The football Gods are good to Jeff Fisher right now.  His Titans went from 0-6 to playing meaningful games in mid-December, once thought nearly impossible.  While he’s having fun with the Titans turnaround, he’s a VERY proud papa about his sons. 

Brandon Fisher University of Montana

Brandon is a senior linebacker at the University of Montana.   The Grizzlies are playing for the FCS National Championship Friday night in all places, right down the road in Chattanooga.  Younger son Trent just competed in the state high school all-star game Saturday.  He’s a senior at CPA and is being looked at by several schools.  I recall when the team first moved here, a pint-sized Brandon would be running around on the fields before practice.  Trent came up to your shins.  In a blink of an eye they are both nearly all grown up and Jeff couldn’t be prouder.  I know this because there’s a shift in his voice.  There’s an enthusiasm in his tone that’s all Dad.  What I think he’s most proud of is he says he hasn’t pushed them into football.  While they have the genes, both sons developed a love for the game on their own.  I was going to bring up his sons on the show last night but backed off because I think he would feel uncomfortable about it.  With his approval, I might work them into the show for a short bit next week.  And in case you’re wondering… Yes.  Jeff will be at the game Friday night in Chattanooga.  No, it doesn’t take any time away from preparing for Sunday’s game.  Through the years, many coaches on Jeff’s staff have had kids play football and he always thought it was important that they see the games (he includes himself in this group) so he shifted meetings to early Friday.  “The hay is in the barn” he likes to say.  The staff puts in an insane amount of time from Sunday night to Friday.  I’ve always admired the balance (that’s a relative term in NFL coaching) Coach Fisher has found for the staff.

There has been a million different takes from a million different people on the Tiger Woods saga but here’s one recently that I hadn’t heard.  An area golf pro, who knows several players on the PGA Tour stated that some of the guys are more impressed with Tiger than ever.  Now hold on.  It’s not what you think.  He said that the perception on the tour is that Tiger was laser-focused on golf.  He said the tour guys are now saying, “OK, let me get this straight.  Tiger was burning the candle at both ends AND kicking our butts on a consistent basis?!” 

I received a call yesterday that my mortgage check hadn’t arrived.  Wrong.  It arrived and was cashed (I’m a big fan of online banking.  I was able to call up the check, print a copy and fax it in minutes.  In the old days, this would have taken days) by my old mortgage company.  Thing is, I didn’t know I had an old mortgage company!  It had been sold off to another company that says it sent me notification.  Now I don’t know about you, but I receive a boat-load of mail from all kinds of mortgage companies looking to refinance.  I quickly toss it in the circular file.  I must have tossed the new company’s notice as well.  Anyway, a huge issue was resolved in a matter of minutes.  Whew!

I don’t mind the cold so much.  It’s the cold AND wind that cuts right through you and pops images into your mind of coconut islands….