There’s no better time for UK football than right before the season begins | Opinion

Someone once filled me in on a secret to life they seemed to have uncovered. He unapologetically offered, “The anticipation is always better than the actual event.” I pondered this and tried to apply the thought experiment to different events in my life. The lead up to a holiday, preparing for a vacation, attending a concert, etc. The more I thought about this assertion, the stronger the case seemed.

This frame of thinking is uniquely relevant to Kentucky Football and its predictable cycle every year. As it stands now, fans and townies are talking themselves into how this might be the year. The year they finally make it to Atlanta. The year UK gets the media attention they deserve. The year that some respect finally gets put on the name of the wildcat.

No joy is gained by bursting the glimmering bubble of such a patient fan base, but this won’t be the year. Enjoy the clean slate of anticipation we have right now. There are no losses yet! No major injuries or player departures to lament about. Now is the absolute best time to dream the dream of Kentucky’s undefeated campaign.

According to an article in Psychology Today, “Most people tend to imagine positive events in their future. When an individual anticipates something good happening, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released, resulting in positive feelings and decreased painful ones.” Maybe that’s what fans are compensating for, the bleak stretch of Claiborne and Curry and the roller coaster ride of Mumme and Brooks.

This may seem reminiscent of an old man yelling at clouds, but Kentucky’s pigskin history is built upon its wins and losses. Fans and their pent-up enthusiasm accompanying every preseason must also suffer from short term memory loss.

Over the previous 20 years under Stoops and Brooks, fans have witnessed records ranging from 2-10 to 10-3, upsets at unexpected times, and seven bowl victories. Progress has been sustained and encouraging but should be tempered with the fact that the Cats have not been able to surpass winning nine regular season games since 1977 (and 1950 before that).

A familiar path remains stuck in our collective heads, usually going something like this — trampling over little guys early on, squeaking out a gritty win over a conference middleweight, taking care of business when expected, losing a heartbreaker in grand fashion, and getting absolutely gut punched by the perennial powers to be. It’s a great route! One that we travel over and over.

Give Stoops credit in fostering this earnest anticipation. People eagerly buy what he sells, whether that’s because of his blue-collar mentality or his no excuse personality. He instills confidence in his program and attempts to let his players’ actions give the season its narrative. Even after a disappointing campaign, Stoops has his sight on the next horizon, not his team’s most recent misstep. This excitement he dishes out lends itself to ticket sales, facility expansions, and exorbitant beer costs in the stadium.

There are more tortured fan bases out there (ex. Indiana), but UK teeters on the brink of complacency having never ventured into meaningful post-season playoff talk. UK has cleared the mental hurdle of just trying to get to six wins, guaranteeing a bowl appearance. They began breaking some truly awful SEC losing streaks. Next they started securing top(ish) talent to wear the blue and white. But these milestones will slowly dissipate if a conference championship appearance seems unattainable.

If a splash could not be made while several conference rivals were stuck rebuilding, the window to take that elusive leap seems to be about closed. The iron is quickly cooling for the Cats and they missed their chance to pounce.

While anticipation is wrapped up in the fandom experience, UK football fanatics must use prior experience to predict how this season will most likely pan out. Enjoy the buildup, the mystery of what our transfer quarterback might bring, even the return of a talented ex-NFL coordinator to our humble Commonwealth. Enjoy it all because the hype never lives up to the finished product.

Jim Jackson resides in Franklin County. He can be reached by email at jackson.m.jim@gmail.com.