Reader here, and one great thing about this time of year, is that there’s so much football to enjoy!
Of course, the CFL season is in full swing, as everybody knows, the season truly begins after Labour Day, as the sprint for the playoffs begin. Hopefully the Saskatchewan Roughriders can turn things around. After going 5-1 to start the season, they’ve been in a freefall, going winless in their last seven, to fall to third in the West. Fingers crossed the Green & White can right the ship.
Of course, university football is underway, with the Saskatchewan Huskies and Regina Rams looking to claim a Canada West title, and head to the Vanier Cup.
U.S. college football is underway, with the powerhouse teams battling for a national championship.
Junior football has the Saskatoon Hilltops and Regina Thunder looking to dominate once again.
Minor football is in full swing, at all youth levels, and high school action on the gridiron is off and running, with young athletes of all ages looking to thrill family and friends and gain glory for their schools.
And, of course, Week #1 of the 2024 NFL season wraps up tonight, with the San Francisco 49ers home to the New York Jets.
I’ve always been an NFL fan, but I admit, I’ve become even more so since I started playing fantasy football. It gives you a rooting interest beyond your own teams!
Of course, when it comes to football, the Riders are my #1. They always will be. But my #2? The Tennessee Titans.
Why is that?
Well, it started back when they were still the Houston Oilers, with former CFL star Warren Moon lighting it up down in Texas. I thought it was cool that Moon, who led Edmonton to five straight Grey Cup titles, was able to go down south and be successful there. So they kind of became my team, along with the Philadelphia Eagles (who had one of my other favourite players, Randall Cunningham, played out of the same city as my beloved Flyers, and had sweet uniforms, that made them look like the Riders! But, I digress…)
When Bud Adams couldn’t get a new stadium built in Houston, he packed up his team and moved them to Tennessee, where they played a couple seasons as the Tennessee Oilers, before officially becoming the Titans in 1999, when they had their most successful season, when they finished the regular season 13-3, and made the playoffs as a wild-card team.
In that wild card game, they faced the Buffalo Bills, where the most memorable play in Titans history occurred… the “Music City Miracle.”
That unforgettable last-second play, in which Titans tight end Frank Wycheck tossed a lateral across the field to wide receiver Kevin Dyson, who took it 75 yards to the house, for the game-winning touchdown that shocked both the Bills and the NFL and brought boundless joy to Titans’ fans everywhere. It’s moments like these that remind us why we love the game so much. The excitement, the disbelief, and the rush of happiness that followed is something we’ll cherish forever. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just love a good underdog story, it’s hard not to smile thinking about it.
Of course, the Titans advanced to Super Bowl XXXIV, to face the NFC champion St. Louis Rams, and after the ecstasy of the “Music City Miracle,” we Titan fans experienced the flip side. The agony of coming up just short.
Tennessee was trailing late in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Steve McNair led a drive that had the Titans knocking on the door. Six seconds left, first and goal at the Rams’ 10-yard line… McNair fired a pass to Dyson, who was wrapped up around the two yard line, and stretched out with the ball as far as he could. And came up one yard short. Rams win, 23-16, heartbreak for the Titans and us fans.
Every now and then, we look back at the moments that shaped us as fans, and Kevin Dyson being just one yard short is one of those bittersweet memories. The sight of him stretching out in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXIV is still so clear, isn’t it? While it was heart-wrenching to come so close yet fall just shy of the goal, it’s a testament to the passion and effort that defines the Titans. Moments like these, filled with both pain and pride, are what make being a fan such a roller coaster.
Over the years, we’ve been able to witness some of the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL in Earl Campbell, Eddie George, and two men who surpassed the 2,000-yard mark for rushing yards in a single season – Chris Johnson, and Derrick Henry, who just joined the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. (It’ll never look right seeing King Henry in Ravens purple!), outstanding QB’s like Moon and McNair, and awesome defensive stars like the “Freak,” Jevon Kearse.
But now, all we Titans need is a Super Bowl title!
I’ve never been able to get down to Nashville to see a game. By the time I do, they’ll likely be into their new stadium, scheduled to be complete in 2027. But it’s definitely on my bucket list!
Titan Up!
