NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There have been deleted posts and duplicates by mistake and some news stories I had lined up that didn’t pan out that never went live.IMG 4136

So this post does not technically mark 1,000 pieces at paulkuharsky.com.

But inside the tool where I compose and construct and design the work that appears here, this is post No. 1,000.

And I can’t see that number and not mark the occasion.

We started this deal on July 31, 2017 with Greetings and welcome to PaulKuharsky.com.

And there have been guest posts by Blake Beddingfield and John Glennon and Steve Cavendish, so I’ve not written them all. [Unlocked.]

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Prediction week: This one's about Austin Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Prediction week rolls on, with my second one turning to the defensive side of the ball.

The Titans’ comments regarding Austin Johnson have been odd. Sure there are defensive linemen all over the league who do dirty work without posting stats and deserve credit for that role which creates opportunity for others.

Even non-experts can get a sense of that. And even non-experts can get a sense that Austin Johnson wasn’t giving the Titans a lot of that.AustinJohnson

Dean Pees knows way, way more football than I do, but I was stunned when he listed some very good football players he’s worked with who had dirty-work roles while talking about the low-impact Johnson.

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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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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?

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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YAZOO PODCAST: Bernard Pollard on Marcus Mariota, locker-room sandpaper and the Titans' DBs

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  -- When he saw some tweets about Marcus Mariota's minicamp work last week, former Titans' safety Bernard Pollard chimed in. So I quickly reached out to one of the more outspoken members in locker-room history to see if he'd chat with me about the quarterback and more.

And here we are.

Beyond Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill, we covered the secondary with his player-by-player review of the top five, delved into Dean Pees who he played for in Baltimore, looked into the importance of chemistry and the idea of sandpaper in the locker room which I've been pushing (and which he was). PodcastYazooArtSquare

We also talked about why the Titans are always a run-first and defensive team, how reviewable pass interference will impact DBs, the idea of moving Adoree Jackson inside, the state route-running and Pollard's infamous hit on Tom Brady that really triggered the increase in quarterback protection.

You can find Part 1 on Apple Podcasts, here (please subscribe), or directly through the Vokal website, here. Feel free to hook us up with a rating and review on iTunes.

If you're a member of the site, Part 1 and Part 2 are together, and all you have to do is head below the line.

You can find the history of this site's podcasts right here.

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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

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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