The news that we’ve been waiting for all offseason finally came Monday afternoon — the decision.
No, it wasn’t quite the magnitude of LeBron James revealing on ESPN that he’d be taking his talents to South Beach, but for us here at ASU, the announcement of Steven Threet as ASU football’s new starting quarterback was pretty exciting.
Starting a new season with anyone not named Sullivan under center is reason enough to be infinitely more optimistic, but it will take a lot more than just the abilities of one 6-foot-5-inch University of Michigan transfer to lead the Sun Devils out of the Pac-10 basement.
It seems so long ago that that the Sun Devils climbed as high as No. 4 in the national rankings after the arrival of Dennis Erickson. In fact, only ASU’s seniors can remember what rooting for the maroon and gold in the postseason feels like.
Beyond Threet, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about a new season.
ASU’s defense was one of the nation’s best last season and looks to be even better this time around. The team’s depth at wide receiver appears to be flying under the radar and could be the most exciting part of the new offense.
New offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has installed the no-huddle offense for the Sun Devils this season. That should make for not only more exciting, high-flying games, but could also speed the games up a bit and get you to that post-game party a little earlier.
This year, University and athletics officials have launched a game day initiative in an effort to bring more fans to the games. The effort is an attempt to increase school spirit and Sun Devil pride while also building a football tradition akin to college football’s most storied programs (remember how many Georgia fans swarmed Tempe in 2008?).
While we are all for an increase in school spirit and tradition, we also recognize that the football team has to do one thing before a tradition can flourish: win.
We aren’t trying to harsh anyone’s preseason buzz or discourage support of our beloved Sun Devils, but if the program wants to be celebrated like the best, they have to be the best — or at least among them.
ASU has missed the postseason for two straight seasons, which would justify pessimism, but we aren’t going that route.
We’re entering the 2010 season with a positive outlook and our hopes hitched to a new offense, a hard-hitting defense and a healthy kicker who can allegedly launch the football straight through the air for 60 yards (imagine kicking anything 60 yards, let alone an oddly shaped bunch of leather filled with air).
So break out your gold t-shirts and foam fingers and put up your pitchforks because it's time once again for Sun Devil football.
