The Train Daddy is back with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard!
I will keep this article short and sweet—just a little intro of what you can expect this football season—along with a Titans schedule, a Tennessee Vols schedule and an MTSU 2022 football schedule. Make your schedule out now, and enjoy!
Someone was complaining to me the other day about the heat of July into August, just sitting there crying about it. With no hesitation on my part, I smacked that dude right in the mouth, pointed my finger sternly in his face and told him to “chill out, football is just around the corner, so rejoice my brother!” He started to cry and then thanked me for the awakening.
Did Ric Flair at age 73 complain about the heat of Titans camp the other day when he stopped by to say “what’s up” to and drop some of that Ric Flair drip on the entire team? Hell no, he didn’t!
Flair said “Woooooooo!” followed by “my favorite player in the NFL right now is Derrick Henry. I hated him at Alabama, I love him here.” Flair, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, was a longtime South Carolina Gamecocks fan—SEC rivals of Henry’s Alabama. He decided to stop by the Titans training camp just before his last wrestling match was held in Nashville, his juice basically guaranteeing a Titans push into the playoffs this season. Titan Up!
True story: About 10 seasons ago I was walking outside of Titans stadium and walked right into Ric Flair. He was shouting “Woooooooo!” to everyone he passed, and a little bit of that Flair juice must have rubbed off on me. The Titans won that game, and I felt a tingle that didn’t leave for months. I think Flair just brings good luck.
It truly is amazing how much the game of football means to so many people. It’s just a game, they say! Is it? I mean, truly, is it just a game? Because for me and so many others it’s a getaway from the struggles of life, a getaway from the hustle and bustle of this crazy world. It’s an opportunity to see friends and family who share that same passion and genuinely have moments with those loved ones while cheering and eating some serious grub! Race, gender and politics make little difference in the world of sports. It’s about coming together and cheering for a common goal. Sports have always united people, despite other differences, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch.
It’s why I and so many others pushed back on the BS when ESPN and sports leagues tried to push political, social justice nonsense down our throats. The Colin Kaepernick situation was a circus. By no means is ESPN perfect these days but they truly are much better. The network’s ratings were in the dumps during that time, and they learned a lesson. Folk want sports with a side of sports, not sports with a side of politics. Remember when the leagues put BLM all over everything? Notice that they don’t do that anymore?
So many people put the black fist as their image on different social media accounts as if that woke them up to injustice. I knew that was nonsense from the beginning, watching people on TV burning and looting stores while waving BLM flags. The NBA made a mockery of common sense during that period. Then it turns out those in charge of the actual BLM movement were spending all that money on mansions and toys.
It’s why you don’t hear much about it these days, because everyone who supported BLM and acted like it was the most important movement ever realized later they got played.
These networks and leagues don’t give two turds about that stuff at the end of the day. They acted like they did because of peer pressure. The bottom line will always be ratings, and that equals money. ESPN realized those both got better when they stopped talking about politics, with stellar ratings this year after hitting all-time lows in 2020. My advice? Keep it that way!
I figured I should get that out of my system before next month’s issue and the beginning of football season. Because starting in September I will focus on what is going on with the Titans and Vols on the field and I am looking forward to those monthly breakdowns. Don’t worry, though, I will occasionally still rant about topics, as some of you have grown to expect. We live in a world where it seems more and more people are afraid to give honest opinions on hot topics and speak out against the status quo. Cancel culture is a real thing.
I didn’t mean to get rambling like that, but passion hit me when I was talking about how much passion my household has for the game. It got me thinking about how sports are a getaway from life’s problems for many fans. These commissioners would do well to remember that and rein that nonsense in if it gets loud again. Like I said, most people want sports with a side of sports, not sports with a side of victim mentality.
Well, that’s all I have for you this issue. Stay tuned for my in-depth Titans talk as we enter September and edge closer to the Titans 9/11 home opener vs. the Giants.
I wish you all a beautiful month. Stay cool in this hot weather and be thankful you live in the greatest country in the world. God bless you all. Titan up, and yee-yee, Tennessee.
The Train is rolling back into the station. Choo-choo!
