This post is an experiment that uses the RSS feed from the search feature of Twitter for the term “titans.” It is supposed to update throughout the day with any post to Twitter that includes the word “Titans” (note to Twitter users: you do NOT have to use a “#” (hash mark) for your tweet to show up). I’ve already noticed what I consider to be a glitch. The feed does not identify the user name of the person adding the comment. However, as this is an experiment set up in about five minutes using the “widget maker” SprintWidgets, I’ll let it go. Warning: Anything with the word Titans will show up in this feed, so there will be some random things that show up. Also, I have no idea what type of lag-time there will be between the time a tweet is posted and time it shows up here.

Today, Yahoo! announced the release of Fire Eagle, a service that, according to Search Engine Land, “is intended to be something of a ‘clearinghouse’ or ’switchboard’ for location and help users ‘manage location’ across the internet and on mobile applications.”

Those of you who know what this means, raise your hands. Okay. That’s what I thought. Actually, I’m not blogging about what the service does. I’m blogging about Fire Eagle’s logo. I’m outraged! Yahoo! would infringe on the Tennessee Titans’ famed “flaming thumbtack” logo. While I’m sure that Yahoo!’s designer intentionally meant to make their logo look like a flaming thumbtack and with the Titan’s designer’s, it was just good ol’ dumb luck, I still think consumers may be confused by the remarkably similar flaming thumbtack images.

To protest Yahoo!’s blatant disregard for my home team’s copyrighted logo, I have decided that when I attend Titans games, I will not use Fire Eagle to manage my location across the internet and on mobile applications.

I agree with Matt Wilson of the Nashville City Paper who believes the Tennessee Titans need a fight song. It’s crazy that an NFL team whose home-town is Music City USA has no fight song. When they were the Houston Oilers, they had one — the same one the Miami Dolphins have, except for the obvious substitution of names. Here’s that blast from the Franchise history’s past. (Warning: Listening to either the Dolphins or Oilers songs can cause irreparable damage to some part of your brain.)

While I’m not that familiar with many NFL fight songs, I’m a fairly astute player of “name that tune” when it involves college fight songs. However, there is one NFL fight song that I do know and love: The Redskins Fight Song. It has somewhat of a sordid past as some of its earlier versions flunked political correctness tests on multi-levels. For example, in addition to the obvious native-American issues, the line “fight for old D.C.,” used to be “fight for old Dixie” — back when the Redskins were the only NFL team below-the-Mason-Dixon Line.

When I lived in Washington in the early 1980s, I was a big Redskins fan (how could I not be when they played in two Superbowls — and won one — while I lived there?). I’ve long-since transferred my NFL fanaticism to the Titans, but I still get all fired up when I hear Hail to the Redskins. Now that’s a fight song, complete with a spot for a good, screaming: Rah! Rah! Rah!.

For the record, there has been a “team song” for the Titans/Oilers franchise since it moved to Tennessee. Before the team’s name was changed to the Titans, Ronnie Dunn (of Brooks & Dunn) co-wrote and recorded a team song that was distributed to fans on a CD. I can’t remember anything about it other than it was really bad. (Sidenote: Proof once again: You can find anything on eBay.)

I’ve tried to eschew the whole Michael Vick thing as I find the topic of dog-fighting disgusting. However, as the NFL-precedent that appears to be coming into play is a topic I’ve touched on during the past three falls (we’re moving in that direction, folks), I decided to point to this NY Times article about Vick and comment on the following sentence from it:

“The league has held off disciplining Vick in part because he does not have a lengthy history of legal trouble since entering the NFL, as players like Pacman Jones did when they were suspended.”

I believe we should go ahead and declare the word “Pacman” to be a verb, as in, “the NFL should Pacman him — suspend him until the matter works its way through the court. If that takes six months, then Pacman them for six months. After the courts have their say, then the NFL can tack on any additional league penalties it wants.”

The phrase “Michael Vick does not have a lengthy history of legal trouble” can be easily translated: “Michael Vick has never been caught before.” To believe otherwise would require the suspension of ones common sense in knowing dog-fighting at the level to which Vick was involved is not something that suddenly just happens.

If BusinessWeek, Forbes or Fortune call about doing a glowing cover story on you and your company, well, suggest they feature your competition. Via Stephen Baker (who recalls writing a 1998 cover story for BW on Nokia that later rode its industry’s roller coaster up and down and up after that), here’s a study (PDF) that suggests companies that have either a negative or positive cover story later “regress towards the mean.” (Stephen is completing a book on math, so using terms like “regress towards the mean” comes natural for him.)

The “cover curse” is not limited to business magazines. Back in January of 2002, I pointed to this cover story of Sports Illustrated that explored its cover curse. As the history of that magazine’s cover-curse involves at least one person who died two-days after being featured on the cover, I’m sure her loved-ones would not be comforted by the notion that her death was just a small equation in a much-bigger regression model. However, I’m sure some actuary could crunch the numbers to predict what ones chances are for stepping in front of a bus right after appearing on the cover of a specific magazine.

Speaking of cover curses, around our house, we’re hoping there’s no truth to the Madden curse, as our favorite quarterback is gracing the cover of Madden NFL 2008.

From The Onion: Pac-Man Jones: ‘I Will Be Nowhere Near Next Friday’s Strip-Club Stabbing’

Quote:

“LOS ANGELES—Suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam “Pac-Man” Jones called a press conference Tuesday in order to emphasize that he will be nowhere near a possibly fatal stabbing that will occur during a fight involving several members of his entourage and the bartender at an L.A.–area strip club this coming Friday….Manny Arora, Jones’ attorney, said that Jones was “genuinely sorry in advance” about the incident, but was not at liberty to answer questions regarding his relationship with the one to three men who will be seen fleeing the vicinity covered in blood. Jones refused to confirm that the weapon to be used in the stabbing, a seven-inch pearl-handled hunting knife, will in fact be given to one of the men by Jones himself this coming Friday morning.”

Whoever wrote this was at their top form.

More.

The Tennessean and every sports wireservice in America is reporting that Police in Atlanta are investigating suspended Tennessee Titan Pacman Jones in connection with an early morning shooting outside a Dekalb County strip club.

On April 10th, I blogged this: “I think Adam Jones is “salvagable” (as the term has been used) and I hope he plays for the Titans again one day. However, I think there’s little chance that Jones can be away from football for a year and not be around the trouble that seems always to occur whenever he is around.”

A condition of his current NFL suspension is clearly stated: “He must have no more run-in with law enforcement.” Also, when he was suspended, NFL Commissioner Goodell accompanied it with this emphatic quote: “I must emphasize to you that this is your last opportunity to salvage your NFL career…I urge you to take full advantage of the resources available to support you in that effort.”

His days in the NFL are over. His days being blogged about here are over too. Sad. I liked him. I felt for him. But this train wreck was inevitable.

Tennessean.com: The suspensions were for “violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy and engaging in conduct detrimental to the league on numerous occasions,” the league announced.”

ESPN:

Jones’ suspension carries the following conditions:

He must have no more run-in with law enforcement.

He must comply with all required counseling, education, and treatment assigned by the NFL or the judicial system.

He must obey the restrictions that have been agreed to by he and the Titans.

He may not be at the Titans’ facility through May 31 and may not participate in any practices or workouts during his suspension. Starting June 1, he must visit the team facility once per week to meet with the team’s player development director. Also, beginning June 1, he is permitted to spend one day a week at the team facility for conditioning, film study, and other activities.

In conjunction with the Titans, Jones must develop a structured program of community service or other activity. This program must be submitted to the NFL for approval.

NFL.com: “I must emphasize to you that this is your last opportunity to salvage your NFL career,” Commissioner Goodell wrote to Jones… “I urge you to take full advantage of the resources available to support you in that effort.”

Observation: I think Adam Jones is “salvagable” (as the term has been used) and I hope he plays for the Titans again one day. However, I think there’s little chance that Jones can be away from football for a year and not be around the trouble that seems always to occur whenever he is around.

My colleague Hudge is coping with the pressures of an editorial deadline by forwarding me a list of 20,000 ‘Adam Pacman Jones’ anagrams. Also, for some reason, the creators of an R-Rated, not-safe-for-work, (I mean it) Pacman-related bit of video satire alerted me of its existence. I guess they hoped I would link to it. I would never link to such mature content, however.

Choice: Pacman Jones attorneys swooped into Nashville yesterday to make the round of media interviews to say, “Jones ‘is truly sorry’ and wants to publicly apologize. When the time is right…Jones will talk to everybody and answer questions ‘from his childhood to the present.’”

The Tennessean is reporting that Las Vegas police are recommending the district attorney file three charges against Titans cornerback Pacman Jones for his role in a Feb. 19 melee that may have set off a triple shooting at a strip club — misdemeanor battery, misdemeanor threat to life and felony coercion.

From the here we go again department, Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones was at the scene of a triple shooting at the Minxx Gentleman’s Club in Las Vegas Monday morning around 5 a.m. He was in town for the NBA All Star Game. He told his attorney Monday night he was not involved in the shooting. (Quote: “Man, I am not a suspect and didn’t have anything to do with this.”) According to the Tennessean, Jones was among a number of celebrities at the club, including rapper Nelly, when the shooting erupted.

I wonder if Pacman Jones will play himself when this is made into an episode of CSI?

No comments have been issued yet by his neighbor, George Jones.

I’ll be cheering today for the Baltimore “Rav-ans” in their NFL playoff game with the Indianapolis Colts. Specifically, I’ll be cheering for these three Titans (they’ll never be “former Titans” to me): Steve McNair (#9), Derrick Mason (#85), Samari Rolle (#22).

Later: Quoth the Raven: “Not this year.”

Technorati Tags: nfl, rav-ans, titans

[From the Tennessean] “Titans General Manager Floyd Reese, the man responsible for building the team through the NFL draft and free agency, has resigned.”

Observation: My guess for ‘who done it’? Jeff Fisher in the front office with a lead pipe. Or perhaps they just had someone meet him at the entrance to the practice facilities and tell him he wasn’t allowed to come in today because, well, his health insurance would not cover any injury that might occur to him walking down the hall.

Oops. I just broke that resolution not to sound “mean.”

Technorati Tags: titans

Some who read this blog will know how I enjoy the antics of certain trolls who know that, by pressing a certain button, they can ignite a firestorm of blog posts. If you listen to sports radio or read fan blogs, you’ll know trolls exist also in the sporting world — and they make Internet trolls look lame by comparison. Right now, the ESPN analyst Merril Hoge has got to be laughing uncontrollably at how he can so easily stir up Titans fans by continuing his season-long dissing of NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Vince Young. Why do Titans and VY fans care? Vince won. It’s not like when the Downtown Athletic Club awarded the 2005 Heisman Trophy to Reggie Bush and then Vince Young had the pleasure of humiliating USC on national TV to prove he actually deserved it. This time, the voting is over. The ballots are in. Vince won. It wasn’t even close. Reggie Bush, who Hoge thinks should have won, came in last among those who received votes. Only three of 50 votes went to Bush. Last place. You don’t have to convince Merril Hoge of anything. He doesn’t matter. He’s just being a troll. Okay. I got that off my chest.

Technorati Tags: titans, vince young