Everybody Is Somebody

I remember after the Patriots lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl last year, Tom Brady's wife Gisele gave a few heckling fans a good talking to. The fans were yelling obscenities at her regarding her husband's play during the game. Well, she came right back at that jerk and took up for her man! I remember being SO proud that she did that!

So, as y'all know, my family and I go to most of the Tennessee Titans home games. Yesterday, they suffered a tough loss against the Houston Texans. Long story short, for the first time in my life, I was Gisele.

Y'all also know that we have a family friend who plays for the Titans. You also know I am a HUGE sports fan in general, but nothing comes close to my love for football. I get it honest, my family is all that way. So, for us to have a friend that plays, we really take it personal.

To say the Titans have had a rough year is an understatement. I understand the frustration of the fans. It's tough to watch a team take one step forward, to sometimes take two back. But, when you start heckling your own players... that's too far. And when you are yelling at them while they're walking through the tunnel into the locker room, giving their game apparel to all of the children (including yours!) lining the tunnel,  I'm gonna yell right back at you! A grown man was literally yelling at a player telling him how bad he played, that he should have stayed at home, etc. (I'm leaving a few choice words out.) People like him need to be reminded of a few things...

A reminder that these players and coaches want to win a thousand times more than he wants them to. A reminder that they give 110%, not just on Sundays, but throughout the weeks and months of preparation for the season. A reminder that they are people, just like us, who constantly doubt themselves and their abilities. A reminder that they are husbands, fathers, sons and friends who are more than just someone who runs up and down 100 yards of perfectly-manicured grass once a week. Most importantly, a reminder that these players do more than their share of community service and take more than a respectable amount of time signing autographs and talking with fans of all ages after the games. Even after as tough of a game that I saw on Sunday.

I've seen my fair share of those moments, like a few weeks ago after another tough loss to the Colts, when Chris Johnson and Michael Griffin spent time talking to and taking pictures with my 14 year-old nephews and their friends. I've seen Jake Locker and the other QB's take a mid-week trip to Ft. Campbell to spend time with our American heroes and to say Thank You. I'v seen Rob Bironas donate endless hours of his time for a great cause, or donate merchandise for a local charity event. There are countless players like these on every sports team in the country. They realize that they are a part of something greater than a game, I just wish everyone else realized that too.

I am proud to be a Tennessee Titans fan and no matter what happens, I will always be proud of those players and what they do on AND off the field. I hope the next time you think about telling someone how to do their job, you think about who they are, not what they do.

Oh, and if you do decide to yell at a player when he's less than 10 feet away from you... I wouldn't pick the 300 lb lineman. Pretty sure you're gonna end up regretting that decision. Just sayin...