I CAN HEAR HIM CALLING STEVE MCNAIR AT NIGHT…HOLD ON ~ It is certainly no secret that Ozzie Newsome is sitting patiently, poker faced and watching for any sign of development or change in the quarterbacking situation of the Tennessee Titans.  Last week we played a little game of conspiracy theory and wondered aloud if perhaps Jeff Fisher has shared info on the status of Steve McNair given that he and Ozzie are part of the league’s competition committee.

Now there are other indications that McNair could be let go.  First there’s owner Bud Adams who recently said, "We ought to get a pretty good quarterback out of this draft.  Drafting No. 3, we ought to get a pretty good quarterback in that spot right there. … I hope we get a guy who can be our leader for about 10 years. It's time for that, I think.''

And if that is the Titans’ planned course of action, will McNair happily hang around and play the role of mentor?

Don’t count on it!

"All I know is Steve is a starter and he is one of the best quarterbacks in football. And if the Titans do in fact draft a new quarterback and they want Steve to stay around and be a mentor to him, then he needs to have a long-term deal. Otherwise it doesn't make sense for him to stay around."  That’s McNair’s agent Bus Cook doing what he should be doing – securing the best possible deal for his client.

Many believe that the Titans want to win now and therefore they’ll do what they can to secure McNair.  But couldn’t they win with Billy Volek and/or Matt Leinart?  The team has invested money in its offensive line this offseason and they’ve added David Givens as a receiver.  As the team continues to work its way out of the cap penitentiary that has locked up their ability to compete over the past two seasons, perhaps they are looking to make progress in 2006 and make a concerted run at the title in 2007.  Might they take a page out of the Steelers plan and learn from their development of Ben Roethlisberger?  Doesn’t Volek/Leinart compare favorably to Maddox/Roethlisberger?

And if the Titans do in fact draft a QB at No. 3, why would McNair stay unless he received a deal beyond one or two years?  Could the Titans even afford such a deal and risk doing more time in cap jail? 

What if McNair stayed a year and was let go?  That can’t help his leverage and future marketability, can it?  Bus Cook bluntly states, “[McNair as a mentor would] be great for Tennessee, but it wouldn't be good for Steve.''

And perhaps this is what Ozzie determined long ago.

Got any 9’s?

Go fish!

I JUST CLOSED MY EYES AGAIN...AND CLIMBED ABOARD THE DREAM WEAVER TRAIN...TRYING TO TAKE AWAY MY WORRIES OF THE DAY ~ And leave Jacksonville behind? Now that the NFL has a new CBA, the league has turned its collective attention amongst other things towards Los Angeles and bringing a team back to the city of angels.  One team that many consider a favorite to become the Hollywood hometown team is the Jacksonville Jaguars.

What do you think about packing your bags Wayne Weaver?  After all the financial status of your team isn’t among the league’s strongest.

"It's not a question of financial. I'm not going to L.A. OK?''

Hmm, how will Wayne weave out of that statement later on?

Well he could point to the fact that only 60 percent of the Jaguars' season ticket holders have renewed and the team has 2,500 unsold club seats.  In order to keep from sinking, Weaver said earlier this week the Jaguars have to sell their club seats.

The L.A. Jags?  Why not?  Many are driving them down Rodeo Drive, right? 

HEY Y’ALL PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE RUBBERBAND…MAN ~ When Vikings head coach Brad Childress accepted the Vikings’ offer, one of the persuading selling points for the former Eagles' offensive coordinator was the ability to work with a high caliber QB in Daunte Culpepper.

“I thought I had a franchise quarterback," Childress said. "That's why, as I said, I thought it was a plum job."

But as Ethan Skolnick reports in the Sun-Sentinel Times, Childress quickly soured on Culpepper.  He wanted the 2004 Pro Bowler to rehab his knee injury under team supervision in Minneapolis.  Culpepper resisted.

Childress then sent the team’s trainer Eric Sugarman to Culpepper to observe his rehabilitation sessions and what he found was borderline shocking at an Ocoee, FL HealthSouth facility. 

HealthSouth was equipped with a "stepmaster and some rubber bands." Sugarman reported Culpepper's knee was coming along well, but painted a disturbing picture of what occurred after being invited to observe Culpepper's movement outside.

"So you can understand where I'm coming from, there's the HealthSouth, the Chinese restaurant, the laundromat, here's the alley, out the backdoor and into the Wal-Mart parking lot," Childress said. "I'm like, `What's wrong with this picture?' Are you with me? I'm going, `Come on now. Is he better served here in the field house or the Wal-Mart parking lot?'"

Taking this into consideration, Culpepper’s preference to stay on a separate hotel floor from the rest of his team, his exemption from training camp dorms and team curfews and all of the attention on restructured contractual terms, is it any wonder why Childress’ initial excitement over Culpepper chilled?

Flashbacks of T.O. Coach?

LET’S (NOT) DANCE ~ The end zone celebration ruling has received most of the attention today yet two other rule changes should impact the NFL game much more significantly. 

One of the most frustrating elements of NFL officiating is that nasty inadvertent whistle.  Finally the league has come to its senses and they are permitting the officials to use the technology that has always been there for the fans.

By a vote of 27-5 clubs agreed to allow fumbles to be reviewed even if the whistle blows and the officials rule the play down by contact. Thus, even if the whistle blows, players will still be expected to go after fumbles. If the replay shows the player wasn't down before fumbling, the team that recovered will get the ball.

That’s the good news.

Now for the bad….

Thanks to all of the attention that Kimo von Oelhoffen received after injuring Carson Palmer in a Wild Card Playoff game, any defender who is not blocked into the passer may not forcibly hit him in the knee area or below after clubs agreed by a vote of 25-7 to pass the amendment.  League officials say that the new rule would not have applied to that von Oelhoffen hit.

I can see it now…flags will fly, D-linemen will cry – “I was pushed into him!” 

This one has frustration written all over it! 

I BELIEVE THAT CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE...TEACH THEM WELL AND LET THEM LEAD THE WAY ~ On Tuesday, April 18, James Brown, who is returning to CBS Sports as host of “THE NFL TODAY,” along with Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post and ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” will honor some of the NFL’s biggest heroes at the NFL Players Gridiron Gala featuring the JB Awards, an annual awards presentation that benefits Special Olympics D.C.  For the third consecutive year, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and PLAYERS INC have partnered with Brown to recognize NFL players for their individual contributions to their communities with the JB Awards.

“I am privileged to once again join efforts with the NFLPA and PLAYERS INC in their annual tradition of honoring NFL players for their off-the-field achievements,” said Brown.  “Bringing together these positive role models for a benefit that makes a difference in the lives of the courageous men, women and children of Special Olympics DC is an honor.”

Among the honorees is the Ravens very own Ray Lewis for Empowering Youth.  Along with Ray others to receive individual JB Awards include Mark Brunell (Washington Redskins) – Perseverance; Ernie Conwell (New Orleans Saints) – Act of Kindness; Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers) – Courage; Darrell Green (former Washington Redskin) – Lifetime Achievement; Joe Horn (New Orleans Saints) – Act of Kindness; and the late Wellington Mara and Robert Tisch (New York Giants’ President/Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman/Co-Chief Executive Officer) – Executive Leadership.

Congrats and thank you to Ray Lewis. 

WE’RE TALKIN’ BASEBALL…BASEBALL AND THE O’S ~ The Orioles have struggled mightily in recent years to develop a positional player in their minor league system other than Brian Roberts.  One that appears on the verge is Nick Markakis.  However, judging from Sam Perlozzo’s comments yesterday, don’t be surprised if the youngster ends up in the winter wonderland of Ottawa.

"There is no question that Nick has major league talent, but what do we do with the other guys if we carry all those outfielders, how do we play them?" Perlozzo said. "Is it a big rush if several days later he comes up? Or do we move somebody and move him right in there? There are a bunch of things that can happen and we're sorting through that and talking it out."

Speaking of Perlozzo, word is he is going to join his good buddy Leo Mazzone and decorate his body with a tattoo.  Apparently the hang up is what the design of the tattoo should be.

How about this Skip: “HELP WANTED: PITCHING”

I WANT TO TELL YOU…MY HEAD IS FILLED WITH THINGS TO SAY ~ So here goes…

* Ever wonder why baseball players wear those Oakleys on top of their hats when playing the field?

* Did Bud Selig open a can of worms with the steroid investigation plans?  Will his own ineptness be even further exposed?  Talk about falling on your own sword.

* Steve Blake (26.6 mpg, 8.6 ppg) and Juan Dixon (26.0 mpg, 12.7 ppg) have been running mates for quite some time.  Of course there’s their shared time at Maryland and then both were Wizards as well.  Now they are Blazers and they “enjoy” the second worst NBA record at 20-51.  The Blazers finished 27-55 last year (.329) and adding the pair of Terps was supposed to help.  It’s only gotten worse and word has it, the relationship between these mates isn’t what it used to be either.

* Timmy Wittman…best of luck dealing with your crisis.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.

* While I’ll be pulling for George Mason over the weekend and hopefully on Monday night, I can’t help but enjoy the all-around play of Florida’s Joakim Noah.  Great performance against the ‘Nova Wildcats and I particularly admire the little things he does that don’t show up in the stat sheets.

* The first Monday in April has traditionally been one of the best days of the year, with Opening Day and the NCAA Championship.  Hate to say it, but Lil’ Petey has ruined it for me. 

Here’s to being a bandwagon fan later this month and up through the All-Star break.  Would be nice if they could keep my interest until Ravens’ training camp, right?

Hey, I can dream can’t I?