Remember the Titan

I can remember growing up and having a soft spot for the 90’s Tennessee Titans teams. Maybe it was the Jeff Fisher-Bill Cowher resemblance. Maybe it was the cool blue uni’s [which I always thought were superior to any the Oilers ever wore, and blue is my favorite hue]. The ‘T’ may have looked like a thumbtack with a propensity for matches, but it was a good contrast to the norm of the No Fun League at the time [which has since been killed by the travesties in Buffalo and Arizona]. Maybe it was the aptly named ‘Freak’ Jevon Kerse, whose home jersey I rocked on a weekly basis back in the day. There was just something clean about that jersey with the big 90 on it. He was Julius Peppers before Julius Peppers. Both clean guys. The anti-Pacmans. [Interesting to note that Freak and Pacman will have never crossed paths in Tennessee when Jones’ trade to Dallas goes through.] Maybe it was Eddie George, the only alum of THE Ohio State University I ever liked. I remember watching Eddie in the red and silver, the only times I rooted for the Buckeyes over the Wolverines. I loved Eddie’s style and was glad to see him win the Pose.
Most of all though, I think it was Steve McNair. I remember a few years ago, as he was battling yet another sternum injury and not missing a game, conversing with someone as to the toughness of a ‘middle aged’ McNair. I thought he was the toughest SOB this side of Brett Favre. The other guy argued he was a pussy, why else would he always be hurt? I conceded such but countered with the fact that in 7 years he missed only 8 games, 5 in 99. Then came 2004 and he played only half a season. He played the next year in Tennessee, but he was a lame duck QB and at the end of the season it seemed apparent. He landed in Baltimore and spanked my Black N Gold boys around twice that year, same as he had in the old AFC Central. I always hated playing the Titans back in the day. Mainly cuz I knew that number 9 always had us right where he wanted us. And there’s always the Music City Miracle. I know McNair had nothing to do with the play, but he’s the Q of record and will always be attached to the game. Then falling merely a yard short of history in SB 34.
McNair was Vick minus bravado, but with more arm and class. McNair and McNabb were the bridge from Williams and Cunningham to this generation. As for the future, who knows? It wasn’t MDotVick. Maybe it will be VY, maybe JaMarcus Russell. All I know is, either of them, or anyone else for that matter, has big shoes to fill. And hopefully a sturdier sternum…