No Love From the Home Team

My Titans are shunning the likes of me and all other fans in the Memphis area, by not making their annual Titans Caravan stop here open to the public. I must say, I've looked forward to it every year, as it pretty much exists as the only opportunity that the average person can meet a couple of players and have them sign your memorabilia--in my case, a mini-helmet--unless you hang out at gas stations in Nashville in the early morning, like Pac-Man Jones, waiting for gunfire or something. Anyway, the first year I went was in 2002, and it was held in the court area of Wolfchase Galleria (I didn't take any pictures that year). They've been to the O'Charley's in Bartlett (I was actually on the front page of the sports section of the Commercial Appeal the next day. Not me exclusively, but standing in line waiting). The next year, it was O'Charley's in Cordova AND the Lowe's on Winchester. Last year, it was back to the Galleria. Anyway, the players I've met in the last 4 years are:

• Chris Sanders
• John Thornton
• Fred Miller
• Jevon Kearse
• Albert Haynesworth
• Tyrone Calico
• Drew Bennett
• Troy Fleming

I had been watching the schedule over at the Titans Radio site, and was a bit confused by the listing for Memphis: 2:45-5:15 Join the Team Work Party. Radio partner is 98.1 The Max, but their site provided no insight. And now, according to the Titans' official site, the players on the West Tennessee leg will be Zach Piller and Robert Reynolds, but the event is at the Southside Boys and Girls Club and is not open to the public.

I'm all for community service stuff and all that, but Memphis is probably the biggest city outside of Nashville that they're going to. They've always gone to schools and stuff, but I'm just surprised, and a bit disappointed, that they couldn't see fit to let the public in on it. In years past, Memphis has been an overnight stop, but this year I think they're heading to Jackson for one more gig that night. Turnout has always been pretty good, but in my opinion it has the opportunity to be greater if it were more publicized. I mean, sure, true fans who know about the annual gig and watch the schedule know about it, but if it were on the news or in the paper or advertised in places like Foot Locker or Finish Line (i.e, places that sell their jerseys), maybe they'd pick up some people that otherwise wouldn't have known about it.