Who knew that being a Jag fan would be this hard?

When the city of Jacksonville was awarded the 30th NFL franchise on November 30, 1993 at 4:12 p.m., the announcement was the first in what would become a long history of the underdog coming through in a pinch. Following the franchise through a season of firsts in 1995, then a miracle run ending in the AFC Championship game in only their second year, it seemed like the Jaguars were a charmed franchise. The success continued through the AFC Championship game at the end of the 1999 season when the Jaguars suffered a devastating loss to the Tennessee Titans in front of a home crowd. 

As the wheels came off the first era of Jaguars football, the franchise slid into an abyss that delivered one playoff win and much disappointment.

The NFL made the decision to award the franchise to the city based upon the level of support the town had shown in hosting college games, and the Jacksonville Bulls of the USFL. They were rewarded with tremendous support for the first few seasons, but once the newness wore off of the franchise, the fan support started to peel away.

By the time the Jaguars reached their peak in 1999 with a 14-2 regular season mark, the fan support was starting to lose traction to the extent that they were scrambling to sell out a handful of home games. Once the team hit the skids and racked up four straight losing seasons under two different coaches, the fan exodus was in full swing.

Things hit rock bottom during the 2009 season when all but one home game ended up being blacked out. Years of disappointment had proven to fracture a once rabid fan base, and it was only because a hero from the early years of the franchise stepped up to the plate and focused his efforts on selling tickets. When former first pick and All Pro offensive tackle Tony Boselli stepped into his role as the commissioner of a little known fan group focused on rebuilding fan support and getting tickets sold, the task in front of him was a monumental one, but he did not back away from the challenge.

The My Team Teal effort was met by skeptical fans, but at least they were willing to listen to the pitch. In community forums around the area, Tony Boselli would make appearances to urge fans to rediscover their franchise. His talks sparked a surge in ticket sales that exceeded all expectations. By the time the dust had settled on what was intended to be an effort to get one game sold out wound up taking credit for preventing blackouts for the entire home season in 2010. 

Coming off of a losing season and a draft where the team decided to pass on drafting a player many felt would save the franchise from relocation merely by being on the roster, the Jaguars were able to parlay the good will generated by the Tony Boselli and Wayne Weaver tour into 15 thousand new season tickets, and a retention rate that capped out above 90%.

By avoiding blackouts, the Jaguars were almost completely removed from the discussions in the national media speculating on which team would wind up being the new Los Angeles franchise. Still, there were those who stuck with the notion that the Jaguars were one of the prime candidates to make the leap across the continent to greener pastures. They ignored the success the team had seen, or the recognition they had received for such a complete turnaround in such short order.

After all, this is Los Angeles they were talking about.

When Wayne Weaver reiterated that he had no intention of selling or moving the franchise any time a microphone or camera was present, they simply ignored the comments.

When the team landed a long term naming rights deal with Everbank in the middle of a horrible economic downturn, only the local media really paid attention to the success or what it meant to the long term viability of the franchise.

Success on the field was sporadic, but the team managed to finish the season with a non-losing record, stopping the downturn over the previous two seasons where the team struggled mightily but could not crack .500. 

The fan base has been reinvigorated, the team is young and on the rise, and the economy is starting to show first signs of life. So, it comes as no surprise that there are still a handful of bloggers, talk show hosts, and writers who are stuck on the fixation that this franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars and had planted their flag were not a candidate for relocation. They refer back to reports that are more than a year old to support their viewpoint, but quickly change their tune when it is pointed out that their data is stale.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville appears to be emerging from a long winter's nap.  The franchise is finally waking up after an extended slumber, and the fans are right there with the team trying to gain some traction and build momentum.

Jaguar fans have been fighting an uphill battle from the point the town was awarded a franchise. This struggle for respect in the mainstream media will continue for many years to come. It may take a decade or more before people start to realize that one of the smallest media markets in the National Football League that shocked the world by landing one of these coveted franchises in the most popular sport in this country actually belongs.

Who knew being a Jacksonville Jaguars fan would require this much effort, or be so difficult? If the character of a fan base is measured by the struggles encountered, a bright future awaits fans of the teal and black.