Quote:Huge strides?  I think we're headed in the right direction, and we are starting to get the attention of those outside of the market that the fan base here isn't nearly as bad as they've portrayed it to be over the years.  I think we actually have a very loyal core fan base that simply needed time to mature to the point where those who had other loyalties when the team was awarded to the city have been replaced by the kids who grew up in a world where there was always Jaguars football, for better or for worse.

 

The problem here has always been the perception more than the reality.  The kinds of fluctuations we've seen with ticket sales and such are the same cyclical things other markets have seen.  It is just more pronounced here because of the market size, and because of that, the big shots in the mainstream media look at Jacksonville as an afterthought.  They act almost amazed that the fans could possibly be excited about the Jaguars when the reality is the fans have always been here waiting for something to get excited about. 

 

We've been through a pretty tough stretch.  Things have improved, and should continue to do so.  Eventually, blurbs like this about the fan base will simply go away.

 

To be fair to national perspective though, we had 6,200 at a rookie mini camp which has never been done and blew away the training camp record.  So I do think there is something to this maturing which you said going on.  I can feel the energy.  It is weird, you just can tell things are different this year with excitement.  

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