Good news, folks: the mystery's been solved. Vince Young wasn't suspended for the Titans first preseason game for strangling a stripper, or brandishing a firearm while wearing his jersey, but because of something much more sinister: He slept in his own bed instead of at the hotel with the rest of the team. Young broke curfew by spending Friday night at home instead of at the hotel where the team stays during camp. Players with less than four years experience are required to stay at the hotel.I expect the Justice Department to seek an indictment, which means Young could be in the same situation as Ron Mexico.
In truth, this is pretty small potatoes, and it sounds like head coach Jeff Fisher was more interested in sending his second-year quarterback a message than actually meting out a stiff punishment: "I made a decision to not allow Vince to play in the ball game for violating a team rule, period. End of story ... He will be back practicing Monday with his teammates. He is our starting quarterback and we like him. He is going to be a good quarterback. ... I am done talking about it.''
The Tennessean's Jim Wyatt makes the point that it wasn't the Titans who were the big losers Saturday: "As Young suffered the consequences of breaking a rule, so did the LP Field crowd that watched four quarters of dull football." I watched the first half and I can't disagree.
Let's just hope Young never does something like this again. If not for himself, for the fans.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-12-2007 @ 12:14PM
Makendoo said...
I applaud Coach Fisher's judgment and insistance that young Vince(reverse is on purpose)learn to obey the rules. Many young and talented athletes never reach their full potential or miss real greatness because they are allowed to break the small rules and they go on to break bigger rules. Rank does not have its privileges on an NFL team and Vince needs to understand that lesson. VY's team needs a real leader who leads by example; it is his responsibility to set the example. He is destined to be one of the "great ones" if he learns that rules are for every body.
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8-12-2007 @ 12:59PM
MRJ said...
He sure looked guilty of something when he was trying to hide from the camera on the sidelines LOL
Fisher just killed two birds with one stone; sent a message to the team and to his young star franchise QB that no one is above the rules, and sat him out so he did not get hurt in a meaningless game.
It looked like Kerry Collins wanted the "hook" after Laron Landry hit him once in the ribs!
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8-12-2007 @ 5:28PM
jason said...
The good thing is that everyone can see without Vince that the O line isn't that good and there is no deep threat in the receivers. The running game is pretty bad as well. Interesting to see what the team will do when Vince plays. He seems to be able to make other defenses have to adjust and that takes the pressure off of the O line and makes space for the running game.
The Titans would be lucky to win 2 games this year without Vince.
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8-12-2007 @ 6:56PM
George B Vieto said...
Suspending Vince Young for sleeping in his own bed instead of the Heartbreak Hotel? Dumb.
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8-12-2007 @ 7:23PM
John Doe said...
what a team of misfits and lawbreakers.
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8-13-2007 @ 2:06PM
Cy Bangers said...
Great job coach Fisher! You could fool Titans fans some of the time, but not all football fans all the time. I don't believe for one moment that the suspension of Vince Young was entirely due in part of breaking team rules (sleeping at home). It's the "Jeff Fishers Way" of protecting the quarter back from getting hurt in first season game, thereby saving his own skin [Fisher's job] this season. What an honorable man? Why not implement suspension in second preseason game? Conspiracy Theory-called it what you want. The proof is in the pudding.
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8-20-2007 @ 2:10PM
tcukb said...
I guess I understand why Coach Fisher wants Vince to know that being Rookie of the Year and starting quarterback doesn't exempt him from rules other rookies and sophomores have to follow. But Jeez, Jeff! Couldn't he have figured a way to make your point without punishing fans more than punished Vince? If all he did was sleep in his own bed, there must have been some punishment that wouldn't have left 70,000 paying fans in stadium and millions watching on TV sorely disappointed. Can anyone imagine how our backup quarterbacks could have been more inept?
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