Quote:I don't post often, especially the last few years.  I've been having a hard time believing again.  The recent post making fun of the company lines over the years spoke directly to me.  Thank you for that post, you've forced me to consider how I feel about being fooled.

 

I, for one, believed in Gene Smith and Vic.  Hook, line, sinker, I bought it all.  I loved feeling like we could find small school talent that the other teams missed, and I liked having exciting jars on the shelf that would prove our process right.  

 

In fact I was even fooled before that. I remember being excited about "track star" Alvis Whitted.  I remember discussing excitedly with friends the project receiver Matt Jones.  I remember the videos of Byron Leftwich at Marshall being carried by his linemen and thinking, now that's a QB.  

 

I was 12 when Jacksonville was awarded a franchise.  I still have the full color Times-Union paper with that original helmet on it.  Back then I didn't know much about football, barely understood how the divisions were laid out. In those summers every day's training camp reports would be sprawled out and I would read about each player and root for my favorites to make the final roster.

 

I've never rooted for other teams, when playing fantasy football I always overdraft jaguars (and often only jaguars) just so I don't have to have split loyalties when watching.

 

Every year I watch the draft and imagine each player as a pro bowler for years to come.  The GMs on every team do a similar thing, they want to find players that will contribute for years.  

 

As the years have gone by and all of the preseason all-stars fade out it's been very tempting to give in and just be cynical about it.  You're right I got duped, Vic and Gene told a wonderful story, I thought the Weavers wouldn't sell, I wanted to hope.  I haven't let myself believe in Dave yet, he doesn't tell me a story, I feel like he drafts in line with ESPN because the Jaguars want to change their image.

 

When you wrote about the years of optimism turning sour and advocated being a real analyst and not buying the company line, it forced me to realize the following:

 

I don't come to the jaguars.com message boards looking for the truth.  I'm here looking for my people, the ones that also fall in love with every player on this roster and want to believe.  Not because it's the truth, but because we are fans, and fans are supposed to have hope.  You forced me to realize that cynicism was winning... During the recent victory it was the final few minutes and we were up by a large margin, and I thought... somehow we'll lose this.  Forget that.  Being truthful about the direction of the Jaguars is not a healthy way to approach this hobby.  Super bowl or bust!