Young Acts just that, like a Grade Schooler with Apology to Fisher

When did text messaging become the go-to means of communication? It used to be you text messaged someone to say things that went without saying... things like "hi", "I love you", "can't wait until I come home so I can give you some sweet loving", and, maybe, in extreme situations: "I think you're really nice and all, but it's not working out." Even that last one generally goes without saying and serves as a mere common courtesy, or that's at least the premise I've been acting under all these years.

As such, is it maybe safe to assume that the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Vince Young are on the verge of a highly public break-up? Because, judging by how Young has acted the past few days, it's sadly ironic to hear that he's been the one sending out the texts when it's clear he's the one that needs dumping... as soon as possible.

"You're welcome. Use them in good health. I'll throw my shin pads next week."

Young clearly has the pedigree to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. Taken third overall in the 2006 draft, he's been named the league's offensive rookie of the year and to the Pro Bowl in 2009. Still as good as his instincts are on the field, someone needs to sit him down, have a good chat with him, and let him know right from wrong on the sidelines and that shoulder pads are not an appropriate alternative to footballs and autographs when giving away souvenirs to fans. That would be the first thing he needs to be taught.

The second thing is that communicating electronically is less than ideal when you can just as easily apologize to teammates and your coach in person and save everyone the embarrassment of misinterpreting the inevitable "lol" that gets added in every once in a while by accident. Even though it was presumably left off in his text-message apology to coach Jeff Fisher on Tuesday and his tweet out to teammates hours after his season-ending finger injury and temper tantrum on Sunday, it may as well not have been in order to convey what probably would have been the clear-cut insincerity in his voice. There's little other way to interpret what can only be considered the immature actions of a 27-year-old.

Maybe Young does mean it when he says he's sorry for acting like a child, but when you're on the same team as Randy Moss it shouldn't take a whole lot of effort on your part to keep a low profile. Sure Young may just have been frustrated in regard to the situation at hand, but there is a line between taking your job seriously and wanting to play and acting like an overgrown child that isn't getting his way. Young crossed it on Sunday and, although it is a metaphor, the only way to uncross it is in person. You can't unsend a text message and you can't make up for potentially tenure-ending mistakes in 140 characters or less. Even 140 characters or more. There's a reason it's called Twitlonger.

So, now the 5-5 Titans, who are just a single game behind the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars despite a three-game losing streak, will presumably turn to the next-highest name on their depth chart in Rusty Smith, who has completed a total of three passes in his short career, leading to questions on how on earth he got the nickname Rusty when he hasn't even had enough playing time to break a sweat. Still, this could turn out to be a good thing and give the team some much-needed urgency to go looking for a new starter, because you really don't want a QB nicknamed Rusty, and if Young hasn't grown up yet he probably never will. Because Young is done for the season, the Titans have nothing to lose. Even if he wasn't, you don't need him giving one of his unbroken fingers to the organization sometime down the road.