Remember the Titans

Derrick Henry and the Titans have been on a historic run the last few weeks, particularly in the first two rounds of the playoffs.  Henry has been unstoppable in the Titans' upset wins over the Patriots and, last weekend, the Ravens.

Derrick Henry is the only player with two playoff games with over 175 yards rushing in the same season.  He's the only player with three consecutive games of over 180 yards rushing.  He's the only player over an eight game stretch in NFL history to have at least 1,250 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.

And now, the Titans are in the AFC Championship game this weekend against a heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs' team.  The city of Nashville and, really, the entire state of Tennessee, are buzzing with excitement over this run by the Titans.  It reminds me of 1999, when the Titans played the Rams in their lone Super Bowl appearance, in the sense that everyone is talking about them.

I must say, thought, that it's been bittersweet for me not to be able to share the Titans' unexpected success this season with my mom.  She absolutely loved the Titans.  She watched every game, then listened to Mark Howard and crew on the postgame show.  During the week, she listened to George Plaster and Willie Daunic on Plaster's radio show.  All Titans' talk during the fall and early winter and she loved every minute of it.

After every Titans' game, especially the last few years before her memory failed her, I called her.  We had a routine that made us both laugh.

If the Titans won, when she answered my call, I'd say "how 'bout my Titans?!?"

If the Titans lost, I'd say "how 'bout your Titans?!?"

In recent years, there were more Titans' losses than wins, or so it seemed.  After losses, my mom would laugh that infectious laugh of her and ask "how come they're your Titans when they win and my Titans when they lose."  We would laugh together, then break down he game, big play by big play.

As a gift to my mom, I framed the front pages of the Tennessean after the "Music City Miracle" win over the Buffalo Bills and the AFC Championship win over the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 1999 season, which she hung on the wall in the playroom of her house.  She also hung on the wall an autographed painting of Eddie George and replicas of the Titans' logo and football helmet.  She even had a ticket - still in a lanyard - from a Titans' game I took her to long, long ago.  All of those hung on her walls in the playroom for more than 20 years, happy memories from days gone by for a Titans' fan like her.

Last Sunday, J.P. and I removed all of my mom's Titans' paraphernalia from the playroom wall (along with other sports memorabilia), in preparation for the upcoming estate sale at her house.  It was cruel irony, I guess, to be taking down and sorting through those things in the midst of the Titans' unexpected run of success in the 2020 NFL playoffs.  I was more than a little sad because I knew how much fun she would have had the past two weekends.

The word that comes to mind that best describes how I feel about the Titans' success is bittersweet.

It's been great to watch the games - and talk about the games and the team - with J.P. and Joe.  Part of growing up as a sports' fan is watching your team, on pins and needles, living and dying with every play.  In their lifetimes, they've never seen a Titans' team that went on a run like this, so it's been fun to share it with them.

However, with each win, I can't help but think about how my mom would've enjoyed this Titans' season.  I feel cheated, in a way, that I didn't get to share it with her.

One last time.

How 'bout your Titans, mom!?!