"This 2011 team is going to be exciting," Sparano said. "They're going to have a great attitude ... It is going to have excitment. We have an outstanding defense. We have good players. We have an enthusiastic, outstanding, attacking offense. Our special teams is attacking. This is all on the upbeat right now. Everybody in the building in full of passion. Full of passion right now.
Excited. The other thing we have is daring people."
Cool. On the chow line of things I want to chew on, give me some enthusiastic, outstanding, attacking offense every time. Also, give me victories.
And Sparano promised those, too.
"Here's what I'm here to tell you," he began. "I've seen a lot of football teams and been part of more than my share -- unfortunately. But I'll say this to you, a lot of them have been good teams. I've been around teams before, seen what they're made up of and this football team right here, is a good team. There are good people in that locker room. We got good people in the room, good chemistry, they give off a good vibe, they enjoy being around each other. I'm walking through the locker room last night at 8 o'clock at night. We broke at about 5 o'clock and there are still guys hanging out with each other. That's a good sign. That tells me an awful lot.
"I'm going to say this to you and I know that I'm in public and I'm don't say a whole lot, I'm one of those take everything, give nothing kind of guys. This team will win. That's not a surprise to them. They've heard it."
Other highlights from the speech?
"This team is going to build its own tradition."
"This journey won't go without problems. It won't go without those things. But this group is a pretty daring group. A daring group, and they'll push forward."
Sparano called his team a "heck of a group." And, said, that group "will take the next step."
"I have all the confidence in the world," he said, "and you should, too!"