The Ravens/Patriots game was incredible.  It looked like this was going to be "the one", where a team with a lot of heart and physical play was going to finally bring down the Goliath of the NFL.  And if they had made the plays they needed to and played a poised, penalty-free game, it would have been theirs.  But they didn't, and as usual when a poise-deficient team loses a close, big game, they started whining about the referees.

It's a matter of class and maturity.  What does it mean when a respected, veteran team leader, "The Godfather Of The U" (surprise, surprise), like Ray Lewis tries to actually claim victory for his team, and says that "the refs game them the game"?? 

It means he's a child.  That's not leadership, it's not "taking up for your team", it's not "being outspoken".  That's telling your team that they do not need to take responsibility for the loss.  He's saying, "It's OK that our QB threw a ridiculous interception in a key spot.  It's not our fault that we couldn't generate any offense when we needed to.  It's not our fault that our star safety didn't protect the ball after a huge interception.  It's not our fault that we had costly penalty after costly penalty, negating our offensive progress and giving extra chances to the most potent offense in the NFL.  It's not our fault that we allowed a team to drive 73 yards down the field on us when the game was on the line."  Wow, Ray, that's a great way to make your team better and make sure losses like that don't happen again.  Just tell 'em it wasn't their fault.

No, the game wasn't called perfectly, just like every other NFL game, every single week.  Bad calls and bad no-calls went for and against both teams.  But I have no doubt that if that last hail-mary had gone for a touchdown, nobody on the Patriots team would have been whining about Derrick Mason TACKLING Asante Samuel on the play, and no flag being thrown.  At most, they would've said, "Yeah, that was a terrible no-call at a crucial time.  But we should have never let them get in the position to win the game in the first place.  We gave them this game, not the refs."  Why?  Because the Patriots players and their coaches are professionals and know what it takes to win games, and don't look for somebody else to blame when they screw up.  They don't throw temper tantrums and fling the ref's flag into the stands when something doesn't go their way, costing your team 35 important yards at the end of a huge game.  And, last but not least, real professional NFL players don't whine about the refs after they lose, telling the media after the game, "When the NFL has a player like that, a guy who sells tickets... they want him to keep selling tickets.... Make them make the plays, don't just give it to them."  That was Terrell Suggs.  "They put the crown on 'em, they wanted 'em to win.  So they won."  That was Chris McCalister.   Both were players claiming that the game was actually fixed -- the modus operandi of classless losers.

Speaking of classless losers, how about Brian Billick and his little "kissy face" nonsense to Rodney Harrison??  What a tool.  Yes, Harrison should never have said anything to Billick; that was juvenile and showed a lack of class on Harrison's part.  And Billick giving him the kissy-face once was silly, but kind of funny.  But to keep doing it at least two more times after the play was over was just pure unprofessionalism and immaturity on his part.  A player doing it is one thing, but an NFL head coach needs to be above that kind of stupidity.  Coaches are held to a different standard; they are supposed to be leaders and be an example to their team of the way to conduct yourself and how to win. But acting like a teenager, combined with that stupid and devastating time-out when they had Brady stopped on 4th down (essentially sealing the game for them), is one of the reasons Brian Billick has turned a Super Bowl contender into a 4-8 bottom-feeder.

A team's culture and conduct starts at the top, with coaches and team leaders.  And with leaders like Ray Lewis and Brian Billick, it's no surprise that the Ravens not only lost a huge game they should have won, but showed zero class or professionalism in the process.

I realize that there are only the most basic, preliminary facts coming in so far.  They've arrested 3-4 people for the murder of Sean Taylor as of today.  All reports so far say that it was "random", a burglary gone bad, and that the "robbers" thought that no one would be home.

As it stands now, I find that very hard to believe.

1)  Who in the world, while robbing a house where you thought no one was home, wouldn't flee at the first sound you heard?  Once you realize someone's home, wouldn't you realize you aren't going to be able to rob the place without incident, and get the hell out of there?

2)  I haven't seen anything about this since the beginning, but I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere, that the murder weapon was a shotgun.  Who attempts a burglary, thinking no one is home, carrying a loaded shotgun?  Armed, I could see, but only with a pistol or something in case of an emergency.  But a shotgun?  No way.

3)  Even if you didn't get out once you realized someone was home, and continued to steal stuff, why would you just bust into the bedroom where you thought the sound was coming from, with guns blazing?  That makes no sense.  If it was "just a robbery", you would just try and take what you could, as quietly as you could, and get the hell out.  I could see Taylor getting shot if he walked in on them and surprised them -- but that's not what happened.  They sought him out.

Yes, there is a possibility that the 3 or 4 teenagers who did this are both incredibly stupid and purely evil.  Whatever the case may be, the "facts" that have been released so far in this incident just don't seem to add up to "random robbery gone bad".

Jeff Fisher is a good coach.  Not a great coach, because he hasn't really won very much, and has only had one title shot in his entire tenure at Tennessee.  But a good, respectable coach, who I like even better now that he doesn't look like so much like a used car salesman.  But after watching his star quarterback's timidity and inconsistency this year, I'm starting to feel like Jeff Fisher has no idea how to handle a player like Vince Young.

First of all, let me say that Young's lackluster performance this year isn't all Fisher's fault.  You can chalk some of it up to "2nd year blues", which usually befalls young quarterbacks when they've stopped dumbing-down the offense for them, more is expected out of them, and they finally start to realize the amount of work it's going to take to be competitive in the NFL.  Young also has a problem with self-motivation; he is motivated by what others think of him, what the media thinks of him (why does he care one iota what Merrill Hoge thinks??), and I'm sick of hearing him talk about what he's trying to "prove to the world".  How about if you stop trying to prove your greatness to the world, and worry about proving it to every scoreboard you see?

Jeff Fisher has never had a player with the potential of Vince Young before.  He's had some great talent over the years, like Steve McNair (Young's early mentor in his early days, who they made a HUGE mistake with by not resigning -- Young has had no real QB vet who he can respect and look up to, and can teach him how to deal with the NFL) and Eddie George, but never a player with the game-breaking potential of Young at his best.  He's got a decent-but-not-great head on his shoulders, and has proven his character by staying out of trouble and in good graces with his teammates & coaches, both in college and the NFL.  And there's also the minor little detail of his being freakish and Vick-esque, except that he's bigger, stronger, faster, and more accurate than Michael Vick.  What do you do with a player like that?  You keep him motivated, keep him positive, and build your offense around him. 

As far as X's and O's, Fisher doesn't run the type of offense that's suited to feature V.Y.'s strengths.  He schemes a basic old-school, run-first offense, which I would normally love, with some wrinkles and shades of West coast.  They have focused their drafts & free agency on defense, which I would also normally love, and it has served them well so far this year, at least up until Albert Haynesworth went down (and totally SCREWED my fantasy team's defense).

These things are great ways to run a team -- if you don't have Vince Young.  The Titans need to restructure their team-building philosophy, and I believe Young's talent and potential warrant it.  Which brings me to my next point:

RECEIVERS:  Tennessee is ranked #25 in receptions this year, #20 in first down receptions, and #DEAD LAST in the NFL in receiving touchdowns .  With Vince Young's Texas Longhorn history, basic cable here in Austin has stopped showing Houston Texans games in favor of Titans games, and I've gotten to see almost every game this year.  And game after game, we see pass after pass in clutch situations kerplunking off receivers hands or kareening off of facemasks.  Basically:  their receivers suck.  His own inconsistency is partly to blame,  of course, but a QB like Young needs "hands guys":  big, tall receivers and tight ends with above-average speed but Krazy-Glue hands.  This is why this week's pickup of Mike Williams off the waiver wire could potentially be huge for them; he almost fits those criteria completely (but needs hands work), plus his USC connection to offensive coordinator Norm Chow can only help.  They need to trade tight ends Scaife and Troupe, two tight ends who are better for blocking than receiving, for someone like Alge Crumpler, who was Michael Vick's go-to guy and is a typical receiver/tight end with speed and great hands who knows how to react to that type of QB.  They should look at a Wes Welker-like speedy #3 receiver as their downfield threat, and concentrate on their 1 and 2 receivers as possession guys and great blockers.

I believe that, unlike Michael Vick, Vince Young truly does look to pass first, and run as a last resort.  He has stated time after time that he wants to be respected as a pocket passer, and his hesitancy to run this year has proved that.  Although, I can't tell you the number of times this season I've screamed at the TV, "Dammit, would you just GO!!!"  It's 3rd and 3, nobody's open, he has one linebacker to beat on the outside, and he just stays in the pocket, maybe or maybe not finding anybody.  He's got to quit "proving to the world" how he can be a great pocket passer, and just get some freaking first downs.  If he would just take two of his gazelle-like steps and get the first down, he'll have three more chances to prove to everybody he's the next Elway.

OFFENSIVE LINE:  Besides the fact that this should be a point of focus on every team, a team that should be as QB-centric as the Titans needs to make this a top priority in every way, from the front office to coaches to players to trainers.  No matter how mobile your QB is, he has to have time to throw, or holes to run through when things break down.  The Titans are 16th in sacks allowed this year, as well as 16th in rushing yards per carry, so they've been inconsistent and not quite in the tip-top shape they need to be in to allow Young to do what he can do.  The NFL game hasn't "slowed down" for Vince Young yet, and a superior offensive line will make that happen much sooner.

Which brings me back to my original point:  Jeff Fisher just isn't prepared to deal with a player like Vince Young.  He's done things one way, his way, for a very long time.  It isn't going to be in his nature to overhaul a scheme he's been working on for so many years.  But the fact is that he needs to #### some pride and do things like study some of the three-back schemes and other things Jim Mora, Jr. was trying to implement specifically for Michael Vick, figure out what worked and what didn't, and why, and see what types of things he can assimilate into his own system.  If he wants Vince Young (and therefore the Titans) to be successful, he's going to have to amend his playbook to accentuate Youngs strengths, like mobility and accuracy, and minimize his weaknesses, like downfield arm strength and decision-making. 

His second problem is a motivation quandary:  how do you keep a player motivated when what motivates him are detrimental things?  On the one hand, you want to tell any young player to ignore the media, keep your head down, do your work, and stay focused.  On the other hand, the things that have always motivated Vince Young are things like "proving to the world" what he can do, or showing any nay-sayers how wrong they were.  For professional athletes, this can be career suicide if not kept in check.  Fisher needs to ween Young off of this kind of motivation, and find other ways to keep him focused and driven to succeed.  Doing this may de-motivate him temporarily while he refocuses his priorities, but it will make him and the Titans much better in the long run. 

Unfortunately for Tennessee Titans and Vince Young fans, Jeff Fisher has thus far not been able to make the necessary changes or amendments in philosophy that it's going to take to make a player with the exceptional talent and playmaking possibilities of Vince Young -- potentially one of the most exciting and volatile players in the NFL -- into a success for his team and franchise.  

In true Vols-fan fashion, I'm willing to stick with a coach to the very, very bitter end.  I've never been one of those fans that starts screaming for the coach's head after every loss, or every bad or mediocre season.  But I think that time has finally come for Tennessee Volunteer football --  Coach Phillip Fulmer has got to go.

Fulmer, Vols coach since 1992, has already been criticized for several years for being too conservative and predictable, as was evidenced yet again in today's 3OT win over Kentucky.  His Vols did win a BCS championship in 1998, but in seasons before and since has had team after team that were competitive at best, and occasionally (like last year) just plain bad.  Fulmer got a last breath of life in 2006, after offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe (mentor to both Mannings) was retrieved from Ole Miss to reinvigorate struggling quarterback Erik Ainge.  Cutcliffe did his job, as Ainge showed marked improvement over the last two season.  It looks like now may be the time to let Cutcliffe take the reins.

Let's take today's game against the unranked (but much improved) Kentucky Wildcats.  Here are three typical examples of the yearly ineptitude that Fulmer and his staff showed in today's game:
 
1) Conservative 2nd half defense -- Tennessee had been getting hard pressure on Kentucky QB Andre' Woodson the entire first half, through 5- and 6-man rush packages that were keeping the UK offense off-balance and beaten down.  Tennessee outscored Kentucky 24-7 in the first half.  Inexplicably, Tennessee came out in the second half with a conservative zone defense, never rushing more than the four down linemen, and allowed the Kentucky offense reception after reception under 10 yards.  These catches inevitably became 15-20 yard catches, and Kentucky turned the game around, outscoring Tennessee 24-7 in the second half.  Fulmer and long-time defensive coordiator John Chavis need to take a page out of the Bill Belichick playbook -- no lead is ever safe if it's less than 5 scores with more than 3 minutes left.  EVER.

2)  3rd down pass play with 3:30 to go, up by 3 points -- This was yet another example of head-scratching play calling that Vol fans have come to know and loathe over the years of Fulmer's tenure.  It was 3rd-and-medium to go, with 3:30 left in the game, and Tennessee was around mid-field (I think).  Their receivers had made some good catches during the game, but had also dropped several key passes and never really seemed to be in a good rhythm.  Running back Arian Foster, on the other hand, was having a great game, and seemed to be gaining 5-6 yards on every carry.  With so little time left, and Kentucky's kicker struggling (he'd already missed a 47-yarder and almost missed an extra point), it was obvious that if Tennessee did not make this first down, every second for Kentucky's offense would be precious.  They couldn't rely on the standard "let's get to the 30, run the clock down to 5 seconds, and let our kicker tie it up with a long-but-makeable field goal."  They were going to need to get down to the 10 or 15 yard line to feel safe with a game-tying field goal.  A run play or, even better, a high-percentage short screen into the flat for Foster would have been the right call for the Vols on this 3rd down, at worst running the clock down to about 2:45 even if the first down wasn't made.  The subsequent punt would have run the clock down to about 2:30, with Kentucky needing to go at least 70 yards in that short a time to have a chance to tie.  Instead, Tennessee ran a regular pass play, which was incomplete and stopped the clock with 3:20 to go.  This allowed Kentucky just enough time to get close to the Vol goal line and kick the game-tying field goal, sending it into overtime.

3)  Undisciplined players -- Tennessee committed three personal foul penalties, two of which could have turned out to be crucial, game-changing penalties if Kentucky had executed well.  One was an unsportsmanlike conduct call with seconds remaining in the first half, Kentucky just having completed a play to the Vol 45 yard line.  The penalty put Kentucky in field goal range, which they luckily missed, but could have sent Kentucky into the locker room with a score and some momentum for the second half.  The other big one came in overtime, after Arian Foster was denied the end zone for a two-point conversion.  After rolling out of bounds, he flung the ball into the air, resulting in a 15-yard penalty that forced Tennessee to start the subsequent overtime possession from their 40 yard line, instead of the 25.  Luck was with Vols again, as they quickly scored the touchdown and 2-point conversion that would ultimately be the game winner.  These types of penalties ultimately fall on the coaching staff -- undisciplined players lead to stupid, game-changing penalties.  Fulmer and his staff have been criticized for years for a perceived lack of discipline and motivation from his players, and today's Kentucky game was a prime example.

These are just three easy examples, in one game, of why it's time for a regime change in Tennessee.  This is a difficult decision to make, as Fullmer is a long-time and relatively popular coach, who has won a national championship and kept Tennessee competitive and in the top-20 for a long time.  But if Tennessee ever hopes to be a dominant force again in the tough-as-nails SEC, much less get over the hump with another national championship, it's becoming more and more evident that they need to get some fresh blood to lead the charge.

Just like last year -- and every year until they fire this knucklehead -- I have to decry the travesty of live broadcasting that is Tony Kornheiser.

I was against his hiring to broadcast the stalwart Monday Night Football games in the very first place.  He's barely tolerable as the even-louder-loudmouth-jerk on Pardon The Interruption, but as a color man in the booth, the color he provides is of an unbearable hue; a shade so obtuse and filled with cliche and melodrama that I find myself thumping the "mute" button on the remote for about 1/3 of every game (yes, I purposely worded that description in my best over-the-top cornball Kornheiser patois -- grimace-worthy, ain't it?).

My specific complaint after tonight's Titans vs. Broncos matchup was his and the rest of the booth team's insistence on not only mentioning the fact that Vince Young's father just got out of jail, but then talking about it from the beginning of the 2nd quarter until there was 6:30 left to go in the freaking 1st half!  I understand that Young "opened up" to them in the pre-game interview, telling them about the situation and the struggle he's having with the whole thing.  But does that give three football announcers -- led by Kornheiser -- license to drag someone's personal tragedy down to the level of "ballgame chatter"?

Again, I understand them mentioning it -- if Vince Young didn't want it brought up, he wouldn't have told them.  But to drone on and on about it for five and a half "football minutes" (that's about 15 minutes in real time), while unannounced and unanalyzed play after play after play goes by in the actual game, is just ridiculous.

Speaking of ridiculous, I think that the rules to my "Tim McCarver Drinking Game" also apply to Tony Kornheiser.  The only way to bear his annoying yammering is to take a drink every time you find yourself saying, "For God's sake, shut up, Kornheiser!!", or "What the hell are you talking about, Tony Kornheiser??"

Which brings me to another side note:  Did you guys hear him say, when the subject of Lendale White's excessive gut-weight came up, "The Titans fans are used to seeing running backs with a body like Eddie George, but Lendale White has looked more like Boy George."  WHAT??  "What the hell are you talking about, Tony Kornheiser??"  ('Gulp...')  Not only is that a 20-year-old reference, it also makes no sense whatsoever!!  I thought Boy George was always known for being an androgynous freak of genetics from the '80's, not for his Hooters-wings-and-Schlitz beer gut.  Don't remember that as being part of Boy George's fashion repertoire.

That was just a small example of the train wreck of broadcasting that Kornheiser brings to the booth every week.  Between inexplicable nonsense like that, and the shameful exploitation of a player's personal hardship and family tragedy in the service of "ballgame chatter", I'm finding Monday Night Football with Tony Kornheiser becoming more and more of a chore to endure each week.

What a constant struggle it is to try and both enjoy a World Series game and endure Tim McCarver at the same time.

I enjoy his talk shows and interviews.  I'll concede that he definitely has a lot of baseball knowledge. It's just a shame it doesn't translate into the announcer's booth.  He's gotten so unbearable that the only way to make a World Series game on Fox even watchable is to make the inane ramblings of Tim McCarver into a drinking game.  My rules so far go as such:

You must take a drink whenever Tim McCarver:

Says something completely false or erroneous -- like mispronouncing someone's name ("Okajina"?), or calling a 12-6, nasty, hooking curveball a "changeup", or saying a pitch was "low and away" when the catcher had to jump up on his tiptoes to catch the ball.

States the obvious as if it's profound analysis:  "After a batter drops the bat, baserunning is the real key way for a player to score runs."  Really, Tim?  I thought it was pretty much the only way.

Says something so ridiculous that poor Joe Buck actually has to clarify it for the viewers:  This happened several times tonight; the example that comes to mind is when he described Jonathan Papelbon as having a "devil may care, dead serious attitude". To which I think, 'Huh?? That makes no sense, those things are totally opposite of each other.' You could almost see Joe Buck slap his forehead and rub his face in despair before he said, "Yes, Papelbon has that 'devil may care' attitude during off-times, but when he's on the mound he's dead serious."

Says something so absurd that it actually makes you holler, "What the hell are you talking about, Tim McCarver??" This one's the Big Kahuna -- you have to chug your drink when this happens. It usually happens at least three times per game.

Play along at home, folks!  You're likely to be half in the bag by the 6th inning, which makes the last three innings that much more fun.  Additions to the Tim McCarver Drinking Game list are welcome and encouraged!

I'm tired of reading Pats-hate, mostly because I don't understand it.  Unless you are a sour grapes sports fan who always literally hates every team that beats the #### out of your team, of course, which also makes you a ####.  Hey, I understand if you're saying"I hate to play them, because they always beat us, and therefore I hate them".  That's one thing.  But people who hate great teams just because they're great, and only live to tear down whoever is on top are just MORONS.

I could see hating Brady because of his squeaky-clean image, but a guy who takes care of business and plays with the physical and mental toughness that he does gets a pass (pardon the pun) for his annoying whiteness.  They have smart, tough, veteran leadership, and a self-policing locker room.  Any club that can tame both Corey Dillon and Randy Moss and make them upstanding, productive players and good teammates is impressive to me.

Bill Belichick is my favorite coach in all of sports right now.  Why?  BECAUSE HE DOESN'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK.  He looks like he just rolled out of bed and happened to find himself on the sidelines because that's where the paper boy threw his Sunday edition.  He HATES the media, and refuses to play their games, which is admirable in any person.  He cares about NOTHING but winning.  The players on that team shut up and produce, or they don't play.  Period.  He doesn't care if he wins by 3 or by 50.  He couldn't care less if bed-wetting Pats haters or the press think he's "running up the score" -- he's smart enough to know that ANYTHING can happen in the NFL, and no lead less than 5 scores is safe with more than two minutes to go.  If you have some criticism of him, you can take your criticism and ride it on a seatless bike.  As far as that "camera-gate" nonsense goes, it's just that -- a bunch of people making something out of nothing.  I always assumed every team filmed the opponents' sidelines; I was actually surprised to hear it was against the rules.  if you think the Jets wouldn't have somebody filming the Pats sidelines during the same game, then you're just delusional.

The Patriots do virtually everything the RIGHT WAY, and they contain everything that people complain is lacking in sports -- they play as a team at all times, winning is all that matters, superstars and stats are irrelevant, contracts are low and expectations are high.  Do your job, or don't play.  They have an immense amount of talent and weapons, coaches who know how to manage them, and a head coach who is a first-ballot Hall Of Famer, a genius, and a person who hates the media.  The New England Patriots espouse everything that a sports team and franchise should be about, and if you hate them for any reason other than the fact that they beat the #### out of your team, you are a ####.

I've never known anything about David Garrard other than the rare times I've seen him on Sundays, and the fact that I was glad he got the starting job after being passed over last year for Byron Leftwich. I thought he looked impressive from what I saw, and he's been one of the most consistent QB's in the NFL so far this year. So who knew he was a TOTAL WUSS??

Look, if you are a starting QB in the NFL, in your first year as a starter, playing on Monday Night Football against a division opponent, you DON'T GET "MINOR" ANKLE SPRAINS!! If you can walk into the locker room on your own, with barely a limp, you can walk back out on your own and play. Tape it up, man up, and PLAY. And someone correct me if I'm wrong (and I don't mean that sarcastically), but wasn't the score 7-0 when he left the game?? Your team needs you, your backup is a nobody, and you go into the tank with a one-touchdown deficit after a minor ankle sprain. What a leader.

Roy Williams, receiver for the Lions, is a rotten piece of s***.  There, I said it.  I've heard people say, "Oh, but he's a good guy", and "That's weird, but he's a nice guy and a good player," and blah blah blah.  But NO.  Anybody who says "there's no such thing as a tip" is a rotten piece of s***.  Period.

Maybe he's just a big Steve Buscemi fan, and he idolizes the Mr. Pink character from Reservoir Dogs.  He's the one that said, while sitting around a table with 5 other guys in a diner, "I don't tip."  When the other guys tell him that's ####, he counters with (and I'm paraphrasing), "If somebody gives me exceptional service, I'll give 'em a little something extra.  But I don't tip because society says I have to.  Look, I think it's #### that the government taxes their tips, but that ain't my fault.  Put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, give me something to sign, I'll sign it.  But if they don't like it, they can get a job somewhere else."  And on and on.

So let me say as someone whose income comes from about 50% tips, **** YOU, ROY WILLIAMS.  If a person has a low-medium income, and they can't afford excessive tips, that's one thing.  But if a person is a wealthy professional athlete, there is ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION for not tipping.  And he shouldn't just tip, but tip double what is expected.  Why?  Because he can, and it doesn't hurt him one iota. Not to mention that there's a special corner in hell for non-tippers.

I always liked Roy Williams as an athlete, but knew nothing about him as a person.  But now I know all I need to know.  I don't care if he gives millions to charities, or builds youth centers, or buys his Mama a house, or helps old ladies across the street.  It's all meaningless, empty gestures if at the same time you not only don't tip, but are actually proud of that fact.  If you are one of those people, you not only have no place being a role model for children, but you have no place in human society.  I'll say it again:  **** YOU, ROY WILLIAMS.  I've never said this before, but I hope Brian Urlacher smacks you cross-eyed and you get a career-ending injury this Sunday.  And then you have to work for tips at a biker bar in Detroit for the rest of your life.