Long suffering Jacksonville Jaguars fans have team pride once again
By Kathy Clark
The Jaguars fans suffered through a very long drought. In fact the Jaguars didn’t exist. It’s fun to be a Jacksonville Jaguars fan again. The time for pride is now. (Where are you Luke Sims? I hope you are enjoying this moment).
The Jaguars did not exist for many years. They were a small market team mired in a swamp of poor play, poor coaching, and limited resources. First and foremost media did not cover the Jags. Next the Jag players played in obscurity. Finally the team had very poor attendance and no national TV games. Suddenly the Jaguars are the new darling of the sports media.
The most obvious indication that the Jaguars exist is television and newspaper coverage. Many years went by without a single mention of the Jaguars in the state and national press. Their game coverage was relegated to page 5 of the sports page. Also they were never mentioned on national television sports programs. Last Sunday the Jaguars game was page 1 news including photos. In addition they were headliners on the national NFL pre- and post-game programs.
Another indication that the Jaguars exist is players are discussed and name recognition is prevalent. For example last year if I asked people to name a Jaguar player they couldn’t name a single one. Now the names Fournette, Ramsey, Campbell, etc are recognized by people who live outside Jacksonville. Moreover I intend to retire my Fred Taylor jersey and go for a Jalen Ramsey or a Leonard Fournette.
Last Sunday the Jaguars existed big time. For example the Jaguars stadium sold out. Also Chris Myers and Daryl Johnson provided the play by play. Perhaps not the top announcers but not the bottom either. Unbelievably the Jaguars were favored over the Seattle Seahawks, a perennial powerhouse team. Come what may the Jacksonville Jaguars arrived last week.
I thought the men in Teal would live in their usual deep hole in 2017. The discussions about new coaching, new quarterback, poor play calling, etc would continue to be the order of the day. However this year is just a total delight to me and many other long term fans.
So, Jaguars fans, talk about your team, wear your gear with pride, watch the games each week, post on Black and Teal and other sports blogs, and consider game tickets or a new jersey if it’s within your budget. In other words ENJOY. It’s been a long time. GO JAGS!