There's No Better High Than The Optimism You Feel On The First Day Of NFL Training Camps
For a lot of folks out there, this is it. This is as good as it’s going to get for the rest of the year. It’s that point in the summer where you can just feel that football is back in the air. You’re watching Last Chance U, you’re starting to think about who you’re going to take in your fantasy draft, and training camp season just opened up in the NFL. This moment right now is the peak of your optimism.
Everybody on your favorite team is still healthy. The locker room hasn’t completely blown up yet so the team chemistry seems to be highly functional. And all day you’re scrolling through Twitter to see the updates from the beat reporters on how that opening practice is going. It’s nothing but positive news. All 5 of your quarterbacks can make all of the throws and they added some strength to their arms. The wide receivers? Woah buddy. The routes these guys are running look like they’re in the best shape of their lives, and I don’t think a single football touched the ground all day. The running backs are all looking like guys who can handle at least 20 touches per game. The line has all come back bigger, faster, stronger, meaner. A couple of corners may have gotten torched on the day but that’s fine with you because you know that they’ll be able to lock it in come week 1.
It is this moment right now that you attempt to convince yourself, “you know what? Yeah. This could actually be our year. I really love the way this team is built and I don’t see any reason why we can’t win at least 11 games this season. Once we get into the playoffs, who knows what could happen from there. This is our year”.
Unfortunately, most of that optimism comes crashing all the way down after week 1. Some teams aren’t even lucky enough to make it to week 1 before the optimism train runs off the tracks. But that doesn’t matter. Because we’re living in the here and now. It’s all about enjoying the present. And presently? Your favorite team is undefeated, everybody looks great at training camp, and there’s not a single possible thing that could go wrong that would disrupt the dream season that your team is about to embark on.
But yeah. Just cherish the moment today. Because in about a couple months from now, you are going to be questioning why you even care about sports in the first place and what you did to deserve being born a fan of your favorite team.