I've reached the point of irrational exuberance

Donate To GopherHole
Gopher07

Gopher07

Captain of Awesome
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
9,008
Reaction score
16
Points
38
We're so close to the season. I'm looking at a roster from a 3-9 (2-6) team and seeing a lot of positives. I'm looking at the schedule and seeing W's.

I'm on record as saying 5 wins would be acceptable, or even good, this year given where we've been recently, but can't help getting excited with all the things I'm reading about Gray's development and the development of the D-line.

I'm ready, so ready, to see those guys out there in a competitive game knocking people around and executing the gameplan in a way that says "we know this like the back of our hands." I want to see those new uniforms, new matte helmets, under the lights in the desert. Goldy and cheerleaders on the sidelines. Blasting the Rouser from my stereo system. Getting unreasonably excited for good plays, and unreasonably angry for bad plays.

Is it August 30th yet?
 


I'm excited too but not going to set myself up for a crushing disappointment.
 

mcrow said:
I'm excited too but not going to set myself up for a crushing disappointment.
Click to expand...

I do it every year. Guess I'm juuuust dumb enough to talk myself into it :)
 

Very well put. The best part about the weeks leading up to the first game is the opportunity to have optimism and excitement. My chili is piping hot and I am getting a little swagger in my a$$ for August 30th. Seeing Gopher maroon and gold all over the Vegas Strip, Tailgating in the desert, the uniforms, the helmets, the Ski-U-Mah, number 99 destroying some things, the D taking the ball away, and seeing all the new prospects in action and the improvements of the players from last year, singing the rouser, the list goes on and on.
Ski U Mah!
 


Yeah, I've started a tradition in my house for whoever is over watching the first game of the year. I bring out the good scotch right before kick-off, we fill up the shot glasses, and we toast saying that this moment is the best we'll feel about Gopher football all season. It's obviously a little "tongue-in-cheek" but it highlights the never ending optimism of this time of year. I have a feeling, though, that Coach Kill is soon going to make my preseason toast obsolete...but maybe that's just the August talking. Go Gophers!
 

GopherHomer said:
Yeah, I've started a tradition in my house for whoever is over watching the first game of the year. I bring out the good scotch right before kick-off, we fill up the shot glasses, and we toast saying that this moment is the best we'll feel about Gopher football all season. It's obviously a little "tongue-in-cheek" but it highlights the never ending optimism of this time of year. I have a feeling, though, that Coach Kill is soon going to make my preseason toast obsolete...but maybe that's just the August talking. Go Gophers!
Click to expand...

Love it! I think the Connemara 12-year will be making an appearance for me this year. No shots though. Just a little splash of water and sips :)
 


Let's play ball! Really looking forward to seeing the team. Feel good about all the local reports of improvement, but scared everyone could perhaps be wrong and the national people with their 1-7, 0-8 B1G predictions are right. My personal guess is 6-6.
 



I keep telling myself "Hope for the best, prepare the worst". This time of year is obviously a time of optimism for every program. Even the fans of teams that most impartial observers think will really struggle find themselves using phrases like "I think we'll surprise some people" or "I like what I'm seeing in practice". Go back a year or two on this very board and read some of the preseason threads from previous years and you will discover that it's a little bit like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.

All I know for sure is that the tailgating will be great, the games will be exciting and the season will be over before you know it. Any wins, bowl games or trophies won will just be icing on the cake.
 

What's the point of all this if you don't have a supply of irrational optimism?:cool02:
 

It seems we've been a real "young" team for awhile. At some point, that experience is going to break through for a 7 or 8 win season. Idk if it's this year but it has to be soon.
 

Schnauzer said:
Let's play ball! Really looking forward to seeing the team. Feel good about all the local reports of improvement, but scared everyone could perhaps be wrong and the national people with their 1-7, 0-8 B1G predictions are right. My personal guess is 6-6.
Click to expand...

6-6 is very reasonable. I might even go as far as to predict 7-5. We should win all the non-conference games, and then 3 x B10 wins? Thats really not too much to believe. Coach Kill has me signed on more than any other since Holtz. You know, Minnesota can represent at a national level - Just ask any UMD or St. Johns (or St Thomas) football fans. I know the level of play is not the same - but on a level for level basis Minnesota compete well. Hell, they beat teams from the south all the time. There's no reason our D1 program cannot be great and I think this year we turn the corner and start the journey there.
 



Schlic Daddy said:
It seems we've been a real "young" team for awhile. At some point, that experience is going to break through for a 7 or 8 win season. Idk if it's this year but it has to be soon.
Click to expand...

That's why attrition sucks. We weren't THAT young our first year in TCF, but other than that, we've been young since Mason and that's almost entirely because of attrition.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
That's why attrition sucks. We weren't THAT young our first year in TCF, but other than that, we've been young since Mason and that's almost entirely because of attrition.
Click to expand...

If there isn't a chance you will win, why watch? Optimism is not a bad thing.
 

Call me crazy, but I don't want to get too enthusiastic. I would much rather be pleasantly surprised, as opposed to having my hopes crushed.

On the one hand, I see reasons for optimism (QB, OL, LB), but at the same time, there are a lot of question marks (WR, is there a #1 RB, DB's, kicking game).

In order for me to really buy in, I want to see the Gophs go out and really kick somebody's butt during the non-conf schedule. Just once, instead of squeaking out a win, or losing to a team they should beat, I want to see the Gophs up by 30 pts at the half, and emptying the bench in the 2nd half. (Don't get me wrong - I'll take a 1-pt win - but I don't know if my stomach lining can take a whole season of those.)
 

I'm with you! I really can not contain my excitement anymore :) I've already made an event on FB and invited 15-20 people out to the buffalo wild wings we watch games at in Rochester. Kind of turning into a tradition. I'm usually the most hardcore fan there...I hope they have a good showing cuz a lot of my friends are kind of fair weather fans or lik just don't fallow anymore. I'm trying to prove them wrong every year lol I had a good 8 people toast to the gophers success this year last night so I hope we can continue that :)
 


"I've reached the point of irrational exuberance "

Whenever I read threads relating to the opening game at UNLV, my irrational exuberance enhances my excitement such that I have to run to the bathroom. Will I make it time, or won't I? Ehhh Depends.
 

You know, I am so far ahead of myself that I am already annoyed at the bandwagon jumpers acting like they have been there all along that will fill the stands after this team turns the corner.
 

If you ain't got irrational exuberance in your ass, you ain't human!
 


Unregistered User said:
If you ain't got irrational exuberance in your ass, you ain't human!
Click to expand...
I bet nobody in the history of the world has ever put that sentence together.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom