Indeed.

Tennessee Titans fans around the USA have heavy hearts this Independence Day, as the news of Steve McNair’s death has somewhat spoiled the day.

My heart goes out to his family, friends, and Titans nation. More on this later.

Titans Tracker is partnering with WholesaleKeychain.com to give away three Tennessee Titans keychains.

I’m giving away a Tennessee Titans Bottle Opener, a Tennessee Titans Circle Keychain, and my personal favorite, the Tennessee Titans Pewter Keychain.

Leave a comment below with your email address and say “I want a Titans Tracker keychain!” You can leave a comment until 11:59 p.m. on July 31, 2009. Only one entry per person.

On August 1, I will randomly select three email addresses, contact the winners, and ask for a mailing address.

If you’d rather not wait and see if you’re one of the lucky winners, feel free to buy a Tennessee Titans keychain at a discount. Enter the promo code TitansTracker after making your selections at WholesaleKeychain.com.

Good luck!

Revealing quotes in a Tennessean article by Jim Wyatt indicates the Titans quarterback is getting thing right between the ears, and on the field.

Here are a few key quotes:

“Every time I say something it is always going to get … blown out of proportion so I just have to live with it. That is the life of Vince and I just have to live with it.”

This is a healthy response. Young finally understands that pouting during interviews, or refusing to speak to media, is not the best response to the unchangeable fact that individuals will interpret what you say however they please.

“I can’t feed into what the fans think … I never thought about quitting. I just have to worry about being a leader for my teammates. I can’t worry about the fans and how they feel about me any more. I just have to play my ball right now.”

This is huge. Ideally, Young should have never been preoccupied with the opinions of fans, but when you received nothing but adulation due to his superior on-field performances in high school and at Texas, it’s easy to lean upon fan support as an emotional crutch.

Today, Vince Young is not receiving universal praise from Tennessee Titans fans, and he seems to understand that, again, he cannot sulk and refuse to talk to the media because a segment of the Titans fan base wishes he were traded or released, like, yesterday.

Young had great practices Tuesday and Wednesday, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said.

More good news. When is the last time anyone said Vince Young had a great anything?

“When I dedicate myself to something, I’m dedicated to it to the fullest, and when the fans (booed), it kind of hurt me a whole lot.

“But now, I’m over that and more mature, more older now. I’ve got a lot of people in my ear helping me get through this process, to get back to the top where I need to be.”

It’s a good thing that the man drafted to be the face of the franchise is working hard and wants to capture some of the success he had during his rookie season.

More importantly, he’s talking to the media again, and he says he ready to handle the boos.

There’s two months until the first preseason game. We’ll see how Vince Young handles himself on the field.

Friday, July 31:
3:30 pm Practice

Saturday, Aug. 1:
3:30 pm Practice

Sunday, Aug. 2:
3:30 pm Practice

Monday, Aug. 3:
8:15 am Special Teams Practice - open to media/no fans
3:30 pm Practice

Tuesday, Aug. 4:
8:30 am Practice
7:30 pm Practice (at LP Field) – open to media/no fans

Wednesday, Aug. 5:
No Availability

Thursday, Aug. 6:
8:15 am Special Teams Practice - open to media/no fans
3:30 pm Practice

Friday, Aug. 7:
4:00 pm Practice

Saturday, Aug. 8:
No Practice

Sunday, Aug. 9:
Hall of Fame Game vs. Bills

The young Titans receiver was not my first, second, or third favorite receiver coming out of college for the 2009 NFL Draft. I would have preferred to see Darrius Heyward-Bey or Percy Harvin in a Titans uniform.

Nevertheless, the Titans chose Britt and filled a need for young playmakers at the receiver position.

I am pleased to hear nothing but good things about Britt so far.

Britt made a great first impression at the Titans rookie orientatation in early May. He made an impressive end-zone catch while competing with rookie cornerback and former Rutgers teammate Jason McCourty.

According to a recent article by the Tennesseean’s Jim Wyatt, Britt continues to impress coaches at the June minicamp.

Britt, who’s only 20, seems to be happy to be a professional football player and seems willing to earn his chance to contribute for the Titans. This is a far cry from Vince Young, who appears to be struggling with his role as a backup and believes he is ready to start for the Titans, or another NFL team, right now.

Best of luck to Kenny Britt as he embarks upon his NFL career.

Now, after VY’s comments about making a career change if the Titans don’t want him as its starting quarterback, I, along with many Tennessee fans, am very disappointed.

But I’m not writing another long letter to Vince Young.

However, “titanopolis” wrote “A Disheartened Letter to Vince Young” on the Music City Miracles Titans blog.

I agree with every word.

Stop distracting our team. In April you were determined to sit quietly as a secondary quarterback - prove it. Be OK with being the backup. Learn from Kerry Collins as much as you can. Secondly, play like you deserve to start. Because as of right now, you don’t. Nor is any team going to pay you what you have earned in Nashville for a job you cannot perform. So get out there and earn it. I guarantee you will feel better about yourself - and so will I.

‘Nuff said.

This spring, Young broke his silence to tell us he planned to remain silent.

“I am just going to keep my mouth closed, man. All I am doing this year is shutting up, just shutting up and working,” Young said. “I am going to smile and shut up and continue being Vince Young, a happy smiling guy. I am not going to get into the hoopla any more because of the fact I can’t win any more, I see.

“I am just going to shut my mouth and play my role and if they need me then I will be available as a weapon.”

If only he has stuck to his word.

Every Titans fan knows that, a few days ago, Vince Young gave an interview at a Baltimore football camp. I’m sure when he gave the interview, he had no desire to be the subject of one of the top sports stories during the first week of June.

And although he knows he can’t win with the media, he slipped and said something about “making a career change for himself.”

If you haven’t heard it, listen for yourself.

Before I heard the interview with my own ears, I had three reactions to reading his statement:

1. He’s mentally preparing himself for life as a non-Titan.

2. Doesn’t he have the same right to assert his desire to be the Titans starting quarterback as Kerry Collins? Maybe he’s getting his competive juices back. This is a good thing.

3. VY hasn’t played good football in a long time, and he’s pondering making a “career move”? Sound a bit premature, don’t you think?

After hearing the interview, I’m back to square one.

This sounds like a guy who’s resigned to the fact that he’s never going to win back his job, the respect of his teammates, or the love of Titans fans.

Vince Young did not sound arrogant, or even assertive. He sounded nervous… even a bit sad.

This probably sounds silly, as many of us have taken the liberty of psychoanalizing VY after last fall’s incident.

But the truth of the matter is that Vince Young has said too many things that make you question his state of mind and his love of the game.

In 2007, he is on record as saying he comtemplated retirement after his rookie season.

In 2008, there was the incident.

Now he’s expressed publicly that he’s thought about life outside of Nashville, and wonders if Titans management is considering letting him go.

As a Titans fan, and as a Texas Longhorn alum, this is really sad.

While watching Young as a Longhorn, I learned not to doubt the dramatically inconsistent quarterback who eventually put it all together and led Texas to a national championship.

I shouted with joy when the Titans drafted him to be its franchise quarterback.

I cheered him during his rookie season as the Titans fell one victory short of a playoff birth.

I defended him as he struggled during his second season, but raised a red flag when he spoke of retirement.

Today, Vince Young’s Q rating has never been lower. He has gone from Texas hero to Tennessee goat, and the journey has been tough to watch.

Last fall, after the incident, I wrote an open letter to Vince Young.

Today, my advice to Young is short and sweet.

Let your performance on the field do the talking.

In two short months, the preseason begins. The Titans play five games, so Vince Young will have ample opportunities to prove his doubters wrong, or to encourage his dwindling fan base that he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

I’m looking forward to seeing what happens, but for the first time, I doubt the Nashville chapter in Vince Young’s football life will end happily.

And as I’ve said before, I hope I’m wrong.

That’s why I started the Stephen Tulloch Foundation, to raise money for kids to have after school tutoring, for school supplies, clothes and the essentials they need to achieve whatever it is they want to accomplish.

I’ve accomplished a lot in my life and I always dreamed big. I know dreams can come true if you devote yourself to it 100 percent, but some families need a little help to allow the kids to do that. With my foundation I know I can really help kids do big things.

I’m a big supporter of nonprofits in general… especially those that help and inspire children to overcome tough odds and succeed.

I would like to introduce you to wide receiver Dudley Guice.

The Titans announced on April 27 that Guice was among eight undrafted free agents to sign with the team. Among them is former Iowa defensive tackle Mitch King, who Mel Kiper, Jr. believes has an excellent chance of making the Titans’ roster.

But I’m pulling for Dudley Guice (pronounced “ghice”), who some have called the next Marques Colston. Aside from Guice’s size (6′ 3″, 217) and speed (sub 4.4 40-yard dash), he’s also smart (graduated cum laude from Northwestern State in Louisiana) and ambitious.

How do I know he’s ambitious? Well, he took the initiative to create his own promotional website.

Here is how Guice describes his strengths:

I am a hard worker and self-motivated. I’m the first person at practice and the last one to leave. I’m an intelligent player and I believe my learning curve is faster than other players. I’m a versatile player that can play the X, Y, or Z positions. I’m comfortable at going deep or catching it across the middle. I’m also a resilient player that can take a hit and get right back in the huddle.

Guice faces strong competition. Currently there are eleven receivers on the Titans’ roster, including four rookies (Guice, draftees Kenny Britt and Dominique Edison, and undrafted free agent Philip Morris).

Guice’s chances of making the roster are slim. The Titans will likely keep a maximum of six receivers on the regular season roster. Justin Gage, Nate Washington and Britt are locks; second-year wideout Lavelle Hawkins will likely make the cut.

We’ll get to see what Guice and the other receivers are made of during the preseason.I’m looking forward to watching the competition unfold.

You’ve got to like a guy who knows he’s an underdog but believes in himself enough to create a website and showcase his strengths.

Go Guice! Go Titans!