The 2017 season is upon us which means the mess that was 2016 is finally fully behind us. The season opener and home opener combination is like the first day of school after summer break. We’re returning to our well known sections and saying hi to people we haven’t seen in a while. We walk into Highmark Stadium with excitement, and perhaps a bit of nervousness, about what this year will hold. All eyes are on the field as the team gets a fresh start. Everyone is undefeated on opening day.
I talked to a number of Steel Army members over the offseason and inevitably the conversation circled around to the question of “have you renewed your season tickets yet?”. More than any other offseason than I can remember the response I’d get would be silence, a darn out “um…”, a sigh, an “I don’t know”… I can’t say I blame them. 17 losses will take its toll on you. Hell, I dragged my feet as well, and I help run the supporters group. Most of us felt things were on an upward trajectory after a fairly successful 2015 season only to see it take sharp nose dive a year later. After such a bad season there was some soul searching amongst supporters over the winter. However, it’s not about the fall; it’s about how we pick ourselves back up.
It’s not going to be easy. I don’t expect an overnight miracle. Hell, if we even get a single point out of the first two games against NYRBII and Cincinnati I’ll be ecstatic. It’s a long season though. It’s something we know all too well when things go bad. This year is even longer than last year with an addition of two more games. It’s important to keep in mind that incremental progress is still progress (though if we go another first seven winless I may be changing my tune). I think most of us are realists and don’t expect the Hounds to win the league. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we’ll take it, but we don’t expect it. All we want as supporters is to be competitive. If, over the course of this season, we’re in the middle of the pack fighting tooth and nail for every point, I’ll be in our section every game pushing my voice well past its limit. Being competitive means a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Triumphs and heartaches. It means having a heartbeat. Something far better than flat lining for 32 weeks.
So here we are. It’s the home opener and we’re itching to get back into the Paul Child Stand. 2017 is a momentous season for the Steel Army. This will be our 10th season supporting the Riverhounds. We’ve hit double digits before most of the teams in the league. For ten seasons we’ve stuck with this club through thick and thin, and we’ll continue to stick with them for another ten. During this offseason we may have hemmed and hawed for a while, but eventually we bounced back. We’re supporters. It’s what we do. Our passion for this team won’t let us stay dead.
There’s a song most supporter groups sing about their team in bad times and in good. It’s on our scarf this year, and as true as always-
Where You Go We Follow.
#UNLEASH
