Message to CJ...shh

In the famous words of my uncle Joe"Never let the right hand know what the left hand is doing". Translation, someone needs to ban Chris Johnson from Twitter until he reaches a deal with the Titans. Every time CJ opens his mouth about his contract or defends his money demands, he makes it harder to accept a lesser deal with any dignity. Hey CJ...shh.

Lets be honest, fans don't personally care how much players make. If Johnson would not have told us that he was making a little over a million dollars this year we wouldn't have asked or cared. As long as you're playing good, we're good. Johnson publicly rejected a contract that makes him the highest paid running back in the league. Of course you look greedy! How about you say nothing. How about a simple no comment. That way if the Titans call your bluff (which they did) you can take a lesser deal and still keep your (misguided) dignity. Latest reports are that talks are finally progressing. Message to CJ, we can care less if you take a lesser deal. Just get it done and get on the field. In the mean time, shh.

Jesse Holly turns reality into dream

I was watching the Cowboys game last weekend and saw Jesse Holly catch a pass from Tony Romo. Jesse Holly? You mean the dude that won Michael Irvin's reality show is still with the Cowboys? That was a couple of years ago, I guess somebody forgot to tell Holly that dreams don't come true. Many people define luck as the place where preparation meets opportunity. If that's true then Jesse Holly is the luckiest man in the world.

Lets be real, the show Fourth and Long was not designed to find the Cowboys a receiver or corner back. That show was designed to get Michael Irvin some notoriety and money. The winner is a mere afterthought, as with every reality show. All one million of them. But not Jesse Holly, only a spot in training camp was guaranteed. Yeah, ok the first season I thought he made the practice squad to save face for the show. But now? This is the nfl we're talking about and Jerry Jones is serious about winning so Holly must be good. Think of the wide receivers that left Dallas since Holly came on board: Roy Williams, Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton, and Terrell Owens. Kevin Ogletree better step his game up. How can you not root for a guy like Holly? I saw him return a punt for a touchdown last year for goodness sake. This guy will not go away. Keep living that dream Jesse.

Cowboys defense catch a break

Last week the Dallas Cowboys defense looked like it was playing flag football, people just running around grabbing at Charger running backs and receivers. Last night the Cowboys gave up gaping holes to Adrian Peterson on the way to giving up 442 total yards. The Cowboys were in the Chargers game until the end and beat Minnesota. My point? Yes the defense is struggling and still learning but fear not, for the football gods have smiled upon you.

If the Cowboys make the playoffs this year, the schedule might get team mvp honors. The first four quarterbacks the Cowboys will face are Mark Sanchez, Alex Smith (ha!), Rex Grossman or John Beck (double ha!!) and Matthew Stafford (if he's not injured...again). With the exception of maybe Stafford, none of these guys are in a system that puts up yards and points. At best they may score 28 points or so, but that's on a great day.

That plays right into the hands of the Cowboys, whose strength is their offense. Tony Romo looks healthy and sharp. Dez Bryant looks every bit as explosive, but more polished this preseason. And Felix Jones has been running like a man possessed. I like the Cowboys chances in all four games if they turn into shootouts. A lucky bounce here, a turn over there, and the Cowboys should be 3-1 at worst going into their week 5 bye. Calm down Cowboys fans, the defense will gel eventually. The offense can carry the first month at least.

Titans hope Bears game is not rehearsal

Preseason game number 3. The infamous "dress rehearsal" game. The only preseason game worth watching if you want to see what your team will look like week 1. This could be a scary thought for the Tennessee Titans, who will be without their best two players this weekend against the Bears. All world running back CJ2K is holding out with no sign of returning. Troubled budding star Kenny Britt is not only facing a possible suspension from the league, he is also nursing a hamstring injury that has virtually derailed his entire training camp. It is a very realistic possibility the Titans could be without both in Jacksonville, so get to know Jaime Harper and Damian Williams.

Rookie running back Jaime Harper will start for the second straight week, and has made the most of his opportunities. Against the Rams starting defense Harper racked up 83 yards and a touchdown in one half, giving him 2 in as many games. Harper has great vision and may leap frog second string running back Javon Ringer when he returns from injury. Second year wide receiver Damian Williams will start for the second straight week as well. Williams is also seeing an increase in reps with the starting unit. I'm rooting for Williams, I would like so see the Titans get younger and more explosive at wide receiver. We got rid of grandaddy Moss,and Justin Gage and Nate Washington are looking older and slower by the play. As frightening as this may sound, the starting offense we see Saturday will most likely be the one we see in Jacksonville. Harper, Williams, lets see what you got.

Tattoogate not a big deal

Tattoogate. Racism, social class, freedom of expression. Calm down people! Why is everyone coming down so hard on Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson? The only thing he did was ask his future franchise quarterback Cam Newton to stay away from tattoos and piercings. Let's not forget this is a business for Jerry Richardson, and Newton is an employee. Look around most places of employment, you can pretty much guess a person's stature at a company by the way they present themselves to you. People with a higher pay scale are generally held to a stricter standard when it comes to appearance. Cam Newton is not just the quarterback. He is the new face of the franchise.

As a business man, I want my product to appeal to the widest possible market. It's just plain business. Yes Cam Newton is black. Yes Jeremy Shockey is white and covered with tattoos. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Every team in the league should hold their franchise qb to a higher standard than their back up tight end. I believe a clean cut tattoo free look would benefit Newton as well, we all know he's no stranger to a bad public image. As we all do on our jobs, we concede parts of ourselves in order to do what we have to do. I urge Cam Newton to do the same. And yes, I have a tattoo.

Collins signing a red flag for Colts

There's an old saying that implies there is a little bit of truth in every joke. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsey recently tweeted that he was in Brett Favre country looking to sign him. He later stated it was a joke, but he wasn't playin y'all. Indy just signed 38 year old retired veteran qb Kerry Collins to presumably start while Peyton Manning recovers from neck surgery. Why? Why would you bring in a beaten down qb that does not know your system with two weeks left until the regular season? You do that when you have serious doubts about your starter's long term availability.

Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne has already vocalized his displeasure with the move stating "We don't even know him, we ain't vanilla man, we ain't no simple offense. "So for him (Collins) to come in here and be the starter, I don't see it. I think that's a step back." A step back, really?Current pre season starter Curtis Painter has been horrible, and has a career qb rating of 9.8. So what gives? Collins retired because he did not want to baby sit rookie qb Jake Locker in Tennessee. I can not see him untiring just to hold another clip board. Manning may be looking at missing much more than week 1. I applaud the Colts for being proactive because Collins is a serviceable backup, but if Manning misses any significant time the Colts are done.

Should Goodell suspend Britt? Can he?

Can Roger Goodell suspend players for transgressions made during the lockout? Tennessee's Kenny Britt and Tampa Bay's Aqib Talib certainly hope not. Both are scheduled to meet with Goodell this week to discuss the matter, and both can be considered repeat offenders. Talib was suspended for a game last year for an altercation with a cab driver. Britt has 12 career touchdowns and 7 (reported) arrests since being drafted in 2009. This case is different, these incidents occurred while they were not employed by the nfl. Their employers forbid them from being paid, coming to the facility, or look for other opportunities. Let's put this double standard into an every day life situation.

Let's say your girlfriend, boyfiend, mate, whatever publicly brakes up with you. They forbid you to call them or visit them, and they refuse to contact you or visit you for three months. As time goes on you begin to see other people until boom, one day you reconcile with your ex. Can they turn around and accuse you of cheating when you were "technically" broken up? Any sane person would say of course not! Message to Mr. Goodell, the nflpa is on record they are ready to appeal if suspensions are handed out and quite frankly you cant afford any more negative publicity. With so few incidents occurring this off season Goodell needs to leave it at a lecture and stern warning. In this case it was wrong thing, right time.

Fitzgerald deal could spell doom for Titans

The 25 day standoff between all pro running back Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans took another strange twist yesterday, and it had nothing to do with Johnson visiting Nashville over the weekend. All pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald just inked an eight year deal worth up to 120 million dollars, 50 million guaranteed. The deal will average just over 15 million a year, which makes Fitzgerald's per year salary fifth highest in the league. What does that spell for Titans fans? Trouble.

Johnson recently scoffed at the notion of becoming the highest paid running back in the league. Johnson insists that he is a play maker (which he is) and deserves to be paid like one of the elite players in the league. Last week we laughed when Johnson demanded 13 (guaranteed) million dollars over the first three years. But 13 mill from the Titans? Should someone remind Johnson this is the same team that literally locked Steve McNair out of the training room as they plotted to trade him to Baltimore. He was owed a salary similar to Johnson's request. Franchise leading rusher Eddie George was sent packing for pennies by comparison. And who could forget Randall Godfrey, the linebacker who gave the Titans back a million dollars in a restructured deal. This was mutually agreed upon to re-sign key players for the up coming season. Godfrey was to receive the money on the back end of the deal. Two weeks later they cut him and kept the money. History tells us the Titans can and will play hard ball. It's a foregone conclusion that Johnson will use Fitzgerald's contract as a bargaining tool. We as Titans fans desperately want Johnson on the field week one, but neither side is willing to budge. Thanks Larry Fitzgerald, Thanks for nothing.

Rookie qb class impressed

I know I know it's just the pre season, but did you get a chance to check out any of the rookie qb's in action last week? Very impressive I must say. This goes beyond x's and o's (although all five qb's combined for zero interceptions), they all seemed to pass the eyeball test. They looked like they belonged in an nfl huddle. Newton looked like a number one pick, firing accurate nfl caliber passes. Jake Locker lead two Titan scoring drives, and showed great poise while turning a busted play into a 45 yard td. Ryan Mallett was groomed to be an nfl qb from his freshman year at Michigan. With his talent and Belichick's guidance, the Patriots could be in good hands beyond Brady.

The class overall benefited from a wacky 2010 season, pairing Locker and Ponder with the best running backs in the business. Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson are in their prime and can carry a team. Look what Big Ben did with a running game. And it's not like DeAngelo Williams (Newton) and Maurice Jones-Drew (Gabbert) are slouches either. Every qb will be afforded the luxury of a productive running game. With the exception of Newton maybe, every qb will have a veteran ahead of them on the depth chart to start the season. That should also be beneficial to their development. If their week one pre season performance was a glimpse into the future, then this qb oriented league will be left in good hands.

New look Titans make good impression

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and the new look Tennessee Titans made a good one in front of their hometown fans last night. Kudos to owner Bud Adams for parting ways with Jeff Fisher and Vince Young. Their drama was bigger than the entire franchise and I believe they loved every minute of it. It was draining to watch as a fan so I can imagine the kind of toll it took on the team. Matt Hasselbeck is old, but he is a winner and a leader. And say what you want, it was good to see a Titan qb stand in the pocket and go through his reads. Jake Locker had a near flawless debut, showing some athleticism and confidence while leading two touchdown drives.

The Titans vowed to beef up the defensive line and it's paying early returns. It was a couple of freshly added 300 pounders who stuffed Minnesota on third and one. Their pressure also lead to two turnovers. And tight end Jared Cook, who was stuck in Fisher's dog his first two years, showed what he can do when given the chance to compete. Cook made several nice catches, and was wide open on several other plays. It was an all around good performance and much needed positive viewing experience for the fans. I know it was just a pre season game but a bad first impression would have been hard to overcome. Especially for this franchise.

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No more drama for Titans

The one word that would consistently describe the Tennessee Titans over the past few years is drama. Drama drama drama! If it's not Pac Man Jones then it's Albert Haynesworth. If it's not Haynesworth then it's Vince Young. Then you have Kenny Britt and well, you get the idea. There has been plenty of drama for the "new look" Titans already, and we're just a couple of weeks into the season. Courtland Finnegan's disappearance over the weekend was just another weird episode for the team that attracts weird episodes.

Something different happened this time. Someone actually stepped up and took accountability for their actions. Props to Courtland Finnegan for admitting to lying about leaving the team because of his contract. It's the first time in forever that someone said "I messed up". Hopefully the team and the media will take Finnegan's apology on it's merit (with a fine of course) so they can get back to football. The front office should follow suit and do the right thing by CJ. Everyone knows what he means to the team and he is one of only a few stars who literally outplayed their contract. The season opener is around the corner, time is of the essence. Get your schemes installed, get CJ his paper, and get back to just football. No more time for drama.

Remember the Titans?

Remember the Tennessee Titans? You know... the franchise known for their blue collar work ethic, likable players, and great home field advantage? Those Titans consistently beat teams with better players because they removed the "I" from team. Those Titans were fun to watch because you knew we had a chance with the ball in number 9's hands. Steve McNair, Eddie George, Frank Wycheck, and Bruce Matthews were all great. They also smiled. The Titans had a humbleness about them that made them easy to root for. That was then. Next up was Pac Man Jones, Albert Haynesworth, Vince Young, and Kenny Britt. Not only do the Titans of today bear no resemblance to the team that won us over, this franchise is now unrecognizable.

If you moved to Nashville or followed the Titans post Steve McNair, you see a far different picture. You see a picture of a team that stomps on the head of a helmet-less player. You see night club beatings, high speed chases, and strip club shootings. You see quarterbacks feuding with coaches and players feuding with management. Most of all, you see dysfunction running rampant. You see a team that has become a shell of it's former self. Case in point, only The Titans could find a way to not use a healthy Randy Moss on a team with no receivers.

Rookie head coach Mike Munchak has his work cut out for him. His two best players are holding out for new contracts and their foolish hard line stance with Chris Johnson is putting the team further in the hole. Just another sign of a lack of leadership on all levels. Hopefully the Johnson holdout will be resolved and Jake Locker can hit the field sooner than later. Titans fans are ready for new memories.

Was Lebron defending Tebow or himself?

Wow. Someone really ticked LeBron James off yesterday, to the point that he had to come to the defense of an innocent and persecuted man. ESPN NFL analyst Merril Hodge voiced his opinion on Tim Tebow's ability to be a championship caliber NFL quarterback. Although the criticism aimed at Tebow was harsh it was just that, an opinion. It appeared the mild mannered golden boy from Florida took it all in stride with a simple tweet to let Mr. Hodge know that word had gotten back. So why did James seem to take the criticism of Tebow so personal? It sounded to me like LeBron was not defending Tebow at all. He was defending himself.

Remove Tim Tebow from this direct quote "He's a hard worker, a student of the game, a natural born leader and most of all a WINNER!! It takes time and he'll be nice." LeBron is talking about himself, to remind us of all the things that made us crown him "King James". A reminder that winning championships take time. Another direct quote from James "Guys get on that tv and act like they was all WORLD when they played. How bout encouraging him and wishing him the best instead of hating!!" This is LeBron's advise to everyone who criticized his epic meltdown in the Finals. Face it LeBron, you choked and got criticized for it. Tim Tebow has weaknesses that are being criticized. It's sports. It's life.

Are the Eagles the new Heat?

The Philadelphia Eagles have steamrolled through free agency, adding marquee acquisition after marquee acquisition. Not one, but two pro bowl corners. Throw in a pro bowl defensive end and back up qb that's been a pro bowler himself, and you have the making of the nfl's version of the Miami Heat. Mark my words, the Eagles will be hated this season.

It is only human to root for David. If we're just watching a game that we have no rooting interest in, we generally root for the underdog. So you can imagine how we feel when you tell us that you're going to win it all. The Eagles have all but said "Hey...y'all know we bout to win it all right?" Yes I know that Rex Ryan put people off with his bold predictions last year but this will be worse, much worse. Every hated team needs a lightning rod, a controversial figure if you will. The Heat had LeBron James. The Eagles have that in Michael Vick. Desean Jackson and newly acquired Vince Young have been no stranger to negative press either. The Eagles have put themselves in the super bowl or bust category, and there will be millions of fans outside of Pennsylvania that hope they bust.