(01-22-2018, 07:46 PM)FBT Wrote: As a fan who has been part of this fan base from the very beginning, with the original Touchdown Jacksonville movement, getting the team, living through the inaugural season, and then watching the meteoric rise of this franchise in such short order, I have seen every twist, turn, up, and down this team has endured over the past 2 1/2 decades.  I was sitting in the north end zone when Morten Anderson missed his kick.  I was there for 62-7.  I was there the following week when the wheels came off and the slide began for this franchise.

I've always enjoyed supporting this team, in good and bad times.  I've never missed a home game during the regular season, even attending a game the day after our daughter was born.  To me, the Jaguars are as much a part of the fabric of my life as any other aspect.  I will support this team until the day I go toes up because they are my hometown team.

This season started with such low expectations coming off a miserable preseason where there were so many questions and concerns.  When the team started the season in Houston and suddenly they flipped a switch and crushed the Texans, I think everyone was a bit caught off guard, but in a good way.  We realized this team had the potential, in a weak division, to be competitive.  I think my expectations were 7 or 8 wins, with an outside chance at possibly getting a 9th win and possibly winning the division.  The next week they came home and looked like the Jaguars we had grown accustomed to against those stinking tacks.  

As the season progressed, it seemed like 8-8 was a distinct possibility, mostly because the team couldn't manage to cobble together 2 wins in a row.  Then they did putting together a 4 and 3 game win streak.  As they wins started to outpace the losses, you could feel the energy in the stadium starting to ramp up, and by the time we hit December, you could sense that the fans were finally starting to recognize that this team was different from what we'd been pummeled with for the past decade or so, and that there was a possibility of not only making the playoffs, but actually going deep into the post season.

It's been a LONG time since we've seen this city so excited about the team.  When we earned our playoff spot, and ultimately earned a home game, you could sense that things were really heading in the right direction.  That Buffalo game, as low scoring as it was, was completely electric for the entire time, with a packed house, and fans who were fully engaged.  When the game ended, I think the team finally closed the deal on getting the fans back on board completely.  Anywhere you went around town, people were wearing Jags gear.  We'd go to restaurants, and it was the conversation at tables, with everyone genuinely excited about the prospects.  I'd go to Publix, and people wanted to talk about the team and the upcoming games.  It was a complete change from the days when I'd be asked why I even wore the Jaguars logo since they stunk.  

The Jaguars to me are a tremendous source of pride as a Jacksonville native.  This team in particular so perfectly represented this town and our fan base, and it ended up bringing the fans together in a way we haven't ever really seen here.  The early years were electric, but that was mostly because everything was new, and it was more or less a novelty.  This time around, the feeling went deeper as the community embraced the team, and the team embraced the spirit of Duval.  It was a masterful bit of marketing for this franchise to recognize this and to jump in with both feet.  Working class town represented by a team that is equally gritty and determined.  Underdogs both, dismissed by bigger markets, the Jaguars became the every man team that represented a city, and a way of life.

It's tough to replicate the jubilation that we felt in the early days, especially in that playoff run in '96.  I think we came close for the fans with thousands coming out to greet the team after the win in Pittsburgh.  The entire town felt the pain of the loss we endured in New England yesterday, and while it hurts tremendously to see the season come to such a disappointing end, I think that rather than criticizing the team, my focus is on the future and the prospects of success that this team has set itself up with.

We can nitpick and hunt for someone to blame for a loss against arguably one of the greatest teams in the history of the NFL.  We went up against a dynasty, and for more than 50 minutes, it looked like the upstarts from the underdog town who have been the laughingstock of the league for a decade were going to topple the almighty juggernaut.  It's unfortunate that it didn't happen, but as a fan base, I think we should have nothing but pride for how this team performed throughout this season. In years past, when they faced adversity, everything fell apart.  This year, that didn't happen.  They'd have struggles.  They'd bounce back.  All the while, they possessed a confidence and a swagger that made them a blast to watch.

For me, I think this season has been the most enjoyable in the history of the franchise.  This team played an entertaining brand of football that was tough and determined, and they never gave up.  Even in the final quarter of the final game, when key starters were hampered by injuries, the team kept fighting.  It's unfortunate that we came up short at the end, but I think we have witnessed the beginning of something special here in Jacksonville, and for true fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars, this is a time to get excited about the future and what this team has the potential to do.

There will be some changes, but I think the foundation is in place to make the success we enjoyed this year sustainable, and we still have much to strive for and to accomplish.  We got a taste of it this year, and quite frankly, I didn't expect anything like this until next year at least.  So, they're ahead of schedule by my estimation, and regardless of who we face next year, or who takes the field, I have the confidence to know that when the season ends, we're going to be in a position to control our own destiny.  The pain is still there from the loss yesterday, and it will take some time for that to subside, but I take comfort in the fact that things are only just beginning, and it's going to get even better.  I'm looking forward to the ride.

As a fan, I thank the Jaguars for what they managed to accomplish this year.  Not only did they go further than anyone expected them to in the post season, but they united a city, and rebuilt a fan base that had sort of been meandering for years.  They got behind the message that we are Duval, and they helped to really expand that mindset into something much bigger than just football.  It's a mindset that an entire community has embraced.

Kudos to the Jags for a terrific 2017 season, and here's to looking forward to even bigger things to come in 2018 and beyond.

#DTWD!!!!

Fantastic, so well put.

I think the main pain i'm still feeling is just disappointment this season is over. So much fun, so great to see places like this come alive as the season progressed. I'm not ready to let it go just yet.

I wasn't there, but the home game against Seattle was maybe the best Jags moment from the last 10 years. The fans, atmosphere, performance. It was just beautiful to see us stand up like that.

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