I don't post very often here. I do read what folks are saying regularly. Sometimes it is informative. Occasionally uplifting. Often annoying. But everyone has, as they say, a take. Take this as nothing more than an observation.

 

It is a rare day that this fanbase is happy with this team. Really that goes way back (I've been a fan and season ticket owner back to the inception of this team). Even during the halcyon days of playoffs and just this close to the Super Bowl, there's always been a drumbeat of negativity. This player or that player just plain stinks...or this coach or that coach has no idea what they are doing.

 

And of course, the latest era has garnered the lion's share of disapproval. Clearly, given the record, Gus's Bus is running on a couple-three flat tires. So now, this fan or that fan...or many fans...are calling for him to be fired. Oh yeah, and while we are at it, fire Caldwell, fire (insert multiple player's names) too. Goodness knows the record makes this idea sensible. 

 

Or not. Consider. Gene Smith had a terrible record drafting. Are ANY of his first round picks still in football? Actually, any of Shack Harris' guys? I realize that time comes into play on Harris, but my point should be clear. Smith's drafting was execrable, and Caldwell had an awful "core" to start with. We've now had three Caldwell drafts, and he's looking pretty good. No Pro Bowlers...but let's face it, that is a little #becausejaguars. We have two excellent wide receivers, with another who may well be pretty good if he gets healthy. We have a QB that is increasingly looking at being THAT guy. Running back, a few OL, perhaps some defenders. Some of the defensive potential has been obfuscated by injuries. Let us accept that there has clearly been an improvement in the personnel (heck, some guys are saying that we are better than most everyone). And Caldwell got there by starting at pretty much zero. 

 

And we were told that the record would suffer. And goodness gracious, it has. Which leads us to now. There is a basso-profundo rumble that given his record Gus needs to go. And perhaps he should. And as you peruse threads on this board, this player or that player needs to be fired too. If everyone was fired when the vocal fanbase on this board called for their heads, we would be without our coaching staff, our Quarterback, and, what, half of our starters?

 

My point, and I do have a point...Abe Lincoln said: "a person is about as happy as they have a mind to be." I would suggest the converse of this applies as well...you can be as unhappy as you choose to be. We have an NFL team There are some players on that team that are just plain fun to watch. Sundays in the stadium are great fun. Less fun when we lose, but there are still a lot of neat moments. While the team is "built" it is a ways from being a cohesive pretty close to perfect whole. There has been absolute improvement. One field goal (of two) which was just a little to the left, and we beat the clots. The game against the Bucs was awful...except our offense shone for the first time, really. Which was fun to watch. 

 

There is NO assurance that firing Gus or whatever is going to improve matters. Yes, other teams have turned a 180 with a new coach. However, I would contend that those teams for the most part are older and have a few well-established stars. Really, what Caldwell and Gus have done hasn't been done before (except for the expansion teams) and it isn't fair comparing us to us and the Panthers at our mutual inception because there were several advantages in draft choices and salary caps given to our teams. To the point that when Cleveland got the Browns, they didn't get those advantages...and they stunk for a while. Still?

 

Perhaps this new thing needs to be allowed to run its course. Firing everybody is most likely a step back. Let it play through and see what happens. Of course, the fan base pouting about players or coaches most likely has no impact on the decisions made by the owner. And, oh, by the way, folks who want to fire the owner are...misguided. He owns the team. He can't be fired. And your pouting makes you miserable. And of course, that's your choice. But do you really want to be miserable? If you do, carry on. And regardless, have a good day.

 

Jim

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