NASHVILLE -- The question to Tennessee Titans executive vice president Steve Underwood was both direct and pointed Friday morning.
"You've got an 88-year-old owner. You say you're going to retire at the end of the summer. You've just fired your head coach and defensive coordinator and you have no quarterback. Given all that, can you tell your fan base why they shouldn't think this franchise is in disarray?"
Said Underwood without hesitation: "I look at this as an opportunity. We will emerge from this as strong or stronger than ever."
This is how the 16-year Jeff Fisher era officially came to a close. It ended with nary a bang nor a whimper. All this amazingly amicable divorce of the Titans and Fisher lacked was a joint statement through their publicists that both parties hoped to remain good friends.
They should, of course, because each entity did much to help the other over the years. Titans owner Bud Adams made Fisher a very wealthy man. Fisher gave the organization a measure of respect and success it had never previously enjoyed.
But as Fisher noted during his turn at the podium inside the Titans' complex, "All good things must come to an end. I've been coaching for 24 years and it's time. I need a break."
How long a break the only coach the Titans have had since the franchise once known as the Houston Oilers moved to the Music City is up to him and him alone, according to Underwood.
There apparently is no no-compete clause for the upcoming season, as was previously believed. Asked if Fisher was free to coach in 2011, Underwood said, "You bet."
But that seems highly unlikely.
"Those who coach 10 years then take a year off are three times better coaches -- in year 11," Fisher said with a slight grin. "We've had two difficult years."
Fisher certainly looked better than he had since the 13-3 regular-season run of 2008. Clean shaven and dapperly dressed in a charcoal gray suit, heavily starched dress shirt and red tie, he looked as if he really might be on his way to a job interview rather than a farewell party.
"I have a great deal of personal peace right now," he said. "I have great confidence in this organization moving forward."
Throw in Underwood's statement that "I've worked for this organization for 35 years and there hasn't been anyone over that time that was any greater or I respect more than Jeff Fisher," and you kind of wonder how it fell apart so swiftly.
After all, not three weeks ago the Titans were telling everyone that Fisher would be their coach in 2011.
Then again, sometimes it's what you don't say that gives you away. During the entire 45-minute news conference, Underwood and general manager Mike Reinfeldt strongly denied only one rumor.
"I did see $8 million [buyout]," Underwood said. "And that is erroneous."
As for everything else -- anger that Fisher had signed 13 assistants to contract extensions without knowledge of front-office executives, Fisher being bitter that he couldn't bring his son on board as a staffer, the loss of defensive line coach Jim Washburn and running backs coach Craig Johnson to other teams because Fisher was viewed as a lame-duck coach -- well, both parties would only admit that there were "differences."
When pressed about those differences, Underwood said only, "It doesn't do anyone any service to go into details."
Titans season-ticket holders might argue that view. They pay a good deal of money every year in tickets, parking, concessions, etc. With the franchise seemingly imploding before their eyes, they might reasonably request a detailed explanation.
To Reinfeldt's credit, they did get an answer concerning quarterback Vince Young's future with the team: He has none, even with Fisher gone.
"The Vince Young decision is the same," Reinfeldt said of the club's earlier announcement that it would not keep him on the roster next season. "We're going to go in a different direction."
Many expect their coaching direction to head directly to assistant Mike Munchak, who made the Pro Football Hall of Fame as an Oilers player.
As for which direction Fisher will go, he said, "I haven't thought about my future past this afternoon."
The Titans Nation can only hope that when it comes to their favorite football team's furure, Adams, Underwood and Reinfeldt have thought a good deal beyond that.