The Jaguars must improve play and finally win games
By Kathy Clark
The Jacksonville Jaguars must improve their play this season and stop the trend of losing football. Who will come to play this season?
Will it be the new and improved Jaguars or the same old dysfunctional team. The Jaguars must show progress. One of the goals of ownership is to increase the fan base. For starters, the fan interest decreased due to years of losing football. Also, the Jaguars are rarely televised. This lack of exposure produces little interest in the team and the players. Finally, they don’t have stars in a league driven by star players. Star players promote interest and sell team merchandise.
YEARS OF LOSING FOOTBALL
The Jaguars played losing football the last nine years. They were at or near the bottom of the NFL the past four years. They were third or fourth in their division according to ProFootball.com. The Jacksonville population can support an NFL franchise. The Jaguars played well during the first years of existence as a franchise. They played at a very high level from 1996-99. The fans loved them. College football games are successful in Jacksonville. The Florida Georgia Gator Bowl game is very popular. The fan base is there for an improved team.
LACK OF EXPOSURE
The Jaguars are rarely on national television. In fact, their home and even their away games are not always televised. In our Palm Coast Florida market, the Dolphins are televised instead of the Jags on some weekends. Additionally, played only two Nationally televised games in 2016. They played the Titans on October 27 on NFL Network. National television showed a London game on October 2. The fans can’t develop interest in a team they never see. In fact, fans in other areas of the country barely know they exist. Discussion of the Jaguars on network televising or radio sports channels is minimal. Improved play and wins will increase the discussion about the Jags.
STARS STARS STARS
The NFL is a star driven league. According to Barry Wilson of the Associated Press writing for the Globe and Mail in 2016:
"It’s unfortunate that as the sports world has become a major partof the instant gratification, 24/7/365 social media environment,what is happening with the big names is of primary interest,almost exclusively."
He added “that way of thinking spreads to the guys with the headsets, too.” Tom Coughlin has the star quality the Jags need. Above all, the Jaguars players need exposure to become
stars.
IN SUMMARY
To summarize, the Jaguars must improve their play this season. Otherwise they will continue in the doldrums of the NFL.