Jacksonville Jaguars: Yesterday I Was a Football Fan, Not a Reporter

I put down the pen and paper for a few hours on Friday and went to my first Jaguars practice of the season. It was a planned trip, something that I needed to do for many reasons, but most of all to help me remember that first and foremost I am a fan of football and a writer of it second.

I was not disappointed.

The Jaguars are in a state of transition of sorts. This is an important year for both the team and head coach Jack Del Rio. And with the recent free agent moves they made, it should be interesting to see if they can move from a team of mediocrity to a team of destiny.

My fingers and toes are crossed on that one.

As a fan, there is more of a relaxed mood to watching the team. You get to observe more and take everything in.

For me, the entire day was about the experience.

Whether it was walking around the perimeter of the stadium, watching fathers take their sons to the practice or seeing the cheerleaders (always a good time) meet and greet and take pictures with fans, you got the sense football was alive and well in Jacksonville.

And that is a good thing!

Jacksonville for years was a college town that prided itself on the Florida-Georgia game and a college bowl game. It toiled with sports like minor league hockey and professional soccer. It has always been a good town for minor league baseball and other “niche” sporting events. But when the NFL came to town, it transformed everything about the city, through business and sports on a grander scale.

Anyway, enough with my business rant and back to sports.

The Jaguars looked bigger, stronger and faster. Most importantly, they looked like a cohesive unit. Now that Marcedes Lewis has re-signed and the big rookie, Blaine Gabbert, is throwing footballs with a zip to them, there is reason for hope—something we all need in the wake of the end of the NFL lockout.

Seeing players run after passes, go through tackling drills and speaking with position coaches gives us the sense that we can accomplish something great. The Jaguars may be the next team to rise from the ashes and challenge for NFL supremacy.

Teams like Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh and Baltimore may have something to say about that, but we can hope for right now that we can be the best team in the AFC South—and then the best team in the AFC.

Right now, every team is even. There is a level playing field. Our team looks solid. They look hungry.

And every player is smiling.

It may not sound like much, but that translates to something on the field. It means something to the fans and it means something to me.

I have been a fan from day one when they started playing in 1995. And like so many, we have been through highs and lows with the team and never wavered. We are still a young team, only 16 years in existence. We have been to the mountain and back, close enough to taste the Super Bowl without being invited.

It is that drive that keeps us fans coming back.

What I saw yesterday (with my friend Jonathon) was enough to wet my whistle and make me want to come back. It was enough for me to hope there is a playoff invitation in our Christmas basket.  Maybe more players will be recognized for their achievements on the field (Daryl Smith).

It was enough to bring a smile to my face.

A smile that I want to experience more than once this season.