Character Counts
by ruffdaddy on Nov 22, 2010 12:43 PM EST
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Print[Note by River City Rage, 11/22/10 5:40 PM EST ]: FP'ed, thoughtful piece.
Gene Smith and Jack Del Rio have given the fans something to cheer about. (via jacksonville.com)
Gene Smith, we all agree, has done a remarkable job of bringing in good football players. Everyone from his two draft classes is contributing to the team, or they were before going on IR. Aaron Kampman, before he got hurt, looked like our best free agent acquisition ever; Osgood is a special teams monster and capable WR back-up; and Torry Holt had a huge impact on the young receivers last year. But the real mark of Smith's genius is in how he has completely transformed the character of this team in less than two years.
Gone are all the guys who played only to get a paycheck. Gone are the guys who passed out at 4 am at the McDonalds drive-thru, who blamed their poor judgment on Jacksonville police officers or who got coked up in the off season. They've all been replaced by high-character guys who believe in teamwork and believe in their coaches.
My feeling is that this is already paying off at the box office. This is a blue collar, military town that values work ethic and discipline, and some of our fan base issues were rooted in the team's lack of character. We will pay good money to see good guys play good football, but not to watch self-absorbed knuckleheads quit because something doesn't go their way. The fans are starting to return.
It paid off yesterday on the field. Past Jaguar teams would have folded their tents after two or three consecutive turnovers in the second half: but this one didn't. They kept fighting. Our much-maligned defense came through time after time and they found a way to pull it out. And I give Jack and the coaches a lot of credit. They have done a great job of instilling an almost military-like belief in "team", and of building a culture of selflessness and perseverance. Fourth and one in our own territory? No problem. Take a knee with 8 seconds and 67 yards to go? I don't think so. But you can't do any of that without quality people, and Gene Smith's extraordinary transformation of this team's character has been his greatest masterstroke to date.
I also want to give some credit to yesterday's crowd. The fans were like the team: they never quit, they never stopped believing, and the noise level was consistently intense until the wonderful payoff at the end. There is something beautifully symbiotic going on here between the guys on this team and a fan base that is starting to trust them. It's fun to be a part of it.
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Rec'd
You can’t help but see the difference in how this team rebounds from adversity and how much it enjoys just playing the games. If anyone feels a need to focus on the negatives, simply look at the Bengals collapse yesterday.
Good to be a Jaguar.
The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.
Vince Lombardi
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by Brian Fullford on Nov 22, 2010 12:48 PM EST reply actions
Indeed
The difference between THIS team and previous Jags teams (or even this same team early in the season) in the face of adversity is obvious. They continue to fight, no matter what. Some of it is, I think, a new found belief in themselves and what they are capable of, and some of it is just a flat out refusal to go down without a fight. Either way, it makes a nice change.
This new attitude is bound to slowly but surely attract new fans.
And some of the players we had in the past
would’ve certainly committed Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties to help us lose a game like this one as well.
We don’t have any of those characters around anymore, which is good.
DG is the best we have and help is not on the way. I realize he's not perfect, but I feel a lot better about him at QB than I do the O-Line, DB's, or LB's ability to cover a TE.
Awsome write up....
I agree with you, As i am guilty sometimes focusing to much on the negitives, a home full eye watching from a distance its nice to watch it starting to come together.
WE ARE JAGUARS.......FEAR OUR ROAR!!!!!!
Rec'd
Whether this team makes the playoffs or not, this has been a season to remember. Not just for the 59 yard game winner or the Hail Mary, but for the city getting excited for the Jags again.
You can't reason with unreasonable people.
Agreed about the players and the character
Cautiously disagree about the fans. I realize that the effort has been there and there are no blackouts as of yet; however, the eye test still does not pass muster. When you look at the Jags home games versus pretty much every other venue, it just doesn’t appear like the stands are anything near full. Especially the club seats. I literally shudder every time the camera takes a bumper shot of the stadium. Although, yesterday I noticed the upper corners had a lot of naked teal as well. Not knocking the effort of the city and the feel-goodness of beating the blackouts, just pointing out what appears to be a glaring issue for those watching on tv (and also that there is still a lot of work to do). It’s not helping our little perception problem with the main stream media.
Back to the players, I agree the high character is really starting to show and there’s a lot to be excited about. I remember seeing AK on Rome is Burning and he was saying a major factor in his coming to Jax was Gene Smith and his vision for a team of high character guys. It appeared genuine and it looks like that is Gene’s pitch to prospective players on the go-forward. Good stuff
I think the biggest difference is this team's resiliency.
What always bothered me was how many people, both fans and media, assumed that “high character” meant “nice guys”.
You nailed it....
High character does not mean you can’t be one mean SOB on the field of play, just that you shake hands, win or loose, when the game is over. It does not mean you can’t kick back with your buds after the game and throw back some cold ones, just that you don’t bring your gun with you or trap a girl in the bathroom. And most importantly, it does not mean you can’t crave a Big Mac at 4 AM, just that you don’t pass out in the drive through!
I'm an out-of-towner fan...
Everybody I work with are telling me how lucky the Jags have been. I tell them – one more good draft and the Jags will be contenders for a few years. I hear nothing but laughs… we’ll see….
The funny thing about the Hail Mary
is that while it was luck, we weren’t losing the game at the time so it’s not like it was a pure-luck win.
DG is the best we have and help is not on the way. I realize he's not perfect, but I feel a lot better about him at QB than I do the O-Line, DB's, or LB's ability to cover a TE.
i kno,
no one realizes that it would have wentto overtime..
by FgallosJAGS on Nov 23, 2010 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
i doo lovee our defense though
our d made me so happy on sunday, hope Mincey continues his play, alualu has proved not to be a reach nor a busy in this draft, the guys got 3 more sacks that mccoy on tb drafted ahead of hiim..terrance knighton has been absolutely lights out, the guy tries hard every play along with alualu..love watching those 2..austen lane also showed effort while getting time in clevelands game. LETS GOO JAGSSS
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