Vince Young Apparently Unwelcome At Titans Facility

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Nov 23, 2010 2:39 PM CST in News

[Update]: Per ESPN, it was Fisher who told Loggains to ask Young to leave. According to Fisher, Young quit on the team Sunday and there was no reason for him to be at the facility.

On Monday, Titans head coach Jeff Fisher talked about moving on from Sunday's incident with Vince Young and worrying about the players on his team that can play. Apparently, someone in the organization is worried about Young and those worries extend to even allowing him to be around his teammates.

In what may be another sign that his time in Tennessee is coming to a close, Young was asked to leave the team's facility on Monday. While in the training room with a team official, Young was reportedly approached by quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains and told that he needed to leave, which he did without incident.

As much blame as Young deserves for his actions on Sunday -- and he deserves a great deal of it -- this seems on the surface like a petty move by the Titans. It's not clear at this time who in the organization issued the directive, but it hardly seems fair to Young, especially since some of his teammates were present as well, surely a hurtful moment for someone with as much pride as VY. After all, wouldn't it be worse if he didn't want to be around his teammates and at the team's facility?

Playing devil's advocate here, showing up the head coach in front of the whole team is an offense that would likely result in the vast majority of players in the league receiving their walking papers. Though it may smack of paranoia, given Young's temper tantrum on Sunday, it's not hard to imagine that Fisher and possibly others in the organization are worried about Young continued to undermine the coach's authority. To the extent that Fisher has to protect his own team from mutiny, maybe keeping Young away from the team for the time being isn't as easy to condemn as it may appear.

Either way, things just went from bad to worse between Young and the Titans.

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Comments

This is one weird saga, that's for sure.

Yeah, Vince is gone from Tennessee. He’ll be better off with a fresh start, even with a weaker supporting cast. Guy can flat run an offense, but it’s become apparent he has to have some freedom to free-lance.

by edsp on Nov 23, 2010 2:53 PM CST reply actions

Bud Adams won't like this one bit

by silky51 on Nov 23, 2010 2:59 PM CST reply actions

Dowell Loggains was a scrub in high school and college....

But this is clearly Jeff Fisher’s decision.
I’m currently writing Richard Justice a nice little email in response to his article today doggin’ VY

by SneezyBeltran on Nov 23, 2010 3:06 PM CST reply actions

Did you write one to Gene Wocisjciejkski too?

I was enraged reading his editorial today. Where does a sportswriter who’s never played a day of football get off tearing into a pro QB about maturity?

by TXinDC on Nov 23, 2010 5:32 PM CST up reply actions

You're right.

Sportswriters should never be allowed to comment if they haven’t played football. That seems only fair.

by robthecob on Nov 24, 2010 4:37 PM CST up reply actions

i used to have much respect for Fisher and the Titans

but since they drafted VY it’s one excuse to not play him after another. barring the earned benching after his meltdown vince has been a model citizen and a winning QB. i hope that either vince gets to go to a team that will respect him or fisher gets punched in the neck and fired.

by dukeoforange on Nov 23, 2010 3:36 PM CST reply actions

and i know there isnt much chance of this being true

but a very small part of me wonders if fisher is just mad for vince playing the best game of cfb history and destroying USuCk in the MNC. not likely but hilarious none the less since fisher is a USuCk alum.

by dukeoforange on Nov 23, 2010 3:37 PM CST up reply actions

Wow, from a legend delivering us a NC to being asked to leave the dressing room, Bad move by Fisher and entire orgnization and could have accomplished the same thing
without intentionally embarrassing VY. Vince was wrong but screw Fisher and the Titan
organization, not for what they did but how they did it. Hopefully Vince will be on the sideline Thursday night in front of people who do care about him.

by stilltrying on Nov 23, 2010 3:37 PM CST reply actions

Deja Vu

McNair also got the shaft

by Eskimohorn on Nov 23, 2010 3:39 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

Fisher admitted that he told the QB coach to not let him in.

It sounds to me like Fisher and Adams are locked in a staring contest. Will Fisher quit or be fired first. Given the buyout, I’m guessing Fisher blinks first.

by Texas Wahoo on Nov 23, 2010 3:40 PM CST reply actions

Titans can suck it

Jeff Fisher can suck it
Bud Adams can suck it
Tenn fans can suck it

I can’t wait to see VY play for a real football team. The above-mentioned losers have treated VY like crap for years and it is time that he moves on from the losers.

by Wrangler86 on Nov 23, 2010 3:43 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

VY will prevail. I see Jeff Fisher getting fired.

If Mike Shanahan got fired in Denver, I dont see why Bud won’t fire Fisher.
Fisher has been looking every opportunity to bench VY ever since he was drafted. Bud Adams needs to put his foot down on this one…and shove it in Fisher’s ass

COACH BOOM BABY!!

by hookemkp on Nov 23, 2010 4:38 PM CST reply actions

I pray you are right.

Where would Fisher be right now if Bud Adams didn’t make him play VY after the 0-6 start last season? VY saves his job, but Fisher has always undermined VY when it comes to playing time. I found it ridiculous that he didn’t let VY play against Miami when VY said he was ready to come back. How many chances has Fisher given Collins with hesitating? Can’t say the same for VY.

Fisher kicking him out of the facility will have repercussions with Bud Adams…no two ways about it.

by silky51 on Nov 23, 2010 4:42 PM CST up reply actions

I hope not

I want Fisher to say at Tenn so they can continue to suck….and I want VY to get the heck out of there so he can go to team that will value his skill set.

by Wrangler86 on Nov 23, 2010 6:32 PM CST up reply actions

Baffled by the double-speak.

So after VY was hurt in the game, he was seen on the sidelines begging to get back in the game.

And now Fish accuses him of quitting on the team?

VY’s behavior was wrong – even though it was borne of frustration. But clearly, Fish has some issues himself.

Watch out, I bite.

by EddieTheAlbinoSquirrel on Nov 23, 2010 5:19 PM CST reply actions

Would love to see VY

Take over the Vikings job after Favre retires this season. His NFL skillset would be well-served being able to bootleg off play fakes to AD and take deep shots off play action that holds the LBs and safeties.

by GoHornsGo90 on Nov 23, 2010 5:46 PM CST reply actions

Imagine that,

hated rivals to teammates. I don’t think the Vikings would go after him though. Tavaris Jackson is gonna make them seek a more conventional QB. Despite Colt’s success this season, I kinda wish he would have been drafted by the Vikings to get a year behind Favre.

by tvr'11 on Nov 23, 2010 6:00 PM CST up reply actions

Fisher didn't have the guts to tell VY himself.

Plus, this could be a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. Later, Tennessee crabbed and said VY was just told he wasn’t needed at the meeting and not banned.

No matter if Vince ‘quit’ or Fisher thinks he ‘quit’ the Titans put him on IR, which means he is a team player under contract.

This, specifically, from here:

7/27/2006: Signed a six-year, $58 million contract. The deal contains $25.74 million guaranteed, including a $2.64 million signing bonus and a $12.3 million option bonus in the second year. 2010: $7.5 million (+ $4.25 million roster bonus due in March), 2011: $8.5 million (+ $4.25 million roster bonus), 2012: Free Agent

So, there’s still two $4.25 M roster bonuses and $8.5 M in 2011 salary still in the kitty…that’s $17 M. The first decision date will be March, 2011.

There is this from his afternoon:

Coach Jeff Fisher told Titans players Monday that Vince Young had quit on the team and that’s why he wasn’t going to be allowed in team meetings.
Fisher instructed quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains to boot Young from the Titans’ facility Monday. The Titans are now claiming that Young was told only that he “wasn’t needed for a team meeting” and that he wasn’t banned from Baptist Sports Park. “He has been placed on injured reserve and all the same rules apply to him as to any other player in that category.” It’s clear that V.Y. is persona non grata with Fisher, but the Titans are treading carefully here to avoid a repeat of Steve McNair’s 2006 banishment.

And this just an hour earlier at the same source as above:

Titans owner Bud Adams seemed to throw support behind Vince Young on Monday, saying that Young and coach Jeff Fisher will have to learn to “get along.”
“They are going to have to work together,” said Adams. “I haven’t given up on Vince, and I am sure Fisher hasn’t either. Vince was upset and said some things he regretted … but you have to get to the bottom of it, straighten it out and move on.” Adams also revealed that he has spoken to Young, who told him he “wanted to go back in the game but doctors didn’t think it would be a good idea.” Asked if Young would be back in 2011, Adams replied “Oh God yea. He is under contract. … We are going to pay him a lot of money.”

Well, if anyone knows that money can’t buy you love, it should be Bud Adams.

And it should be equally true a coach doesn’t get hmself…and his team and owner…in this situation without some serious mistakes himself.

Right now VY needs a really wise lawyer/agent with a long view and VY’s interest at heart.

by whills on Nov 23, 2010 10:11 PM CST reply actions

They did it to McNair, who sweated blood and tears for them, so of course they'll do it to VY, too

That’s just how Jeff Fisher operates. The little Munchkin absolutely knows how to work the media. Watch any ESPN show and listen to the talking heads fall over themselves to agree 100% with the white coach. I’m not saying it’s a race thing, but I’m just saying, it is effin’ Tennessee…

That was his power. The greatest trick Greg Davis ever pulled was convincing Mack Brown that he was invaluable. And like that, poof. He's been here for 12 years.

by iamjackburton on Nov 24, 2010 1:05 AM CST reply actions