Marcus Mariota Riled Up Predators' Fans While His Offensive Line Slugged Tall Boys

Marcus Mariota and the Titans offensive line working on a new shotgun formation pic.twitter.com/WVEuoB2Ev6

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 17, 2017

It's exceedingly difficult to come away from that clip with anything but a smile on your face. It's cool to see the leader of an NFL team take interest in another local franchise and encourage fan support within a rowdy building that might falsely lead him to believe that the NHL actually can do a mediocre job marketing itself outside of notorious hockey cities. To watch him do it with five overweight dudes showering themselves with obnoxiously expensive, XL beers in the background only enhances what was already a pretty awesome visual.

That's why it's crazy to think that there are more than likely people out there that would have had it ruined for them if the sixth attending member of the Tennessee Titans - who also happens to be of-age - partook in spilling overpriced suds down his shirt. 

Maybe I'm not giving enough credit to those who have proven - time and time again - that they don't deserve it. That said, don't you think that one or two talking heads would at least pretend to have a  problem if a starting quarterback in the NFL was slugging stadium brews like he was trying to make up for his 4th year of college that proved unnecessary? Am I crazy to think that people would be searching for a way to spin a 23 year old professional athlete letting loose at a sporting event during the offseason as something that was inappropriate to do in public given his position?

It's objectively hilarious when the handful of bruisers that are paid to protect him (or as NBCSN likes to acknowledge them, the world's largest footnote) treat a televised appearance like it's a tailgate. However, given the overblown scrutiny that usually surrounds those under center, I would be interested to see if that opinion slightly differed if the one guy who has the fate of the franchise resting on his right arm had been equally as bold with his boozing. I'm pretty sure that Marcus Mariota was a bit of a goody two shoes when he first came into the league so maybe he's more of a "white wine spritzer when the occasion calls for it" kinda guy, but I can't help but think that his oft-dissected status as the front man in the huddle deterred him from cheers'ing as much as cheering. As someone that loves a good, old fashioned chug off, it makes me sad that my first thought was that there are definitely some that are mildly hypocritical in how they view them.