Did Randy Moss Bash Jeff Fisher on Nashville Radio?
A simple phone call Wednesday to a radio show I co-host in Nashville has sparked a controversy: Did Titans wideout Randy Moss dial in and blast Jeff Fisher, or was it someone who sounded exactly like the Pro Bowler?
We received the call -- I co-host a show on 104.5 The Zone with former Titan Blaine Bishop and Brent Dougherty -- sometime after 2 p.m. Central time. The caller identified himself as "Woody." We hadn't been talking much about the Tennessee Titans or Fisher on that day, but "Woody" wanted to discuss Fisher's future with the Titans. It was only after "Woody," whose comments were terse and pointed, hung up that another caller noted how much "Woody" sounds like Moss.
On-air, I ripped the second caller for his opinion. Thinking it would make the second caller look ridiculous, we went back over the previous call and replayed it. Much to our amazement, the similarity between Moss' voice and Woody's was eerie. You can listen for yourself. (The second part of the clip is a mix featuring Moss' actual voice).
Listen to the Audio of Radio Call-In Below
Immediately after the clip was played, Bishop, who played against Moss, exclaimed, "It's him! I know it!" After listening to the distinctive way that the caller and Moss pronounce "Fisher," I think it's a decent argument as well. Of course, you have to balance that possibility with the sheer absurdity of Moss, who has barely spoken to the media in Nashville, calling in to an afternoon talk show and slamming his coach as "Woody." In fact, that absurdity makes the entire premise so ridiculous that, either way, it's a sign of how outlandish the 2010 Tennessee Titans season has become.
And, it sure does sound like him doesn't it?
Reaction to the call on Nashville airwaves was fast, furious and laden with a sense of humor, serving, if nothing else, to illuminate the growing tension over a season that began with promise -- the Titans started 5-2 -- and has since collapsed under the weight of six consecutive losses. How bad are things going for the Titans? Fans, by a 4-to-1 margin, are willing to believe that Moss is anonymously calling a local radio station and blasting his head coach.
Of course, Moss has already been involved in controversy after controversy this season, but even this is beyond the pale, right? Certainly the Tennessee Titans' organization believes so. Reached for comment the team's official statement was, "There is no way that is Randy Moss. No way."
On the other hand, wouldn't Moss, who has barely been used since arriving in Nashville, have plenty of reason to feel this way about Fisher -- especially when you consider the division that exists in the Titans' locker room over the spat between Fisher and Vince Young? Most of the offensive players, including Kenny Britt, who wore a towel with "VY #10" written on it in the last game, appear to have taken Young's side in a divided locker room. Moss has just five catches in five games with the Titans, all losses, and he's also been benched recently. How bad are things for Moss? Two weeks ago the NFL Network crew was left praising his blocking ability during the Titans-Colts game.
So Woody, who sounds exactly like Moss, said awful lot of what fans think Randy Moss would want to say at this point in the season.
It's important to note that the Titans were finished with practice at the time the call arrived, but that position meetings were scheduled for later that day. The Titans don't believe Moss would have had the time to make the call. But it would not be the first time that a player called in to our show between team meetings. Of course, those players wouldn't have been anonymously ripping their head coach, either.
Let's do some further detective work. Why would Moss pick the name Woody? Well, it's what he called New England running back Danny Woodhead. Earlier this season, when Kevin Faulk was injured, Moss said, "Bringing Woody in ... I like Woody. He's a little stub guy. A little short. He runs hard and has some nice cuts."
Could this be a subtle Moss dig at Woodhead? Who the hell knows. In the meantime
if you didn't click the link, here's "Woody's" take from the 3 Hour Lunch on Nashville's 104.5:
Woody: "If Jeff Fisher was the coach of Tennessee (Vols) would they love him, with his record?"
"No," I said, "he would be fired."
Woody: "What about when he fired Norm Chow by telephone, everybody dogged Vince, how come they didn't dog him (Fisher)?"
I'd forgotten Fisher fired Norm Chow by telephone two years ago, but the caller hadn't. Pointing out the way that Fisher fired Chow would be a roundabout way of criticizing Fisher for his treatment of Vince Young. In particular Fisher said he preferred "man-to-man" conversations after Young texted him an apology.
Asked why he so upset, Woody replied, "I'm happy, I don't like Fisher."
When I said, "It could be the last game of (Fisher's) coaching career (at home with the Titans) on Sunday," Woody replied,
"Hope so," and hung up.
Could Randy Moss have called a sports-talk station, given his name as "Woody," and anonymously ripped head coach Jeff Fisher? Given the way everything has gone down with the Tennessee Titans this season, it's just ridiculous enough to be true. Or maybe not.
It's come to this in Tennessee: The latest soap opera in a season of soap operas for the Titans is a sports call-in whodunnit. Was it Randy Moss with the cell phone in the locker room under the guise of Woody?