Sad Young Man

The Tennessee Titans, my hometown professional football franchise, are parting ways with their titanically talented and titanically troubled star quarterback Vince Young. Young possesses as much physical ability, as much raw athleticism, as anyone at his position in the National Football League. He has had a spate of problems though after sustaining an on-field injury and being booed by his own fans a few seasons back. That episode purportedly left Young so despondent after being feted all his life previously for his football accomplishments that he left his house without his wallet and identification but with a gun. Young suffered another injury in the last game he played in his club's just ended season and not realizing the severity and with his natural competitiveness, wanted to go back in- a request his coach rejected with the player not aware that he had been pulled for his own protection- his own safety and the preservation of his future career. Young immaturely threw parts of his uniform into the stands and this evidently sparked more of a spat with his widely-respected head coach Jeff Fisher in the Titan locker room. Fisher has never been seen as a martinet and has in fact been regarded as a "player's coach". This kind of confrontation between leader and subordinate could not be tolerated. Something had to give and that appears to be waiving a tremendous player as soon as league rules permit in February. Vince Young has some demons to overcome and those of us who have admired his skill and fortitude on the field wish him well in that effort. Young certainly deserves a second chance more than Mike Vick did.