Let's Get Positive

Ed.: Bumped from FanPosts

So it's been a rough week here in Tiger Nation.  One might even say it's been a rough summer.  From getting passed over by realignment, to worrisome injuries, to players and yes, even a coach, doing or being accused of doing really stupid things.  While practice information from sources like the inestimable Dave Matter has given us a lot to be optimistic about, there are also a huge number of question marks.  Who will fill the ever-more-enormous shoes left at the wide receiver position?  Will a talented but largely unproven set of linebackers be able to take up the slack left by Sean Weatherspoon?  How will our defense change, and will it improve?

Luckily, the times of uncertainty are nearly over.  Less than a week from this moment, our beloved Tigers will take the field against the beleaguered Illini, and, with luck, many of our nagging doubts and worries will be put to rest.  We've cleansed our karma.  Now it's time to take the next step.  Let's get past our doubts and get excited.  Let's get positive.  It's football season!

I haven't, you know, talked to any of the honchos about this or anything, but it seemed to me to be the logical next step from the karma cleansing, and it's exactly what I need to get excited (okay, more excited) for next Saturday.

So, in this post, let's get positive.  After all, as the great sage Willie Nelson tells us, "once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results."

So I'm gonna get this party started.

Blaine Gabbert had more passing yards last year than any other returning quarterback in the Big 12, and he was playing a lot of that season on a destroyed ankle.

It looks like Kendial Lawrence, a heralded recruit (by some) and now sophomore, will be the starting tailback against Illinois.  He got some playing time last year as a sophomore, but didn't exactly light up the box score.  Seems like I remember another player in that situation.  Oh yeah.  His name was Derrick Washington, and in 2008 he gave us our third consecutive year with a thousand-yard-rusher, as well as spending part of the season leading the ENTIRE BCS in scoring.

Heck, let's not just limit it to current Mizzou football.  Last week, playing for the New Orleans Saints against the Houston Texans, our very own Chase Daniel (he of the not-drafted, too-short-to-play) threw 15 of 21 passes for 182 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Nobody else believed in him, but New Orleans is giving him a shot, and he may well be the number two quarterback behind Drew Brees this season.

We don't even have to limit it to sports.  I've lost 35 lbs. this year with a combination of eating right (mostly) and working out.  I'm still not ready to go out for football, but I can play pick-up basketball for an hour and a half and not die, and that's exciting.  I'm hoping that I can get settled into a routine here with law classes starting and lose the rest of my gut.

I don't want to monopolize the good feelings, so let's hear some positive thinking from the rest of you all.

And I don't know that this is really necessary, but let's keep this just positive.  There are plenty of other places for debating the merits of various points, or for criticizing whoever.  If you're not excited about the same thing that someone else is, then just don't worry about it.  Focus on what you're excited about.

Let's do this!