I am sad.

The Titans are bad.

I thought they’d beat the Jags…

That would have made me glad.

But it wasn’t to be.

As you can see,

This Titans team…

They played terribly.

Titans tried to look past the season.

Thought last year was enough reason

To head through…

Straight to the post-season.

But the other teams don’t think the same.

They say you got to play each game.

And if these Titans won’t…

Then it’s a low-down dirty shame.

This loss, this one stung.

The Fat Lady, she done sung.

What the Hell…

Maybe we should play Vince Young.

Truth: I don’t think it matters.

This season’s already in tatters.

Memories of last year…

They already done went KA-SPLATTERS!

Jeff Fisher looks like an old man,

No rhyme, no reason, no plan,

After 15 good years… 

I think it’s time he gets the can.

I’m ready for a new one.

Bring the energy, bring the fun.

*le sigh*

This season’s just begun.

So tell me, who else should we see?

Don’t wanna flush the whole season, naturally…

So what other teams…

Should I put on my TV?

We couldn't keep Chris Simms because he'd never get on the field.  But KC is terrible in the Second Half, and VY is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, topped with an interception and a tender hammy.

We also couldn't keep Chris Carr because he'd never make on the field with this secondary.  Except that suddenly Nick Harper looks like the oldest man in the NFL, and with V. Fuller's injury, we now have a rookie at Nickel.  So, bottom line, if Carr were still on the roster, at this point he'd be the #2 CB. 

This is so frustrating because this Defense looks like it's finally getting it's stuff together, but we can't even field punts--much less return them--and our QB can't complete a pass in the second half of games.  And this is with Kenny Britt, who's playing WELL and Justin Gage and, of all people, Alge Crumple, playing at least as well as last year!  I'm tempted to say that the book is finally out on Collins, but then again, it's been out for a decade.  The guy just can't seem to close out games.

The Titans are now worse than the Lions.  Welcome to our "Unfinished Business" season.

Argh.

Does anybody know how I can find out which markets are showing this weekend's preseason game on TV? 

I know there's a link for regular season games, but preseason is different, and I've no idea what the local stations (in Connecticut) are showing.  Anyone?

And now, for the rest of my 75 words, here is an unrelated haiku that I wrote myself:

Modern Internet

A million voices screaming

alone in a phone booth.

I don't know if you listen to ESPN Radio's Football Today podcast, but they are apparently looking for a new Titans' superfan.  I nominate you!  Now granted, host Jeremy Greene (Dennis Greene's son) seems to HATE the Titans, but still... they need a representative from TN.  Personally, I don't have time--and I doubt Jimmy does either--but I have no problem at all volunteering our resident stat geek for double-duty, especially when help is so desperately needed.

Come on!  I know they're not keeping you that busy at Harvard!  Get your head out of the keg and do your duty for Titans' fans everywhere!

...sucks!

Thank you, Alge Crumpler.

*sigh*  That is all.  You may all go back to your regularly scheduled sulking.

Crap.  I need 75 words.  Well...

1.  Am I the only one who's seen on the news that Jessica Simpson is now fat?

2.  Did you need another reason to hate Tony Romy?

3.  Is that one good enough?

4.  Did I mention that I'm still pissed off at ol' Alge?  If we get rid of Scaife and keep Crumpler, I'm gonna move to Mongolia.

... in reference to this morning's article, titled "Titans shouldn't turn to Young unless necessary."

Mr. Climer:

I don't understand why you think Collins is playing better than VY would have in the same spots. I grant you that he was better in the first half of the season than Young was for most of last season, but the numbers since the second Jags game tell a completely different story:

Collins since the 2nd Jaguars game: 61 of 113 (54%) for 706 yards with 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles

Vince Young in weeks 12-15 last season: 69 of 109 (63%) for 806 yards with 4 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 2 fumbles

And that's with Norm Chow calling the plays and the mighty Chris Brown in the backfield. And against MUCH tougher competition. And more to the point, I think Collins is about 6-for-60 on third down conversions in the last month and a half against any team that is not the Detroit Lions. More than anything, that's what has killed the Offense.

Look, seriously, I would ask that you consider the following: VY was successful until teams got enough tape to study. Then they developed a way to defend against him, and he struggled. And then Kerry Collins was successful--right up until teams, even bad defensive teams like the Texans--got enough tape to study him. And now he's struggling. So the problem isn't the quarterback. In fact, they are nearly identical in effectiveness. The problem is that the Offense is predictable to a ridiculous degree. But that is exacerbated by the fact that the QBs are both highly mediocre, and the wide receivers either cannot or will not get separation.

I personally think that the Titans won't win another game this season, but the idea that they shouldn't make some changes to at least TRY is not sound in any way.

Thanks to Jimmy for what passes for stats in this note.

My $.02 is that Climer is a uselessly negative guy whose negativity unfortunately infects the entire Tennessean staff, and I'm happy that I finally got a chance to take a shot at him.  And while I applaud his willingness to not cheer mindlessly for the home team, his inability to back his assertions with anything that even closely resembles research not only takes away from his talking points, it makes a mockery of his entire staff.  In short, he is my least favorite sports writer; I think he's the Justin McCariens of Southern sports coverage. 

It's the first Saturday in December, and that means that today is the Army/Navy Game.  The Middies have won six straight, but this year i think Army's gonna do it.  We've won three games (3-8, vs. Navy who is 7-4), so who knows?  I believe.

'Course Army's problem is at least in part in recruiting, and judging by those ugly-ass camouflage uniforms, they're gonna keep struggling there.  Argh.  With over 200 years of tradition, there's never, ever a need to try to keep up with styles.  Still, that's my team.

Go Army!  Beat Navy!

Hey 9'ers fans,

We're having a discussion over at Music City Miracles about Titans' Offensive Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger's offensive roots, and I made the argument that Heimerdinger, through Jeff Fisher, is essentially a disciple of the Ditka/Ryan school of thought, as perfected in the 1985 Bears.

Now obviously Mike Singletary was also on the 1985 team and is also now an NFL head coach.  So in looking for trends in this particular school of thought, I'm wondering what your observations have been since Singeltary has taken over?  Specifically, how has he forced Mike Martz to change the Offense?  It's a critical piece of the argument because Martz is a known quantity.  Any changes are therefore more than likely a direct reflection on the base offensivphilosophy.

Just FYI, I may well turn this information into an article somewhere down the line.  If I do, I'll let you know when and if it gets published.

 Here's the link if you want to see the original discussion: http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2008/11/13/660320/the-heimerdinger-offense

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.