some Jaguars history, Jack Del Rio and the media
A long time ago, the city of Jacksonville wanted an NFL team...bad. They bent over forward for the Colts and the Oilers (remember them?), who both made overtures to the city in maneuvers that ultimitely got them better stadium deals in their established towns, but left Jacksonville never the bride, but the bridesmaid who got laid at her friend's wedding...all her friends' weddings...and got put on the unofficial list of bridesmaids to have at your wedding, just because they'll put out.
I watched all that, and in 1995, Jacksonville was already the town I lived in longer than any other. Jacksonville was also a dark horse in a competition for 2 new expansion teams. The clear front runners were Baltimore, St. Louis and Carolina. Well, the day came to choose the teams and St. Louis and Baltimore were having problems with the financial packages they were presenting to the NFL, so the league picked...Carolina, and a team to be named later. The clear implication was...give St. Louis or Baltimore a chance to get their shit in a sock, so we can give the other team to them. That didn't happen and the whole time, Jacksonville, the red headed stepchild was screaming, "HEEEYYYY! What about us?" So as things unfolded, or didn't as the case may be in St. Louis and Baltimore, about a month later, the second expansion franchise was given to Jacksonville. City officials in Baltimore and St. Louis couldn't believe it. They were sure they'd be given even more time to get organized before the league would actually give a team to...Jacksonville. The reaction in the Carolina press went like this. "Getting an NFL franchise and seeing the second one go to Jacksonville is like winning a beauty contest and seeing Rosanne Barr be the runner up." (And people wonder why we have an inferiority complex, but that's another story.) The reaction by me and most of Jacksonville....elation. We were the little engine that could. We were getting an NFL team! Contests were held to name the team and design logos. I echoed the sentiments of one of my co-workers who said, "I don't care if they slap pink flamingoes on their helmets! We have a team!"
So it happened that Jacksonville got the Jaguars. Now the second part....fans. If you go to most NFL towns, most of the people there grew up with their teams. They have been established for a long time...both the fans and the team. Jacksonville isn't like that. For one thing, most of the population didn't grow up here (me included). We came from other places, and most of the hard core football fans came with their own favorites which they weren't about to give up, just because they now lived in Jacksonville. I can understand that. My loyalties weren't all that strong, I think because I grew up an Air Force brat and didn't stay in one place all that long, then joined the Navy and moved more, until I got here. I had attended a total of one NFL game, between the Jets and Buccaneers at Shea Stadium while in college, only because someone knocked on my door on a Sunday morning with tickets and said, "Wanna go?" I was therefore a Jaguar fan, complete with season tickets and swelling with civic pride for my adopted town. There was an enormous amount of excitement the first few years and the team sold out all the games, but that honeymoon is over and now the team is making more of an effort to sell the team to the community. I think that will pan out as we get people who grow up with this team.
Where all this is going....
Jack Del Rio (our coach) called out the local media, saying none of them are 'Jaguars guys'. The local media, of course, got all defensive, saying no they aren't 'Jaguar guys'. They're objective guys, and waive pom poms for nobody. Truth be told, I think most of them do waive pom poms for somebody, just not the Jaguars. I can see both sides of the issue. If you go to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, or Atlanta, for that matter, and listen to the sports talk guys on the radio, they may criticize the team in their town, but you can tell they have a passion for that team. They grew up with them and they live and die with them. That's why they have the job they do. That doesn't mean everything they say is pro 'their team'. They, more than anyone, know the glaring holes (at least the way they see them) and reasons for criticism. They love sports and they grew up with the team in their town, and that comes through when they talk. They aren't quite objective, but in my opinion, nobody really is. Here, the guys who cover the team didn't grow up with them. They too love sports, and grew up with other teams, and those are the teams they love. That doesn't change just because you find yourself in Jacksonville covering the Jaguars. These non-'Jaguars guys' are somewhat objective about the Jaguars, but you feel no passion for the team at all coming from them. Here, the guy I listen to on the radio is a Yankees/Knicks/Jets fan. If he truly was objective, I wouldn't know that. I don't mind that he's a Jets fan. That's part of how he grew up and the loyalty he built, and I don't expect him to change his stripes. At the same time, playing the 'objectivity' card is just as relevant here as in any other sports town...say like Pittsburgh. It isn't. I guess, I don't want someone blowing sunshine up my ass, telling me the team is going to the Super Bowl every year and being a homer, but I am waiting for the first guys to show up in the media who did grow up with this team, who have fond memories of dad bringing them to Alltel Stadium, who witnessed Morten Andersen missing the chip shot field goal that sent the Jagaurs to their first playoff game sitting on dad's shoulders in a sea of teal, and who have an emotional stake in whether they are good or not. The team's been here 10 years. I figure I have another 6 or 7 to wait.
I watched all that, and in 1995, Jacksonville was already the town I lived in longer than any other. Jacksonville was also a dark horse in a competition for 2 new expansion teams. The clear front runners were Baltimore, St. Louis and Carolina. Well, the day came to choose the teams and St. Louis and Baltimore were having problems with the financial packages they were presenting to the NFL, so the league picked...Carolina, and a team to be named later. The clear implication was...give St. Louis or Baltimore a chance to get their shit in a sock, so we can give the other team to them. That didn't happen and the whole time, Jacksonville, the red headed stepchild was screaming, "HEEEYYYY! What about us?" So as things unfolded, or didn't as the case may be in St. Louis and Baltimore, about a month later, the second expansion franchise was given to Jacksonville. City officials in Baltimore and St. Louis couldn't believe it. They were sure they'd be given even more time to get organized before the league would actually give a team to...Jacksonville. The reaction in the Carolina press went like this. "Getting an NFL franchise and seeing the second one go to Jacksonville is like winning a beauty contest and seeing Rosanne Barr be the runner up." (And people wonder why we have an inferiority complex, but that's another story.) The reaction by me and most of Jacksonville....elation. We were the little engine that could. We were getting an NFL team! Contests were held to name the team and design logos. I echoed the sentiments of one of my co-workers who said, "I don't care if they slap pink flamingoes on their helmets! We have a team!"
So it happened that Jacksonville got the Jaguars. Now the second part....fans. If you go to most NFL towns, most of the people there grew up with their teams. They have been established for a long time...both the fans and the team. Jacksonville isn't like that. For one thing, most of the population didn't grow up here (me included). We came from other places, and most of the hard core football fans came with their own favorites which they weren't about to give up, just because they now lived in Jacksonville. I can understand that. My loyalties weren't all that strong, I think because I grew up an Air Force brat and didn't stay in one place all that long, then joined the Navy and moved more, until I got here. I had attended a total of one NFL game, between the Jets and Buccaneers at Shea Stadium while in college, only because someone knocked on my door on a Sunday morning with tickets and said, "Wanna go?" I was therefore a Jaguar fan, complete with season tickets and swelling with civic pride for my adopted town. There was an enormous amount of excitement the first few years and the team sold out all the games, but that honeymoon is over and now the team is making more of an effort to sell the team to the community. I think that will pan out as we get people who grow up with this team.
Where all this is going....
Jack Del Rio (our coach) called out the local media, saying none of them are 'Jaguars guys'. The local media, of course, got all defensive, saying no they aren't 'Jaguar guys'. They're objective guys, and waive pom poms for nobody. Truth be told, I think most of them do waive pom poms for somebody, just not the Jaguars. I can see both sides of the issue. If you go to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh, or Atlanta, for that matter, and listen to the sports talk guys on the radio, they may criticize the team in their town, but you can tell they have a passion for that team. They grew up with them and they live and die with them. That's why they have the job they do. That doesn't mean everything they say is pro 'their team'. They, more than anyone, know the glaring holes (at least the way they see them) and reasons for criticism. They love sports and they grew up with the team in their town, and that comes through when they talk. They aren't quite objective, but in my opinion, nobody really is. Here, the guys who cover the team didn't grow up with them. They too love sports, and grew up with other teams, and those are the teams they love. That doesn't change just because you find yourself in Jacksonville covering the Jaguars. These non-'Jaguars guys' are somewhat objective about the Jaguars, but you feel no passion for the team at all coming from them. Here, the guy I listen to on the radio is a Yankees/Knicks/Jets fan. If he truly was objective, I wouldn't know that. I don't mind that he's a Jets fan. That's part of how he grew up and the loyalty he built, and I don't expect him to change his stripes. At the same time, playing the 'objectivity' card is just as relevant here as in any other sports town...say like Pittsburgh. It isn't. I guess, I don't want someone blowing sunshine up my ass, telling me the team is going to the Super Bowl every year and being a homer, but I am waiting for the first guys to show up in the media who did grow up with this team, who have fond memories of dad bringing them to Alltel Stadium, who witnessed Morten Andersen missing the chip shot field goal that sent the Jagaurs to their first playoff game sitting on dad's shoulders in a sea of teal, and who have an emotional stake in whether they are good or not. The team's been here 10 years. I figure I have another 6 or 7 to wait.
John put this out here at 6:28 AM
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