Not everyone is a big dog person, but I am. I think dogs are great. It's not that they don't have their downside, but on balance dogs are a big "thumbs up". We have had a cocker spaniel for about 8 years. She is a great little dog. While she gets a little put out when she has to spend time in the back yard by herself and sometimes she just can't seem to relax, she is an eternal optimist. I think that is what I like about dogs most. They are by their nature very optimistic creatures. Whenever I see my dog, she is wagging what's left of her clipped tail at a furious pace. No matter what she has been doing or thinking, when she sees any of her family members she is filled with optimism. Is she going to get a meal? Are we going out to throw the Frisbee? Is she getting a treat? Are we going for a walk or a ride in the car? More often than not, she is disappointed and she is not getting one of the handful of activities that make her day. However, every time she sees one of us, she is as optimistic as the last that something good is going to happen.
I think UVa football fans share a lot in common with my dog. We are eternal optimists. We have to be. Every year we begin the season with unreasonable if not unbridled optimism. Sometimes our optimism is rewarded with great games like this weekend's win against a very good, previously undefeated Georgia Tech team. Other times, our optimism is dashed in games like our loss to a solid but over matched Southern Mississippi team. We were very optimistic going into that game. Statistically we were the dominant team. Between the 20 yard lines we were by far the better team, yet we found a way to lose the game. Then there are games like our win against the Idaho Vandals. We dominated the game. We were not just the better team, but the much better team, yet we barely won...in very unsatisfying fashion. I think in dog terms the Idaho game has to be a lot like when my excited dog realizes that her optimism is going to be rewarded by going for a ride in the car...only to find out that the car ride is actually a trip to stay at the vet's kennel while we go away for a week at the beach.
I think that the time is upon us, when ever optimistic yet long suffering UVa fans are about to start getting more treats and less rides to the vet. While this team still has a long way to go to deliver consistently competitive performances against both mediocre and strong programs alike, we are clearly on the right path. Our kids look faster, more often than not they are in the right position, but most importantly, they have a tremendous determination. There is no "quit" in this team. I have seen them make some dreadful mistakes only to bounce right back with a reciprocal stellar play. Mike London and his staff are getting good kids who can play into the program. With only one full recruiting class under his belt and a second due to arrive next summer, we are starting to see the tide turn in our favor. I am sure we have some more rides to the vet in our future, but I can see are a lot more treats and Frisbee sessions in our future than I can recall in a number of years. Is my optimism misplaced? Only time will tell. However, I can state without question that my optimism is as high as it has been in many years.
