Jaguar

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only extant Panthera species native to the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Americas. The jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson) and the bootheel of New Mexico, the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 20th century.

This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrains. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is largely a solitary, opportunistic, stalk-and-ambush predator at the top of the food chain (an apex predator). It is a keystone species, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of the animals it hunts. The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. This allows it to pierce the shells of armored reptiles and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain.

2009 Jacksonville Jaguars season

The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 15th season for the team in the National Football League. This was the first season for new general manager Gene Smith, who hoped to usher in a "rebuilding" era for the Jaguars franchise. The Jaguars improved upon their 5–11 record in 2008, however did not make the playoffs.

The team got new uniforms for the 2009 season. Team owner Wayne Weaver reportedly wanted to "clean up" the look, feeling that the team had too many uniform styles.

2009 NFL Draft

Staff

Final roster

Local television blackouts

In 2009, the Jaguars had 7 of their 8 regular season home games blacked out on local TV. Due to an NFL rule, in order for a home game to be televised in a team's market, all tickets must be sold within 72 hours of kickoff. Many factors lead to a decrease in ticket sales for the Jaguars, including Jacksonville being a small market, a bad local economy, and low expectations for the team coming into the season. The Jaguars drew attendances under 50,000 in their first six home games. The only game that was televised in the Jacksonville market in 2009 was the final home game of the season when the Jaguars played the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football. Through the 2015 season, the Jaguars have not had any games blacked out since.