Having been born in the 60s I remember the pre-breeze/Payton area very well myself. That is one of the things that makes me laugh when I hear people complain about how poor the state of the franchise is now. Even with 7-10 and 9-8 records over the last two seasons The franchise is in a much better spot than it was in the days with fans wearing bags over their heads.

That’s an interesting study you point out that has nothing to do with the conversation at hand. Just as I have clearly pointed out that I do not agree with Guido’s overly optimistic view of the franchise, I do not agree with other user’s obsessively pessimistic observations, and predictions. What’s more I don’t understand either side’s need to try to force others to agree with their point of view.

According to another optimism/Pessimism study:


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3807005/

“Nonetheless, the empirical literature suggests that, in regard to one's general attitude, being in the middle of the optimism-pessimism continuum (i.e. practicing 'realism') is not necessarily the best. A moderate dose of optimism, although it distorts one's perception of reality to some extent, can be advantageous. Studies that investigated the correlation between optimism and health suggest that optimists generally have better physical health [317], less cardiovascular diseases [318] and improved immunological functioning [319]. Furthermore, optimists and their romantic partners indicated greater satisfaction in their relationships…”