The Tennessee Titans sit at 2-7 and have lost seven of their past eight games.
"I'm like, 'Oh, OK, sure,'" tight end Delanie Walker said, shaking his head, per The Tennessean. "It is ludicrous to me. Fans don't understand the situation we go through as players. No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn't happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous."
Sure, players don't play to lose. Most of them will also only be with that team for a few seasons. Fans, meanwhile -- for the most part -- are in it for the long haul. Some view a non-playoff season as a loss, so the team might as well be completely terrible to try to shore up a more valuable asset for the future.
"I have worked too hard personally to listen to anybody that tells me to go out and tank a season," wide receiver Nate Washington said. "I wouldn't know the meaning of that. To those naysayers who think we should go out and mail it in the rest the season, maybe they shouldn't go to work for the next month and see if they expect a paycheck. Let's see how it works out for them. ..."
Does anyone in Philadelphia know if the basketball players are getting checks this season?
"I can't see one individual in here that would be able to look at himself in mirror if they 'tanked it.' Not one guy is comfortable with that," Washington added. "This is a prideful group of guys, and no matter what the scoreboard is everyone is going to give his all."
Players shouldn't be comfortable with losing. They play a game that is way too brutal to just go through the motions. However, Tennessee is staring at a lost season, with a first-year coach who's moved to a sixth-round project quarterback.
Odds are the Titans won't have to try to tank in order to lose the majority of their remaining games.
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