Tennessee Titans Morning Links: Keepin' It Classy Edition

by August West on Sep 23, 2008 7:29 AM CDT in Linkage

No Oilers or Titans team has ever started out 4-0. In a related note, I think we may see history Sunday afternoon, especially is Peterson's hamstring doesn't heal.

Reinforcing my last point, thanks to Gary Estwick:

... the Titans lead the NFL in red zone scoring, the Minnesota Vikings - their opponent Sunday at LP Field - ranks last in the league in that category (before Monday night's game).

I called Merril Hoge a lot of cruel names here and on other sites yesterday. This morning I still stand by every one of them, and only wish I'd have said more:

Hoge also said Fisher told him he was going to threaten to use the Texas offense if the Titans picked Young "because he has no chance to run an NFL offense.’’ But on Monday Hoge said he was the one who told Fisher he should run the Texas offense if the Titans picked him...

"Whatever he reported that I disclosed with him is incorrect,’’ Fisher said earlier Monday. "He implied, or stated, that Vince (also) takes a limo to work every day and lives three miles away from the facility. That is so far out of line. He doesn’t do that; we all know he doesn’t do that. So if you are going to start there, I think it discredits everything. He accused me of saying a lot of things that I never said.’’

Just let that sink in... just for one second. If Mary Hoge isn't fired soon, then ESPN should be beyond ashamed of themselves (I'm sure the ombudsman will let them know that as well).

Cortland Finnegan has as many picks in 3 games as a certain former Titans CB had in his 2 years of non-suspended service. How awesome is that cheap 4 year extension the Titans locked him up to before the season looking now?!

Paul Kuharsky notes that the Titans offensive line is made of big mean men who will probably lead to a few opposing defensive guys being fired or benched over the course of the season once their coach reviews the game tape.

Keith Bulluck keeps it classy with his 3rd annual wine tasting/benefit at Gulch hot-spot Sambuca on Monday October 20th. He's got an impressive list of players joining as well... I'd pay $80 to sip vino with the Boom King (Vanden Bosch), VY, the Freak and big Albert any day.

Chris 'Crazy Legs' Johnson and LenDale are on their way to meeting White's goal of becoming the league's premier 1-2 punch.

Pro Football Weekly ran a blind item in their blind item wrap-up section called 'Whispers' saying that Crazy Legs may start getting a majority of the carries soon.

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What Hoge said is essentially a retraction.

After listening to what he said and then reading what he said ABOUT what he’d said, I agree with August. The guy needs some time off—at least. Any other news outlet in America would have disavowed him after that. Even the National Enquirer stands by its stories more than this guy did. Talk about professional embarrassment. VY’s temper tantrum has nothing on this crap. I mean, if you take what Hoge alleged Fisher said but then listen to it and realize that Hoge’s actually talking about HIS OWN COMMENTS… I mean, it’s just ridiculous. It’s not a story. At all. But this guys is doing backflips to try to insert himself into it and keep it alive as a story.

I have no idea why any coach would ever talk to Hoge again.

*
I would so totally pay $80 to go to a wine-tasting with Keith Bullock and company. I’m actually sitting here wondering if I can find the time to fly down to Nashville for it.

And BTW, CJ was already getting a bit more than half—until the Texans game when LenDale was more effective.

DannoE

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Go Titans!

by DannoE on Sep 23, 2008 7:54 AM CDT 0 recs

I think whatever anyone feels about VY

Both his critics and his supporters should agree, if they are being objective, that Hoge has rarely acted professionally towards Vince. It’s very bizarre, and I wrote about it here on Burnt Orange Nation a while back.

It’s not so much his specific criticisms that I have a problem with; anyone knew that Vince had much to learn coming out of college, and despite being a Longhorn fan, I actually felt he should sit at least a year before he started (unfortunately, Collins had a rough start, which is not all his fault but more or less compelled Fisher to dump Vince in). The fact that Vince had success his rookie year made Hoge really angry, because he felt his pride was at stake. After all, Vince doesn’t even have to be good to prove Hoge wrong; Hoge said specifically that the Titans would be dismantled because of the VY pick, and as long as Vince doesn’t cause a organizational collapse like Vick did, Hoge will have to eat those words. I’m still amazed how often he tries to target Vince. A lot of people theorize he bet a lot of money on USC in the Rose Bowl.

by TheElusiveShadow on Sep 23, 2008 9:08 AM CDT 0 recs

It does seem like a vendetta. It's way weird.

DannoE

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Go Titans!

by DannoE on Sep 23, 2008 9:14 AM CDT up 0 recs

Hoge has taken this all personally from the get go... it's shameful.

Michael Roos doesn't eat pitas because NOTHING BREAKS THE POCKET ON HIS WATCH!!!

by August West on Sep 23, 2008 9:21 AM CDT up 0 recs

It's just so strange to go on the air and talk about a conversation you had...

…with a VERY influential coach, and then misquote him and attribute things that you actually said to him. That’s (obviously) Page 1 retraction material right there.

But, of course, he HAD to do the mis-attribution because otherwise there’s no point in even having him on. Hence my point, which is that this guy needs to stop making HIMSELF the story.

DannoE

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Go Titans!

by DannoE on Sep 23, 2008 9:25 AM CDT up 0 recs

Is there any chance

that dude had so many concussions that he really is out of his mind?

Cause this is just bizarre.

by gramsey712 on Sep 23, 2008 10:17 AM CDT up 0 recs

Eh...

I can believe that Fisher wanted Lienart more than VY. I can even believe that he wanted Cutler more than VY—though there is much less evidence of that—and that he campaigned extensively to get Leinart in the 06 Draft. I can also believe that Fisher is exasperated with all of this crap—Vince’s play, the media circus, everything.

What I will never believe, based on everything I’ve ever seen of Fisher in front of the media, is that he would tell Hoge—or anyone else outside the organization—about any of that internal stuff. The guy is an informational stonewall in action.

DannoE

"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Go Titans!

by DannoE on Sep 23, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up 0 recs

Fisher averted the collapse

by pulling Vince when he did. Smart move on his part. If he had stuck with Vince the way, say, Chicago stuck with Grossman, we’d be in a world of hurt.

by Rustmeister on Sep 23, 2008 9:12 AM CDT 0 recs

It wasn't his choice to pull Vince

VY sprained his MCL. What’s going on now is actually fairly common; if you’re winning with a QB, it normally doesn’t make that much sense to pull him. That’s why Collins never started last year until Vince got hurt, because despite VY’s struggles, they were still winning.

by TheElusiveShadow on Sep 23, 2008 9:15 AM CDT up 0 recs

SOMEONE NEEDS

TO START A “FIRE MERRELL HOGE” WEBSITE AND A PETITION FOR ESPN TO FIRE HIM.

GET 'EM KYLE "NEVER QUIT" VANDEN BOSCH

by coler0kw on Sep 23, 2008 3:28 PM CDT 0 recs

Merril Hoge

The Titans need to not worry about “mary” hoge. He has been against VY from the get go. . . They are running the team the way they feel is best and it is working. . .If VY has issues he needs to work out, thats fine, but hoge is doing nothing to help. Titans fans need to show their support for our first round draft pick because its people like him who got our boy into this tough spot in the first place.

by wilcome on Sep 23, 2008 9:20 PM CDT 0 recs