Hate to see it go...

Today, ESPN 106.7 the FAN ceased to exist. You may think that I get some joy or satisfaction out of seeing the folks who brought me to Nashville flame out, but nothing is further from the truth. The fact is, that place represented a lot of passion for many of us. A sales team that fought the good fight. Jonathan Shaffer and Charlie Saunier who made sure we sounded bigger that we were. Leslie Pardue and a promotions team working with both hands tied behind there back. To me, the whole deal is really sad, since I believed we had something building there. And now it's just another old logo. As for the heart and soul of the deal, Shaffer's doin' fine, fills in for me sometimes and has a new show coming out on Friday Nights this fall. Charlie is still Crazy and doing a great job running the new Thom Abraham Show. Pardue is building our network. And me...I'm still drivin' this cab....oh wait, that's another song!

Why we play the Games

It's all about the smile. OK, focus on the smile in the MIDDLE. This is what sport, in it's truest sense is all about. That's my 2nd oldest son, Tommy, beaming with mom and dad. The trophy is from the season finale tournament of his U11 travel team, the Diamond Rattlers, won over the weekend. The ball is a game ball off a 6 for 7, 9 RBI day, and the actual ball he sent over the right field fence to brake open an 8-6 game in the final inning. After he had his moment to brag, I guided him to the comments of Tim Tebow and winning with humility, as stated in the Bible. Not sure how that will work out, but for one moment, all the travel, all the practices, all the expense and all the weekends burned at the ballpark were set aside. For that smile. That's why we love sports. That's why we compete. Hopefully he hasn't peaked!

Better in Black and White

What a cruel game. I would not blame Tom Watson one bit if he never picked up a club again. Of course, Watson is a better man than me so I fully expect to see him competing on the Senior British next week, but really....
Watson was on the verge of doing something truly remarkable in sport. The fact is, what he did IS truly remarkable, but our society will only honor the win, not the 'almost'. As for the cruel part, 168 yards, center cut of the fairway, downwind, 1 shot lead, 8 iron in hand. Watson didn't fan it, didn't hook it, didn't chunk it or hit it in the forehead...he flushed it. Right over the flag. Shoulda took a 9 iron, but what 59 year old is thinking 9 from 168? The next hour was just painful. For him, and for anyone watching it. Maybe even Stewart Cink. As for Cink, I've been calling this for a few years now. What will be lost is the heroic 72nd hole birdie Cink makes to put the -2 on the board. The way he stroked it in the playoff indicates that Cink may now win a few of these majors. Confidence in the clutch has always plagued the lanky Alabamian, but now that issue has been pushed aside. I just wish he could have pushed it aside next month...

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...