Titans coach on Vince, and the Haynesworth stomp

	Last year Jeff Fisher became just the 34th coach ever to reach the 100-win plateau. AP

Back in September 1992, when I was covering the 49ers for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, I went to a Saturday evening wedding in Chicago, stayed up all night and caught a 6 a.m. flight to New York. As I groggily staggered out of a cab outside the Sheraton across from Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Jeff Fisher, the Niners' young defensive backs coach, was walking toward the team bus that would take him to that afternoon's game against the Jets.

"Look at you," Fisher said, shaking his head. "You haven't even changed clothes, have you?"

Fourteen years later, Fisher still has a gift for making shrewd, spot-on assessments, even as his rebuilding Tennessee Titans have staggered out of the gate with an 0-4 record in 2006. As Billy Joel once crooned, I took the good times (drinking beers with Fisher in the kitchen of his suburban Nashville home a few hours after the Music City Miracle, watching the replay on a small TV in the corner, over and over, while friends and family members cheered) and I'll take the bad times ... which is why, last Saturday evening, I happily spent an hour with the 12th-year head coach in his suite at the plush hotel near Vanderbilt University, where the Titans stay before home games. Who would have guessed that a day later he'd be dealing with another unforgettable Music City moment in the wake of the Albert Haynesworth debacle  (more on what he had to say about Haynesworth later in this column.)

Silver: So, what's up with that "Fire Jeff Fisher" Web site?

Fisher: One of my assistants brought that to my attention. I asked [media relations director] Robbie Bohren to check it out, and I didn't pay any attention to it. But when I heard they were selling T-shirts, then I got excited. I expressed interest in buying one and sending it out to my mom in California. Apparently they've only sold 18 or so, so they could probably use the business.

Silver: Would you go long sleeves or short sleeves?

Fisher: I'd probably go long sleeves, because it would be helpful in the place where all this originated. You see, the weather is cool in Montana, and I spent about 10 days at my home there over the offseason. And that's apparently where I forgot how to coach.

Silver: When you made the move to start Vince Young, how did Kerry Collins take it?

Fisher: He took it like a pro. Kerry's been great -- I can't say enough about how quickly he picked things up and how well he played under the circumstances. Early Wednesday I called him and Norm [Chow] into my office and told Kerry what we were going to do, that we felt it was time to go with Vince. Then I gathered the whole team and informed them of the change and made it clear that Kerry and I had already talked. I said, "Kerry isn't happy about it, but he understands what we're doing." That afternoon, at practice, Kerry and I were standing together at one point, off on our own, and I'll bet everyone was saying, "I'd love to hear that conversation." Well, we were talking about bow-hunting. I have a farm out in the country and, (on Friday) night, I took Kerry out and we sat in separate stands and watched about 13 deer. Kerry drew; however, he never took the shot. I didn't draw. I was watching these two bucks, the equivalent of teenagers, locking antlers and playing around, for like an hour-and-a-half. It was a great experience. It was nice to get away.