Take a Hike LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAMS DROP THE BALL AGAIN by Tommy Goodman graphic by Michelle Fields Fall means change. Changing leaves, changing wardrobes, changing routines, and, most importantly, changing sports. After an entire summer of baseball, sports fans are always extra-rowdy for the start of football, whether NFL or college, tackle or flag, paper or plastic. With the longest offseason of any sport, the time is always right for the season to begin. Every team is in first place at the beginning of the season. So, like the average local Charlottesville fan, I expected my favorite teams, the Virginia Cavaliers on the collegiate level and the Washington Redskins in the professional ranks, to remain in first all season. So far, however, these two football teams have managed only to capture the essence of the changing conditions of autumn, raising the hopes of fans only to produce inconsistent play and, ultimately, losses. Weekends for the local fan have thus become a tale of two teams, translating into pigskin schizophrenia. It is very difficult for the local fan to forsee which emotions will be utilized on a given weekend. Rooting for the Cavs and Skins this season has presented the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The Cavs opened the season with five straight wins and a climb to #6 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll: a rising team with good promise, and lofty expectations from fans. The Redskins spent $57 million in the offseason to bring in two players that would presumably put them over the top. So, what has been the result? Losing, of course. It has been the ultimate buzz kill. All of the joy and hope alive at the beginning of the season has been erased and replaced by "what could have beens" and bitterness. The records of the Cavs and Skins results last year likely contributed to the fans' increased yearning for great things this season. Both teams finished so close to postseason play that they remained competitive right up until the end of the season. The Cavaliers finished with a 7-4 record, but were denied a bowl bid; the Skins finished with a record of 8-7-1, missing the playoffs by one game. Presumably the only place for both teams to move was up. Unfortunately, neither team has been able to match their expectations. Let's start with the Cavaliers. The heartbreaking 41-38 loss at Georgia Tech last week does not mean that some form of success is out of reach this season. The team can still share at least a tie for the Atlantic Coast Conference title. A Georgia Tech loss this week against Florida State and a U.Va. victory at FSU on November 7 would likely produce that result. Based on past performance in the second half of seasons, however, the Cavs seem doomed to follow the autumnal motif and make their football season one to forget. The Cavs were expected to be very competitive this year. They came into the season ranked 16th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and were predicted to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team's rise in ranking has inevitably raised fans' expectations. Fans had thoughts of running the table and perhaps even making a run at the national title. But with last week's loss, the season now seems like something of a failure; fans have no idea what to expect from this football team for the remainder of the season. There is no telling what emotions to bring to Scott Stadium this Saturday for the game against North Carolina State. Everyone was hoping this season might be different for the Cavs, but now expectations have flip-flopped and additional losses are expected. The fickle nature of the fan is a product of the inconsistency and lack of success of the team on the field. So despite the early-season success, it is going to be hard to maintain a positive attitude with this team. The Tech loss proves that this year's Cavaliers possess the same mercurial karma of U.Va. teams past. That brings us to the Washington Redskins. Like U.Va., the Skins were tabbed for success by most so-called experts, which naturally aroused excitement in their fans. Nearly every publication had the Skins reaching the playoffs for the first time in five years, and a few nut cases even predicted a Super Bowl appearance. After the offseason spending spree that brought in mammoth defensive tackles Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson to improve a run defense that ranked 29th out of 30 teams, fans had the right to expect a dramatic improvement over last season. But like U.Va.'s season, things have taken a huge turn for the worse. The team remains 29th out of 30 teams in stopping the run. So far, that investment clearly is not paying its dividends. In addition, there is a "quarterback controversy," with that term being applied lightly to the heated battle for the starting position between a former seventh-round draft pick (Gus Frerotte) and a former eighth-round pick (Trent Green). After waiting patiently for coach Norv Turner to rebuild this once-proud franchise, it is clear that Redskins fans are tired of promises and ready for fulfillment. Unlike U.Va.'s lack of killer instinct, the Skins tease their fans with underachieving talent and excuses. Despite flashes of decency this season, the Turner-led Redskins do not have the discipline to fulfill their fans' expectations and become a winning, consistent team. Nonetheless, true fans like myself will continue to watch the likes of the Cavs and Redskins every weekend. Why? I don't know. It is very difficult to experience such a dramatic shift from hope and excitement to bitterness and feelings of betrayal without losing some attachment. It is like wrecking your new car on the day you buy it. Or puking after having the best meal of your life. Sure, things are great for a short period while expectations are running high, but then reality sets in and you do not feel so well. That is the football weekend for the local football fan watching the Cavaliers and Redskins. So what is a solution for this football faux pas? The best option is to remain calm, cool, and collected. Do not get caught up in the hype. And, most importantly, remember that in this time of autumnal change, expect the unexpected from your favorite football teams. As the Cavs and Skins have proven this season, high expectations ultimately leave the fan with unfulfilled dreams and confused emotions.

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