Football camps full of optimism

Like all college football teams at this time of the year, Southeast Missouri State kicked off practice Saturday with plenty of optimism and excitement.

But is it truly warranted? Not if you believe the so-called experts.

The Redhawks have been picked to finish toward the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference by every major media outlet, and the official OVC preseason poll released recently -- voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors -- placed them eighth among nine squads.

All of the predictions really shouldn't come as a surprise, because they are generally based on what happened last year. And as Southeast fans know all too well, the Redhawks floundered big time, going 3-8 overall and 3-5 in the OVC, which tied them for sixth.

Add to those struggles the fact that most of Southeast's top players in 2004 were seniors and it all understandably adds up to the Redhawks being extremely lightly regarded this season.

But the great thing about the preseason is that everybody is undefeated right now. Tennessee-Martin's Skyhawks, expected to finish last in the OVC for the 10th straight time, are probably thinking this is finally their year, as are the Redhawks and every other team picked to flop.

While the majority of the squads predicted to struggle will probably do so, there will likely be several that come out of nowhere to prove the prognosticators wrong by having successful seasons.

There is absolutely no telling just who those surprise teams are going to be, which only adds to the hope and optimism that permeates every training camp right now.

I'm not about to predict big things for the Redhawks this year -- like most people, without having yet seen a lot of all the new talent coach Tim Billings and his staff profess to be so excited about, I figure they're doomed to their third straight losing season -- but before Southeast fans get too depressed too early, just think about one thing.

The preseason polls of 2002 also dissed the Redhawks, with the OVC coaches and sports information directors picking them next to last, just like this year.

Southeast fans all know what happened, as the Redhawks went 8-4 for their most wins since 1969.

Of course, the past two years -- specifically last season --have represented a major step backward for a program that had seemingly turned the corner under Billings, who is entering his sixth season without the funding or facilities of many of the teams he competes against.

But that is a topic for another time. Right now the question is whether the 2005 Redhawks can duplicate the success of the surprise 2002 squad. That remains to be seen, although nobody outside the program is banking on it.

It'll be up to the players and coaches to prove everybody wrong -- and as practice began Saturday, they don't see any reason why that won't happen.

After all, it's the preseason -- and every team in America is undefeated for at least a few more weeks.

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Southeast football supporters shouldn't feel too bad about the Redhawks being picked so low in all the OVC preseason polls.

Two other college teams that people in the area follow a lot -- Missouri and Illinois -- also are not being looked upon favorably, although I've read a few prognosticators who expect the Tigers to bounce back and contend in the weak Big 12 North Division.

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It's almost hard to believe that Southeast's first football game is less than a month away, as the Redhawks host powerhouse Southern Illinois on Sept. 1 in a Thursday night game at Houck Stadium.

And the other Southeast fall sports teams also are just a few weeks from opening their seasons.

Throw in the local high schools, which begin fall practices Monday -- football openers are set for Sept. 2 -- along with the Rams, whose training camp is well under way, and the Cardinals, who are steamrolling toward another National League Central Division title, and it's truly an exciting time of the year to be a sports fan in Southeast Missouri.

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Calling all alumni, volleyball style:

The Southeast volleyball program is still looking for former players to participate in an exhibition match against the current Redhawks, set for 10 a.m. Aug. 20.

Lunch will be provided for all volleyball alumni who participate in the match. Those interested should contact coach Renata Nowacki at 986-6140 or email her at rtnowacki@semo.edu.

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I know Roger Clemens is having an impressive season, with an earned run average off the charts, but unless Chris Carpenter falters, it's hard to imagine the Cardinals' ace not winning the Cy Young Award.

Carpenter, with a 16-4 record and a 2.26 ERA, has been brilliant virtually all year, and lately he's been all but untouchable.

Likewise, if St. Louis continues with the best record in the National League, you've got to think Albert Pujols will be hard to beat out for Most Valuable Player as long as he continues his current pace.

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Although the public isn't privy to a lot of specific information, what has recently come out in the Rafael Palmeiro steroids case doesn't shed the baseball star in a favorable light.

Barring any new developments, based on what I've read to this point, it's hard to imagine that Palmeiro didn't knowingly put steroids into his body.

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How awful is the NL West? Entering the weekend, all five of the division's teams had losing records.

It would be plenty embarrassing for baseball if the eventual champion didn't have a winning ledger, but right now that looks like a definite possibility.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.