Heroes: I feel kinda silly. I mean, here I am, this grown-man all bummed out about a football player becoming a free agent. I mean, grow up.

But here I am, grieving and moaning as the reality sinks in regarding the news that Eddie George has been granted his request to be released from the Titans. I knew the day would come. I knew, NFL cap situation and incentive-threatening-playing-time-cutbacks and agents and ego and you-name-it being what they are, the chance of Eddie George finishing his career as a Titan was remote. However, I wanted to believe.

In five seasons as the Titans (ask anyone, the first two “Oilers” years don’t count), the team has more wins than any other NFL team. All but one year, they’ve made the playoffs and have made it as far as the Super Bowl. Great legends like Bruce Matthews and Frank Wycheck have retired and we’ve had our share of still-greats like Jevon Kearse leave via the free agent route. We’ve learned to accept those ebbs and flows of the NFL. But today, a new reality of the NFL is finally sinking in to a lot of folks in Nashville.

That’s because to us first generation Titans fans, Eddie George not only is a Titan; he is the Titans. He’s the Titans personified, incarnate. He’s bigger than life on and off the field. His work ethic is legendary. His leadership, inspiring. He never gave up nor did he allow his teammates or fans to give up. Face it, the chants of Ed-die, Ed-die will echo up the Cumberland from the Coliseum forever. In our innocent hearts and minds, there could never be the Titans without Eddie. Never. But, alas.

I don’t care how old I am or one day will be, there is something about becoming an NFL home team football fan that allows me to revisit childhood and recall what it’s like to pretend football players are heroes. Sure, I’m fully aware that human limitations of the real-people who play football mean they rarely measure up to the myth. But as long as there are Eddie Georges, I can still pretend.

(P.S. For the record, Steve McNair will never become a free agent. Or grow older and retire, for that matter. No way.)

News you can use: I don’t know how it always happens: Whenever this weblog is about to start dieting, every article we read is about Hostess Twinkies and new glazed frozen beverages. (Ummmmm. Glazed frozen beverages.) (via BoingBoing)

Listed: Jeff Jarvis has a great list of media-focused (and other) weblogs. Of course, one of the reasons we think it’s great is that he included a link this way. We are humbled.

Fat chance: Whew. You don’t want to know. Anyway, if I’d been here earlier I would have probably pointed to this NYT story about the National Geographic cover story on obesity and its irony considering that the anti-apple-pie crowd at the Center for Science in the Public Interest are whining about National Geographic Kids encouraging kids to get fat by carrying advertising from fine products like Hostess Twinkies and Kellogg’s Smorz Cereal (Ummmm. Smorz Cereal).

(Side note: I would like to observe that the article marks the first time I have noticed the by-line “Nat Ives” on a magazine-related article in the NYT. Nat Ives? Natives? It’s always neat when one has parents with a sense of humor.)

Blogging lite: As this is “one of those days,” there will be little blogging until this afternoon.

More RSS feeds: The WSJ now has RSS feeds, as does Boston.com and as noted a couple days ago, the NYT has expanded its RSS offerings. (via PaidContent.org)