Help Me, Tom Telesco, You're Our Only Hope

The NFL Draft - where every year brings "A New Hope"

It has become a right of Spring.  

The NFL draft comes, and for a few days, we are invested in our football teams once again.  College prospects are broken down, team needs are analyzed, projections are made...

It is a chance for fans to begin to project their hopes and aspirations for the coming season.  The addition of new and exciting college players to their favorite teams roster entices fans to think that maybe, this year could be different.

At the end of each season, there's really one one fanbase that walks away happy.  The fans of the Super Bowl Champions.  Otherwise, it's just varying degrees of misery.

• Perenial contender that continue to fall short (Patriots)
• Teams that have great seasons, but blow it in the playoffs (Broncos or Falcons)
• Teams that have been perennial doormats (Raiders)
• Teams who were contenders, but had dissappointing seasons (NY Giants)

The Draft is a fresh start.  You get your first look at your team's new players.  You see highlight packages of the newly drafted performing at a high level against other college competition.  

If your team drafted someone that you thought would help, you're happy.  If your team drafted someone that was "not on your radar", well, some fans end up "talking themselves into it", while others just want to complain.

On a personal note, I'm excited about the players drafted by the San Diego Chargers this year.  But this isn't really any different from any other year.  Every year, I find myself pulled in.  You convince yourself that if this player could develop, and that player becomes the playmaker he was in college, your team could finally win that elusive Super Bowl.

It's about hope, and dreams, and keeping the fanbase tantalized.