I put this in the football category, because football is involved.

1. The reports out of spring football sound so encouraging, as do the reports that summer workouts have never been better. My optimism starts to rise. I think about all the key players BYU has coming back, and start to believe this could be a special season. Fall camp comes and the positive reports continue. My enthusiasm is dimmed somewhat by reports of injuries, some to key personnel, and some season-ending, but BYU has the depth, the coaching, and the athletes to still have a very good season.

2. The season starts with optimism, but as the losses mount, my enthusiasm turns to dismay and frustration. As they continue to mount, apathy sets in. Finally, I start thinking about the start of basketball season.

3. Interest and enthusiasm are high as we look forward to basketball. All the talented players have another year of experience, plus some good additions have joined the team. Despite the loss of Mika to the pros, I'm still looking forward to a very good year, maybe even a special one. The news of Emery leaving the team stings, but there's more than enough on this team to make up for his absence. The season starts fairly positively, but BYU doesn't have any dominating performances. I chalk it to learning new systems on both offense and defense. The WCC season begins and BYU plays looks improved over previous years. But they still manage to lose several games against WCC teams they should never lose to. They play tough against SMC and Gonzaga, but don't win those games either. There is no shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. BYU looks to a postseason slot in the NIT or worse, unless they're able to pull off a miracle in the WCC conference tournament. Fans are calling for changes in the program and general apathy sets in. At least we have spring football to look forward to.

4. Repeat cycle over and over and over again.