MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Titans general manager said "absolutely" and coach Mike Munchak immediately said "I'm in" when asked if they'd be willing to share anecdotes and insights from the 2013 NFL Draft with season ticket holders.
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| Titans coach Mike Munchak joined "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith for a season ticket holder appreciation event in Hendersonville.Click here for a slideshow from that event and two similar ones that Tennessee general manager Ruston Webster attended Monday. |
Less than 48 hours after Tennessee drafted eight players, Webster and Munchak took action. Each participated in discussions led by "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith that explained the decision-making process from the first through the seventh rounds, including the selection of guard Chance Warmack at the 10th overall spot and why and how the team executed the aggressive trade in the second round that enabled them to draft receiver Justin Hunter.
Season ticket holders received a complimentary meal at each location, poster with the 2013 schedule on it and trading cards of this year's draft class. They also were able to pose for free pictures in front of a green screen that placed LP Field behind them and submit questions for Webster and Munchak, who posed for photos, signed autographs and repeatedly thanked fans.
"If we're going to get this done, we need everybody. We need the whole Titans nation," Webster said. "Y'all have been great to us. We just have to give you something to cheer about, and (LP Field) will be the loudest stadium in the National Football League. That's our goal, and us doing this is to let you know we need you and we appreciate you. "We are working very hard to turn this thing around so when you spend your Sunday afternoons at LP Field, it's going to be an enjoyable one, and an enjoyable ride home.
Webster and Munchak told fans how critical their role is to create an energetic atmosphere and noise levels that make it difficult for opposing offenses to communicate. Munchak said Jevon Kearse would be able to vouch for the difference that makes during third-and-long plays.
"Even when players aren't playing as well or when team things aren't going our way, that whole thing, the noise, the excitement just kind of gets that adrenaline going again, and we re-charge and all of a sudden things change," Munchak said. "It may sound corny, but it's no different than high school ball or college ball: having people support you in the stands makes a huge difference, and it's something that's appreciated."
Webster started the day at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park with an interview on 104.5 The Zone's Wake Up Zone and the talk with ticket holders. Munchak handled the lunch session at Hendersonville Expo Center, and Webster concluded the day at Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, where quarterback Jake Locker made a surprise visit to talk about the energy that returning players and veterans who have been brought to the team through free agency have had in the locker room since beginning the first phase of their offseason program last week.
"There's more excitement in the locker room than there's been since I've been here," Locker said. "I think Ruston and the staff have done a great job of bringing in guys that have been in the league long enough to understand what it takes to be successful and stay in the league. Those are invaluable pieces of the puzzle that have created a lot of excitement and a really good work ethic."
As Keith conducted the dinner interview with Webster, the Titans' director of broadcasting noticed that Webster was wearing the Super Bowl ring he received when he was Tampa Bay's director of college scouting and asked the GM about it.
"I don't wear it very often, but I wear it every now and then in talks like this just to remind myself where we're going and where we need to get, and I think we all need one of these," Webster said as applause from the crowd punctuated his sentence.
The Hendersonville crowd welcomed Munchak with a standing ovation, and he responded by thanking them for 144 consecutive sellouts since the franchise began as the Titans.
"We know it's not cheap to sit in those seats," Munchak said. "We know it's a sacrifice to do that. We're hoping to make that experience the best you've ever had this season. We haven't played a football game yet, but we feel we've won everything we had to do until that point."
Don MacLachlan, executive vice president of administration and facilities, introduced Webster and Munchak at each event. Between the three events and several series of behind-the-scenes tours at LP Field this offseason, the Titans have hosted 8,000 season ticket holders and are continuing the outreach with similar dinners in Clarksville Tuesday and in Lebanon on May 6 that feature assistant coaches.
"LP Field is our home and your home," MacLachlan said.
The Titans will open their home to season ticket holders Friday and on May 11 with family movie nights on the Titantron video boards and other activities like inflatables and face painting.
