Eight thoughts on the eve of the Redskins' preseason opener in Tennessee.

1. Tomorrow night's Redskins-Titans game doesn't count and the starters will be long gone by the third quarter. But after watching two weeks of uneventful practices that involve little hitting, making it difficult to judge who's performing well and who isn't, the game should be interesting because it will be at full speed. It will give everybody -- coaches, players, fans, us media gadflies -- a chance to gauge where the Redskins are at.

2. The high tomorrow in Nashville is expected to be 98 degrees. Thankfully, the humidity will only be 10 percent. Thankfully, it's an 8 p.m. kickoff.

3. Reason No. 2,242 why the NFL reigns supreme: Last night's 1 a.m. SportsCenter led with Colts-Cowboys highlights. And ESPN didn't even broadcast the game.

4. What has a greater chance of happening: John Daly wins the PGA Championship or Todd Collins captures the Redskins' starting quarterback job? I'll go with Daly.

5. I watched the second half of the LA Galaxy-D.C. United game last night and although I had to mute the game (the announcers = bad), it's obvious that David Beckham is a world-class player even at less than full fitness. When he entered, he was always around the ball and created a couple scoring chances.

6. Speaking of futbol, the Barclays Premier League kicks off this weekend in England. It used to be called the English Premier League but the EPL sold out. What's next -- the Budweiser Football League? I hope not.

7. A couple thoughts on Fan Appreciation Night two days ago at Redskin Park: A. Always hold it during an afternoon practice to prevent potential accidents afterward when there is not much lighting and kids are running all over the place; B. Have all of the practice on the field closest to the fans -- the defense spent much of the night on an adjacent field, some 200 yards from the fans; C. Have a player or two (like Jason Campbell or Marcus Washington or Phillip Daniels) along with Gregg Williams and Al Saunders answer questions from the fans beforehand.

8. Finally, for the first time yesterday, I heard true optimism out of running back Clinton Portis. He knows the opener is still a month away, but I think he will play at least one preseason game. He looked sharp doing agility drills on Wednesday night and reported no new soreness. Unlike last year when Ladell Betts was still unproven, the Redskins know he can do the starter's work in August, giving Portis more time to heal.