple of years ago, there are too many 8-8s in there to bring his overall winning percentage down to average. Looking at it, I think it's not that Fisher is a mediocre coach, but I think his best days of coaching with the Titans may be fading. He's got his system and it worked well. But it's getting old and he doesn't seem to be adjusting it or assembling the coaches around him to adjust it like (dear heavens, it pains me to say this) Bill Belachick does with New England. As I look on the situation, I find myself wondering if it's becoming a situation like the one Dallas faced with Tom Landry a few decades ago. You've got an entrenched coach, beloved by the community and many pundits, who maybe has his glory days behind him. But the fond memories of those glory days are carrying him and it will take someone who will truly take a huge amount of ill-will and hatred by the fandom and the pundits to make a change.
Should the Titans do it? I'm not sure yet.
But I'm starting to lean towards the side of wanting a change. But only if it's the right change...Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/15/2010 12:59:00 PM |
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The Titan's made their lone appearance on Monday Night Football this season last night as they clobbered division rival the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-3.
Watching the game, I was a lot happier than one of the last times the team was showcased on Monday Night Football when then-host Tony Kornheiser couldn't insult and demean Nashville and Tennessee fast enough.
And while the commentators for the game (still not my favorite broadcast group, but still a damn sight better than Gus "Every play makes me shout" Johnson) were fair in their assessment of praise and criticisms of the Titans, I still found the bias that ESPN has against the Titans to rear its ugly head during the post-game coverage, specifically on SportsCenter.
I understand that baseball is in its post-season and will be for the next six to eight weeks. And that there was a game involving Cliff Lee single-handedly playing all nine positions on the field against the New York Yankees last night. But come on, ESPN! Pushing the highlights of the game down until close to twenty minutes from the top of the hour is just absurd. It's made worse by the fact that we get five minutes of dithering on the leading with your helmet controversy that has reared its ugly head in the past 24 hours. (Don't get me wrong, it's important but surely there must be other sports stories going on somewhere. You know it's bad when I find myself almost wishing for a pre-season NBA highlight or soccer highlights).
And then the bias showed itself again in the commentary made by Steve Young about the game. He called it an ugly one at one point, saying that a highlight being shown was only because the game was "so bad." You can bet your sweet bippie if it had been highlights say of the Cowboys doing something or the Vikings, they couldn't have praised it fast enough.
Speaking of the Cowboys, as anyone else sick and tired of hearing about this year's edition? I pull against them at every chance I get and I despite them just on principle, but many the absurd amounts of coverage for this team are making me hate them that much more. I get that they're underachieving, but I also get annoyed that every team that beats them only does it because the Cowboys let them. I've heard that for the Titans and Redskins this year...it wasn't so much that we won so much as the Cowboys lost. I'll admit the Redskins weren't spectacular on opening night against the Cowboys, but we still did enough to get more points that they did. And last week, the Titans came out and punched the Cowboys in the mouth and then beat them my taking advantage of their mistakes. We turned them into points and came up with big plays at critical times.
As I said before, I hate the Cowboys anyway. Always have. I will admit that watching that team play this year, I'm struck by how self-aggrandizing the team is. Every first down is cause for a major celebration. Few teams in the NFL celebrate every minor play as much as the Cowboys. I keep muttering, "Act like you've been there" as I see the game or highlights on ESPN or the NFL Network. I understand that football is an emotional sport and there are times when it's appropriate to be excited and to pump your chest. But not when you convert a third and short for a first down. I think the problem in Dallas is similar to the one the Redskins have faced in the past couple of years--you can't assemble a fantasy football team in real life and expect it to win. You've got to have a team and not just a collection of players.
Anyway, back to my original point. You know, I can understand the NFL throwing the city of Jacksonville a bone by giving them a Monday night showcase. But you'd think the city and fans would respond by at least filling most of the stadium for kick-off. I saw so many empty, lower-bowl seats in the stadium last night that it was laughable. Given that the team beat Indy a few weeks ago and then won against the Bills last week and is taking on a huge division rival, you'd think some fans would show up for the game. Apparently not.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/19/2010 12:21:00 PM |
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A couple of things not long enough for a full post, but too long for a Twitter update...
- All weekend, I kept hearing about how tragic it was that Reggie Bush returned his Heisman and he was turning away all this heritage, rich tradition, etc. Yeah, not so much. See the Heisman lost all meaning as an award in 1997 when ESPN campaigned for Charles Woodson to get it over Peyton Manning. Since that time, the award has been a meaningless one....
- Phil Fulmer goes on live TV and while he didn't open hand slap Tim Brando (who is the smarmiest sports reporter EVER), he did verbally slap Lane Kiffin. And I loved it. Can he be the next AD for the Vols, please?!?!
- As proud as I am of the effort the Vols game Saturday against Florida, it still sucks to lose to the Gators for six straight years. My poor nephew doesn't recall a time when the Vols beat Florida. This needs to change starting next year.
- If Vandy can beat Ole Miss, then so can the Vols. Houston Nutt, welcome to the hot seat.
- Joining you will be Marc Richt of Georgia, who still has a loss to Florida looming and could lose to the Vols. I know, it seems unlikely, but Georgia tends to find ways to lose games they shouldn't and the UT vs Georgia game could qualify.
- It was a terrible weekend for my favorite teams, football-wise. The Titans started a QB controversy when Vince Young was replaced by Kerry Collins. Thing was, neither was effective. Pittsburgh showed that if you shut down the run game and dare Young to beat you, you can rattle the Titans offense. If I were the defense, I'd be mad as hell as the offense. They gave us a lot of chances to win.
- As for the Redskins, we still have kicker issues. How many times will this haunt us? Last year it was the Saints, this year the Texans. I will weep if the Texans make the playoffs and actually win a game.
- On a good note, the Cowboys lost. I laughed a long time about that one.
- Finally, ComCast gave us a free sample of NFL Red Zone and I've gotta say it was pretty awesome. Interestingly, the feed for CBS games was five seconds faster on NFL Red Zone than it was on my local CBS affiliate. I can see myself spending the five bucks a month to have this during the season.
Labels: football, Redskins, tennessee football, Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/20/2010 11:59:00 AM |
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Saturday evening, I tuned in to watch the Titans take on the Carolina Panthers in one of the dullest pre-season games I've ever witnessed.
Sure, the Titans had a short week, playing Monday night at home and scrimmaging Wednesday against the Cardinals, but that still doesn't excuse how just dull as dishwater the game was at times. I will admit that our "no name" defense looked impressive at certain points in the first half, but that's really about all there was to really sustain my interest in the first half.
Of course, part of this wasn't helped by the fact that the game was shown locally on channel 2. Having access to the NFL Network and their rebroadcast of every other pre-season game taking place has given me a severe case of pre-season broadcast envy. It seems like every other pre-season broadcast in an NFL city borrows the graphics, look and feel of their network partner for broadcasting the game. If it's a FOX station, you get the Fox graphics, look, feel, etc.
And then there's Nashville, where the Titans game are shown on our ABC affiliate. As you may know, ABC doesn't have a broadcasting deal with the NFL and it looks like ESPN isn't willing to share the Monday Night Football graphics and/or look and feel with WKRN. Watching the game Saturday, it didn't feel too far removed from the broadcast of high school football up a few notches on the cable dial on CSS.
It wasn't helped by the broadcast duo we had in the booth. Eddie George did a lot of great things as a Titan, but his work in the broadcast booth Saturday night was sub-par.
I'm sure had the Titans been tearing it up on the field, I might have been more willing to overlook or forgive these perceived shortcomings. But since the game wasn't anything to write home about, these things just stood out even more like a sore thumb.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 8/30/2010 01:01:00 PM |
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One of the local sports call in shows is conducting a survey on the top ten sports moments of the last decade in Music City.
A new entry to that list was made today with the 99-yard drive led by Vince Young to give the once-left-for-dead Tennessee Titans a dramatic and exciting fifth win of the year.
Hearing Mike Keith call the drive was special, especially the final play of the game as Vince Young finds Kenny Britt for the game winning score as time expires.
Legen...wait for it...dary.
Suddenly a team that had reached its lowest point ever seven weeks ago is back in the conversation with an MVP candidate in Chris Johnson and a team that is just clicking on all cylinders.
We face a huge test next week, going to Indianapolis. But the Colts could be distracted by some dramatic wins the past few weeks and maybe a bit complacent since they won the division today. We'll see. Until then, it's time to enjoy the glow of a huge win and one that will be played out for years to come on NFL highlight reels.
Let's hope that sometime soon we're talking about this as the turning point that got the Titans on the road to another Super Bowl...
UPDATE: If you missed the biggest play of the day, you can see it here. Only thing missing is Mike Keith's call...Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/29/2009 07:38:00 PM |
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The Tennessee Titans and Vince Young may not have another game quite like this one for the rest of the season, but for a few hours yesterday afternoon they made us all forget the struggles and woes the team and VY have been through the past couple of years.
Vince Young started over Kerry Collins and while he wasn't brilliant, he did a solid job with the offense. He ran for a couple of first downs, scrambled under the Jacksonville rush and completed a couple of nice throws including a beauty of a touch pass to Nate Washington for the Titans' first touchdown in a long, long time. The rest of the team looked solid around him, especially Chris Johnson who had another record-setting day which, thankfully, wasn't wasted this time around.
For a few hours yesterday as I sat up high at LP Field, it was easy to forget the frustrations we've had all year and just celebrate the team that had some huge expectations heading into the season.
OK, so there were some blips on the radar in the game yesterday when the Titans defense couldn't tackle Maurice Jones-Drew on two long runs, but other than that, it was a solid game for the team.
I still think part of it was Jacksonville's intimidation at playing a team that could actually sell out a game or at least have more filled seats in the stadium than empty one. And part of it could be a spark brought to the team by having a change at QB. How long that will last is anyone's guess and it could only be a matter of time until defense coordinators around the league solve the Vince Young puzzle again.
But for now, I'm savoring the win and enjoying the fact that Titans and Vols could both pull off solid wins in the weekend by almost identical scores.
I did find myself wishing we could run up another touchdown or a few more points so it'd be our highest point total of the year...and we could shake off the memories of that loss to the Texans.
But we won...and that's all that matters.
For now...Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/02/2009 01:00:00 PM |
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Watching the opening game of the NFL season last night, pitting the Steelers against the Titans, it was just a luxury to see a game that mattered after what seemed like an eternity of pre-season games.
Unfortunately, the Titans came up a bit short in this one, leaving six points on the field. Six points that could have meant the difference and won the game for us. All during the first half, I felt like we had some kind of hangover from the playoff game vs the Ravens last January. The Titans moved the ball but somehow managed to self-destruct when it came to finishing drives with points.
Speaking of flashbacks, I felt like the Titans defensively didn't make the right adjustments at half-time. For the first quarter and a half, the Titans were controlling the game defensively. And the, we reached the two minute warning of the first half and it seemed like the pressure that was being put on Big Ben was gone. We had at least two sacks before that two minute warning and none afterward. I'll give credit to the Steelers--they made the adjustments when the Titans shut down the running game and managed to find a way to move the ball and win the game.
That said, it was still painful to get so close and to see another near miracle finish for the Titans not break our way.
I'm still not convinced the NFL's overtime system is the best for the game. But I probably would love it if we'd won the toss....Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/11/2009 06:57:00 AM |
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I'm guessing the Titans got some kind of memo from Fox saying it would be OK to not really bring the team along for last night's game and instead, allow Fox to gush about the latest cathedral to Jerry Jones' ego in Dallas.
Because from what I saw, the team didn't put up too much of a fight against the Cowboys, except on that first defensive series. Sorry Dallas fans, but you're not that good. Or maybe you are that good in August because we've all seen you choke down the stretch the last few years (and as a Dallas hater, let me just say I LOVE it!)
So far, I have to admit I'm not feeling optimistic for the Titans based on what we've seen in the pre-season. We've won two games, yes but it's almost like we took teams by surprise early in the season last year when they didn't have any game footage to plan against. Now teams know what the Titans are going to do--run the ball down your throats--and are stacking up against it. And, so far, it doesn't look like we've got a really effective counter-punch if a team decides to go all out and commit to stopping the run. I know that we were able to make some teams pay last year for doing that like the Bears, but come on...the Bears' song is that "the Bears still suck!"
Of course, I could be totally wrong and once the season rolls in, things will be different. Maybe guys are tired from three pre-season games. Maybe last night was an aberration. I hope so. We've got a lot of folks around her jazzed about our chances (including me). And while I am still optimistic, right now it's cautiously optimistic at best.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 8/22/2009 03:49:00 PM |
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I was stunned yesterday to get a news alert, informing me of the death of former Titans' quarterback, Steve McNair. And I'm sure in the days and weeks ahead, as the story continues to unfold, we'll get more details that we ever wanted to know about McNair and the woman whose body was found with his in a Nashville apartment.
And I'm sure we'll all eventually get tired of hearing every tiny angle played up and every detail dissected in much the same way I'm ready for this whole Michael Jackson story to be done and over with.
I hope that as we get every sordid detail dredged up, that we won't forget the player that McNair was on the field. There were so many times when McNair just willed this team to win and made some stunning and spectacular plays that resulted in a crucial first down, a much-needed touchdown or some incredibly needed momentum of the Titans. He was an electric player and one that could really get the fans fired up and going. In his prime, there was no deficit too big for McNair to overcome--or at least that's how it seemed and seems in my memory. I only regret the Titans couldn't win at least a Super Bowl or two with McNair. But I won't forget the Sunday afternoons when he thrilled me with this athletic ability on the field and helped me to come to love the Titans as much as I do today.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. McNair. He will be missed.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 7/05/2009 07:22:00 AM |
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When it was rumored that Dan "I Love to Assemble a Fantasy Football Team" Snyder was moving money around after talking to Albert Haynesworth's agent last weekend, I figured we'd seen the last of Big Albert in a Titans' uniform.
I've heard a lot of debate over the past couple of days in various places (not just on the radio) about why the Titans won't open the checkbook and just pay players. Considering that Albert wanted to be the highest paid defensive player in the league when he has yet to play an entire season, I can see why the Titans were hesitant. And, the Titans did deal with him honorably, living up to their side of the bargain and not slapping the franchise tag back on him this year after he met certain goals.
Albert will be missed. I think a lot more than some of the people I've talked to over the last couple of days think. A lot of people point to the Pittsburgh game that Big Al was out and several guys stepped up and delivered without him. Yes, but the Pittsburgh offensive line is their big weakness. And the guys were fired up for that game. It's easy to be the man when you're stepping in for someone else. Now they will be the main focus and we'll see what happens. I hope it works...but I am going to have to wait and see.
And I guess on the positive side, I should be glad that Albert went to my other favorite team. But given the track record of the Redskins of assembling great fantasy teams that don't gel on the field, I'm not holding my breath or pre-ordering my Super Bowl tickets yet.
I wonder if the Titans play the Redskins this year. That could be interesting.
And can we please sign Kerry Collins now?Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/27/2009 06:49:00 AM |
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Dear Mr. Kornheiser,
I've tuned into Monday Night Football this evening to watch the epic showdown between my beloved Titans and the Indianapolis Colts.
Mr. Kornheiser, you're a very amusing columnist and you're fairly entertaining on your show "Pardon the Interruption." And maybe you think you're being funny, witty or urbane in your commentary tonight, but the only thing I find in it are constant put downs of my team, my city and my state.
I'm sorry if you're upset you had to come to this "small market" to see this game with a team that you apparently have little, if any respect for. I'm sorry that we've undefeated (as of this writing, when it's tied in the third quarter) and that this somehow offends your delicate sensibilities and the way you think the world should be.
I say to you, Mr. Kornheiser, get over it. Sure, the Titans have beat a lot of teams with not so hot records so far this year. But it's not their fault those teams are having down years. The Titans have merely taken advantage of the situation to get to where they are. They've won the games they should. We've had some good breaks, but you can say that of every team with a winning record, not just the Titans.
And no, the Titans don't have to win this game to earn the respect of the country. We should have it becuase we're playing good football with a solid defense, nice running game. Yes, we have some questions when it comes to the passing game, but we get the job done...again, I point out that we've won six games so far this year. But instead, self-appointed little media members like yourself shout out that Tennessee can't or shouldn't get respect or have to earn it. No, we've earned it already, sir. It's just you who can't seem to accept it.
Here in the South, we have an old saying. If you can't say something nice, you shouldn't say anything at all. Maybe you should try it out...
Oh wait, that wasn't very nice of me, was it?
Sincerely,
Big Orange MichaelLabels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 10/27/2008 09:46:00 PM |
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USA Today reports some of Vince's friends had some concerns about his state of mind. I'm guessing he made the mistake of tuning in to some of the sports call in shows yesterday...
"Last night, we received a call from people that are closest to Vince informing
us that he had left his house in a state of mind that had them concerned; and
that he was unreachable, having left his cell phone at the house," the Titans
said in a statement released this morning. "Not having all the facts available to us and approaching the matter prudently, we contacted Metro Police to make them aware of the situation and asked for their assistance in locating Vince," said the statement. "He was located at a friend’s house, where we made contact with him. He then came to the practice facility where it was determined that those initial concerns by his friends and family were unfounded and he returned home without incident.”
I'm not sure what's going on here, but this situation is becoming alarming. Beyond the value Young has to the Titans', there are the concerns over his mental state. Hopefully the Titans or someone will get through to him and get him some help (if he needs it) before this story has a tragic end...Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/09/2008 12:15:00 PM |
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Sunday afternoon, I jokingly wondered if the Titans might not have a quarterback controversy given that Kerry Collins had come into the game and led the team on a drive that scored what ended up being the winning touchdown. At the time, I figured it would be similiar to what we had ten years ago with the Steve McNair vs Neil O'Donnell debate.
Little did I realize that an entirely different kind of QB controversy was brewing and ready to explode....
The question of whether or not Vince Young "quit" on the team Sunday afternoon. For those of you who didn't see it at on TV or don't know, here's what the Tennessean reports happened.
The quarterback appeared reluctant to re-enter the game after throwing a
second interception and being booed by the home crowd. He sat on the bench alone
at one point and brushed off teammates and coaches attempting to console him.
When he went back in, he suffered the knee injury a few plays later.
Yesterday, reports were that Young had tweaked his hamstring and wasn't sure if he'd go back in. However, he didn't call over any of the coaches or training staff.
Now, I will admit that at the game, I was pretty annoyed when Young threw his second interception of the afternoon. It came right on the heels of the defense getting an interception from David Gerrard and setting up our offense with good field position and the chance to get some time off the clock and (hopefully) seal a victory. At the time, I recall saying, "Come on, let's get a touchdown and end this thing."
Some would say that the best strategy to employ would have been to go for the home run on first and ten. You've got the Jags demoralized and it's a time to put the final nail in the coffin. Yes, it goes against my hope to take some time off the clock, but if you can put them away with a long bomb to the end zone (assuming our recievers would do something silly like catch the ball, mind you), then you may have the Jags at a point that they simply roll over.
Instead, we go out and give them momentum right back. Recall that at this point, we're up by three and the interception is around mid-field. We've gone from the height of excitement to complete frustration in one play. And, there were boos. I'm sure a lot of them were for Vince and I'm sure a lot of them were for the circumstances.
And then Vince did...well, whatever he did. No one of the Titans' front will come out and say anything really. They're circling the wagons and protecting Vince, though that's not really flying with the fans. The worst part is that Vince is injured now and will be out two to four weeks. If he could play Sunday, he might have a chance of erasing the bad taste that a lot of people have right now. Instead, he'll be sidelined with Collins in there. Should Collins win a few games, I only expect the buzz to get louder and the debate more intense.Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/09/2008 12:00:00 PM |
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At least one of my three teams started the season off with a win, though they made it as nerve-wracking as humanly possible.
I know I will sound like a repeat of every post from last season, but there were some extremely questionable calls in the final five or so minutes of the game. The refs putting time back on the clock two plays in a row. Apparently Jack DelRio can freeze time and call time out the second the Titans' player hits the ground.
And then, a couple of free time outs for the Jags in the final two minutes when the Jags needed a rest. Two reviews of spots in a row, both going against the Titans. If I were a person who saw conspiracies everywhere, I'd say that looked like might suspect....I'm just sayin'.
So, I have a question...do we have a quarterback controversy in Nashville? Of course, it's easy for Kerry Collins to come in and be the hero. His leading the final drive after Vince Young got hurt was win, win for him. He does well, he's the hero. He doesn't do well, we all blame Vince. Or Jeff Fisher. I'm not saying Collins didn't look good, but he got a lot of help when a huge play that ate up turf, converted third and long and set up the Titans' winning field goal.
Of course, some turkey in front of me started lamenting we should have picked Jay Cutler. Yeah, but here's the thing--we wanted a winner. Someone who knew how to win. Also, Vince has more raw talent. Plus, consider that the Broncos actually put some emphasis on having better than average wide receivers. I love the Titans, but our lack of a big play receiver showed up again today. Part of it's Vince, but part of it is the receivers needing to make a play.
Thank goodness we have an awesome defense that was aggressive and got in David Gerrard's head.
And Chris Johnson....man, that pick just looks better and better all the time. I have a feeling he may be the steal of the draft come the end of the season....Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/07/2008 04:44:00 PM |
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With the announcement yesterday that Steve McNair is calling it a career, if I were running the Titans, I'd sign him to a one-day contract so he can retire a Titan.
I understand the business-side of why McNair left and went to the Ravens, but I doubt I'm alone in saying, he'll always be a Titan/Oiler. And he deserves to retire as a Titan.
Or maybe I'd hire him as some kind of mentor/coach for Vince Young.
Or both...Labels: Titans
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/18/2008 04:58:00 AM |
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