Rebuilding...
Most sports teams have years that get labeled "rebuilding." For some, it's an excuse for not playing well or having a bad coach, for others, it's true. It simply means they are growing their team, making players better, and preparing for the next season. It's not a total write off, but it amounts to essentially the same thing. Each game is seen as a "practice" meaning that it's not about winning or losing, but getting better. As I said, it can be a cover, but it can be real. I've seen it happen many ways, but an easy example is this years Kansas City Chiefs. The past several years were "rebuilding" and "reloading" so they could win (but they still canned Herman Edwards because he didn't rebuild soon enough!), and this year under their second year head coach, they are the lone unbeaten in the NFL. Pretty remarkable if you ask me... But, what does all that have to do with anything? A lot actually, just in a round ...