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Is this one of those "WTF has Mick been smoking?!" columns or does he have some valid points?
Mick's Bag: The Happy Jacks
March 25, 2008
Mick Mixon
Special to Panthers.com
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Surely you know the story of the young twin brothers, Happy Jack and Gloomy Gus. Happy Jack was born with the gift of optimism but Gloomy Gus was just the opposite, able to find the negative in almost any situation.
One Christmas Eve, the boys' father placed two packages under the tree, a shiny, silver wristwatch for Gus and a paper bag of horse manure for Jack.
"What'd you get, Gloomy?" the father inquired the next morning.
"Well, I got a watch," Gus mumbled. "But the band is too loose. It will probably need a battery soon, and I wish it was gold instead of silver."
"How about you, Happy?" asked the father. "What did you get?"
Happy Jack stared down into the paper bag, then looked up and smiled broadly. "Dad, as near as I can figure it, I've got a PONY around here somewhere if I can just find him!"
What is it about team sports that brings out the Happy Jack in us? Only the most dedicated pessimists are immune from the redemptive powers of fandom, and with free agency popping and the draft looming, this is the time of year that the NFL dispenses its feel-good miracle salve.
The League seems to know exactly when we're most vulnerable. January and February aren't quite right, because when a disappointing season ends we need some alone time, perhaps to give ourselves the talk.
"Man, I thought last year was gonna be our year, and look what happened. This coming season, I'm not falling for any hype. Whoa-ho no, not me, Chief. I'm keeping my emotions in check. I don't care who we sign, trade for or draft, I've been burned too many times. This year, they've got to show me something first."
That psychological hardness normally carries us through the winter. But then a few key free agent signings materialize. The days start to get longer. The trees begin to bud out. As the NFL Draft in April approaches, Mel Kiper's face starts appearing on television more than Andy Griffith's. A new roster takes shape and before you know it, our skepticism weakens, our guard drops and we get the Happy Jacks.
"Hey, Moose is on the loose! Jake's rehab is going great! Landon Johnson? Immediate help. A lot of teams liked D.J. Hackett and Terrence Holt! Look at the Giants last year and the Steelers in 2005! That could easily be us in ‘08!"
Is it healthy to allow yourself to be romanced by potential? Seduced by possibility? Intoxicated by promise?
Absolutely. A Chinese proverb suggests, "If you keep a green bough in your heart, the singing bird might come." At its core, isn't that what being a fan is all about about?
Sure, we critique, we complain, we question. But what if the Panthers draft well and stay healthy this season? There just might be a championship around here somewhere if we can just find it.
<<Or, is Mick saying our team is a bag of horseshit? I tend to lean toward the bag of shit theory.
>>
Mick's Bag: The Happy Jacks
March 25, 2008
Mick Mixon
Special to Panthers.com
Printer friendlyEmail this storyIncrease font sizeDecrease font sizePrevious ArticlesRSS
Surely you know the story of the young twin brothers, Happy Jack and Gloomy Gus. Happy Jack was born with the gift of optimism but Gloomy Gus was just the opposite, able to find the negative in almost any situation.
One Christmas Eve, the boys' father placed two packages under the tree, a shiny, silver wristwatch for Gus and a paper bag of horse manure for Jack.
"What'd you get, Gloomy?" the father inquired the next morning.
"Well, I got a watch," Gus mumbled. "But the band is too loose. It will probably need a battery soon, and I wish it was gold instead of silver."
"How about you, Happy?" asked the father. "What did you get?"
Happy Jack stared down into the paper bag, then looked up and smiled broadly. "Dad, as near as I can figure it, I've got a PONY around here somewhere if I can just find him!"
What is it about team sports that brings out the Happy Jack in us? Only the most dedicated pessimists are immune from the redemptive powers of fandom, and with free agency popping and the draft looming, this is the time of year that the NFL dispenses its feel-good miracle salve.
The League seems to know exactly when we're most vulnerable. January and February aren't quite right, because when a disappointing season ends we need some alone time, perhaps to give ourselves the talk.
"Man, I thought last year was gonna be our year, and look what happened. This coming season, I'm not falling for any hype. Whoa-ho no, not me, Chief. I'm keeping my emotions in check. I don't care who we sign, trade for or draft, I've been burned too many times. This year, they've got to show me something first."
That psychological hardness normally carries us through the winter. But then a few key free agent signings materialize. The days start to get longer. The trees begin to bud out. As the NFL Draft in April approaches, Mel Kiper's face starts appearing on television more than Andy Griffith's. A new roster takes shape and before you know it, our skepticism weakens, our guard drops and we get the Happy Jacks.
"Hey, Moose is on the loose! Jake's rehab is going great! Landon Johnson? Immediate help. A lot of teams liked D.J. Hackett and Terrence Holt! Look at the Giants last year and the Steelers in 2005! That could easily be us in ‘08!"
Is it healthy to allow yourself to be romanced by potential? Seduced by possibility? Intoxicated by promise?
Absolutely. A Chinese proverb suggests, "If you keep a green bough in your heart, the singing bird might come." At its core, isn't that what being a fan is all about about?
Sure, we critique, we complain, we question. But what if the Panthers draft well and stay healthy this season? There just might be a championship around here somewhere if we can just find it.
<<Or, is Mick saying our team is a bag of horseshit? I tend to lean toward the bag of shit theory.
>>
