re: How do you stay hopeful when your team sucks for years?

Most people have at least one team that fits this description.

Mine is Arizona football. I'm just resigned that no matter how things look, the season is going to end with a giant kick in the junk. When we win and make the Fiesta Bowl, we'll get whipped by Boise State. When we're about to beat Oregon and go to the Rose Bowl, the fans will rush the field prematurely and Oregon will come back and win. Khalil Tate makes a Heisman run, and then we lose out and RichRod gets fired in a sexual harassment scandal.

Just enjoy individual games and realize it doesn't really matter in life after all. The sun will still rise and maybe one day you really break through.