The only major sport that puts its highlight event at the start of the season is NASCAR. The Daytona 500 is still THE top event in the sport, even with the successful Chase for the Championship.

Prep football in Memphis did much the same Saturday. The state football championships won’t be decided until November and December. But Saturday’s Melrose-Memphis University School game at the Bridges Classic at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is about as good as it gets.

Two teams with great tradition doing battle down to the wire in the big stadium in front of a television audience. What a way to open the season. MUS and Melrose showed they will both be tough to beat the rest of the year.

1. The more I read about this, the more it seems like a bad “Saturday Night Live” sketch. Or something that should be in the script if there’s ever a sequel to “The Waterboy.”

The NFL announced this past week it would not take any disciplinary action against the Titans after their mascot’s golf cart ran into Saints’ quarterback Adrian McPherson at halftime of the exhibition game between the teams.

The Titans’ mascot is called T-Rac, a buffed up raccoon who looks like he’s on speed dial to Barry Bonds’ trainer. While McPherson was jogging back on the field for the start of the second half, T-Rac turned into Ricky Bobby, throwing items into the stands while driving a golf cart. T-Rac didn’t see McPherson and rammed him, causing McPherson to suffer a deep knee bruise.

He hasn’t been able to practice since. McPherson has had his share of troubles in his career. He signed with Florida State, but was tossed out of FSU for gambling. Now when it seems he’s about to get his career on track, he gets hammered by a giant raccoon in a golf cart.

T-Rac by the way, is played by Pete Nelson, who has the actual title of director of mascot operations. To avoid anymore accidents in the future, Pete (T-Rac) needs to get a golf cart driver. Maybe if the Saints cut McPherson, the Titans can sign him and have him drive T-Rac until the knee heals.
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