Why?

As the sordid details of Steve McNair's death emerge, the biggest question will be Why? Why did this have to go down like this? Why did McNair have the extra residence and relationship? Why did a fling end a life? And we will never really know, just like we never really know anything about those we praise on the field of play. We know McNair was tough as nails. We know he was a tremendous leader of men. We know he had skill beyond what we had seen in a running/throwing quarterback. And we know he did genuine work in his community, and for others. But we don't know about a man's personal life. Only those closest to him do. Now his wife, Mechelle, must deal with all the stories and innuendo. And his sons...who worshipped their dad the way a son does, must ask why? May God be with Mechelle and those young men...

Fishin' for Trouble

Jeff Fisher has opened himself up to some good natured ribbing coming up on Monday, June 15th, at the Renascence Hotel in Nashville for the annual Cumberland Heights Friends Roast. Dubbed the "Fish Fry", you can attend the event for $150 with all proceeds benefiting the Cumberland Heights Treatment Center. I am honored to be amongst the roasters including Chris Mortenson and Merill Hoge of ESPN, former Titans great Frank Wycheck, The Zone's Mark Howard and Channel 2's John Dwyer. A mystery roaster is also scheduled to appear, along with some video roastings.
The Sporting News recently listed Fisher as the 4th best coach in the NFL, behind only Belichick, Coughlin and Reid. Pretty heady stuff, but it does make you wonder about the state of coaching in the NFL. The newbies that took top jobs last year did a tremendous job; Harbaugh, Smith and Sparano, all taking their teams to the playoffs. And we may have a budding star in the desert with Ken Whisenhunt...but look at the Super Bowls sitting at home right now. Holmgren, Gruden, Shanahan and Cower! I believe all 4 of those guys are back in the league next year...and the list will have a different look. In the meantime, Jeff Fisher may have avoided being speared by a marlin in Guatemala last week, but he's sure to be skewered Monday night!

Dale and Danica, Door to Door?

This weekend means a lot to Americans. Memorial Day. Time to give respect to those who gave all so we can enjoy the greatest country on the planet...Also....time to Man the Grill! Emphasis there on MANing the grill. This is a guy's domain...we may not be able to boil water in the kitchen, but dammit, we can grill that meat to perfection! It's also a great race weekend. The Good Ole Boys are in Charlotte for the marathon that is the 600 and the IRL goes to Indy for that once great, once all important Indy 500. Oh come, on now...you know the 500 isn't what it used to be. And to be perfectly honest, blame the Euro influence. In this example, "Euro" stands for everyone from outside the borders of the US. No Unsers, no Rutherfords, no Mears...this race was great when the token Euro was Mario Andrietti and really, he was from Pennsylvania....like Franchetti is from Franklin, TN....Riiight! But I digress. The question again in Indy is will one time, half field winner Danica Patrick bolt for NASCAR. And were supposed to believe this would be a serious event to be something other than a side show. Back to Franklin's Franchetti. He WON the Indy 500. He was the IRL SERIES CHAMPION. How'd that NASCAR thing work out for him? Or any of the others that have come over in recent years? The most successful of the recent converts is Juan Pablo Montoya and he is really just a middle of the pack guy. And he was extremely successful without the fenders. Danica has done really....nothing. One win in 4 years, overseas, with a limited field. As I said, Side Show. Hype. Cute. Michelle Wie. Finally, don't go all Tony Stewart on me...he's one...and Danica is no Tony....

Passes the Sniff Test

So it was only a couple of days in shorts and jerseys. No pads, no vets, no D. But the early feeling is the Titans did something very good in snagging Kenny Britt and Jared Cook in the 2009 NFL draft. Britt is 6'4" separates and runs a quality route. Cook is a freak. 6'5", as fast as Britt, 246 lbs. and catches everything in the 615, and a couple in the 931. Add in speedster Nate Washington, vets Justin Gage and Bo Scaife and super-soph Chris Johnson and it may be time to check the scoreboard lights. The reason all this talent could flourish? An offensive line as solid as any in the league and a veteran quarterback who understands the system. Yeah, this could be fun.
Now if they would just represent the city and state that has embraced them and stop living in the Oiler past...well, that's another post...

Thanks, Augusta National!

Let me take a moment to thank the Masters committee and Augusta National for giving us the charge back...for putting the birdie back in play among the azaleas and colored water. Now that didn't hurt, did it? 12 under was the winning score, and average of 69 per round...just right! Augusta has spent the last several years protecting par when, in fact, what makes the Masters the Masters is the extraordinary risk/reward factor. Phil Charging and faltering, Tiger charging and faltering, Kenny Perry, steady and then faltering, and the winner, Angel Cabrera, faltering then charging...well done! As for the Tiger/Phil show...Lefty may have gagged a couple of putts that could have put him in the playoff, but I gained a lot of respect for him Sunday. 67 is 67 and he did it in eye of the Tiger...Tiger's 68 was also impressive, but bogeys at 17 and 18? very un-cat like!

I Like it, I Love it....

Look, I don't know how this season is going to end up, but for heart and grit, you've got to admire the 2009 version of the Nashville Predators....not the '08-'09 Preds, just the '09 part! Since the All-Star break this team has the 3rd best record in the Western Conference and continues to battle back, night after night, to win games they seem out of. At one point this season, the Preds were the lowest scoring team in the NHL...yet, in the last 21 games they've had 10 games of 4 or more goals! And every time you count them as dead...they rise from the ashes for another 2 points! Will they finish the deal and make the playoffs? They need help on the final weekend of the season to do it, but if they do, don't count out this being the year they move beyond the 1st round in the playoffs.

Simply the Best...Ever

Look, I'm not one to get caught up in hyperbole. I have defended Jack Nicklaus' Majors record for years. But this is bigger than Jack...bigger than golf. Tiger Wood is simply the best champion we've ever seen. By "We" I mean those of us on the earth since 1960. For those of you older than that, go ahead and chip in....but we'll put our guy up against all comers. Oh, sure, Bill Russell won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics in 13 years and Otto Graham won 7 championships with the Cleveland Browns in 10 seasons...but those guys had some help.
What Woods has done in this era of athletes who are financially set for life at a young age, is nothing short of amazing. 77 wins, 15 majors and just hitting his prime years? Win the US Open on a broken twig, have major reconstructive surgery, win 9 months later in your second stroke play event back? And for good measure, do it with the King stage right, in the gloom? Where was Bagger Vance? We've scene The Great One, Michael, Ali and can barely remember Jim Brown. Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon on the track...Jimmy, Johnny Mac and Pete on the courts, but this guy, Tiger, tops them all.