Does that not describe the Titans? Let me take you back:
Season 3- AFC Championship game, Bengals vs Titans
It was freezing cold. Snow covered the field. And the Bengals and the Titans were battling to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. The Bengals were coming off a terrific regular season. They dominated almost every team they played while doing it in style. They celebrated all over the field and did not hesitate to talk some trash. Then there was the Titans. A humble team. They did not say much, but when it was time to play football, they handled their business. Now who do you think the majority of the people were rooting for in this matchup? Of course, the humble Titans. Unfortunately, Will Levis would not see the defender in a white Bengals jersey because of the snow, and he would throw a game-sealing interception.
Season 4-Divisional Round game, Bengals vs Titans
And then we had the rematch. The defending champion Bengals would go up against the Titans. The Titans were coming off a season where they lost only one game. The Bengals were coming off a disappointing regular season, however, they did just upset the #1 seed Raiders in the Wildcard Round. Once again, who do you think the majority of the people were rooting for? The humble Titans. And this time, the Titans would beat the Bengals and eventually become Super Bowl Champs. And the crowd goes wild.
Fast forward to now and things have changed. The Titans are still dominating, becoming back-to-back champions. But people are not rooting for them like they used to. In fact, people are starting to hate them. Why? Well, people get tired of seeing the same team dominate year in and year out. Think about the Tom Brady Patriots. People despised them. But another reason why teams are starting to hate them is because they are not the same humble team anymore. We are starting to see them do what the Bengals did in Season 3 to a lesser extent. The Titans are celebrating across the field themselves. They have brought a new swagger to them since they won the championship and that has rubbed some the wrong way. Last night, after the Titans win over the Vikings, there was a scuffle between both teams. Apparently, Titans players showed a lack of sportsmanship and shared some words with the Vikings that they did not take too kindly. After the game, Will Levis took the issue to Twitter:
The Titans really have lived long enough to see themselves become the villain. I mean what can you really say though? They are winning football games dominantly. They are back-to-back champions. The only way to shut them up is to beat them. And I don’t see a team that can. Go Titans!
©Any Given Sunday News