Remember the weeks leading up to this season? Bad news after bad news. Coaches getting sick, quarterbacks getting in fights, and leaders running afoul of the NCAA. All while facing a September gauntlet of games that looked daunting to say the least. Who thought we'd be 4-0 at this point?
That's right, we did.
Delusional Optimism wasn't afraid then and we're certainly not afraid now. If there is one thing Miles does better than anyone else in the country, it is that he builds teams. This isn't a pro camp, this is family. And LSU comes to play every week.
This is a team that believes in itself, even when no one else does. You don't think they have internet access? You don't think players can't read what panicked fans were saying about them and their coach? Us against the world is the oldest motivational ploy in the book, but it works.
And now, after this brilliant 4-0 start including three wins over top 25 teams all away from home and all by double digits, you'd think the LSU fanbase would be beside itself with glee. Instead, we're in Meltdown Mode.
Why?
Because Jordan Jefferson is coming back to the team as a backup. Somehow, this is a bad thing, causing ripples of panic from the most hysterical corners of our fanbase. You can already hear whining about a quarterback controversy or that somehow getting their teammate back will negatively impact the team.
I'm here to tell you it won't. Want to know why? Because this team is made of stronger stuff than you are. While the fans have wrung their hands over every bit of bad news, the team has worked harder and gotten stronger.
This team has shown that whatever challenge you throw at them, they will meet. And they will meet it as a united front. It's obscene to read LSU message boards with posters trying to create some sort of schism in the team. There is no schism in the team, only among those with too much free time on their hands.
The players don't have time to create schisms. They are too busy busting their asses. They don't support some of their teammates or even most of their teammates. They support all of their temmates. Because a team is only as strong as it's weakest link.
Every player on this team counts on every other player. Sure, everyone wants more playing time, but that competition just pushes everybody to play harder and get better. The competition on this team is not destructive, it is constructive. The team has demonstrated this over and over again
Delusional Optimism is here to tell Tiger fans to stop their damn whining. Stop looking for the dark cloud that comes with every silver lining. Stop waiting for the blow which will cause this team to psychologically crack. Stop looking for controversies where none exist. This team has proven they are not message board whiners. This is a team. This is a family.
These are Tigers.