Running off on the typewriter …
Don’t blow this, Jacksonville Jaguars.
This is your probability to lastly finish the decades-long “Curse of the Titans” as soon as and for all.
Come sit on ol’ grandpappy’s knee and let me inform you a narrative about one thing that occurred a very long time in the past and the way it pertains to the up-and-coming Jaguars taking part in the fading Tennessee Titans in Jacksonville on Saturday night time with the AFC South title and a spot within the playoffs going to the winner.
In my thoughts, as somebody who was there greater than 20 years in the past for one more essential sport towards Titans, the Jags have an opportunity to regain the delight and fervour the Titans sucked from the franchise and town of Jacksonville all these years in the past. Yes, consider or not, the Titans truly did extra to damage the franchise than Urban Meyer.
You see, the Jaguars had an NFL-best 14-2 report through the 1999 common season, with the one two losses coming to the Titans. And, as destiny would have it, those self same Titans got here to city once more to play the Jags within the AFC Championship Game for the appropriate to go to the Super Bowl.
At the time, I used to be a columnist on the Florida Times-Union and I’ve by no means been in a metropolis that felt so alive and euphoric main as much as a sporting occasion. There was a ballot achieved by Jacksonville University a few weeks earlier than the sport that discovered that just about 80 % of town felt good about the place they lived and most of these surveyed listed the Jaguars as the highest purpose.
No approach would these Jags lose a 3rd time to Tennessee, proper? The Jags — with dynamic quarterback Mark Brunell, superb receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, a pulvering offensive line led by Hall-of-Famer Tony Boselli and an electrical working again in Fred Taylor — had been just too dominant. They opened the playoffs with a traditionally lopsided 62-7 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins in what could be the final NFL sport for legendary quarterback Dan Marino and legendary coach Jimmy Johnson.
After such a message-sending victory, it was unfathomable that the Titans would roll into Jacksonville the next week and beat the Jags — once more! Which, in fact, is strictly what occurred. And they didn’t simply beat the Jags, they embarrassed them.
The Jaguars led 14-10 at halftime after which merely self-destructed. The Jaguars dedicated six turnovers and the Steve McNair-quarterbacked Titans scored 23 unanswered factors within the second half to advance to the Super Bowl with a 33-14 victory. The Jaguars completed 15-3 — the one time in NFL historical past {that a} 3-loss crew had all of its defeats administered by the identical opponent.
Right after the sport ended, I can nonetheless bear in mind some of the violent, drenching thunderstorms I’ve ever skilled unleashing its rage on town. As I wrote on the time, “It was almost as if the gridiron gods were officially dousing the flames of a once-fervent franchise.”
“It’s going to take us a long, long time to recover from this game,” receiver Smith stated on the time.
So lengthy, the truth is, the Jaguars nonetheless haven’t actually recovered.
Oh, certain, they’ve made the playoffs a few occasions and had that fluky season in 2017 once they nearly beat the Patriots to get to the Super Bowl. But, for essentially the most half, the franchise has by no means, ever been the identical.
Do not blow this, Jaguars.
This is your probability to lastly regain the delight and self-respect Tennessee took from you on Jan 23, 2000.
Remember the Titans! …
Short stuff: Mikey likes: Jags over Titans by 10, Bucs over Falcons by 3, Jets over Dolphins by 4, Kevin McCarthy over recalcitrant House Republicans on 945th vote by Super Bowl Sunday. … On a associated matter, the one one who’s been rejected extra occasions than Kevin McCarthy was me on promenade night time. … Repeat after me: We, UCF Knights followers, resolve in 2023 to spend extra time having fun with the wins and fewer time complaining in regards to the losses. … Speaking of UCF, I really like the hiring of former Knights quarterback Darin Hinshaw because the Knights’ new offensive coordinator. It’s good to see any person who bleeds black and gold on Gus Malzahn’s teaching workers. …
After greater than two years recovering from a severe knee harm, Jonathan Isaac is again training with the Magic and will make his return to sport motion very quickly. Hallelujah and Happy New Year, Magic followers. … I’m not saying NBA officiating doesn’t enable groups to play actual protection anymore, however is it actually needed for the refs to construct a human wall so Luka Doncic can have a transparent path to the basket? … Repeat after me:
We, the Florida Gators, resolve in 2023 to spend extra money hiring soccer gamers than we spend on hiring soccer workers members. …
The vacation season was full of mass chaos, companywide ineptitude and hundreds of indignant prospects venting their frustrations. No, I’m not speaking about Southwest Airlines; I’m speaking about Michigan followers on Twitter reacting to the loss to TCU. … I acquired a brand new air fryer for Christmas. … A second of silence, please, Barbara Walters has simply been admitted into journalism heaven and has satisfied God Himself to grant her an unique interview. My favourite Walters quote about interviewing celebrities: “Wait for those unguarded moments. Relax the mood and, like the child dropping off to sleep, the subject often reveals his truest self.” …
Repeat after me: We, the Florida State Seminoles, resolve in 2023 to chorus from gift-wrapping wins to inferior opponents like Wake Forest and NC State. … I don’t need to hear one other peep about how essential NIL is in constructing a university soccer powerhouse. Four phrases: Tulane 46, USC 45. … By the way in which, nothing drives me crazier than all of the grumpy pants on the market who complain about what number of faculty soccer bowl video games are on TV. Here’s an concept: Don’t watch them and shut up. You need to know why there are such a lot of bowl video games? As Stewart Mandel, faculty soccer editor for the Athletic, tweeted out a number of days in the past: “The most watched thing on television on Friday, Dec. 23 — encompassing all programs, not just sports — was the Wake Forest vs. Missouri Gasparilla Bowl (3.54 million viewers).” … I miss fullbacks. …
Tom Brady threw for 432 yards, together with three lengthy TD passes to the beforehand invisible Mike Evans, final week towards Carolina. Could the previous GOAT be waking up simply in time for his annual Super Bowl pilgrimage? … Dave Hyde, the esteemed columnist of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and famous Miami Dolphins historian, writes that if the ‘Phins fail to make the playoffs this weekend, it will be the biggest collapse in franchise history. In other words, Mike McDaniel will have done something in his first year that mediocre former coaches Dave Wannstedt, Cam Cameron, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase and others never accomplished — a complete and utter end-of-the-season disintegration. … I know he doesn’t play an attractive place like Dillon Gabriel or Ryan O’Keefe, however for my cash, longtime UCF middle Matt Lee, an Orlando native, is UCF’s largest switch portal loss to this point. … Repeat after me: We, the Orlando Magic, resolve in 2023 to have extra gamers in uniform than now we have gamers in road garments. …
Last phrase: “Wherever you go, there are three icons that everyone knows: Jesus Christ, Pele and Coca-Cola.” — Pele, the worldwide soccer legend who handed away a number of days in the past on the age of 82
Email me at [email protected]. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and take heed to my Open Mike radio present each weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and HD 101.1-2
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Source: www.bostonherald.com