Tonight On Sports Extra!

Hey, need YOUR help tonight on Sports Extra. We are talking Titans, Free Agency and the NFL Combine and we’d like your input. Let us know which potential Titan Free Agent you’d most like the club retain and why.

Thanks!

Cory

Dores Make Statement

Vanderbilt was hoping to make a statement to the nation last Saturday against Kentucky, they came up short losing by 2. Tonight though they may have made a bigger statement beating Georgia 96-94 in overtime.

No, it shouldn’t have been that close, but it was and they won. Vandy clearly had a UK hangover and Kevin Stallings did not duck that issue in his post game press conference. His guys answered the challenge though.

They trailed by 6 points with 53 seconds to play, they had no business winning, but they did. Jermaine Beal hit a late shot, Andre Walker hit several, so did freshman John Jenkins. NO ONE shriveled under the pressure, they stepped up and that’s what the good teams do. They win, even when they’re not suppose to.

Free Agency Looms For Titans

The free agent period of the NFL year is just over one week away and the Tennessee Titans remain a mystery. What will they do? Where will they spend? Will they spend.

The answers will start to come March 5th when it gets underway, that’s also the last day to negotiate a new labor deal for the 2010 season. Without a new deal it will be an “uncapped season”, leaving teams to spend freely.

The first date to look for though is March 4th, that’s when teams have to tender offers to restricted free agents and the Titans have more than a few of those including Tony Brown and LenDale White. Brown would seem to be a target for a longer extension, but don’t expect the Titans to just let him slip away.

If you’re looking for a superstar in free agency, you’ll be disappointed. That’s not the way this organization rolls and it rarely seems to work. In the past they’ve spent mid-range money on quality players like David Thornton, Chris Hope, Nate Washington and Kevin Mawae. That type of player will likely be back on the radar this spring.

The Indianapolis Colts declined to Franchise Tag defensive captain Gary Brackett, but contend they would still like to work out a long term deal. This could be another opportunity for the Titans to strengthen their defense and tear down the Colts at the same time.

Who Needs Fighting? Not Olympic Hockey

I’ve had this discussion before, but I’ll bring it up again. Over and over I tell people I don’t believe the NHL needs fighting to be successful. 99 percent of the time they tell me I AM WRONG!!! The buildings would be empty because of all those non-traditional hockey fans who show up to see the gloves come off. That’s not true, just look at the Olympics.

True, Olympic hockey is loaded with the best players in the world, but it’s spectacular. The speed, passion and skill brought in each game is riveting and I don’t ever say to myself, “Man, that would have been better with a fight”.

Hockey logic says without enforcers and fighting teams would take “liberties” with skill players. Maybe, but not if the punishments actually fit the crimes. Head shots can’t be tolerated and neither can the blows to the back.

That’s that. How about Team USA!? I am thrilled to see us back in medal contention and couldn’t be prouder of the effort of Ryan Suter and company.

Another Tragedy With Too Many Victims

At this point, I just don’t know what to think anymore. Another life taken much too quickly. 18-year old Ragaan Bennett shot and killed at home today by his mother’s ex-boyfriend. Bennett is a runningback out of Powder Spring, Georgia and is arguably the most highly rated recruit of the Bobby Johnson era at Vanderbilt.

I feel terribly for him, his family, but also Bobby Johnson. Say what you want about his record, Bobby Johnson is a good man. Would I let my kid play for him? Absolutely.

This is the third time he’s had to pick up the phone and hear one of his players has been shot and the second time that he’s dead. That’s 3-times too many. He has to be asking himself some very difficult questions today and I hope he’s able hang in there and figure it all out. Time is suppose to heal wounds, but Johnson’s seem to keep being reopened.

End of a Titans Era

No, it was not a shock that Craig Hentrich officially retired today after 17 NFL season. Frankly, I would have been much more surprised had he decided to come back. It’s a sentimental day though for Titan fans because it’s the end of an era.

Hentrich and Jevon Kearse are the last 2 remaining members of the Titans Super Bowl team. Hentrich is gone and Kearse won’t be far behind, he becomes a free agent March 5th and I can’t see any way the team brings him back.

The Super Bowl doesn’t seem that long ago, but 10 years is certainly longer than the average NFL career. So, now we have a new cast of Titans desperately in need of building a new legacy, a new defining moment, a new moment in time that connects everyone.

I could run down the stats, but I won’t. I’ll just say “thanks” to Craig for a great career and always being a pro. By the way, if you see him on the golfcourse DO NOT play for money!

Loss Bad For Preds, Reason Worse...

There are a lot of ways to lose games, almost all of them bad. A lack of effort has to be the worsed, but stupidity isn’t far behind.

Tuesday night the Nashville Predators had a nice road win locked up against the Islanders. They led 3-2 with :40 to play when Martin Erat’s brain inexplicably EXPLODED! He put to hands on his stick and planted squarly across the back of one of the Islanders driving him face first into the boards. Even a hockey novice like me knows that call, boarding.

The Islanders pulled the goalie for a 6 on 4 advantage and tied it up with :11 seconds to play before winning in a shootout. It was the kind of loss that makes fans throw out their jerseys! It’s what I call snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and at the “pro” level it is completely unacceptable!!!!

Signing Day 2010

Another signing day is in the books and once again I have mixed emotions. Some fans love signing day and I can not emphasize the word “love” enough, it can be an obsession. I am not one of them. I understand it’s important, but it is not the be all and end all.

I do however get excited for the kids. To see the happiness on James Stone’s face this morning when he signed with Tennessee and the tears welling up in his mother’s eyes as she swelled with pride, that’s what signing day is all about.

By the way, here are the rankings according to Rivals.com of our local teams.
8. Tennessee
61. Vanderbilt
96. Middle Tennessee

A huge “congratulations” goes out to Derek Dooley for the job he did in two weeks. I think Vol fans will enjoy his brand of coaching over the last staff’s bravado.

This is also the highest ranked class of the Bobby Johnson era at Vanderbilt and hopefully is an indication of better things to come. Good luck to all!!!