Cortland Finnegan is rooting for Manny Pacquiao against Oscar De La Hoya in Saturday’s welterweight fight in Las Vegas.
That irks fellow Titans cornerback Chris Carr, the team’s self-designated expert of quirky things, including the current state of boxing.
On Thursday, Finnegan sat out practice for the second time in as many days with a hamstring injury, but stood on the sideline with “PACQUIAO” stitched over his name across the back of his jersey.
Carr wasn’t amused.
“He’s mad at me because I think De La Hoya is going to win,” Carr said. “So he wears this jersey, acting like I don’t like Pacquiao. I love Pacquiao, but I don’t think you can move up, practically 20 pounds, and beat a world-class fighter with no defense.
“Cortland’s never seen him fight. He’s seen a couple of highlights and now he thinks he’s the best fighter. But I’ve seen him fight in person. I’ve seen probably his past eight fights.”
Carr said he had no plans to counter Finnegan’s fashion statement.
Big men: Two of the biggest defensive players in Sunday’s Titans-Browns game apparently spend little time admiring each other’s work.
On Wednesday, Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth showed no interest in a comparison between himself and his Browns counterpart, Shaun Rogers.
“We’re just out there doing our jobs,” Haynesworth said. “I’m not competing with him. I don’t have to go against him, not one snap.”
Haynesworth has 8.5 sacks and 64 tackles. Rogers has 4.5 sacks and 62 tackles. They rank first and fourth, respectively, in AFC voting for the Pro Bowl at defensive tackle.
On Thursday, Rogers echoed Haynesworth’s words: “I don’t play Albert Haynesworth. I play the Titans offense. I can’t control anything Haynesworth does. ? I’m more worried about what is it, Slash and Dash?”
Titans running backs LenDale White and Chris Johnson refer to themselves as Smash and Dash.
Injuries: Cornerback Nick Harper (ankle) and quarterback Vince Young (thumb) missed practice. Coach Jeff Fisher said “we’ll have to wait and see” if Young, who has an infection in the cuticle of his right thumb, recovers in time for today’s practice.
