Matt,
This is a tough one to answer and still remain "politically correct" so I will try to lay it out in such a way you can.
Every year we, as fans, get excited and as the first game get closer and closer we hear who is doing well in camp and sometimes our expectations get out of whack with reality. Based on the limited amount you are exposed to the practices, adding on the general "vibe" feeling what is your true expectation for the season? In other words, it talks like a Wildcat but does it look and walk like one?
My outlook over the past 4 years has turned from optimist to pragmatist. As much as I can't understand why Arizona isn't a destination spot for football like it is in basketball and many other sports the reality is we don't get the same attention as some of the other teams in the conference and the country. Gut feel - the athletes who showed up this past recruiting class (Sumlin's first), do they seem like a different quality in terms of physicality and quality? Under Rodriquez we did get some higher level recruits but it seems like very few of them ever panned out. All of the kids who signed and play for the Cats are great and I will support them but has this coaching staff made an overall change in the quality of the recruits, regardless of rating?
I am looking forward to this year and hope the Cats can continue to develop and become more consistent. I hope I am wrong but last year I just didn't see the talent to compete at a high level. Thanks for your thoughts and everything you do Matt.
This is a tough one to answer and still remain "politically correct" so I will try to lay it out in such a way you can.
Every year we, as fans, get excited and as the first game get closer and closer we hear who is doing well in camp and sometimes our expectations get out of whack with reality. Based on the limited amount you are exposed to the practices, adding on the general "vibe" feeling what is your true expectation for the season? In other words, it talks like a Wildcat but does it look and walk like one?
My outlook over the past 4 years has turned from optimist to pragmatist. As much as I can't understand why Arizona isn't a destination spot for football like it is in basketball and many other sports the reality is we don't get the same attention as some of the other teams in the conference and the country. Gut feel - the athletes who showed up this past recruiting class (Sumlin's first), do they seem like a different quality in terms of physicality and quality? Under Rodriquez we did get some higher level recruits but it seems like very few of them ever panned out. All of the kids who signed and play for the Cats are great and I will support them but has this coaching staff made an overall change in the quality of the recruits, regardless of rating?
I am looking forward to this year and hope the Cats can continue to develop and become more consistent. I hope I am wrong but last year I just didn't see the talent to compete at a high level. Thanks for your thoughts and everything you do Matt.
