The Titans Fan Base Must Evolve

The front office and head coach have made moves to make this franchise relevant again.  The Titans 2015 draft class has the most upside in the history of the team.  They have a potential star quarterback, a new WR that could be the next Calvin Johnson if he has put his past in the past, and they drafted some of the biggest steals in the draft.

In free agency, they came to terms with one of the most well respected defensive coaches ever in Dick Lebeau, signed two major defensive players and Harry Douglas, who will be a very solid second wide receiver.   They made major moves this off-season.  It's time for us to get excited, and get different.

LP Field Needs a Nickname

LP Field is the worst name in the history of football stadiums.  The good thing is, as a fan base, we can change the name of our stadium without changing the name of it. We need suggestions and we need to pick one to stick with.  I recently heard "The Woodshed" on reddit and love it.  We need something.  I really don't care what it is, but no one is scared of "LP field", and I'm sure the players aren't too proud to call it home.

High Class People Who Don't Care About Football, Give Your Tickets to Someone Else

Look, I understand that going to an NFL game is a fun event for everyone and it's something fun to talk about, but if your not gonna scream, give your seat to someone that will.  I'm tired of see rich people showing up to games late and talking on their cell phones or to their significant other the entire time.  You can do that at home.  Don't bring to our stadium anymore.

Stop Being Negative

This is probably the most difficult thing for our fan base at the moment.  Everything on social media is negative and everything on the radio is negative.  Believe it or not, that attitude is contagious.  It trickles from the ones who say it first to the rest of the fan base and then to national media and other fan bases.  It's one of the main reasons our team is viewed as such a joke in the national media right now.  Other teams have sucked for a lot longer than we have and haven't been this irrelevant.  It's our fault.

Embrace Mariota

Some of you may not agree with the decision to take him in the first round of the draft, but you need to support him, and embrace him.  Go all in on this kid.  He has the potential to make us more than relevant in the NFL.  He's the most famous player we've drafter since Vince Young and he has way more potential.  Buy his jersey, talk about him, and root for him.  He's not going to have a perfect year.  Don't start calling for Mettenburger after he throws a few picks or even has a disappointing season.  It may take some time, but let him know that you believe in him.  He's going to be fine.

It's time for this fan base to make a change.  Stop being fair weather pansies and root for your team with all your heart.  The time to turn this thing around is now.

TITAN UP

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
Twitter: @t_frisbeysports

Here Comes the Mett show

The Titans have a new starting quarterback on Sunday.  Here are the best plays of his career at LSU.

 You're an absolute clown, Mett, but please bring some of this to Tennessee with you.  We need a leader, and we need one now.  It's time to show these NFL clowns what the real clown is made of.  You're a diva, we know, but show us that the NFL quarterback can be a diva.  Show us what you have.  You have nine games.  Ready, set, go.

Titans: 22 Positions in 22 Days: QB

Over the next 22 days, I'll be doing a series covering the Tennessee Titans roster by doing an in depth write up of each position.  Each day I'll address the position that is being covered, the depth chart (and predict how the depth chart will look on September 7th), the money spent at the position, and give the position a grade of A,B,C,D, or F plus (+) or minus (-).  Today is the beginning of 22 positions in 22 days.

Position 1:  Quarterback

Depth Chart:  

1. Jake Locker
2. Charlie Whitehurst 
3. Tyler Wilson 

Average Salary

• Locker: $3,146,501
• WhiteHurst: $2,250,000
• Wilson: $495,000
• TOTAL: $5,891,501

The quarterback position has not been stable for this organization since 2004, which was Steve McNair's last season.  The team has gone from Kerry Collins to Vince Young, back to Kerry Collins to Vince Young, to Matt Hasselbeck to Jake Locker, back to Matt Hasselbeck to Jake Locker, then to Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Throw Rusty Smith in there for a few games, and you have the quarterback carousel of the Tennessee Titans.

This year promises no difference than what we've seen over the past ten years.  The season will start with a 4th year unproven starter and backup that no-one has ever seen play over a significant amount of time.  Locker is going to be given one final chance.  What he does with that chance could possibly make or break this season for the Titans.  I'm a believer in Jake Locker, but his time is running short.  He's easy to root for and seems very genuine.  He's a guy that people want to see succeed.  It's on him, though.  This season will be his last shot.

The Titans are expected to take a quarterback somewhere in the draft this May.  Jim Wyatt says that there is a greater than 50/50 shot that they'll take one in the second round.  Teddy Bridgewater and Johnny Manziel are both two possible quarterbacks that could fall into round 2.  That said, this year's quarterback class has been one of the most fluid I've seen in some time.  Any of the top six could fall into round two and could be wearing two toned blue next season.  Rustin Webster probably has three out of those six guys in mind.  If neither of those three are there in the second round, look for the Titans to wait until a later round to draft a QB.  It wouldn't hurt them to take a running back in the second round, anyway.

Final Grade: D

The state of the quarterback position is in limbo.  It is the most important position on the field and the Titans don't quite know what they have.  That should send up red flags to the organization and the team.

Image Credit:  http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6bBkLbkpN2pAZfqSZeEp0iRT6ntPuPsGAfPSwxnbpLbEBQtqY:farm7.staticflickr.com/6226/6348930967_373fcb37a9_o.jpg

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
4/23/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports 

 

 

Titans Schedule to be Released Tomorrow

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/LP_Field_2009_crop.jpg

They've announced the announcement, and finally the announcement announced the time when the 2014 NFL schedule will be released.  We don't know much about it yet, but we do know which teams will be facing the Titans in the upcoming season.

Home Opponents:
Browns
Cowboys
Giants
Jets
Steelers
Texans
Jaguars
Colts

Away Opponents:
Ravens
Bengals
Chiefs
Eagles
Redskins
Texans
Jaguars
Colts

The question every year is how many games will we have that aren't played at 12:00 p.m. central time? Judging from the opponents that aren't in the division, there won't be many (maybe 0) games played at 3:05 or 3:15 this season.  they aren't playing any west coast teams (home or away) and should stay at the 12:00 time-slot unless they get flexed late in the season.

Another question asked is when the BYE week will be.  I always thought there was a formula to figure out when a team's bye week will be.  I've done some research, and I can't find anything to support this theory.  A good bye week for NFL teams is somewhere in between weeks 6 and 8. That gives them a good midway point break from the start of the preseason to the end of the season.  The bye week will be unveiled tomorrow.

The ultimate question everyone has about the NFL schedule is when their team will be playing in prime time.  The Titans had a 7-9 record last season and are a small market team, which doesn't fare well with the league in terms of highlight games.  They are playing some well-recognized teams such as the Ravens, Eagles, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets, Steelers, and Giants which will give them a better chance of playing under the lights more than once in 2014.  Expect no more than two games in prime time, though.  Don't be surprised if both of them are away games.

We are all excited about tomorrow night's big announcements.  Titans fans, don't get too excited.  Like every other mediocre year, expect mediocre to bad scheduled games.  Don't expect to be respected by the league in a small market.  Not to mentioned, the Titans lost any star power they held when they released Chris Johnson earlier this month.

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
4/22/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

Make Me Want to Buy A Ticket, LP Field

Much has been made of LP field and the Titans tickets prices rising next year.  It seems weird, to most of us, that prices are rising given the product that has been put on the field in the past few years.  In reality, though, the tickets have been very reasonable considering comparable markets like Charlotte and Indianapolis.  In return of rising ticket prices, fans want to see improvement.  Improvement of the game day experience and improvement in the win/loss record.  The stadium recently received a jumbo tron upgrade, but many of us would gladly trade that for better convenience and a better overall atmosphere.  here are five simple, but effective ways to provide a better game-day atmosphere in Nashville.

http://www.eseats.com/sports%20images/TitansStadium.jpg

Cheaper Food

The subtitle speaks for itself.  I can't find one person who is excited about going to a football game and spending eight dollars on a hot dog.  We're attending football games in the south, not a five star restaurant in Belize.  I'm pretty sure you would still make money on a ballpark frank charging three bucks a pop.

Better Parking

Quite frankly, I'm sick of paying 20 bucks to park across the river and have to walk a mile and half over a bridge to get to the stadium's campus (yes I know that there are other places to park, but not everyone reading this does).  There is plenty of room around LP Field.  If they can't make the parking work how it is now, then change it!  There is plenty of space. Buy more space if you need to.  Traffic and parking is a huge issue on game-day. There is no reason not to make this a priority.

Better Cell Phone Service

You know, sometimes at half time and TV breaks I don't want to watch Kia give away a car or root for the bunny bread bunny to win a race that's going to get me a free loaf of bread.  I want to check twitter! I want to look at my phone and see what Jim Wyatt has to say about injuries. I want to see what kind of negative spin Paul Kuharsky can put on the game even if we're up 30 to 0.  I want to see scores around the league and how my fantasy team is doing.  You know what I can't do at LP Field?  Any of those things.  Make cell phones work in your stadium, LP.

Redefine the Pro Shop
 
The first three were fairly obvious ways to improve the game-day experience, but this one isn't spouted off too much.  The jersey and gear prices are ridiculously expensive.  I can go to Ross or TJ Maxx and get Titans gear for a quarter of the pro shop asks.  I know it's not reasonable to ask for a huge price drop, but they're selling to a market that is incredibly small.  The high class and first-time game goers are the target group of people who buy gear from the pro shop.  With a reasonable price drop, and some marketing, they could sell a lot of gear.  I'd buy a hat at the game for 15 dollars, not for 30, though.

Just Win

The message of this subtitle goes out to the Titans organization.  If you really want to put butts in the seats, win games.  What we really want is to see a higher number in the left column of the win/loss chart.  Make me want to buy seats, Titans.  Win some games and see Nashville rock like it did in 1999 and the early 2000's.  Go Titans!

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
2/6/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

Titans: Welcome, 2014 Football Season

First, let us properly congratulate the Seattle Seahawks on their absolute demolishing performance against the Broncos in the big game. No, we didn't see it coming either.

http://nashvillemusiccity.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/titans1.jpg

Now that we have that out of the way, let us focus of the 2014 football season that will be here in the blink of an eye.  The excitement will build slowly throughout free agency, the draft, mini camps, and training camps. Like the 31 other teams in the league, The Titans are 0-0 starting now and the anticipation and hope will rise slowly.

Here are five things the Titans need to do before they kick off their season on that hot summer day in September:

Release CJ, Britt 

I know many of you think Chris Johnson is still an "elite" running back in the NFL and that the Titans would be making a mistake by releasing him. In reality, though, CJ had three really good years that were followed by a mostly unproductive, average career.  Is he fast? Yes.  Can he be exciting? Yes. I just haven't seen much of either of those in the past three years. What once was is no more. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is insanity. As for Kenny Britt, well.... HA.

Draft a Running Back, Quarterback

There are are going to be a few holes on this team going into the season.  If they pull the trigger, one of the biggest will be at running back.  Look for them to take a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft.  Who will it be? I'm not sure, you tell me.  At the QB position, Jake Locker will get one more shot and he deserves it, but they need to start developing a young quarterback just in case.  We'll see if its Tyler Wilson or a QB from the draft.

Re-Sign Bernard Pollard

Pollard became a staple of the defense as soon as he walked into camp last year.  He's a leader that has been much needed on this team.  He brought a fire that we haven't seen in quite some time. Letting him go would be taking a huge step back.  Bring him back, make a few defensive additions (especially on the line) and strive to be like that swarming Seattle defense we saw tonight.

Pick Up A Good Cornerback

Unfortunately, it's looking like Alterann Verner will not be wearing two toned blue next season.  If they do bring him back, we should all be ecstatic, but since I don't expect it to happen, they need to bring someone in to bring the production he brought.  Please, please don't give us the Tommie Campbell treatment again.  Really... Please.

Focus, Work, And Be Consistant

Being tough and having the right mindset should be a huge focus for Ken Wisenhunt and the new coaching staff.  We saw a lot of games slip through our hands last year.  We need a team that is hungry. We need a team that will finish.  We need a team with the heart of a champion.  No more soft play or soft minds.  The eye of the tiger is what they call it, I believe.

So here's to the 2014 season.   May it bring us bountiful gifts.  It's time to see two toned blue nation rise up and bring that trophy to Nashville.  Go Titans!

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
2/2/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports

The Six Cancerous Players In The Titans Locker Room

Most Titans fans have heard TE Delanie Walker's comments about the "cancerous" players in the Titans locker room last season.  Walker mentioned the cancer earlier in the year after a crucial loss.  Many of us are pretty sure of two players that may have been unhappy with the organization and ready to get out of Tennessee, but who are the other four?  It's hard to speculate, but I'm going to because it makes for interesting content.

http://www.examiner.com/article/titans-2010-preview-receivers

1. Kenny Britt- Britt is the most obvious player on the 53 man roster that was completely out of it last year.  His lack of work and concentration sent his career into a downward spiral.  He believes he's better than he is and never quite figured out how to separate his personal life from his football career.  It's sad because his potential was sky high.  Potential only gets a try-out, though.

2. Chris Johnson- CJ is never slow to point the finger at other players.  Like Britt, he thinks he's better than he actually is.  I could have hit some of the holes he's missed the past few years.  He's fast, but guess what? Everyone in the NFL is fast.  He's said he won't take a pay-cut to stay in Tennessee.  See ya!

3. Akeem Ayers-  Ayers hasn't lived up to the hype coming out of college, and claims he played through a key injury all of last season.  When I see a guy talking about his college team on twitter more than the team he plays on to make money, a red flag goes up.  That's the basis for a few of the players I've chosen.  You're in the NFL now. Take pride in your team.

4. Tommy Campbell- A guy that's not heard from much in the media, mostly because he's never lived up to his "athletic" expectations.  He was given every opportunity to beat out Alterraun Verner at the CB position this year and he couldn't do it.  He's a hell of an athlete, but he doesn't have the mental capacity to be a star. He may not have the will either.

5. Kevin Matthews- Not too sure if the guys attitude was a cancer to the team, but the fact that he kept resigning with the squad after a number of cuts seems a bit off.  His dad was the offensive line after all.  He may or may not be a good guy, but I don't know how well the whole deal sat with the players.

6. Jerry Gray- May not have been a direct cancer to the players, but the way he coached the latter part of the season brought a lot of people down with him.  There were rumblings of him changing the defensive plan midway through the season.  I wonder if it was out of spite? He knew Gregg Williams was going to be the defensive coordinator regardless.  Did he want to prove that his way was the right way? My guess is yes.

The Titans 2013 season was a huge disappointment.  Training camp was filled with so much hope and promise.  The talent was there but something was just off.  Speculation will continue into the 2014 season. We'll see if the new regime can turn things around.  I'm tired of watching scrubs in Tennessee on Saturdays and Sundays.

Trey Frisbey
Boy Meets Sports
1/30/2014
Twitter: @boymeetsports