A team does not need to put together a fantastic season every single year in order to maintain an enthusiastic fan base.
Just look at the Chicago Cubs. My father has long pointed out that the Chicago National League franchise gets its act together for a playoff run once every five years. This false sense of hope allows the team to lure generation after generation of college students into the agony and (short-lived) ecstasy that is "Cubfandom."
The Cubs came within five outs of the World Series in 2003 and now, four years later, sit atop the National League Central Division with one month left in the season. My father rests his case.
Unfortunately for the RedHawk football squad, the Mid-American Conference is not the National League and the bleachers at Yager Stadium are a far cry from those beyond the ivy at Wrigley Field.
Surely to the frustration of Miami University's Athletic Department, it seems that in the eyes of much of the student body, the memories of Miami's success in the early part of this decade have faded away to flashbacks of a 2006 season that was unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
One poor season should not, and will not, harm the RedHawk football program too much in the long run. However, the reality of the situation is that most students are only here in Oxford-and that is to say following Miami sports-for four years.
Right now, as a sophomore, I shudder to think what another season like last year would do to the mindset of the average Miami student when it comes to thoughts about the football team. Make no mistake, skepticism from the student body toward the football team's chances is to be expected after a season such as last year. Even so, fans owe it to themselves to get excited about the football team.
I can't count the number of times that I heard someone say last year, with varying degrees of sincerity: "Football? Miami is a hockey school now."
It is wonderful that the campus can get excited about a sport that in my own lifetime has become increasing irrelevant since the NHL went on strike during the 2004-05 season, but to dismiss the football program at Miami would be a tremendous mistake. The tradition and success that have historically belonged to the Miami football team have not vanished because of a 2-10 season.
Unfortunately, the schedule this year does no favors for a RedHawk team that needs to get off to a fast start in order to capture the enthusiasm of the students in Oxford. Starting the season with two consecutive games on the road puts tremendous pressure on the RedHawks to come back to Oxford in two weeks with at least one victory under their belts, lest thoughts of "here we go again," be on the minds of RedHawk fans before a single down is played at Yager.
The RedHawks should have a good opportunity to get their offense in gear against a Ball State team that allowed an average of 435 yards of total offense per game last season. This may be just what the doctor ordered for a team that at times last year had real troubles finding the end zone on a consistent basis.
All reports from RedHawk preseason camp indicate that this team is hungry and ready to prove to Miami and the rest of the MAC that the story will be different when it is time to look back on the 2007 season.
On the positive side after such a brutal season last year, there is nowhere for the RedHawks to go but up, a fact that provides a somewhat twisted reason for fans to be optimistic for the 2007 campaign. A healthy running back in Brandon Murphy and another year of experience for quarterback Mike Kokal should help the offense to improve over last year's struggles.
I personally enter this season excited-there is something wonderful about the start of a new season in any sport.
The Cub fan inside me tells me that there is always hope, and that no matter what the "experts" say, or history tells us, this year can be great. I can only hope that the rest of the student body shares some of that excitement.
