Fans must be patient

In today's age of free agency and short-term expectations, patience has been forgotten. Owners and fans have become so focused on winning that the journey to the top has become irrelevant. While teams can now be brought together on a short-term basis, the true enjoyment of sport comes from watching a group of athletes with whom you, the fan, have become familiar, blossom into champions. \nOne doesn't have to look any further than right here in the state of Indiana to witness the growth of several teams. While others have opted for the quick fix method, Indiana sports owners have decided to let their players try to stick it out.\nThe Indiana Pacers were a mediocre club throughout the 1980s and the early 1990s. Players such as Reggie Miller, Rik Smits and Dale Davis went through difficult times, as they repeatedly battled during the regular season, only to get ousted in the first round of the playoffs by stronger opponents. After any year, management could have given up and tried a new approach, but instead it decided to let its players develop. It took until 1994, but eventually that group hit its stride, and was successful for the rest of the decade. As a fan of that team, the feeling in the first few successful years was a proud one. This team that I had seen together for years, this team that I watched fail time after time, had finally found a way to gel together and succeed. The same arena where I'd gone and seen thousand of empty seats now was filled with the enthusiasm that was finally coming through.\nThe Indianapolis Colts' newfound success is another case in which patience has pulled through. With the exciting exception of 1995, most of the decade was dismal. Annual doormats, the Colts always excited their fans with a high draft pick, and then disappointed them with a new way to fail. The offensive line was always a problem area. New linemen were coming into the system, but most were rookies.\nAdam Meadows and Tarik Glenn came in 1997. Meadows suffered through endless false start penalties, and Glenn spent his rookie season seeing the biggest and best the defensive linemen that the NFL had to offer. Larry Moore and Steve McKinney came in 1998, and the unit still struggled to give Peyton Manning time to throw the ball.\nBy 1999, they had developed the ability to trust and work with each other. They started every game, and developed into one of the best lines in the league. The Colts could have signed five of the best free agents and fixed the problem, but to see these same players who struggled through bad years to find success is what sports is all about. They didn't give up, but more importantly, the team didn't give up on them. Management let them struggle, knowing that over time, those struggles would result in the successful team we see today.\nI see the same situation developing right here in Bloomington, as the basketball program is essentially starting over. With the coaching change comes a new style, and with the departure of five graduating seniors comes fresh legs. While fans might feel detached from the new team, I say give them a chance. \nThe team will probably struggle out of the gate, and it might have a tough time winning in the Big Ten. But even if it does look sloppy, even if the losses pile up and even if IU doesn't make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1986, fans must be patient. And if fans and coaches allow this team time to work through troubles together, it will win games.\nAnd those victories will be that much sweeter.