January 2006: Vince puts on a show at the Rose Bowl- probably the most entertaining college football game I've ever watched. But I'm not entirely convinced; Bergman and I get into a spirited debate (story for another time- it's probably my favorite blackout story ever) over who will have the better pro career through five years: Bergman takes VY, and I take Matt Leinart. Turns out they both completely sucked, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
April 2006: VY is drafted by my favorite team, the Tennesee Titans. The bet is called off, since I can't be betting against the future success of my team's QB. I begin the process of talking myself into Vince as an NFL quarterback.
November 2006: VY gets his first chance and immediately produces. Exciting runs, breathtaking comebacks....I couldn't be more on the bandwagon. Heading into the offseason, optimism abounds.
September 2007: More of the same. VY starts out the season fantastic, and is quickly becoming my favorite player.
November-December 2007: The first signs that maybe VY isn't such a great QB appear. Erratic throws, questionable decisions, pouting on the sidelines....when Tennessee is unceremoniously bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs, I start to doubt the future a little bit.
September 2008: The wheels officially come off the bandwagon. VY gets booed, injured, benched, and is on suicide watch, all in a span of about 30 hours- although the exact details of that "suicide watch" continue to be elusive. After everything that has happened since, I kinda believe it now. There's no time to be too upset, though: Kerry Collins comes in and leads Tennessee to the #1 seed in the AFC....although Tennessee fails to win a playoff game for the second year in a row.
October 2009: After Tennessee starts 0-6, the owner orders VY to be put back in the starting lineup. He responds by going 8-2 the rest the year, and with Chris Johnson establishing himself as one of the best running backs in the league, I find myself climbing back on the Vince Young bandwagon. I keep my toesies dangling off the edge this time, though.
Summer of 2010: Magazine articles, news pieces, Vince Young finally has his head screwed on straight, this is the year he puts it all together, blah blah blah.
November 2010: VY gets booed, injured, benched, throws his pads into the stands, and storms out of the locker room, all in a span of about three hours. Also, while stomping out of the locker room, he screams at Coach Fisher: "I'm not walking out on the team! I'm walking out on YOU!" Are you fucking kidding me, Vince? Is this an episode of Friday Night Lights? Go the fuck home, you puss.
So that's where we are now. Not only am I off the Vince Young bandwagon forever, he now joins the exclusive club of all-time athletes from my favorite teams that I actively hate. Not just get annoyed with from time to time (Sherron Collins, JD Drew, Ernest Givins) but HATE. The only KU player I've ever hated was Eric Chenowith, whose basketball career was Benjamin Button-esque. Tyshawn Taylor was REAL close to joining him last year, but now he's kinda turned it around. For the Red Sox, Mark Bellhorn and Julio Lugo take the honors. And VY becomes the first Titan I've ever hated with a passion.
So in summation: eff you, Vince Young. You are dead to me.
