It's harder to quit than you think.

What was that noise? Did you hear that?

It’s like going back to the same old bad relationship.

It’s like sneaking a cigarette when you’re trying to quit.

It’s also a lot like cheering for your hometown team, no matter bad they may be, year after year.

You would like to quit, you really would, but you can’t. You don’t know how. You keep going back. Such is the trivial nature of this conundrum, you and your loved ones oftentimes find yourselves at odds over what seems on the surface to be such a simple question. “Why don’t you just quit?” But it’s not that simple. It never is. The bad relationship never seems as bad as it really is. The cravings for a cigarette never seem to dissipate. And as far as your favorite team… they’re losers. You know it. They know it. Everyone knows it. It would be so simple to just pack it up, throw away all your jerseys and hats and coffee mugs and key chains and finally free yourself of the never-ending heartache. But. You. Just. Can’t. You can’t abandon them like that. You have to stick with them thru the hard times, no matter how bad they may get, so when they are finally able to turn it around, it will mean that much more to you.

Sports, especially, has a way of wrapping itself around us, making it virtually impossible for us to ever rid ourselves of it. Muhammad Ali returned from retirement several times. So too did Michael Jordan. Sugar Ray Leonard should have his own page in the Guinness Book of World Records for “Most Retirements.” These guys just couldn’t give it up. They couldn’t just say goodbye to their respective sports they loved so much. They just couldn’t… quit.

And neither could Molly McFadden.

Give her credit where it’s due, though. She tried to quit. She tried hard. She gave up her beloved game of basketball for nearly three years. But the hole created inside her by its absence grew to the point that ignoring it was far easier said than done.

McFadden was a standout prep player at White County High School in Sparta, Tenn. She started three years for the powerhouse Warriorettes, scoring over 1,200 points along the way. As a senior in 2005-06, she performed well enough to be named District 7AAA Player of the Year. But following her final games as a senior for White County, she quit. Despite several offers from some high-profile college programs, McFadden said “no thanks.” She didn’t even want to go to college. She got a job. She bought a house. She may have even gotten a dog. That would seem to be the next step. So she quit… well, for a while.

There it was again. What is that noise?

Now fast-forward three years. McFadden still has her job. And her house. Not sure about the dog. But there is something missing. A gaping hole inside her. And then she figures out what it is. Basketball. She wants to play again. She starts practicing, and then starts contacting schools. One interested coach is Rick Insell of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Insell was familiar with McFadden from his days as the head coach of perennial contender Shelbyville Central High School. He had to coach against McFadden several times, so he was very familiar with her abilities. Insell brought McFadden to Murfreesboro for a tryout in August of 2008, and shortly thereafter offered her a scholarship. McFadden, of course, accepted.

Now fast-forward to present day. Despite her lack of playing time, McFadden establishes herself as a fan favorite. She may only come in to the game with a few minutes to play and a 30-point lead, but she makes her presence known. She hustles. She blocks shots. She dives for loose balls. She smiles. She’s back.

You’re at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., watching the MTSU Lady Raiders pile up points against another helpless opponent. There’s that noise again. And then it hits you. You figure out what that noise was that you had been hearing. "MO-LLY! MO-LLY!" Coach Insell has just reached over and tapped McFadden on the shoulder, and the crowd rises as number 44 makes her way over to the scorer’s table to check in to the game.

Several years after Molly McFadden’s basketball career seemed to be over, she makes her way onto the court for the nationally-ranked Lady Raiders. She plays with the same intensity you would expect to see in a close game. You suppose that no one told her that MTSU was up by 30 at the time she came in. Or maybe she just doesn’t care. Maybe she’s just glad to be playing the game she loves again.

Maybe Molly McFadden is just glad she went back on her decision to quit.

And then, as you find yourself cheering for her, you realize something…

You’re glad she didn’t quit, either.

Ah... the sweet feeling of love.

Seeing as how this coming Saturday will be Valentine’s Day, I started thinking about things that I love. I could try to write down a list of all the things I love, starting first and foremost with my family and my sweet girlfriend, but I have neither the time nor your patience. So I decided to list just a few…

I love the way Alexander Ovechkin celebrates when he scores a goal.

I love the way Liverpool fans in England sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as loud as they can when their team walks out onto the field before matches.

I love the low tunnel in Blacksburg, Virginia, the one that the Virginia Tech football team comes out of before games.

I was fortunate enough growing up to get the chance to see Michael Jordan play in Chicago, and I loved it when, after reading the visiting team’s starting line-up in the most dull of voices, the announcer screamed as the lights went out, “AAAAAAAAAAND NOW!! The starting line-up for YOUR CHICAGO BULLS!!”

I love the fact that goalies always lead their teams out onto the ice.

And I love the way hockey players protect them.

I love fight songs in college.

I love curtain calls in baseball.

I love that ESPN uses Erin Andrews as a sideline reporter as often as they do.

I love the fact that Ahmard Hall of the Tennessee Titans, who served four years as a U.S. Marine in Kosovo and Afghanistan, runs out of the tunnel before every home game holding an American flag over his head.

I love the zone that Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon gets in, to the point that it looks like he’ll go chew off the catcher’s facemask if he doesn’t give him the signal for fastball.

I love flyovers, and the way they simultaneously bring both goose bumps and tears.

I love how Ronnie Lott had his fractured pinky cut off as a senior at Southern California, just so he wouldn’t have to sit on the bench the rest of the season with a pinky brace.

I love watching the Kentucky Derby every year, and my favorite part is when the announcer screams, “And down the stretch they come!”

I loved the fact that when Barry Bonds became a free agent, not one team wanted to sign him.

I love how fired up Tim Tebow gets.

I love how Rocky Marciano never stayed down.

I love the look on pro hockey players’ faces when they’re about to hoist the Stanley Cup. It’s the same look most of them had as 5-year-olds.

I love how the music swells in the movie “Rudy” when he finally gets a chance to run out onto the field.

I love watching Tiger Woods on a Sunday afternoon in Augusta line up for a putt on the 18th, and how everyone just knows he’s going to make it.

I love the mutual hatred between Michigan and Ohio State, and how their hatred in this world is rivaled only by perhaps Jews and Nazis.

I love that the Klitschko brothers will never fight each other.

I love how quiet Lucas Oil Stadium gets in Indianapolis when Peyton Manning has the ball, and how the decibel level instantly goes from 0 to 140 when he connects with Reggie Wayne for a touchdown pass.

I love the match race scene in the movie “Seabiscuit,” and how when our hero turns it on coming out of the final turn, you can hear the announcer scream, “HEEEEEEERE COMES SEABISCUIT!!”

I still love the great call by Al Michaels, “Do you believe in miracles?! YES!!”

I love and miss boxer Arturo “Thunder” Gatti, and how he walked slowly to the ring serenaded by AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” and how every fan in the arena smiled knowing they were really about to get their money’s worth.

And I also love the white strip on my cat’s nose, and how it peeks thru the blinds of the back door every time I pull into the driveway.

That’s love.

Just as confused as ever.

My girlfriend teaches middle school math. 7th grade. She has shown me some of the material she teaches, and I can admit: I would have no clue how to figure out most of it without assistance. And this stuff is for 7th graders! But I'm okay with that. I'm not necessarily supposed to understand math. I'm a journalism guy. A communications guy. Any level of math above pre-Algebra just does not appeal to me whatsoever. As I've said numerous times to my friends and family, if I come across a mathematical question that the calculator on my cell phone cannot figure out, then I simply do not need to know the answer. There are somethings I just don't get, and that's okay. Bill Gates doesn't need to know how to build a three-tier cheerleading pyramid. Ryan Seacrest doesn't need to know how to throw a knuckleball. But you would think that an NFL player would need to know how to act like a professional.

Enter LenDale White.

This season, White has been a walking (read: not running) disappointment for the Tennessee Titans. So much so that rumors are now swirling that White may be released to free up salary cap room. And it goes beyond White's lack of production on the field. It has quite a bit more to do with White's production off the field, namely at the dinner table. Take a look at the picture below. On the left is a picture of White from this past season with the Titans. On the right is a picture of White during his final season in college at the University of Southern California. Focus on the midsections.


See the difference? As with most collegians who aspire to play pro sports, athletes push themselves to prove their worth to prospective pro scouts. One adjective for such athletes could be... hungry. (I find that term fitting considering the context.) Once said athletes reach the professional ranks, oftentimes they lose their desire to work as hard as they did in college. It has been said many times about boxers: It takes so much more work to defend a title than to win one. When you're trying to reach the top, you work so much harder than you do once you reach the top. Athletes become complacent, thinking they don't have to work out anymore because of all they've already accomplished. One exception is Jerry Rice. Rice was the hardest worker in the NFL over the course of his entire career. What does that tell you? In LenDale White's case, as proven by the picture on the left, he looks anything but hungry.

Not that White's road to the NFL was showered with roses. White was considered to be a first-round pick when he first declared he was going to forgo his senior season at USC and enter the 2006 Draft. But incessant questions about his ability to control his weight lowered his stock to the point that he fell to the second round, where the Titans selected him with 45th pick.

This season White has shown a chronic desire to be a bad teammate. You may ask, Well what constitutes being a good teammate? Be humble. Share praise. Work hard. Never rip a teammate or coach. Show respect to your opponent. If you would rather see examples of good teammates, look at a guy like Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. Paul plays his heart out every night, and you can't be the guy leading the NBA in assists without being a good teammate. Or how about Hines Ward? This is a guy playing wide receiver in the NFL, the position known to produce the most selfish of players, and what is his favorite thing to do? Block. Good teammate. So who are some guys that could be considered bad teammates? Stephon Marbury. Terrell Owens. Manny Ramirez. Those three are interested in only one thing: themselves. And they play team sports. Funny how that works out, isn't it? Problem is, LenDale White falls into the bad teammate category. Here's why...

After the Titans lost their first game of the season on 23 November to the New York Jets, White stood in the locker room in front of a drove of reporters and said, "Coming into these games, you expect to get certain carries or certain things going on, or at least that's what they tell you. Then you get in these games and just randomly play three plays. I couldn't really tell you what happened [during the game], I have no idea. I wasn't paying attention so I didn't care." That's the kind of attitude White has held this season. And the previous quote came at a time when the Titans' record was 10-1, tied for best in the NFL. It should also be noted that White's most productive games this season came against some of the worst run defenses in the NFL. His highest single-game totals were against, in order: 149 yards vs. Kansas City (ranked 30th out of 32 teams in rushing yards allowed), 106 yards vs. Detroit (ranked 32nd out of 32), 99 yards vs. Cleveland (28th), 77 yards vs. Green Bay (26th), and 59 yards vs. Cincinnati (21st). Conversely, in four games this season against the three best defenses in the NFL-- two games against Baltimore (3rd) and one game each against Pittsburgh (2nd) and Minnesota (1st)-- White had a grand total of 110 rushing yards. So it seems that White only plays well against lesser competition. That sure comes in handy for a team vying for a shot at the Super Bowl!

And in the aforementioned game on 21 December against the Pittsburgh Steelers (a 31-14 home victory for the Titans), White grabbed a "Terrible Towel"-- long known as a symbol of the Steelers team and its fans-- and proceeded to throw it on the ground. That's bad enough, but he didn't stop there! He then decided it would be a good idea to take his overweight carcass and stomp on it. And did I mention he came up with this elaborate plan with television cameras fixed upon him? It shows the absolute and unyielding lack of class that is becoming more and more visible to anyone unfortunate enough to have to see him.

Understandably, the Steeler Nation lashed out at White. Fans, players, coaches, even city officials. Steeler cornerback Deshea Townsend said, "What [White] did that day was almost like taking a jersey and putting it on the ground after a win and stepping on it. You just don't do that. There is a proper way to play the game and a way that you act, and [the Titans] do not act like that. It's disrespectful." Linebacker Larry Foote chimed in as well, saying, "You see right now we got the last laugh. That's what they get for trying to humiliate us and rub it in, for not showing any class. We wanted to play them again, but they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain. That's what they get for stomping on the towel. We're stepping on them right now."

So upon hearing this, what do you think the eloquent and professional LenDale White had to say in response?

White said, "No way do I regret it. I would do it 100 times again. I'd do it tomorrow if we played them."

Some people just don't get it.

You go this way. I'll go that way.

This is a tale of two pro football players. One is at the pinnacle of the sport. The other has been shoved out the league. Their link is Draft Day 2005.

Adam "Pacman" Jones and Antrel Rolle.


Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

In high school, both Jones and Rolle were all-everything. Jones played at Westlake High School in Atlanta, GA, and was named his conference's player of the year and received all-state honors as a senior. Rolle played at South Dade High School in Homestead, FL, and was a Parade All-American and was named the second-best prospect in the state by the Miami Herald. College came calling for both. Jones attended West Virginia. Rolle attended the "U" (that's Miami, FL).

In college, both Jones and Rolle were impact players. Emphasis on "impact." In 2003, Jones was sentenced to one year in jail following a bar fight. However, the sentence was later suspended and he was placed on probation instead. Then in 2004, Jones was named an All-American and Big East Special Teams Player of the Year. Rolle was also named an All-American, first-team All-ACC, as well as ACC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was a finalist for the Thorpe Award (best defensive back) and a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (best overall defensive player). Which would you rather have on your team?

Going into the 2005 NFL Draft, Jones and Rolle were the top two cornerbacks available. Jones was a bit undersized at 5'10" and 186 pounds. Rolle, however, had absolute prototype size, 6'0" and 208 pounds. And as I've said before, the Titans went against all logic when they selected Jones over Rolle with the No. 6 pick. Rolle was selected two picks later by the Arizona Cardinals.

In their rookie seasons, neither player really shined, but if you had to give an edge to one player over the course of that season, it's Jones. He was a good player, not great, but Rolle suffered a knee injury on 2 October and had to miss the majority of the season. It looked like Rolle's career may have been derailed before it really got started. The winter and spring of 2005-06 is where these two players started going in different directions. Rolle spent that time rehabilitating and strengthening his knee, getting ready for the 2006 NFL season. Jones was arrested four times during the offseason leading up to the '06 season (once in February, twice in April, and once in August). And Jones was just getting started. His numerous run-ins with the law finally led NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Jones for the entire 2007 season.

During the bright spots of Adam Jones' football career, he was best known as a punt returner and a guy you could count on to snag interceptions. What most people don't know is that Rolle has been more proficient than Jones at intercepting opposing quarterbacks. Thru this past season, Jones tallied 4 INTs in his career. Rolle? 8.

Jones' off-the-field exploits finally exasperated the patience of the Titans organization, who sent him packing to the Dallas Cowboys via trade before the start of this past season. For the Cowboys, Jones accumulated exactly zero interceptions, and was arguably the worst player on the field in their final game of the season, a 44-6 romp courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles. Three of the Eagles' touchdowns went right thru or right past Jones. The loss kept Dallas out of the playoffs this year. For the Cardinals this season, Rolle tallied 89 tackles, and was willing to play some time at safety to fill holes in Arizona's injury-ravaged secondary.

By the time the regular season came to an end, more allegations surfaced about Jones. So right around the time Rolle and the Cardinals were set to square off against the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the playoffs, Jones was released by the Cowboys due to the investigation of an incident where Jones reportedly arranged a shooting outside an Atlanta nightclub. As for the Cardinals-Falcons playoff game? In the third quarter, trailing 17-14 to Atlanta, Rolle scooped up a fumble and scampered 27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish. Arizona then went on to upset both the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles to advance to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

A tale of two players. Adam "Pacman" Jones is currently out of the league. And he will probably remain that way. Antrel Rolle is at the pinnacle of the sport and has established himself as one of the premier defensive players in the league. And he will probably remain that way.

Was it ever really a question who was going to be the better player out of these two?

Get your earplugs ready

Dear Terrell Owens,

We would all like to wish you the best of luck on your new reality TV show. Congratulations are in order. But we’re all wondering: What could it be about? What have you not already done? We’ve seen you verbally smear teammate after teammate. We’ve seen you tear apart locker room after locker room. We watched you desecrate the giant star in the center of Texas Stadium, and then in a morbid sense of irony you went to play for the Cowboys a few years later. We watched you do sit-ups in your driveway. We watched you shortly thereafter stand back like a wounded little girl while your agent, Drew Rosenhaus, repeatedly said, “Next question.” We’ve seen you cry to reporters about their treatment of your quarterback, Tony Romo (read: acting). So what’s left? We know we’re going to hear “Get your popcorn ready” so many times our ears are going to explode. It’s kinda become your mantra. Terrell “Get Your Popcorn Ready” Owens. That’s your name now. To hell with being referred to as “T.O.” "Get Your Popcorn Ready" will probably be your show's title. So we ask again: What’s left? What are you going to show us that we haven’t already seen? And why is your show on VH1? (Who in their right mind watches VH1?) We guess all those with brains are wise to your act. No one with any sense would want to see a show starring you on ESPN or any other such lofty network. Your ride must be nearing its end. Your abilities as a wide receiver are fading. Your exploits as a teammate are now being exploited by your teammates. Even the media laughs at you now. But have fun with your new show. Some of us will be watching… with our earplugs ready, of course.

Sincerely,

Citizens of Humanity

It's like Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a padded muscle-shirt.

There are some things in this world I will just never understand. Like math. I'll never get it. It must be a case of me not activating the right side of my brain. Or the left side. Hell, I don't know which side it is. Would you like to know another thing I will never understand?

Cheating.

It just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I like the idea of falling asleep with a clear conscious too much. But I really think I would rather lose at something than the alternative of cheating to win. Am I alone in this?

Last night, "Sugar" Shane Mosley challenged for Antonio Margarito's welterweight title. And it was a thrilling fight. Mosley, with his new trainer Naazim Richardson, put together a perfect gameplan to disrupt the potential destruction of the "Tijuana Tornado." Mosley used ring smarts and accurate flurries to dumbfound Margarito. Then, in the ninth round, Mosley floored Margarito. The fight was stopped shortly thereafter by referee Raul Caiz. It was a tremendous performance by a 37-year-old aging legend who, by many believers, is well past his prime. But it was vintage Mosley: quick feet, surprising power, accurate punching, technical boxing. Mosley had big leads on all three judges' scorecards at the time of the fight being stopped. But perhaps the biggest storyline of the night happened before the fight ever started...

Margarito had to have his hands rewrapped prior to the fight because his original wraps were deemed unacceptable by fight officials. His wraps were said to have a "plaster-like substance" on them. What? Margarito? Using plaster of paris on his hand wraps? I just do not understand this! This is like Dolly Parton wearing a Wonderbra. Or finding out Usain Bolt has rocket packs in his shoes. Or that Tiger Woods has started using a flag-finding golf ball. The point is, What's the point? Why cheat when you have a natural advantage anyway? Margarito already has sledgehammers for hands. We've seen it in the past. He's the only man to defeat Kermit Cintron (which he did, twice, both by knockout) and the previously undefeated Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto.

So hearing all this, do all of Margarito's past wins now need to be put under a microscope? Do the sanctioning bodies of boxing need to question their title fights in which Margarito prevailed victorious?

I hate it for Mosley. He has thrust himself to the top of the welterweight division for the first time since 2001. And he did so in a thrilling fashion. He also did so fairly. Congratulations to "Sugar" Shane Mosley.

I'm not upset about all this because I picked Margarito to win. I really thought he would. But I also thought he would do so fairly. I now hope this doesn't give boxing a similar black eye to the one that Barry Bonds' alleged steroid use gave to baseball.

Boxing doesn't need this. Nobody does.

Who likes cheaters anyway?

For Love or Money?

I remember my first day in high school. I was nervous. And not just nervous about the new building or the frightening height of the upperclassmen. I was nervous because I had to follow my sister there. You see, my sister was really popular in school. So much so that it was the year after she graduated that I was referred to (for the first time) by my first name instead of "her younger brother." I remember the guidance counselors in my school telling me what my sister's GPA was when she graduated, and asking if mine would be that high. My sister was also a cheerleader, and I can admit it was frustrating knowing I would never have as many girls show interest in me as guys showed interest in her. So what is a younger brother to do? I did pretty much anything I could to get attention. Having a popular sibling is tough. But I'll tell you what I didn't do...

I didn't stab her in the back for personal gain.

Not like Jay McGwire did.

Mark McGwire has been under tremendous scrutiny since his retirement from Major League Baseball about whether or not he took performance-enhancing drugs. It's been a sore topic, especially since the wave of major leaguers that have admitted their own steroid use. McGwire has been eligible for induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame for a few years now. And because of his alleged steroid use, incorporated with his vehement denials, McGwire has barely been able to wiggle the needle of interest among voters. A lot of it has to do with the fact that McGwire is seen as a catalyst for the "steroid era" in baseball. Another big part is the simple fact that McGwire won't just come out and admit that he did. Because let's be honest with one another. We know that McGwire took steroids.

We know that Pete Rose gambled on baseball.

We know Roger Clemens took steroids.

We really know Barry Bonds took steroids.

We also know that Andy Pettitte did.

And of those five players, who has the highest public approval rating right now? Andy Pettitte. And why?

He admitted it. And then he apologized for it. Remember we do live in a forgiving society.

So Jay McGwire, in all his wisdom, has taken it upon himself to tell the truth for his brother in his new book proposal, titled "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger and Ultimate Redemption."

This absolutely disgusts me.

I don't care that Jay and Mark don't talk anymore. Mark's a man! He can live in denial all he wants! But the best part of all this is the reasoning of Jay McGwire. He says, "My bringing the truth to the surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom -- which is the only way to live." I feel gross for saying this, but that almost makes me laugh. He's saying this out of love?! Hardly. How about money? Oh, now we're talking. How about jealousy? Mark was a media darling throughout his career. Remember 1998? McGwire and Sammy Sosa had households tuned in every single night to see if one or both of them would slam another one. That must be humiliating for the no-name brother of a sports superstar.

Jay McGwire can call it love all he wants. We all know the truth. We know the truth about Mark. And now we know the truth about Jay. It isn't love. It's the sad cry of a jealous little boy.

Should I stay or should I go?

Stay or go?

That question is like a nasty pimple that resurfaces every year toward the end of the college football season.

Top juniors and third-year sophomores are faced with the daunting task of deciding whether or not they should return for another year of seasoning at the college level or make the jump to the NFL ranks. It makes monsters out of young men trying to make the right decision for themselves and their families. Here's where it gets troublesome: a player can leave too early and enter the NFL unprepared (most common) or a player can come back for another year and hurt their draft stock (rare, but it still happens). But sometimes, things just fall in the right places. Take Vince Young, for example. I know I'm hard on him, but I have never wavered in my stance that Young absolutely made the right decision to enter the 2006 NFL Draft as a junior. He had no chance of improving his draft stock by returning for his senior season. On the other hand, former USC quarterback Matt Leinart probably made the wrong decision to return to USC for his senior season after winning the Heisman trophy as a junior. In Leinart's case, the USC Trojans made the decision to focus more on running the ball in the 2005 season with Reggie Bush and LenDale White both occupying the backfield. The running game improved and consequently, Leinart's numbers dropped. Bush won the Heisman trophy that season. Leinart went from being a lock as the #1 overall pick in the 2005 draft to falling to #10 in 2006. Doesn't seem like much, but it cost Leinart millions. See how all this works? Below are some examples of players who had to face the Should I stay or should I go? question this year.

Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma:
The 2008 Heisman trophy winner made the decision less than two weeks ago that he would be returning for another season at Oklahoma. And I can agree with his reasoning. He wants a shot at a national championship. But as far as his pro potential is concerned, he may have unfortunately dumped himself in the same boat Matt Leinart captained a few years ago. Bradford would have been the top candidate for the #1 pick this year had he declared for the draft. He instead returns to a program that boasts one of the top young running backs in the country, DeMarco Murray. It is highly likely that coach Bob Stoops will want to employ a more balanced attack next season, which means more carries for Murray and lower numbers for Bradford. Bradford may have hurt his NFL stock by making the decision to return.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia:
The best thing that happened to Matthew Stafford after he declared for the draft was probably the decision by Bradford to return to school. That opened the door for Stafford to have a shot at the #1 slot. However, I think Stafford made the wrong choice to leave Georgia early for the NFL. Here's why... take a look at Stafford's numbers over his career as a Bulldog:



2006: 1,749 yards - 7 TDs - 13 INTs
2007: 2,523 yards - 19 TDs - 10 INTs
2008: 3,459 yards - 25 TDs - 10 INTs

Good numbers? Sure. Did they improve every year? Yeah, a little. But I'm not convinced he has progressed enough to be ready to lead a team in the NFL. For a comparison, take a look at the numbers of Colt McCoy, who is the same age as Stafford. McCoy is the quarterback for the University of Texas Longhorns, and he announced weeks ago that he would return for his senior season. In 2007, McCoy threw 22 TDs and 18 INTs. This past season, McCoy tossed 34 TD passes and only 8 INTs. See the significant improvement? That's what you expect out of a top-shelf QB prospect. Now in Stafford's favor, he does have all the necessary tools required to be an NFL starter: good size, huge arm, and a solid pedigree. We'll just have to wait and see if he can put it all together at the next level. I definitely think Stafford should have returned to Georgia for another year of tutelage under coach Mark Richt. As it stands right now, though, Stafford enters the 2009 NFL Draft as one the biggest boom-or-bust prospects.

Eben Britton, OT, Arizona:
This one shocked me from the moment Britton announced his decision to forgo his senior season and enter the draft early. What you expect to see out of a lineman who is declaring early is absolute dominance. Cause as we all know, offensive linemen don't naturally attract a lot of attention. Unless you're Andre Smith. But here are some fun stats regarding Eben Britton... In 2007, Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama was sacked 30 times! This year, Tuitama was sacked another 27 times! It just makes me curious as to what prompted the move by Britton to declare early. The only stat that the viewing public can track for offensive linemen is "sacks allowed." And the quarterback that Britton was supposedly protecting was sacked 57 times in the past two seasons! Some things just do not make sense to me. But some things are not for me to understand.

Conversely, Alabama tackle Andre Smith also declared early, and it is very likely that he will be selected in the top 3 of the upcoming draft. In Alabama's bowl game against Utah, Smith didn't play, and it was glaringly obvious how much he was missed because Crimson Tide quarterback John Parker Wilson spent more time horizontal than vertical during the game, which Alabama lost. That was a huge statement in Smith's favor. He made the right decision to declare early. Britton? I'm not so sure.

I'll group the next two players together, wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin. They are the top two players at their position, and both declared for the draft as third-year sophomores. They also both came from programs where their quarterbacks were seniors, meaning if they had returned to school, they would have had to play next season with inexperienced quarterbacks. So it made perfect sense for both of them to declare early.

Sometimes, things just make sense. Sometimes they don't. It would have made sense for Sam Bradford to declare early. But he didn't. It didn't make sense when Matthew Stafford and Eben Britton declared, but they did. So every year, college athletes are faced with a difficult decision, and it all begins and ends with a simple question...

Should I stay or should I go?

Six one way, half dozen the other.

Picture this: There are two guys sitting in a sports bar, discussing (guess what!) sports. They discover that they are both football fans. Any surprise there? The guy on the left (we'll call him Fan #1), seems more distraught than his newfound friend. Here's how their conversation went... (And for a point of reference, we'll call the second guy Fan #2. Am I creative or what??)

Fan #1: Man... this has been a terrible season. Nothing has gone right. First, one of my team's best players, maybe our best player, went down with a leg injury and has had to miss the entire season.

Fan #2: Oh, you must be a fan of the Patriots.

Fan #1: No. It's just been a disappointing season, though. We were expected to be one of the best teams in the league, and we got off to a good start, but then we really got on a losing skid.

Fan #2: I see. So how long have you been a Jaguars fan?

Fan #1: I never have been. Then a month ago, two of our best players got into a verbal confrontation in the locker room. It was a bad mess. It was made a bigger deal in the media than it really was. But that's how the media is, right?

Fan #2: Yeah. I know that. So you're a Cowboys fan. I remember when all that happened.

Fan #1: I'm not a Cowboys fan. But speaking of player trouble, we had a guy get arrested this season for causing trouble outside a nightclub.

Fan #2: A nightclub? So are you talking about the Bengals or the Titans?

Fan #1: Neither. Who are all these teams you're talking about?

Fan #2: NFL teams. What the hell are you talking about??

Fan #1: Football. You know, football. Soccer. I thought you knew what I was talking about. I don't really like American football.

Fan #2: Oh! I thought you've been talking about the NFL all along.

Fan #1: No. The team I follow plays football in England. You mean there are really that many teams screwed up in the NFL??

Psych Ward

Dictionary.com defines the word agitator as "a person who stirs up others in order to upset the status quo." But answer this for me... Does this guy really look like he could fit that description?


You wouldn't think so. Not with that smile. He has a smile like that on his face all the time. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mr. Hines Ward. Ward is a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and tonight, they will host the Baltimore Ravens to see which team will represent the AFC this year in the Super Bowl. To simply state that the Steelers and Ravens dislike each other wouldn't exactly cover it. I think the Yankees and Red Sox get along better than the Steelers and Ravens. And a game like the one tonight: a low temperature, hard-hitting, intense rivalry... this is the kind of game where Hines Ward thrives. You see, Ward is an anomaly among his peers in the NFL. Most NFL receivers are prima donnas, you know, selfish players where me-first attitudes come standard (i.e. Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson). But not Ward. Ward's favorite thing to do during a game-- his favorite thing-- is to block.

That's right.

Block.

Not your typical wide receiver, huh? And oh, is he good at it. Just ask Keith Rivers of the Cincinnati Bengals. Or Ed Reed, of the aforementioned Ravens. Rivers ended up with a broken jaw after a clean block by Ward this season. Reed, one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, was knocked unconscious courtesy of a "sweep left special" from Ward.

And did I mention he always has that same smile on his face?

Now don't get the wrong idea about Ward and think he's just a thug who can't catch. He has averaged 72 catches per year since he was drafted by the Steelers back in 1998. He has also scored 73 touchdowns during his tenure thus far in Steel Town. But Pittsburgh, historically speaking, has always been known as a "power running" team. They've had bruising running backs in their past such as Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis. So what is a receiver to do in such circumstances?

Block.

It's fun to watch. In all actuality, Ward turns offense into defense. He becomes the hunter even though his team has the ball. But his aggressive style does have its setbacks. Ward has a target on his back when the ball is headed his way. Opponents don't just try to tackle Ward. They try to break him in half. So what does Ward do?

Smile, of course.

Is Hines Ward an agitator? Yes. But what is he on top of that? A damn good football player. He's the kind of player you would love to have on your team and hate to play against.

Tonight, in Pittsburgh, the Steelers welcome the Ravens to their snow-covered home. Will the Steelers prevail? We shall see. What you can count on, though, is the fact that Ward will be flying all over the field making plays for his teammates. And who knows? The Steelers may get another shot at a Super Bowl. They won it back in 2006.

And who was the MVP of that game?

You guessed it... Hines Ward.

Smiling, as usual.

I love the game "word association." Don't you?

Everyone know how this game works? Someone says a word or term or shows a picture, and you say the very first thing that pops into your mind. Easy enough. I'll roll through a few. If someone shows me a picture of the Chicago Cubs logo, I'd say: Loser. If someone shows me a picture of Ryan Leaf, I'd say: Bust. See how it works? I'll keep going... Michael Jordan? Champion.
Pacman Jones? Idiot.
Vince Young? Overrated.
Muhammad Ali? Greatest.
Lance Armstrong? Heart.
Mike Singletary? "Can't do it!"
Ray Lewis? Passion.
Utah's football team? True national champions.
Zab Judah? Waste of talent.
Erin Andrews? Mmm... hot.
Tiger Woods? Intense.
But here's one that stumps me: Tony Dungy. For those of you who happen to make your dwelling under a rock, Dungy is (was... whatever, we'll get to that) the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. And today, 12 January, 2009, he announced his retirement. And the reason his name makes me balk while playing "word association" is for no other reason than I have too many terms come to mind. Words like honor, respect, kindness, loyalty, champion, legacy, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Thesauruses are printed and reprinted because of men like Tony Dungy. And it isn't just his accomplishments which impress me. They are, however, quite staggering... He coached 13 seasons in the NFL, six with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the final seven with the Colts. Over that span, he compiled a record of 139 wins and 69 losses. I'll do the math real quick: that means he won 70 more games than he lost! And in this era of the NFL, which prides itself on what it calls "parity," that's nothing short of remarkable. But beyond that, he is the first and only black head coach to win a Super Bowl, which he did with the Colts in 2006. He only had one losing season out of his 13 at the helm of the two franchises, and won division titles six of those years. And it isn't the fact that he had a .759 winning percentage with the Colts, the third highest percentage with one team in NFL history. Nor is it his six consecutive 12-win seasons or his 10 consecutive playoff appearances, which are both (ahem) NFL records. It's the way he treated everyone around him that made Tony Dungy different. The care and respect he had for each one of his players. I read his autobiography, "Quiet Strength," and in it he explains that the most disappointed he's ever been in a player was when one of his players in Tampa skipped out on a speaking engagement to a group of local kids. Dungy and his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in 2006 to win the Super Bowl. The star linebacker for the Bears and one of the premier talents in the NFL is Brian Urlacher. Upon hearing the news of Dungy's retirement, Urlacher said, "I think he's one of the best and most respected coaches of all-time, and a great man on top of all the football achievements." Herm Edwards, current head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and a close friend of Dungy, also added, "The League will miss him but obviously never forget him, because of what he's done and the standards he set. Not only for coaches, but especially for black coaches. He's a guy that won a Super Bowl. I think he always looks back at the guys before him that gave him the opportunity. And now he has set up a standard for other guys to follow him." That's the legacy of Tuny Dungy. He will be sorely missed by fellow coaches, players, and thousands upon thousands of fans. At his press conference today, Jim Irsay, owner of the Colts, and Bill Polian, president of the Colts organization, both cried. When does that ever happen in pro sports?? Polian called Dungy "a mentor, a role model, and a cherished friend." Tony Dungy has always carried himself with a level of dignity that is unparalleled in pro sports. He is also a nightmare for people playing "word association." He may have retired, but I will always refer to him as Coach Dungy. May God bless him. I wish the absolute best for Coach Dungy and his family as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

Forced out for hurt feelings.

This story makes me sad. Rob Parker was a sports columnist for the Detroit News. He had the unenviable task of following the Detroit Lions this season. Talk about drawing the short straw! Parker had to suffer through covering the only team in NFL history to finish a season 0-16. Parker was a man of the people, though. He tried to be a spokesperson for the fans. He tried to ask the questions that the fans wanted answers to. He understood that fans couldn't just call head coach Rod Marinelli and talk trick plays. So he made it his responsibility to use his platform as a reporter to ask the questions that normally would be left unspoken. After the Lions 42-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints on 21 December, Parker entered the press room knowing Marinelli wouldn't be in the best of moods. After all, the Lions had just loss their 15th straight game. Parker had said that over the course of the season, Marinelli never once directly answered one of his questions. He would always wiggle his way around the point before finally giving a generic, middle-shelf answer. But Parker also said that Marinelli had a natural knack for being humorous. I guess you have to have a sense of humor when your team loses 15 out of 15. (Side note: The defensive coordinator for the Lions is Joe Barry, who just happens to be Rod Marinelli's son-in-law. Keep that in mind as we move along.) So on 21 December, the Lions got blown out by the Saints 42-7. Post-game press conference... After several rudimentary questions, Rob Parker steps up and asks if Marinelli wishes his daughter had married a better defensive coordinator. The room of reporters apparently chuckled. Marinelli did not. Marinelli viewed the question as an attack on his daughter. Parker said he was trying to lighten the mood. He said he asked the question hoping for one of those humorous responses out of Marinelli. Parker said this morning on Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio, "I thought he would respond with something like 'Yeah I was hoping she would marry Mike Ditka, but I don't think he's cute enough for her.'" I believe him. There was a lot of backlash to Parker's "inappropriate" question. E-mails from all over the country flew in to the Detroit News calling for Parker's firing. Terry Bradshaw called Parker "an idiot" on national television. I call that... hypocrisy. Yesterday morning, Parker resigned from the Detroit News. I hate it for him. This is a guy who tried to be a man of the people. He tried to be a spokesperson for the fans. And it was the fans he spoke for and worked for who ultimately pushed him to the point of resignation. Pitiful. Let's be honest for a moment: How terrible was his question? He didn't insult his daughter's sexuality. His question wasn't sexist or racist. And for the record, both Marinelli and Barry were fired by the Lions organization the very next week after they lost their 16th game. I think an unruly question by a reporter should be the least of Rod Marinelli's worries. His team just finished 0-16. They are the only team in NFL history to do so. And there is nothing that suggests that the Lions will be better next season. Well... except for the fact that they will have a new coach and a new defensive coordinator going into the 2009 season. I hope Rob Parker lands a good job soon. He shouldn't have been forced out of Detroit for an unsuccessful attempt at humor. And since he was fired for asking a question, I'll ask one on his behalf... Was he right?

How do you cheer for both teams in a game?

I found myself vexed last night. My emotions were in disarray. I was watching the Minnesota Vikings host the Philadelphia Eagles... and I wanted both of them to win. I really like Tarvaris Jackson (read more below). And I really like Donovan McNabb. I've liked him since he was drafted way back in 1999. I remember sitting on my couch in my childhood home, watching the annual draft as I do every year, listening to Eagles fans boo when McNabb's name was announced as the second overall pick. (The Eagles fans wanted running back Ricky Williams. They got McNabb. I call that a win for the Eagles.) But on that morning, a morning filled with emotions I can scarcely imagine, a young quarterback out of Syracuse University had to hear boos from his new fans instead of cheers. No class. I guess Eagles fans are just picky. So anyways, I'm a sucker for an underdog, and on that morning I decided I wanted McNabb to do really well in his career to prove his naysayers wrong. And he has done well. Very well. The only thing he has yet to accomplish is win a Super Bowl. He is one of the top quarterbacks currently playing in the NFL, the best of the dual-threat quarterbacks (That means a QB who can run if a pass isn't there. Did everyone notice how I said pass first?). He's had to deal with a lot of adversity. He made it to three consecutive NFC Championship games, but never broke through to a Super Bowl victory. He had to deal with the drama that only Terrell Owens can bring to a team, drama that divided the entire city. Half of the team and at least half of the city thought McNabb was to blame for all the drama and wanted him out of town. We have since found out otherwise, all the more obvious now in hindsight since Owens has created identical drama in Dallas. He was benched in week 7 this season and had to earn back the respect of his team and the city. So last night... the game was in Minnesota, and I found myself smiling every time something good happened for either team. I smiled every time Jackson made a good throw or moved well to avoid a sack. I smiled when McNabb threw a touchdown pass to Brian Westbrook and ran all over the field celebrating with his teammates. And when the game ended in a 26-14 Eagles victory, I smiled, even though deep down I felt bad for Tarvaris Jackson and the Vikings. And even in defeat, Jackson had a smile on his face, congratulating the Eagles players and wishing them well for the remainder of the playoffs. On 22 December I detailed in this blog the rocky road Tarvaris Jackson had to tread this season. Last night during the game, one of the announcers said that when Jackson was benched early in the season, he received a text message from a fellow NFL player telling him to keep his chin up. The text went on to tell Jackson "that his time would come." The sender? Donovan McNabb. God bless him. This morning, I sit and watch NFL experts tear apart Tarvaris Jackson, saying the current Minnesota Vikings have a Super Bowl-caliber team, but are held back by Jackson. These experts say the Vikings should go get a better quarterback during the offseason. I just hope the Vikings stay the course. Give him a chance. Remember, Jackson's coach called him a "piece of clay." He wants to be molded into a better player. How often do you hear that with professional athletes? I hope he's given the chance. I may go buy a Tarvaris Jackson jersey. In the meantime, congratulations to Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm now rooting for them in these playoffs.

Not Big-time Anymore

What's happened to the NBA? Does anyone watch anymore? Does anyone care anymore? Ever since Michael Jordan retired for the last time, the NBA has been in a constant struggle to find that one player to bring back the glory days of the National Basketball Association. They thought they found that player in Kobe Bryant, but one infamous night in Colorado followed by an insincere apology ruined that. The NBA has some great individual talent, but there is only one real team in the entire league. That would be the Boston Celtics. And that would be the reason they won the championship last season and are an early favorite to win the title again. And as far the current NBA is concerned, the Celtics are an anomaly beyond their desire to play as a team. They are thriving in Boston, historically known as a "baseball town." And the Patriots happen to play their football in that city, as well. This is the biggest problem with the NBA right now. I watch ESPN every day. I listen to ESPN Radio in my car. It wouldn't be a stretch for me to change my initials to K.T.E.S.P.N. This morning, as I watched ESPN, I was forced to sit thru the highlights of the NBA games from last night, a night in which every team in the NBA played, the first time in league history that all teams played on the same night. As I watched the highlights this morning, something glaringly obvious kept shouting at me: Where are the fans?? Aside from just a handful of games, you could see (just from the highlights) that there were more empty seats than filled ones. And then it hit me: the NBA only thrives in cities where the NBA team is the lone pro franchise. I'm not going to go through the entire league (that would take too long), but here are a few examples...

--Dallas Mavericks? Sorry, you're playing in the Cowboys' city.

--Minnesota Timberwolves? Sorry, that's Viking territory.

--Chicago Bulls? They once owned the city, but now Chicago is split between the Cubs and the Bears.

--Denver Nuggets? Even without Elway, the Broncos still own the mile-high city.

--Toronto Raptors? People who live in Toronto don't even know they have an NBA team. The Maple Leafs would still own that city even if they didn't win a single game.

--Indiana Pacers? Not even close. That city only cares about the Colts.

--Atlanta Hawks? Atlanta is a horrible sports city to begin with, but if they love any team, it's the Falcons.

--Washington Wizards? Please... Jordan couldn't even help them get butts in the seats. The Redskins have a firm grip on our nation's capital.

Only a few franchises hold their own in their respective cities. Los Angeles is a Lakers town, no question. New Orleans loves their Hornets, and San Antonio routinely fills out the HemisFair Arena for the Spurs. And thanks to LeBron James, Cleveland now gives more support to the Cavaliers than the Browns. Think about this... if attendance in the NBA is as low as I believe it to be, maybe the NBA should condense its league. There's an idea! Cut the league down to 20-24 teams, get rid of the players who don't belong anyway, and then let's play some basketball. And I have my own opinion of why the NBA's popularity is failing: there are no fundamentals in the game anymore. If you can't dunk the ball every single time you touch it, you will not have a place in the 2009 version of the NBA. Magic Johnson would not be as popular today as he was in the early 90's. He was a pass-first, mid-range shooter, and a damn good one at that. But that style of player is overlooked today. I still wish with all my heart that a group of high school referees could officiate an NBA game just once. That would be amazing! Even with the shot clock in place, the final score with any two teams playing would be 47-38. The referees would have chapped lips from blowing the whistle so many times. And that's exactly my point. That's one reason why I'm glad to see the NBA promoting Hornets guard Chris Paul so well. He is a star talent and has great fundamentals. He's also a clean-cut guy who doesn't get into any trouble. That's a breath of fresh air in a league that's had Dennis Rodman, Latrell Sprewell, Rasheed Wallace and Ron Artest. I got the chance to see Jordan play in Chicago, and the only seats available were in the upper deck. That's the way I want to remember the NBA. Cause right now, it ranks third in popularity in this country, a distant third behind football and baseball.

Thoughts from Indianapolis.

Wow! What a weekend I just had! I traveled up to Indianapolis, Indiana, to watch the Indianapolis Colts beat the Tennessee Titans like tied-up goats. Sure, it was the Titans' reserves playing the Colts' reserves, but still... the Colts drummed them. What made it better for me was the fact that I was sitting amongst 63,000 fans who shared the same opinion of Vince Young that I do. I would be embarrassed to post some of the things that were shouted when Young trotted out onto the field halfway thru the first quarter. I was chuckling to myself amidst all the expletive-laced tirades thinking, I'm home. I'm where I belong, with people who I understand and who understand me. Another thing that baffled me was the crowd participation throughout the game. When the Colts had possession, the entire stadium was eerily quiet. Being newbies to Lucas Oil Stadium, my party and I asked some locals if it was always that quiet. They responded with "Oh yeah. No one ever talks when Peyton has the ball." And they didn't. It was remarkable watching all those fans sit in quiet reverence while Peyton Manning orchestrated his symphony. I loved it. But once the Titans gained possession, the building started shaking. The noise inside those glass walls was deafening. Whereas five minutes prior you felt like you had to whisper to the person beside you to keep from being rude, you then had to yell at the person beside you just to be heard. And speaking of Lucas Oil Stadium... unbelievable. I know that this is the first year the Colts have played in this new state-of-the-art facility, but it makes the 9-year-old LP Field (home of the Titans, in case you weren't sure) look like a high school stadium. No joke. And that's not me being a fan. That's me being honest. Unbelievable. Back to the game: It was a record-setting day for the horseshoe-clad...

--Wide Receiver Marvin Harrison caught seven passes to move to second all-time in NFL history in receptions behind only the incomparable Jerry Rice.

--Tight End Dallas Clark became the most productive tight end in Colts history after his six-catch performance.

--The Colts defense set another NFL record by allowing the fewest TD passes (6) in one season. The previous record was nine.

--And the Colts recorded their first shutout since 1997. Even better!

I know this is the point where I put my "asshole" hat on, but I must ask: How damaging do you think it was to Vince Young's fragile psyche to play so poorly against the Colts' third-stringers and practice squad players? At one point, I counted five players on the field for Indianapolis who were never even drafted (in any round). And yet Young only put up 55 yards passing, 25 yards rushing, and zero points. But on the bright side, he didn't throw any interceptions! That's an improvement! I just hope Young's mother wasn't there. She would have some nasty things to say on her son's behalf after the way those "rude" and "mean" Colts' fans treated her baby boy. The trip was tons of fun, though. Indianapolis is a great city. Reminds me a lot of Nashville, actually. We drove home right after the game, and I spent half of the 5-hour drive trying to find the local ESPN Radio station. I must admit: I enjoyed most of the results from the last week of the NFL regular season. I loved it when the Miami Dolphins, led by Chad Pennington (who was released by the New York Jets to make room for some guy named Favre), beat the Jets in New York in a game to decide which of the two teams would go to the playoffs. Take that, New York. I also was very happy to hear that Tarvaris Jackson (read more about him below) led the Minnesota Vikings to a close victory against the defending Super Bowl champs New York Giants (once again, in New York) to secure a division title for the Vikings and a trip to the postseason. Jackson's story just gets better and better. And then my favorite story of the day! The Philadelphia Eagles welcomed the Dallas Cowboys into Philly only to absolutely destroy them 44-6. I loved it! That loss for the Cowboys means they will miss out on this year's playoffs. This is what we call karma. Pacman Jones and all of his trouble? Out of the playoffs. Terrell Owens and his drama? Out of the playoffs. Tony Romo and his attitude of I'm-cooler-than-you-because-I'm-seen-more-often-in-the-pages-of-Us-Weekly-than-Sports-Illustrated? Out of the playoffs. And one statement of fact about Romo: in the month of December and beyond (meaning the end of the regular season and playoffs), Tony Romo has only won five of 15 games since becoming the Cowboys' starter. What does that mean? That means he can't hack it when it matters most. Stick that in the pages of Us Weekly. Way to go Eagles. Go Colts. Go NFL. I love playoff football. Let's do this.

Meet a man who is "doubt repellant."

I would like to introduce a professional football player to all of you. He's a starting quarterback in the NFL, but has endured a rough-and-tumble road to get to where he is. His name is Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson is a 25-year-old quarterback out of Mongtomery, Alabama, and is currently the starter for the Minnesota Vikings. Jackson was drafted by the Vikings with the last pick of the 2nd round in the 2006 NFL Draft. Jackson played his college ball at Alabama State. You may be thinking, Where the hell is that? Exactly. He originally signed to play at the University of Arkansas, but he soon found out that he would never have much of a chance to get any playing time. So he transferred to Alabama State, a Div. I-AA school. He was a superstar at Alabama State, so much so that the Vikings were willing to take him in the 2nd round of the draft when most teams had Jackson ranked as a 6th or 7th-round talent. Jackson was used sparingly in his rookie season, but was given the chance to start for the Vikings in 2007. He played well, but not spectacular. And I won't rip him for that. The last time he was a starter was for Alabama State, a school that doesn't exactly line up premier competition. The criticism was undoubtedly harsh, with fans and radio hosts and "experts" saying Jackson wasn't qualified to be a starter in the NFL. Enter the year 2008. Jackson outplays 14-year veteran Gus Frerotte and rookie John David Booty in training camp to once again enter the season as the Vikings starter. The Vikings entered the season as a favorite to win the NFC's North division. However, the season didn't start so well for the team in purple. Two games, two losses. And Jackson didn't play well. He completed just 50% of his passes with one touchdown and one interception in those two games. Not surprisingly, Jackson was pulled in favor of the veteran Frerotte. Chalk that up as a victory in the fans' minds. Frerotte played well, leading the Vikings to seven wins in their next 10 games. Week 14 rolls around and the Frerotte-led Vikings play the winless, hopeless Detroit Lions. Frerotte plays horribly in the first half, throwing two interceptions, and in the process injures his lower back. And who is waiting in the wings? Tarvaris Jackson. All that time, 11 weeks after being pulled, when most people would have given up hope, Jackson was standing there ready. According to players and coaches on the Vikings team, Jackson still prepared more than any other player during his time on the bench. His coach called him a "piece of clay," always searching for talented hands to mold him. So what did Jackson do in his return performance? He completed eight out of 10 passes for 105 yards, one touchdown toss and zero interceptions. And he led the Vikings to a 20-16 comeback win. The following week, against the playoff-bound Arizona Cardinals, Jackson led the Vikings to a very impressive 35-14 thumping over their NFC foes. And how did Jackson fare? 11-of-17, 163 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs. You've just gotta love this guy. This is a guy who was told he wasn't good enough to play at the University of Arkansas, and was eventually good enough to be a second-round draft pick out of Alabama State. Oh, and here's a fun side note: Arkansas hasn't had a quarterback drafted (in any round) in over 10 years. Take that, Razorbacks. Jackson's road from college obscurity to NFL starter has been challenging, to put it lightly. Terms like defiant, trial-filled, or confrontational are probably more appropriate. And when all seemed lost, when Jackson was pulled to much delight from the fans, he just kept working. This is a guy to root for. With all the troublesome pro athletes making more headlines in the "Jail Intake" section of the newspaper rather than "Sports," Tarvaris Jackson is a guy kids should be encouraged to watch. A guy who plays the game with a smile on his face. A guy who plays the game with kid-like enthusiasm. A guy who wants to learn, who wants to be better. A guy who is doubt repellant. Meet Mr. Tarvaris Jackson. And for those of you who don't like him? Tell him. Then I'll bet on him to make the Pro Bowl next year.

I am research.

Does the name James Douglas ring any bells with anyone? No? Well, let's try this one: James "Buster" Douglas. Now that one should shake a little dust off some memories. James "Buster" Douglas is the heavyweight boxer who handed Mike Tyson his first loss in Tokyo in 1991. Douglas was a 42-to-1 underdog. He was a career nobody, a journeyman fighter to put it nicely, but he put it all together that night in Tokyo to knock out the great Tyson in the 10th round. Douglas was never as good before that night as he was when he entered the ring with Tyson, and he lost his first match as champion when he got knocked out by Evander Holyfield. So he was never great before that night, and never was great afterward. But he will always be remembered for that one night of magic. This reminds me a lot of Vince Young. You see, in college, Young was a good quarterback, not a great one. He was mediocre as a sophomore and a little better as a junior. But at the end of his junior season, Young and the Texas Longhorns squared off against the mighty USC Trojans for the national title. This is the part everyone knows. This was one of those nights for Young where all the round pegs fell in the round holes and all the square pegs fell in their respective square holes. Young went berserk. 467 yards of total offense. (267 yards passing, 200 rushing) Amazing, I know. "Unbelievable" was a common word used to describe his performance. I said it several times. Then Young did what he should have... he left before his senior season to go the NFL Draft. Smart move, cause how was he supposed to top that?? And as I've said before, he was drafted by the Titans with the expectation of playing the "USC game" every Sunday. And that just can't happen. Cause you see, in the pro ranks, you can't just run every play. Every defender in the NFL is too fast for that. And too smart for that, believe it or not. You have to use your arm and the muscle in between your ears. And here's a fun stat: in his magical game against USC, Young scored 3 TDs, and all of them with his legs. So, basically, he was a great running back against USC. Run-first quarterbacks don't thrive in the NFL. That's just a fact. Michael Vick had a lot more talent than Vince Young. He had better mobility and a better arm (and apparently better torture skills, but that's beyond the point). Do you know how many playoff games the ultra-talented Michael Vick won?? One. That's it. Do you know how many run-first QBs have led their teams to Super Bowl victories?? None. The Titans lost their second game of the season yesterday. The game was sealed when the Titans, down only one point, decided against a long field goal and opted to go for it on 4th down with two minutes to go. Current Titans QB Kerry Collins lobbed a pass over the head of WR Brandon Jones to turn the ball over on downs. The Houston Texans were then able to run out the clock for the victory. After the game, there were numerous Titans fans calling for Collins to be replaced by Vince Young. Are you kidding me?? And the fans' logic was this: "Young could have made that throw." (Oh man, I just threw up a little bit. I apologize for that.) You have got to be joking. I once again refer readers to the post on this site from 10 September. This is getting ridiculous. If anything, fans should be calling for Coach Fisher's head. He has a kicker with a huge leg and one of the best defenses in the entire NFL. Why wouldn't Fisher let his kicker give it a shot and then trust his D to make a stop?? Now there's a question worth asking. But I'm digressing. Vince Young is not the solution. There is a reason the Titans are in the middle of December and just lost their second game: Kerry Collins is their starting QB. He has, for the most part, been mistake-free this season for the Titans, which is exactly what that team needs. The Titans have one of the top running games in the NFL, and a quarterback just good enough to keep defenses honest. If Vince Young were playing, teams would just have to worry about defending the run. They could stack 10 defenders within three yards of the line of scrimmage and the entire team would suffer. I can't believe I'm the only one who sees this. I guess I'm just in the minority because I can see outside the box. "Buster" Douglas was never as good as he was before 11 February, 1990, and he was never as good afterward. Vince Young was never as good as he was prior to the night of 4 January, 2006, and it doesn't look like he will ever be as good again.

Beware the fall of the Titans.

I'm worried about the Titans. Seriously, people. The signs are right in front of our faces. Arguably, the two worst franchises in the NFL are the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions. There are a few things that have to happen to your franchise before it falls apart and all the accomplishments from seasons past go down the drain. Here are three steps that signal a franchise is falling apart. All three of these steps have already been completed by the Lions and Bengals. Looks like the Titans are on their way next. Ready for this?

Step #1: Draft poorly. In the 2005 NFL Draft, the Titans held the 6th overall pick, needing a top cornerback to solidify their defense. To EVERYONE's surprise, the Titans selected West Virginia product Adam "Pacman" Jones, a diminutive player with a knack for returning punts and beating up women. Still waiting to be drafted was Antrel Rolle, a superb talent out of the "U" (that's Miami, FL, for the sports-illiterate). Rolle was selected 8th overall by the Arizona Cardinals, and has developed into one of the top cornerbacks in the League. Selected 9th overall was Carlos Rogers, another top cornerback prospect out of Auburn, who is now a star defensive player for the Washington Redskins. Then in the 2006 Draft, the Titans went in needing a QB. This has to be my favorite Titans' pick of all time. With the USC-groomed Matt Leinart sitting nearby and local hero Jay Cutler waiting patiently, the Titans went beyond all logic to take over-hyped Texas star Vince Young (Refer to my post from Sept.10 to see just how well that has gone). Leinart was selected 10th overall by the Cardinals and Cutler was selected 11th by the Denver Broncos. And one more question here: What the hell ever happened to the Titans 2007 first-round pick, Chris Henry? Oh yeah! He was such a bust that the Titans drafted another running back in the first round of the 2008 Draft. Also from the 2008 Draft, the Titans drafted LB Stanley Keglar out of Purdue, even though Keglar had three (3!) pending misdemeanors hanging around his neck (for disorderly conduct, rioting, and interfering with officials), which brings us to Step #2...

Step #2: Have a reasonable percentage of your roster get arrested. Adam "Pacman" Jones is the new NFL poster-child for players who have absolutely zero idea how to handle their own celebrity status. Defensive Tackle Albert Haynesworth was suspended 5 games in 2006 for stomping on the head of a helmet-less Dallas Cowboys player. Defensive End Jevon Kearse got a DUI in June. Wide Receiver Brandon Jones was arrested in June for unlawful possession of a firearm. And while this year Vince Young didn't get arrested, he did find himself in the middle of a controversy when he went on a hiatus many observers feared would end in suicide. Even assistant coach Chuck Cecil got into the fray this past March, pleading guilty to reckless driving.

Step #3: Have your coach lose control of the team. In the 2006 Draft, Coach Jeff Fisher (USC graduate) and Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow (USC graduate) got muscled around and were forced to deal with the selection of Texas Longhorn Vince Young, not USC's prototype Matt Leinart. The entire "Pacman Jones Saga" showed exactly how much control Fisher had over this team. Not only did he allow Jones to continue playing before the NFL commissioner stepped in and suspended him from the League, he was going to allow him back on the Titans' roster before a trade offer from the Cowboys came calling. Last week, the Titans suffered their first loss of the season. And I'm not going to knock Fisher for losing a game. I am, however, going to knock him for losing control of his locker room. After the 34-13 thumping by the New York Jets, running back LenDale White whined to reporters about his lack of involvement in the game. He went so far as to say he stopped paying attention to the game. He "didn't care." Then yesterday, when the Titans drummed the hapless Lions 47-10, White was a key figure in the Titans' offense. My sister said it best yesterday: the squeaky wheel gets oiled first. I hope I'm not the only one who sees the major problem with this. This sends a wonderful message (albeit wrong, in case you didn't pick up on my sarcasm) to the rest of the Titans players and kids who aspire to one day play pro football: complain like a child and you'll get exactly what you want! Congrats, Fisher, on that wonderful coaching decision.

So there we have it. There's the list. The list above has severely plagued the Lions and Bengals organizations over the past few years. And for a point of reference, the Bengals' problems really got started in 2005, when they finished with a record of 11-5, their best in more than a decade. The Titans are currently enjoying their best season in franchise history. Since the Bengals' 11-5 record in '05, their record has fallen to 8-8 in 2006, and 7-9 in 2007. And so far this year, the Bengals are dismal 1-9-1. And, by the way, the Lions are 0-12. Are the Titans headed in this direction??

College vs. Pro

This isn't even really a competition. I'll go ahead and end the suspense... College wins, hands down. For example, last weekend, the #5-ranked Texas Longhorns took on the #1 Oklahoma Sooners. First of all, WOW! What a game! Texas overtook Oklahoma (and the #1 ranking) with a thrilling 45-35 win. That game alone showed exactly why college sports are superior to their pro counterpart. Here's why... the game was played at a neutral site, which doesn't happen in the NFL aside from some game called the "Super Bowl." The neutral site idea works in big rivalries like Texas-Oklahoma because it splits ticket sales 50/50 among the schools. That makes for some great cheering sections. And speaking of Texas-Oklahoma as big rivals, their game every year is known as the "Red River Rivalry." How awesome is that?! The great Georgia-Florida game every year is also played at a neutral site and is known as "The World's Biggest Cocktail Party." The NFL has rivalries, but nothing like those in the college ranks. Does Kansas City-Oakland really compare to Ohio State-Michigan?? I hardly think so. Going back to Texas-Oklahoma this past weekend, this game had it all. It had three second-half lead changes and many big plays. And when something big happened, as is customary with college games, the fans chimed in with fight songs and chants. That's another thing that the NFL lacks. Let's be honest... it's definitely more fun to sing "Rocky Top" (granted, the Tennessee Vols have to score for that to happen) than "We Will Rock You" after a touchdown. All in all, the NFL lacks a single word: passion. I guess it makes sense. Have you seen the way college athletes fight for one another on the field, court, or ice? I suppose athletes that make it to the next level just expend so much energy and passion in college that they don't have any left for the professional ranks. That's just a guess. I may be right, though. I enjoy watching football and other sports just like anybody else. I would just rather watch the college versions, where passion and tradition reside.

Are you "influential?" I'm not... yet.

Every year, Business Week magazine releases the Power 100, its list of the 100 most influential people in the world of sports. A group of six columnists get together and pound out a list that I'm sure they expect people to pick apart. Well, I'm not here to blast them, but I do have a few questions. But before we go any further, here's the top 10 from the Power 100...

1. Tiger Woods, PGA player
2. Roger Goodell, Commissioner, NFL
3. David Stern, Commissioner, NBA
4. George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN
5. Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports
6. Phil Knight, Chairman, Nike
7. Bud Selig, Commissioner, MLB
8. Brian France, Chairman and CEO, NASCAR
9. Michael Jordan, former NBA player
10. Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports

I posted the top 10 so you could get an idea of how the list looks. Some other notables... Lance Armstrong is 15, LeBron James is 17, Kobe Bryant is 28 and Peyton Manning is 29. If it were up to me, Bodenheimer would be at the top of the list every year, cause Bodenheimer controls ESPN, and ESPN basically controls the world of sports. If there is a story that Bodenheimer does not want to be broadcast over ESPN's family of networks, the majority of the sporting world would never hear about it. That's power. As for the rest of the list... why is IndyCar driver Danica Patrick considered the most influential woman in the world of sports? And why is the first woman on the list at No. 50?? I think Katie Bayne, the Chief Marketing Officer at Coca-Cola should be higher on the list than Patrick and a lot higher than her current ranking of 74. If the chairman of Nike is in the top 10, why shouldn't Bayne, at the very least, be in the top 25? I also don't see why there are zero coaches on the list. Maybe it's because it would be too hard to pick the one coach who exhibits the most influence over his (or her) respective sport. I understand that the great Wayne Gretzky is on the list and he is the coach of the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, but let's be honest... he's not on the list for his coaching savvy. Looking at the broader picture of sports and how off-the-field incidents have as much impact as on-field play, why is Chris Mortensen not on the list anywhere? Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN, and he breaks more stories every year than a beat writer for the NYPD. I think over the years he has definitely earned a spot on a list of influential people in sports. Now don't worry, I've just got one more... David Beckham. Once again, let's be honest with one another... how many people cared-- no, scratch that-- how many people EVEN KNEW there was a professional soccer league in the US prior to Beckham's arrival? I'll answer that for you: not many. Now I understand that mainstream popularity of MLS, on a scale of 10, has gone up since Beckham's arrival from a 2.6 to about a 3.4, but that still means something. 10 or 15 years from now, if some of our country's great young athletes are playing soccer instead of basketball or football (the American version), then we'll see truly how profound an impact Beckham had on the sport of soccer in the US. So now I wonder, what can I do to one day make it onto this list? Maybe that's a new goal for me. Till then, please keep reading and recommending this page. Thanks.

Ask them whom they admire.

Since this is a sports-based blog, the title listed above could have varying meanings. But this statement is actually geared toward kids. You see, I have a “Life’s Little Instruction” daily tear-off calendar in my room that I make a point to read every morning. It contains little haikus and/or motivational sayings that are designed to help you through your day. Every once in a while, one of the messages strikes a chord in me and I’ll keep it. I’ll tape it to my bathroom mirror or put it in a drawer so I’ll come across it again one day, instead of just wadding it up into a ball and throwing it so my cat can play with it. On 7 June this year, the message read, “Instead of asking young people what they someday want to do, ask them whom they admire.” For some reason, I kept it. I’m still not sure why. Maybe it’s because I’m not really sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. Maybe I was designed to read it that morning in June for the sole purpose of keeping it as a subject for this blog. Who knows? But it got me thinking (which is sometimes more frightening than productive)... Who are some people in the sporting world that I could suggest for kids and teenagers to look up to and aspire to emulate? And off we go…

I’ll start with a guy whom I support every day without even talking about him… Lance Armstrong. I wear a LIVESTRONG bracelet every day and will continue to do so. His life story is so incredible and inspirational that I think it will be many, many years from now before we sit back and realize just how much he accomplished and endured. And he’s still going strong! Less than two weeks ago, he announced he will ride in the 2009 Tour de France. His last Tour de France was in 2005 and was the closing bookend of seven consecutive titles. SEVEN! And remember, this is a guy who in the mid-nineties was immobile in a hospital bed with testicular, lung and brain cancer, the latter of which left him with a 20% chance of survival. But he fought through it… and started pedaling. He is everything that is right about sports, and a man whom all people (not just kids) should admire.

Next in line is Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. This is a man who has touched the absolute extremes of human emotions, and has never wavered in his determination to put Christ first in everything he does. While accepting the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning the Super Bowl with the Colts in 2007, Dungy deferred praise from himself to his Lord and Savior and the effort of his team. One of the emotions Dungy admitted he felt strongest after winning the Super Bowl was grief, because his good friend and former assistant, Lovie Smith, was the head coach of the Chicago Bears, whom the Colts defeated. Dungy is first-class in every way. On cut day in training camp, Dungy individually talks to each player about why they’ve been cut and what they can do to improve, instead of just taping a red card in their lockers. And in the days immediately following his eldest son’s suicide, when most people would be cursing and searching for answers, Dungy simply said he didn’t know why his son took his own life and that he was jealous because he knew his son was now sitting at the right hand of God. Does anything else need to be said?

Even though football is well-known as a “big man’s game,” it’s a “little guy” who finds his way onto my list. Warrick Dunn is a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s not hard to see why he’s called a little man when you look at his measurables: 5’9” and only 187 pounds… diminutive by NFL standards. Yet Dunn has averaged 925 yards rushing over his first 11 seasons in the NFL. A lot of questions followed Dunn out of college at Florida State about his size. And he has answered them all with some big games for both the Atlanta Falcons and the Buccaneers. But the fact that he is a little man thriving in a big man’s world is only part of the reason why Dunn is on this list. Dunn grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and his single mother worked several jobs to provide for young Warrick and his siblings. Dunn grew up witnessing first-hand the sacrifices made by his mother as he tried to develop as a young man and a football player. Since becoming a professional in the NFL, Dunn has started the Warrick Dunn Foundation, which builds homes for single-parent families. The mission statement for the Foundation is, “Dedicated to providing opportunities for economically-disadvantaged single parents and children who have demonstrated a commitment to achieve financial independence and stability.” Warrick Dunn knows that it’s not just what you do on the field that defines you as a true professional. What you do off the field is just as important. He is a walking definition of “knowing what it means to give back” as well as “remember where you come from.”

These three are just a few of many who could have been listed. The “honorable mention” list could include names such as Ed Hochuli, Philip Shadowens, Jim Tressel, Teddy Atlas, Michael Phelps, and many others. And these are just guys from the sporting world! There are so many positive influences in and around children’s lives. They just may not know where to look. With guys like Michael Vick, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds snatching media attention in negative ways these days, kids are longing for someone to look up to. So instead of asking youngsters what they someday want to do, ask them whom they admire. And if they come up blank, maybe now you can give some suggestions.

Excuse me, Sissy-- I mean-- Coach.

Has anyone heard the latest news out of Lexington, Kentucky? Rich Brooks, head coach of the Kentucky Wildcat football team, accused MTSU head coach Rick Stockstill and his staff of "stealing signals" last Saturday in Kentcuky's heart-stopping 20-14 win over the Blue Raiders. Are you kidding me?? Didn't he win?? What happened to "class" and "dignity" in sports? This sounds like elementary school antics. Accusing Stockstill of cheating must be a way for Brooks to get detractors off his back for nearly losing to such an inferior program like Middle Tennessee. Give me a break. I see two big problems with all of this, at least from my viewpoint. No. 1... If Stockstill and company really did cheat this past Saturday, this would have been made a big deal as early as Sunday morning. But it wasn't. Brooks didn't mention it until TUESDAY. Hmm... Like I said, this sounds like a guy who is trying desperately to please university boosters who expected the mighty (ha) Wildcats to embarrass the lowly MTSU team. No. 2... if Stockstill really did cheat, why did he not win?! If Stockstill stole signals and still lost, he really needs to practice his cheating skills. Cause he's not any good at it. He should practice his cheating this Saturday against Arkansas State so when the Blue Raiders face Florida Atlantic in an ESPN2 televised game on Sept. 30, he can cheat effectively. Why couldn't Coach Brooks just congratulate the hard effort put forth by the Blue Raiders? There would have been absolutely nothing wrong with stepping up after the game and saying, "MTSU came into this game inspired and motivated and our team had to fight to come away with a win. A win like this in a tough, close, hard-fought game is something that can make our team grow stronger." Then media and fans alike would compliment him for his decency and his respect for the Blue Raiders' hard effort and persistence. But no, Brooks instead decided to act like a child and throw out a disclaimer. And remember, HE WON ANYWAY. I just don't understand it. Think about this, too... Rich Brooks is known as a "coach." The word "coach" derives from a Latin word that loosely translates into "teacher." So therefore the words "coach" and "teacher" should be synonymous. So if Rich Brooks is considered a coach and a teacher, then (forgive me) what in the hell is he teaching the players on his team and kids who aspire to be coaches one day? What kind of message is he sending? There are coaches in the sporting world who exemplify class. Tony Dungy has class. Doc Rivers has class. Mike Krzyzewski has class. Jim Valvano, Teddy Atlas... the list goes on and on. Rich Brooks, however, is not in the league of those coaches. And since coaches like to take notes from another, I have an idea! Rich Brooks should get out his notebook and pencil, sit Indian style like the rest of the elementary school kids, and learn a lesson from one of the coaches listed above. Otherwise, if I were a parent of a promising high school athlete, I would have a hard time sending my child off to Lexington to LEARN from a coach such as Rich Brooks.

Why "VY" is anything but "inVINCEable"

How bad of a weekend did Vince Young have? After trying everything in his power to lose a close game to the Jaguars on Sunday, where he threw two foolish interceptions and had to be coaxed back out onto the field in the 4th quarter by head coach Jeff Fisher, he suffered a knee injury allowing Kerry Collins to come in and seal a win for the Titans. After throwing his second interception of the game (the first play following a Titans INT), the crowd booed Young to the point where he sat on the bench with his head in his hands, refusing to go back out onto the field. There he sat, the supposed "leader" of the team, the guy wearing a big "C" on his chest signifying his captaincy and importance to the team, sulking on the sideline, needing the support of his teammates and coaches to get off the bench and back into the game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the "Captain" supposed to be the guy rallying his team, leading them to victory?? There are problems in Music City. Then on Monday night, the 8th of September, he leaves his home without telling his friends and family where he is going, leading them to believe he may hurt himself in some way. His friends called Fisher, who tried to reach Young unsuccessfully. Shortly thereafter, Fisher contacted Metro Police and crisis negotiators to find Young and calm him down. He was found around midnight, where Fisher and psychologists spoke with Young before sending him home. Once again, correct me if I'm wrong, but if I leave my house unannounced, I don't think my sister is going to panic to the point that she calls the police thinking I should be placed on "suicide watch." Everybody see where I'm going here? This isn't a one-time thing. Sounds to me like this is something they've encountered before. Yikes. $30 million for a guy who has his mother publicly denounce Titans fans for their criticism of her son. Hmm... sounds like someone can't handle the rigors of the quarterback position in the NFL (Remind you of anyone?). And just how bad is it? I'm the first to admit that Vince Young's performance in the Rose Bowl game against USC is one of the greatest physical performances I have ever seen. But he was drafted 3rd overall in 2005 on that game alone, with everyone in the Titans organization expecting him to play the "USC game" over and over and over, every Sunday. We let things slide because we all carry the memory of Young torching the once impregnable USC defense on the biggest stage of collegiate sports. His performance and progression in the NFL so far, though, has been downright disappointing. I'm not the first guy to say this, but when are we going to start using the word "bust" with the name "Vince Young?" Here's a stat for you... Ryan Leaf, the quintessential "bust," the guy all "busts" are compared to, played only three seasons in the NFL before washing out. In his three seasons, he threw a total of 36 interceptions. Ouch. Through two full seasons plus the first game of his third season, anyone want to take a guess at how many INTs Vince Young has thrown? 32. So Ryan Leaf, the guy whose picture is in the dictionary beside the word "bust," threw 36 picks in three seasons. Young is one game into his third season, and he has already thrown 32. Those are just facts. Are we lenient with Young because the Titans didn't use as high a draft pick on him as the Chargers did with Ryan Leaf way back in 1998? (Leaf was drafter #2 overall, Young #3) These are just some things to consider. And while we're talking about the 2005 NFL Entry Draft, do you think anyone besides fans are regretting the Titans not drafting Jay Cutler? In college, Cutler played for a far worse team (Vanderbilt) than Young's Texas Longhorns, in a far tougher conference (SEC) than the Big 12 in which Young played. Yet Cutler was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year and just happened to beat Tennessee (IN KNOXVILLE) in the process. And did you know that Vanderbilt University just happens to be in the same city as the Tennessee Titans?? Interesting. And let's compare the evenings of Young and Cutler on Monday, 8 September. While Young was on "suicide watch" and being chased all over Davidson County by Metro Police and psychologists, Cutler was torching a very talented Oakland Raider defense for 300 yards passing, 2 touchdowns, and ZERO INTERCEPTIONS!!! Once again, I'm just throwing all this out there for people to ponder. Maybe once Young gets back from his knee injury, he'll prove me to be all wrong about him and he'll become the quarterback he was expected to be when he was drafted so high in 2005. But I'm not going to hold my breath.