THE LATEST LINE: MEDIA DAY FUELS PLENTY OF OPTIMISM

The broiling sun beat down on all the coaches and players -- not to mention the media -- during Wednesday's annual Southeast Missouri State University football media day at Houck Stadium.

While I would have preferred some air conditioning and a cold beverage, the Indians didn't seem to mind the heat one bit.

As I made my way around the field, trying to talk to as many coaches and players as possible, there were a couple of prevailing themes.

Optimism.

Enthusiasm.

Most of the people I talked to expressed confidence that this would be the season in which the Indians finally turn things around.

Now, the casual observer -- and definitely the cynic -- would wonder why this season should be any different than the past few.

Why should this season be any different than last year's 3-8 campaign that included a sixth-place tie in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference?

Why should this season be any different than 1997, when the Indians went 4-7 and placed seventh in the OVC?

And why should this season be any different than 1996, when the Indians went 3-8 and tied for sixth in the OVC?

I can't give you any answers because, on the surface, there are no logical reasons why this season should be any different than the previous few.

After all, the Indians don't appear to have much more physical talent -- if even as much -- as the squads of the past several seasons. And they will arguably be facing the toughest schedule in school history.

Just about everybody outside of the SEMO camp doesn't expect things to be any different this year; the Indians have been picked to finish seventh in the OVC in every preseason poll.

But any SEMO follower who is seeking some tangible reasons for optimism is missing the whole point.

Right now, no reasons are needed. Remember, this is the preseason, where hope springs eternal and optimism abounds at every college football camp in the country.

It doesn't matter if you're Florida State, which is picked to be the best team in the land and knows it's going to be darn good.

It doesn't matter if you're Tennessee-Martin, a member of the OVC that went winless last year and is ranked as one of the nation's worst Division I-AA squads.

What took place at SEMO's media day Wednesday -- with players and coaches both expressing confidence that a turnaround is in the cards -- is taking place on every college campus in America.

Right now, everybody is undefeated and everybody has visions of grandeur dancing in their heads.

Of course, the hopes of many of those squads will begin to be dashed come opening day. And if it doesn't happen then, it's surely to happen at some point in the following weeks because only a certain amount of teams can find success. Numerous squads across the country will once again suffer through dismal seasons; it's just right now, there are no guarantees as to who those teams will be.

In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with some fancy dreaming.

After all, it's the preseason.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian