Return of Rivalry

It was hot. I was drunk. The Titans killed us, slowly. It was hard to tell what was happening through the haziness of too much beer and too much heat, but I can remember LenDale White and Chris Brown running the ball, all day.

That's all I remember. Besides John Broussard's exceptional diving catch, all else was dismal. And the Jags lost the season opener to the Titan's last year.

This year the rivalry returns. Same game, different location (a hostile one.) I was recently quite happy to hear the response of a Steelers fan when I asked if they (Burgh fans) considered the Jags a rival. "Of course!" he replied. How nice! We've managed to ruffle the feathers of an NFL stalwart. Well, Tennessee is to us, as we are to Pittsburgh. In 1999, they crushed our glass slippers as we were waltzing into the Super Bowl, and last year they rained on Garrard's opening day parade as the new starting quarterback.

So who's gonna crash the party this year? Will our offensive line keep the Titan pitbulls at bay, or will they sink their teeth into our offense? Will Vince Young throw more passes for completions to Jaguar defenders than Titan wideouts?

At this point, God only knows. But I can't freakin' wait!

Pray for the Jaguars tonight as your head hits the pillow and keep Big Rich in mind. Hopefully he'll be recovering, with eyes open watching his brothers-in-arms battle our most hated opponents. When Freddie T scores on a long TD run, or Reggie Williams pulls another suprise touchdown on out of the air, maybe Big Rich will be watching. And maybe our guys will think about him back in Jacksonville, recovering. And maybe all of our prayers will have worked.

Go Jaguars! Let's start this season out with a win and a declaration that this is OUR AFC South!