I am always excited at the new year of Football ....... what type of fan wouldn't be?
Really? Like, the year we went into the season with a 41 year old Vinny Testaverde, you were excited? That was maybe the worst season I can remember, because it was obviously a rebuilding year without much to really look forward to.
I'm always excited when I think the team has a realistic expectation to be better in the coming season than in the one that just ended. Especially when the playoffs are a realistic option. If I'm thinking we're likely to get worse, or that even if we get better, the playoffs are unrealistic, it's a lot harder for me to get up for the season. I still won't trash the team, but it's not the same enthusiasm.
This season, I don't really think we can get worse on defense, but I'm dubious we can make enough changes to have me expecting we're going to be significantly better, either. I'd really like to see us get significantly better there, so I imagine I'll go into camp next year relatively guarded with my expectations. Right now, I'm pretty ambivalent about things because there are just so many moving pieces on that side of the ball.