NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The man now in charge of the Tennessee Titans knows fans aren't happy with a franchise likely missing the playoffs for a fifth straight season. The team's new president and chief executive officer plans to wait until the season ends for a thorough review of what changes are needed to win.
"I'm disappointed because I like winning," Tommy Smith said Sunday. "I don't like losing. We're not in the losing business. We're in the winning business. It's nice to be competitive and say you got close. But like everyone says, it's like kissing your sister. We're not into that. I'm happy with the talent we brought in, so from a dollar standpoint I think we got value worth there, but we've got a lot of work to do."
Smith was named president and CEO on Oct. 29 following the Oct. 21 death of the franchise's founder, Bud Adams, who was Smith's father-in-law.
Smith tried to meet with reporters Nov. 10 in a session scratched because traffic delayed his arrival at the stadium, and he finally held a news conference Sunday before the Titans played the Arizona Cardinals.
The Titans (5-9) have lost eight of 10 games, putting coach Mike Munchak's future in question with the number of empty seats growing each home game. Munchak has been with the franchise 30 years as a player, assistant coach and now in his third season as head coach.
The family has met with the NFL's finance committee and hopes the league approves their takeover in ownership at the March owners' meetings. Smith said there is no scenario where the family would sell the franchise.