The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of a turnaround that, in NFL terms, is unprecedented—they are the first team in league history to win four straight games following consecutive losses in the first six. The streak has revived playoff hopes in Nashville. Hopes that approached terminal levels after the third week and were pronounced dead after the fifth. Let’s take a look exactly how realistic these playoff hopes are. I think it is safe to assume that trailing the Colts by six games with six to go rules out a division title. This leaves the Titans' playoff hopes riding in their ability to secure one of the two AFC Wild Card berths amongst some heavy competition within the [...] Continue reading →

For An Evening with the Titans Part 1: click here. When we left the Titans Bud Adams delivered a rousing speech to start their party. Collins slouches over even more, “Vince this. Vince that. Where was the defense when I was playing?” He walks over to refill his coke. LenDale White, lost in his own thoughts, sits by the bar while trying to muster up the courage to show “him” his shirt. White is not used to this insecurity and it is wearing on him. Johnson walks over to the bar while White walks away. “How ‘bout a Captain and Coke?” Asks Johnson while putting his leg up Captain [...] Continue reading →

The below events did not happen anywhere other then the author's head (that he knows of). Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, not long after the Titans defeated the Bills by a 41-17 score in Nashville: Bud Adams is feeling a level of friskiness that belies his age of 86, but not the perfect mix of whiskey and Viagra he is currently sailing on. “Yee haw!” he says. “We are back on the victory train. Nothing can stop the Adams’ Family now!” “Shirley,” he says (Shirley is Adams' assistant), “get me Fisher on the phone, would ya, sweetie?” Adams is dancing around his owner’s suite. “I can’t believe it took that stiff Goodell so long to get out of my box. I had the birdies in [...] Continue reading →

For "A Day in the Life, Pt. 1," click here When we left: Tom Cable was waiting for players to arrive for their Monday meetings. Cable, trying to rub away the pickaxe-wielding gnomes in his head, is waiting for Russell while trying to think of a new way to reach him. “Maybe I should invite him over for dinner like Al Pacino invited Steamin’ Willie Beamon in On Any Given Sunday. Wait, that’s not going to work. What am I going to do, microwave some Hot Pockets and have a sit down in the office? Maybe I could make him watch the movie; or, better yet—I should invite him over [...] Continue reading →

Any resemblance to reality of the below events is purely coincidental. Monday, 5 a.m., at the Cable household—an alarm goes off... “Just wake up, baby! Just wake up, baby!” screams the alarm—louder and louder each time. Carol Cable, tired from a long night sleeping next to a restless mate, reaches her hand over and stumbles for the alarm. In the meantime, after a night of cold sweat and night-terror-filled sleep, Tom Cable grunts and swings his arm to hit the snooze button on an alarm he wishes he had never set. Tom misses the snooze but does hit his wife’s fumbling hand. “Ow! My hand! Tom, you hit me! I can’t believe you hit me!” Carol [...] Continue reading →

After a long wait and what seemed like an insufferably long preseason, the start of the ’09 NFL season is here. The eve of the season is always an exciting time for teams and their fans. Finally, there will be answers to the questions that have been percolating and building all offseason. The Raiders and their Nation are no exception to this. While not many people carry the expectations of playoffs for this young squad, many are hoping for signs of improvement. Signs that this team is starting to get it, starting to form an identity and that some of its young players are ready to turn that talent into results. What...what’s that you say? This is Week 10? That wasn’t the [...] Continue reading →

Week Nine of the NFL season is a little early to place a playoff’s worth of importance onto a game, but that is exactly what the contest with the San Diego Chargers was for the New York Giants. Don’t look at me, it wasn’t my idea—it was the Giants' themselves. According to the New York Daily News: "I think the message is clear," quarterback Eli Manning said before the game. "I think we know what we've got to do and what's at stake, how important this game is. We've got to turn this thing around." Said defensive end Justin Tuck: "There is a sense of urgency. We feel like we're pretty close to the bottom right now." Coach Tom Coughlin was calling this a “one-game season,” and Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce called it their “Super [...] Continue reading →

It is finally here! The week all Raiders fans await like Christmas. The week which, upon its unveiling, is eagerly circled with pen breaking vigor on all calendars. In a schedule filled with bitter rivals and compelling matchups, this week takes a back seat to none. That’s right, this is the week the Raiders face those dreaded, measly, cheap-shot-artist punks: B-Y-E. With the Raiders' offensive ineptness, this looks to be one of the most compelling match-ups in the history of this famed series—a series burnt into our psyche since 1990. Since its inception, this has been as one-sided and even a battle the game has ever known. [...] Continue reading →

First, I feel the need to make it clear that I believe violence is only acceptable in self-defense. Second, I want to say that if the allegations against Tom Cable are found to be true I would be in full support of him being removed of his duties as an NFL head coach. With that said, let’s get to what we know so far: Cable released this statement to the Associated Press: “During my first marriage, I became aware that my wife Sandy had committed adultery. I became very angry and slapped her with an open hand. What I did was wrong and I have regretted and felt sorrow about that moment ever since." Two women came forward in [...] Continue reading →

The Raiders stink. I wanted to write about something relevant in the NFL besides a head coach living a soap opera. So I thought I would post a piece about Brett Favre, because that poor guy just doesn't get enough attention. For all of you clamoring for more information on the silver and black, don't worry-- I will get back to more Raidercentric pieces later this week. So stay tuned, because I may accuse Tom Cable of assaulting me. As Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said, "You just don’t turn your back on 16 years of greatness." One thing I know after Sunday, November One is: Jared Allen is absolutely correct. No one turns their back on 16 years of [...] Continue reading →