Riddle me this Boys and Girls: what did the Tennessee Titans say when they saw their opponent in Game Two of their 2000 NFL Pre-season schedule? Answer: We want ewe!

O K, now riddle me this one: what did Kurt Warner and his "brothers" say after his first offensive series in that same game? Answer: That's all folks! (What did you expect Frank Gorshin at these prices? OK perhaps both are two-thirds of a pun!!)

On Monday night in the Music City, the Rams played the Titans in pre-season game number two. It just so happened that these two teams played in Super Bowl XXXIV in January and earlier this summer in a controlled (?) scrimmage.

For the Titans their mission was clear: set the tone in this game early, avenge a tough loss from January, and send a strong message throughout the league on their focus. For the Rams, their mission was clear: avoid getting anyone hurt: particularly the NFL's newest millionaire Isaac Bruce and the current NFL millionaire wannabe Kevin Carter.

Tennessee totally dominated this pre-season match-up. Dennis Miller's jokes were more interesting than the Rams. Final score: Titans 30-Jeff Wilkins 3. (But the good news is that the national television audience was not subjected to the Duck Down dance!)

This game provided a form of revenge for Jeff Fisher's troops and their faithful. Check out the comments of David Climer, Senior Writer of "The Tennessean" newspaper in his August 15, 2000 article entitled "Titans feast on roasted Ram":

"Preseason games are a movable feast where the menu changes depending on your sideline. If you're the St. Louis Rams---make that the 'Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams' --you come to town, order room service, grouse about the flavor and bill it to the company.

If you're the Tennessee Titans, make that the '1 Yard Short Tennessee Titans', you'll take any leftovers you can get. Revenge; even when it's warmed over, tastes pretty darn good.

Thus, these two teams walked away from The Delph Monday with full stomachs, each convinced its appetite had been quenched despite clearly ordering off different menus."...

"But that's a different meal for a different day. Because last night's main course -- Roasted Ram --was very, very well done"

"They obviously took it a little more seriously than we did," shrugged Rams defensive back Keith Lyle. "... We took it for what it was, a preseason game." Or as Rams linebacker Mike Jones said: "It was a meaningful game but it just didn't count."

In other words, the Rams would have put up more than token resistance if they had wanted to. Uh-huh."

"Indeed, on a night when they vowed to put their best cleats forward, the Titans not only proved they belonged on the same field with the reigning NFL champion but stated a case that they have nudged ahead in a couple of important categories."

Wow, doesn't Mr. Climer realize that he is mocking the "Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams"? Perhaps one of our local media talking heads should contact Mr. Climer and correct him with the local spins that have been regurgitating over the local airwaves throughout the spring and summer.

Monday night was an emotional and symbolic win for Tennessee. But it was still a pre-season win. And for the Rams, it was only a pre-season loss. Right?

My WGNU callers are generally a good barometer of the pulse of the community. Prior to the first pre-season game with Oakland, the callers remarked that there is nothing more boring and meaningless than a pre-season NFL football game.

However last night, twenty-four hours after the second pre-season game, my callers sounded like local hockey fans with their panic regarding the offensive line, the defense, the coaching and the team's focus. In their eyes, the glass is half-empty, not half-full.

OK, all together now football fans: everyone take a deep breath. Think nice thoughts.

The Rams are again victims of the rich and arrogant cartel better known as the National Football's League's schedule police. The Home Team is scheduled to play three pre-season games in an eleven day span. Martz is forced to approach the schedule with the delicate balance of getting his team prepared for the season without over-extension.

Still there is one basic lesson that the Rams must take from their visit to Tennessee. It will be glaring throughout this season. When you are the Super Bowl Champions, you are your opponent's biggest game on the season. It is only natural to want to knock off the big kid on the block. St. Louis should paint a navy blue/Notre Dame gold bulls-eye on their helmets instead of the Rams horn. They are the NFL's public enemy Number One.

Monday night, the folks in the Volunteer State made it clear that the Gateway City Boys were not welcome. The Rams are the enemy. They will receive a similar reception next week in Dallas, and later in the fall in San Francisco, Tampa Bay, and Kansas City.

Everyone wants to overthrow the king. It goes with the territory. Welcome to the top.

Perhaps the Rams needed a wake-up call to bring them down to earth from the media pep rally of the past six months. Hopefully the Titans served that purpose. Having your lunch handed to you in front of a national television audience certainly serves as an eye-opener.

In less than three weeks, St. Louis will open it up for real at home on Labor Day night against Denver. It will be in front of another national audience and Dennis Miller. Game One is the 2000 regular season is the MOST IMPORTANT GAME of the year. The Rams absolutely, positively have to win it. They MUST start this season strong.

Should the Broncos win at the Dome in Week One, our Male Sheep will have one less day to prepare before traveling with their 0-1 record to the Great Northwest to meet Mike Holmgren's Seattle Seahawks in their own back yard. That's not a good thing.

No NFL team ever won the Super Bowl after losing their first two games of the season.

So fans, one more time, riddle me this: why did the Rams cross the road to Nashville and then return straight to the "banks of the Mississippi"?

It is because the Titans handed them a reality check.