Clash of the Titans: What Pacman Jones Owes Vince Young

One will appear on the cover of Madden NFL 2008.

The other appeared in a USA Today cover story detailing the NFL's player misconduct woes.

One is an offensive coordinator's dream.

The other is preparing to defend his actions in an appeal to the league's Commissioner.

Such is the clash between Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young and embattled Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones. They share a locker room, but their professional and personal paths couldn't be further apart.

In 2006, Young rewrote the sports fan's version of Great Expectations by single-handedly willing his team to victories, and making the Titans the talk of the NFL.

Jones, on the other hand, has made a caricature of himself that even Lorne Michaels would be proud of: a rich athlete driven to ruin by mismanaged affiliations and a false sense of entitlement.

It was supposed to be an offseason of optimism in Tennessee, where the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year seemed poised to lead the Titans to big things. Unfortunately, a summer of "What's next for Vince Young?" got overshadowed by a winter of "What now for Pacman Jones?" 

With more arrests than interceptions on his record, Pacman has commandeered the spotlight from his teammates. News headlines on the club's website detail how the Titans hope to fill the void created by Jones' suspension, and how the players' union supports his appeal.

While Jones will ultimately take a financial hit for his bad behavior, the rest of the Titans are bound to pay a price that can't be measured in trash bags full of dollar bills.

For the first half of the 2007 season, Tennessee players and coaches will face endless questions about Life Without Pacman. It's a catch-22 for the team: If they win, it proves Pacman's presence was a distraction; if they lose, it proves the same thing about his absence.

Lost in all that furor will be the emergence of Young as a bona fide star. Titans fans know what's what, but NFL pundits have been slow to embrace the do-it-all quarterback. Don't expect that to change with the media so fixated on Jones' sexy unrepentant-loser story.

And so there's your Clash of the Titans, between two players who both deserve more than they're getting: Vince Young, who with his talent and charisma has the makings of everything Michael Vick was supposed to be; and Pacman Jones, who with his off-field antics has made himself a burden to his organization.

One should be the toast of the league. The other should be made to suffer at least as much as his teammates.

Here's hoping September brings a touch of justice to both sides of the equation.