08-21-2019, 12:03 AM
(08-20-2019, 11:53 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Well that's a bit much...but honestly, this notion that we are going to automatically improve and teams like the Browns and Raiders and Jets can't improve because they suck is optimism that reminds me of well, over confident Browns fans we are all sick of hearing.
I get it, optimism. Teams that are better than us are due to take a step back and teams that are worse than us are going to still be bad. The Bengals, an organization that has an instantly-IRed 1st round pick and does nothing in free agency is going to be the one team that turns it around. I'm not saying we should all complain and assume a 6 win season, but at what point does our optimism look like we are just boasting over nothing?
I don't think optimism and boasting are remotely the same thing. Optimism is the *hope* that things might work out (which in the NFL is always possible), while boasting is a *conviction* that things will work out. Personally, I think any fan of a team should be able to find some optimism, because if you can't then what's the point of any of this, but I don't see anyone here boasting.
These boards have an interesting dichotomy, for sure. Speaking in general terms and not calling you in particular out, I think there is a group of us who *hope* for the best, and I think there is a group that has a *conviction* that they won't. Me personally, I hope I don't ever fall into that latter group because it just seems so... defeatist, I guess? And it's not like I don't understand all of the shortcomings that come along with this franchise, I've suffered as much as any fan in the NFL (lol)... but I just gotta have some tiny bit of belief, and if that makes me a sucker or an idiot so be it. At least I get to enjoy the lead up to the football season instead of dread that some on here (not pointing the finger at you!) seem to have.
