We are quickly closing in on the most exciting time of the year for those of us who post on this board. We live for this game. Heck, we pay $100+ just to get on here and read long-winded tripe put forth by anonymous people who have no business trying to gain the attention of an audience that likely has a better collective knowledge of the subject being put forth than the tripe deliverers themselves (guilty!).
The painful realization always sets in around this time, or maybe a few ticks thereafter, that for the length of time we pine for these days to begin, so they just as quickly rush away from us. On Saturday at 7:00, we will be sitting in the stands or in front of a TV with baited breath to see what our refreshed team has in store for us. Five minutes later, it will seem, the entire season will be over and we'll pine for another new beginning.
It's because of this that I offer encouragement to each fan on this board to be introspective and evaluate your personal expectations for the
2016-2017 (let's play after New Year's, yall!) 2017 Red Raiders.
First of all, as fun as they are, be careful of claiming a prediction of the upcoming season's record. I am an optimistic person, and I will be as quick as anyone to predict a 10-2 season. The problem with this is that we have now defined the team as having the resources in place to achieve a 10-2 record in our minds, when in reality, the resources we have could result in an entirely different output. So once that third loss rolls around, we irrationally berate the team for underperforming. In reality, though, it's not underperformance. It's just that they didn't achieve the irrational expectation we placed on the team.
Also, if you have picked the team to go 8-4 on the season, and the team sits at 8-0 after it's first 8 games, you have effectively forfeited your right to complain if the team loses the next four games in a row. It lines up exactly with what you predicted. Any win beyond that 8-0 start should be seen as gravy.
On the other hand, we have posters such as
@TexasOL05,
or @dms5904, or @eevangelTTU who will predict 3 or four wins. In that case, a 7-5 or an 8-4 record doesn't mean the team got lucky to achieve that record in spite of sub-par coaching. Like Bill Parcells said, you are what your record says you are.
I've long been an advocate of avoiding the game day threads. They are message board cancer, in my opinion, and take away from being in the moment and distract from the game itself. Others may not agree, and that's fine. Feel free to vent in such threads. Just keep these things in mind:
-Not every play in the game will be successful. The game is full of ebbs and flows. Think back to some of your favorite Tech football wins. The all-timers. In every one of those games, we lost yards on a running play. Our defense got gashed for a 35 yard gain. The quarterback got sacked. There was a blown coverage. There was a stupid penalty. There was a head-scratching play call. We were forced to punt. There was a special teams gaffe.
Alabama Clemson won the national championship last year. You could watch all of their games from last year and find these elements in each of their games. For the love of all that is holy, please keep this in mind when posting in game day threads. Keep sight of the big picture. If we only have 10 points at the end of the first quarter against
SFA EWU, there's a good chance it won't stay on that pace. Let some things play out before burning your coffee table.
-Every player on the field is a Red Raider, just like you and I.
Justis Nelson Justin Stockton is not trying to tank the season. Tony Morales
(still relevant) isn't trying to sabotage the offensive line.
Luke Stice Demarcus Felton didn't stop growing at
5'11" 5'8" just to spite us. The players are who we have, and the coaches will put the best of the players on the field. It's ok to critique players' effort, execution, and effectiveness. But keep in mind what kind of prospect the kid was coming out of high school. Try to evaluate the kids' maximum potential. Look at the plays from that angle. And for Patriot's sake, please don't abuse the kids on a personal level. Football is a game after all, and each player is giving everything he has to make the season successful.
-Every poster is a Red Raider. With the exception of a couple of posters, we all want success for this team. Let's be civil to one another. Let's lift each other up during this, the finest of all athletic seasons.
As far as gauging what we can expect our team to do this year, keep these things in mind:
1) We lost an all-time
running back quarterback in
Dre Washington Patrick Mahomes.
2) We lost possibly
one of the most electric playmakers
in Tech history in
Jakeem Grant Jon Giles
3) We lost a
great 4 year starter from our
offensive defensive line in
LeRaven Clark Breiden Fehoko
4) We
lost regain one of our leading tacklers and promising prospects in Dakota Allen,
and bolster our defensive depth, at least on paper.
Improvement is not always linear. Don't be surprised if the loss of these players affects the success of the team more than we anticpiate.
My perspective on expectations the past few years is contained in the motto of "Ride the Wave." There will be ups and downs. There will be successes and failures. There will be ecstasy and heartache. You have to expect that as a fan. Keep a clear perspective of what the team is at all times. It will save a lot of heart burn.
I look forward to the season ahead! It should be a fun ride! Guns Up and Wreck 'em Tech!
tl;dr: Chill out and enjoy football.
Also, look for
a new the return of my weekly fan feature I plan on rolling out Monday after the game.
