As I watch the stock market skyrocket over a 30 minute populist speech, it makes me wonder if we fans, too, are getting ahead of ourselves. Why are stocks at all time highs? There are many irrational reasons, but the largest seems to be a promise of prosperity sometime in the future. And Nationalistic prosperity at that, just like the good ol’ days. I guess the idea is that people will spend their newfound coal wages on products U.S. corporations make (in China). What the stock buyers aren’t realizing is U.S. Dollars won’t have much value to buy a whole lot of Chinese goods and even fewer American goods, and no single man is going to change that. So for sure the market has gotten ahead of itself.

It made me wonder: are we Beaver fans getting ahead of ourselves? It is almost accepted as fact that Gary Andersen will win 7 or so games next year. The logic being they finished strong, he has his players, they’re all bigger and stronger, won the Civil War, etc. The CW victory was great, but it’s lead to many assumptions that border on expectations. In hiring Gary Andersen, we were promised a winning team some time in the future, and fans seem ready to buy the story that this is that year.

A good question would be: what is a fair and reasonable expectation for year 3? And, did the way the Beavs finish last year put fan expectations ahead of where the team actually is? I know a lot depends on the offensive line and all the obvious issues, but I’m talking in broader strokes here. As a fan, is this the year you expect return on investment?

Go Beavs.