It was hard to tell whether the prevailing mood at last night's Philadelphia Eagles Season Kickoff Party was a nervous optimism or a hopeful pessimism.
But what is certain is that whichever oxymoron you choose, there was plenty of it to be found as the Eagles welcomed their fans at a free celebration at Lincoln Financial Field.
Yes, the team that has reached the NFC Championship Game the last three seasons has left its fans with lots of pride and some disappointment on the side.
Or was that disappointment with a side of pride?
Take Adrian Delfabbro, attending last night with his 6-year-old son, Jeremy.
"I suspect they'll do about the same as last year," Delfabbro said, also predicting a similar Eagles postseason exit. "Hopefully I'm wrong."
Then there is the outlook of Matt Friedenberg.
"I think they'll do pretty well," he said. He did, however, express concern about the team's cornerbacks, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown.
Sure there were grumblings before 7 p.m., but once CBS 3 took to the air and sportscaster Beasley Reese started parading the players up on stage, Eagles fans were fired up. Chants of "Super Bowl!" could be heard throughout.
The city hasn't been that excited about the prospects of a Philadelphia team since, well, this spring.
In April, the Phillies opened a new ballpark with a revamped $93 million team and was primed to be the first team outside of Atlanta to win the National League East division since realignment.
Now with the Phillies engaged in a frustrating dance around the .500 mark, the city has put its collective heart in the hands of the Eagles, a team that has broken that heart the past three years.
And it's not only the fans who are feeling that.
"Last January I had my heart ripped out for the third time," Eagles kicker David Akers said. "No more."
If the Eagles are going to make it to Jacksonville for Super Bowl XXXIX, it will be with the help of some new faces and one old one returning to Philadelphia.
After a one-year stint in Jacksonville, defensive end Hugh Douglas is back in Philadelphia, where he spent five seasons.
But it was the real newcomers who got the fans' attention at the Linc.
Pro-Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens came out to a raucous "T. O." chant and stated his hopes to provide the Eagles with stability at what was a weak position for them in 2003.
Defensive end Jevon Kearse, dubbed "The Phreak" after coming here from the Titans, should make the Eagles' front four a devastating force.
On paper, and for an hour on stage last night, the Eagles looked like the class of the NFC. But for a team that has gone into the postseason as the top seed the last two years, there are no guarantees about postseason success.
But given the choice of rooting for a heartbreaking team like the Eagles and a non-contender like the Arizona Cardinals, both Delfabbro and Friedenberg would choose the Eagles in a second.
In fact, Friedenberg said, "If I lived in Arizona, I might not be a football fan at all."
