Fielder’s Choice - Barry Burleson


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Fielder’s Choice
By Barry Burleson

Taking in the Titans

My football-filled weekend wrapped up with a road trip Sunday to Nashville, Tenn.

Good friend Don Brooks sent me a text Friday – “Want to do the Titans-Broncos game Sunday?”

My head quickly went to thinking about everything I needed to get done over the weekend. But I decided, “Surely, I can get most of that stuff finished on Saturday.”

I had turned Don down on a recent invitation to go to Atlanta to see the Braves play a couple of games.

This time, I could not say no and I definitely needed the break and fun.

We left Holly Springs at 6:45 a.m. and were parked in Don’s favorite parking garage when he goes to Titans’ games by about 9:55 a.m.

He has this routine down pat. It includes a pre-game meal at Demos restaurant a few blocks from LP Field. Tennessee Titan fans basically filled the restaurant.

The waitress asked, “Are y’all going to the game?”

And when we said, “yes,” she was stunned that we did not have on Titan jerseys or T-shirts.

After some eggs and bacon for me and an omelet for Don, we walked a few more blocks to the stadium.

And two men from Mississippi not wearing Titan clothes were given free T-shirts at the entrance – just like every other fan who was part of the sellout crowd.

Don’s season tickets are in the upper deck, but good seats.

Quite a few Denver fans were in attendance, including a few near us waving banners and such. And we saw some Florida Gator fans walking up to their seats, no doubt on their way back from Kentucky (where the Gators clobbered the Wildcats) and stopping by in hopes of seeing Tim Tebow. Tebow, the former Florida quarterback, did not play in the game.

The Titans had a huge goal-line stand in the fourth quarter, stopping the Broncos on four downs from inside the 2-yard line, and it was on the end of the field nearest our seats.

Trailing 14-10, Tennessee’s offense put together an impressive, game-winning drive. It included a 58-yard pass play over the middle and a 4-yard touchdown toss for the lead.

The game ended with the Titan defense deflecting a pass and picking it off with just more than a minute left.

We could not have asked for a better game, 17-14 win.

I grew up a Cowboys’ fan and I still support Dallas. Several years back I got to attend a game at the old Texas Stadium.

This is my second trip to see the Titans. We saw some other folks from Mississippi. The trip to Nashville is an easy one, except for that truck traffic on I-40.

We stopped in Jackson, Tenn., on the way home at Buffalo Wild Wings, another part of Don’s regular itinerary when making the trip. That’s because we could eat and see the conclusions of the NFL games that started at 3 p.m.

Friday night I was at a high school football game that lasted until 10:35 p.m. – a more than three-hour marathon filled with flags. Saturday, I watched parts of several games and all of the Arkansas-Alabama contest. Sunday, I wrapped it all up with an exciting, three-point victory by the Tennessee Titans.

If that’s not enough, this Saturday I plan to go to Hattiesburg to visit my daughter, Emma, a student at Southern Miss, and see the Eagles play Rice.

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