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Prediction week: This one's about Corey Davis

Prediction week: This one's about Corey Davis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – You want to know what I think the Titans’ record will be and how Marcus Mariota’s stat line will read.

There are things I don’t have a great read on and you know I am not a big predictor. I am no Madame Marie.

But as during the team’s pause between its offseason work and training camp, there are some things I have a strong sense of based on what I’ve seen and heard. So welcome to Prediction Week where I will share some of those.

The first pertains to Corey Davis.DavisPatriots

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Pickers mailbag: Retiring numbers, partial Marcus Mariota and 'Western Stars'

Pickers mailbag: Retiring numbers, partial Marcus Mariota and 'Western Stars'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --  Greetings on what is officially the first day of summer.

That's funny for someone who covers football because we've got about five weeks of summer left as training camp is our busiest time of the year. It's glorious five weeks and I shall milk them for all they are worthy.

I enjoyed your questions this week and my good mood prompts me to unlock this edition of the mailbag.

PK: Here we go again comparing things that are not comparable.

First off, I never said you have to be a Hall of Famer to get your number retired. There are levels of honors. Number retirements are clearly below Hall of Fame.TRac

In the initial ZBo debate, I'd said the Titans weren't retiring numbers and shouldn't be. So I contradicted myself by not reacting negatively when the team decided to retire Steve McNair's 9 and Eddie George's 27. Part of that is that they've pretty much been retire, unworn since those guys took them off for the last time.

But we're not going to pretend the basketball impact of Randolph on Memphis where he was 20 percent of the team when he played and the football impact of McNair and George on Tennessee where they were 9 percent when they played were comparable. They did more with less.

The Griz with Zach Randolph: .582 winning percentage and made it to one conference final.

Titans with McNair/ George: .625 winning percentage and made it to a Super Bowl and another AFC championship game. McNair won an MVP. [Unlocked.]

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As the Titans search for their Smashville, what would you tell them?

As the Titans search for their Smashville, what would you tell them?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As topics go, the Titans’ on-field identity has been a biggie for us during the life of this site.

At the same time, we’ve not talked enough about the franchise’s identity, extending beyond the field.

Screen Shot 2019 06 20 at 9.19.11 AMIt’s clearly something that Amy Adams Strunk is thinking about, as she hired Gil Beverly as vice president of brand, marketing and communication.

I think TitanUp has more than run its course, and what exactly did it ever mean? It’s a catch phrase they stumbled into and grabbed hold of and people say it like robots sometimes.

I don’t want to overly object: It shows fans are looking to connect on some level and the franchise has failed to give them something good to work with.

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A communication alteration in how we operate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In all the ways people can approach me, friend or foe, critic or supporter, I’ve always been pretty good about not letting things get to me outside of the moment.

But I am here to confess that trolls and idiots have begun to take their toll and I need a change. I simply spend too much time on Twitter engaged with people who are either trying to egg me on or who are truly clueless.Twitter

I know it’s dumb, but I get sucked into this hole, and while my intention is to converse with people reacting to my work or asking legitimate questions, I wind up in a defensive mode that doesn’t serve anything and simply has too much power over my mood. And the waves just don’t stop.

That’s not where I want or need to spend my time.

I want to spend it serving the membership here and producing the best radio I can with The Midday 180 and when I pick up my kid I’d like to be less grumpy (even if it’s my natural default).

Not only do I hope to read less, I want to comment less. I don’t need to offer my strong thought on the U.S. Woman’s National Soccer Team or Chernobyl to the world as often. I’ll try to save it for the radio and here.

My Twitter habit is very strong and are going to be hard to break.

But I’m going to make a serious attempt to change them in the next month. While doing so I don’t want to cut off communication with you, as you are the lifeblood of this operation.

So here is my plan.

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Take a Lap: Brent Urban on Ryan Ellis as a teammate, cast-iron steaks and altering passes

Take a Lap: Brent Urban on Ryan Ellis as a teammate, cast-iron steaks and altering passes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- One-time hockey player Brent Urban likes to make a quarterback alter his throw with his giant wingspan, making it hard for him to see where his receivers are.TakeALap 2

He made it hard for me to frame our lap with my long-armed Gimbel, thanks to our 10-inch height difference. I'm sure you will let me know how I did.

We talked about that as well as his ability to eat hot stuff, his abilities as a chef, his failures as a basketball player, his previous work with Dean Pees, his time as a hockey teammate in juniors with Ryan Ellis and how much it bothers him when another big man chooses to sit next to him in tight quarters.

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Pickers Mailbag: Nissan Stadium has tripled its WiFi bandwidth

Pickers Mailbag: Nissan Stadium has tripled its WiFi bandwidth

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Greetings mailbag connoisseurs. I welcome you with open arms.TitansFlameballCloth

My weekend is filled with a big Little League baseball tournament, the U.S. Open and the U.S.’s second game in the Women’s World Cup.

I hope yours is as good and that you have a wonderful Father’s Day. (Here is a great gift idea.) 

If you missed it Wednesday, I sat down with Mike Vrabel for Periscope/ Facebook Live. Many have said that alone is worth the price of admission.

On to your mail.

PK: I dug around on this a bit to provide you with an update.

As for security – There will be more equipment, more lines and better staffing to try to get people into Nissan Stadium more efficiently. The long-term plan, given what the Titans are working with, is to amp up pregame events inside the building in order to prompt more people to want to be in there earlier, alleviating the big push shortly before kickoff.

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Derrick Henry now reviews a video of him in a drill at the beginning

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Not long after Derrick Henry arrived in Music City, he struggled through a drill under the watch of then-running back coach Sylvester Croom.

It was an unsure rookie and an unfamiliar drill, but it was visually arresting for a Heisman Trophy winner and second-round pick.

View this post on Instagram

Derrick Henry footwork. #titans

A post shared by pkuharsky (@pkuharsky) on

As minicamp closed up, after watching him crush similar stuff four years later, I thought it would be interesting to show him that video. And lucky for me he went along with it as he left the field Wednesday.

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As their numbers are officially retired, remembering Steve McNair with Chris Chandler, Eddie George with Deja Voom

As their numbers are officially retired, remembering Steve McNair with Chris Chandler, Eddie George with Deja Voom

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans connect past and present through Mike Vrabel, who played with Eddie George at Ohio State and remembers putting a hit on Steve McNair in a playoff game.

The two best players of the Titans' era of the Oilers/Titans franchise were honored Wednesday with an announcement by Amy Adams Strunk that their numbers will be officially retired at the team’s home opener, on Sept. 15 against the Colts at Nissan Stadium.IMG 3801

The numbers have not been worn since George last played for the Titans on Jan. 10, 2004 in a heartbreaking playoff loss in New England and since McNair last played for the Titans on Christmas Eve of 2005.

They represent the best era of NFL football in Tennessee NFL football, and during their time as teammates, the team’s 80-48 record (.625) ranked third in the NFL behind only the Green Bay Packers’ 88-40 (.688) and the Denver Broncos’ 83-45 (.648).

In those eight years, the duo experienced only one losing season, 7-9 in 2001.

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