Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Superman: Doomsday Plans


I didn't want to go here so early as a Rutgers football bloggist, but I am going out on a ledge and about to make a bold prediction.
Allow me to paint the picture creeping into your Rutgers mind. Ray Rice has been stuffed throughout the first half. The young WR's are dropping balls. Maybe even the surefooted kickers are shanking a few, and the defense is giving up chunks of yards and gasp, a point or few. Hey, I don't like to think about it either, but right now, I can't face any more of my script adaptation so I am going into some dark, rough seas of the Rutgers season. It might seem like doomsday has arrived, and the zero in the loss column is about to tick to one...but wait, from the video billboards of Times Square, comes the call, a Scarlet Knight tinted-bat signal. Yes, waiting in the wings, happily plowing over linebackers, defensive backs, and whoever gets in his way, Mr. Leonard is just cruising along, a relatively fresh body waiting to be called upon. And so far, so good. Ray Rice has been better than anyone imagined, earning an apparent seat at the Downtown Athletic Club. But all the talk and writing about the lack of another offensive threat on the offensive side of the ball has not been doing any homework or even the briefest of history lessons. Brian Leonard is waiting, and the stories that will be written will continue the brief mentions he is getting about being a good soldier and letting Raymel become the man on the banks, but the stories will be ammended to include his triumphant saving of the season with one or more heroic performances in the coming weeks. I can't tell you specifically where or when, hey I'm not pyschic or anything, but I suggest a phone booth or changing thing on or near the Rutgers sideline so he can emerge when needed.

Is it a bird? A plane? No just the leaping Beast of the Big East!


For Mr. Blair, here is a non-football statement: Facebook sucks and I am out, cold turkey.

Sure the F-book has its place, but I am tired of the endless trail of wall postings, pokes, random groups, weird marriages between people I don't know, and the creepy linking of pictures that I myself never took and don't know where they came from. So I am out, deactivated.

Naming the Stadium



Ok, so it might be a bit cliche, but I think we need a good name for our home field.

Obviously, the swamp, the horseshoe, the big house, death valley, and the like are undeniable references to some of the most historic places to play a collge football game.

I think it is time to give Rutgers Stadium a moniker worthy of the Scarlet Knights. We need about 7 or 8 years of huge wins over ranked teams to make it stick (maybe the Cards in a couple of days can be the beginning?)

Wiki has a few listed, but I am not sure where they came from, namely, "The Banks" or "The Block"

Obviously, The Banks is a reference to that beautiful Raritan River, but the Block? I doubt it is a reference to the "Keep Chopping" mantra of the current team, but who knows? (note: see the insightful info from kevinfromnb in the comments section about Schiano and the origins of the block...)

My first impression was to go the medievil route...
The Castle or the Red Castle
The Fortress

Or we might go for a more Rutgers historical feel:
The Crib (you know...birthplace)

Any other suggestions? Feel free.

Go RU.

Honor of Honors


Today, we received an honor, that is not usually bestowed upon such a fledgling blog, a mention of Every Day Should Be Saturday. I am humbled to be in the same paragraph as someone who compares rival schools to communicst regimes, and food for deities!

Dreams do come true.
Keep chopping.

Candy

Do you believe that John Candy was really born on Halloween?

Do you believe that is it October and the Scarlet Knights are lossless? People keep talking about 1976 as their last undefeated season. So I thought I would look back to that bicentennial year, and find the things that made it special. Although I may be biased, the biggest news was the formation of Apple computer. It also marks the birth of baseballs Toronto Blue Jays, The Ramones (who released their first album), the laser printer was introduced, and California repealed its sodomy law (I am just a reporter here) 1976 also saw the births of Fred Savage of the wonder years, Jaleel White (you may know him as Urkel), free swinging Vlad Guerrero, MTV boy genius Andy Milonakis and we also mourned the losses of Rutgers legend Paul Robeson, Agatha Christie, Howard Hughes, and George Whipple (the nobel prize winner, not the toilet paper guy).
My point is that seasons like this come along once every generation. They are easily over-analyzed, and dissected for weakness by a sports media that doesn't sell papers by being positive. Sure, those stories work every once in a while, and Rutgers is getting their fair share of praise and good will, but I am constantly hearing about the things that need improvement. For example, Mike Teel isn't passing well enough. But if you watched the game Sunday night, you saw at least three passes to Tiquan Underwood that he either dropped, or were barely off his fingertips. And those three passes would have given him another 70-90 yards, and maybe a touchdown. I know you can't predict those things, but you can't also say he isn't playing well because it doesn't tell the whole story. I mean, you can hear right from my pal Seamus, Notre Dame is a pick returned for a score and a last minute Jeff Samardzijajajajajaja (or big WR Eastern European-Irish dude) rumbling in for a TD away from two more heartbraking losses. But, in the polls, all that matters is the number in the win column (right now, I don't bother looking in the loss column, for obvious reasons). But why is Teel struggling? Because receivers drop balls? They are eight and zero, and Teel has managed the game well. Yes, the defense has been dominant at times, yes, Rice and Leonard have been wonderful, but don't discount the calming efficient presence of a quarterback in the huddle.
Wondering about Bowl possibilities? Well Keith Sargeant of the Home Tribune lays it out better than I ever could. All I know is that they are going for the second year in a row, and I can clearly remember watching the meaningless games that were accidentally aired back in the day when Rutgers would be pounding Temple (or getting pounded for that matter) and wishing for a hint that brighter days were ahead. The brighter days, like unexpected unattended bowls of candy, are here.
GO RU!

Monday, October 30, 2006

Zubaz Ecstasy

Zubaz pants, along with bell bottoms and parachute pants, might be the silliest things we can use to adorn our lower torsos. But that doesn't change the weird hippness of those crazy Rutgers 'R' pants on the sideline making me feel all warm and fuzzy, like the blocked punt that sealed the deal.
8 and freakin 0. My wife now pinches me the morning after each of Rutgers' wins just to make sure I am not dreaming. I am sure people are grumbling about the 14 points scored on two crazy plays (the sack and fumble return and the punt block/smash recovered by Frierson), and without them RU would not have won. I can't begin to tell you how irrelevant that analysis is. Do I really need to go back to Rutgers games through the ages...if any Penn State didn't have those 2 80 yard bombs, we would have won; if only Va Tech didn't have those two int's returned for touchdowns, we would have won; if only Miami didn't decide to play in the fourth quarter two years ago, we would have pulled off the biggest upset in history...please. The games are the games, the victories are victories, and while poll voter may be swayed by the margin of victory, I am simply satisfied with the W.
And let's ponder for a moment being #12 in the BCS. Let's consider who Rutgers is in the midst of. How about no one in the ACC is ahead of them, including powers like Miami (not in the BCS, but they are rising in the WWE rankings), Va Tech (25 in the BCS), and Boston College (15), so take that you traitors/defectors. I am not going to say Rutgers would be having a similar fate in the Big Tem or SEC, but at least you can't laugh them out of the room as in years past. And again last night, a weakness seemed to be exploited, that Do. Brown running all over the place, but eventually the D held it's ground, and in spite of all those yards, only 13 points wound up on the scoreboard. I mean this is the sentence that is on the lips of various sports reports and columnists, USC, Notre Dame, Cal, Tennessee, Rutgers (8-12 in the BCS). Sure, there are the obvious comparisons to K-State and Northwestern, and the coming years will tell if this is a two year flash in the pan, or if it is truly a turnaround, and that will distinguish if this means the Knights have turned the corner, or if they are just lost in a nice neighborhood for a few years.
The next game will have almost two weeks of hype, another Rutgers biggest game in their history arrives with Louisvile coming into the stadium, which needs a nickname by the way...hmm, seems like a ponder for another post perhaps, but I am open to suggestions.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Bandwagon

Sunday night...UConn coming to town. Not that we are supposed to be mentioned in the same sentence as such a team, but did you notice USC yesterday? That is my point to anyone who has already penciled in 8-0. Football is cruel, and one play can change it all. I believe Rutgers will win this game behind Rice again, and perhaps Teel will mix in a bit more against a weaker tem, but I take nothing for granted. This is not a rivalry, but I guess people have nothing to write about UConn, so geography is pulled out a back pocket. This is just the next game, and on national TV, and the story is that Rutgers is favored by 17 or so points. I still feel like I am dreaming about that line a bit. I haven't seen lines like that since Temple came to Piscataway. (More on those dogs, er, Owls, later...)
People get all bent out of shape about bandwagons. It is like fan's become the border patrol, and if you haven't been a fan for a minimum of 10 years and have been present/worn a hat when the team in question stunk, you don't have the fan right to root for a newly emerging team. Please. That is ridiculous. Root for whoever you want. Now, I do find it weird that someone can just buy a fresh hat each year, and start rooting for whoever is in the lead (I don't see all the 49er hats I used to see when Montana and Young were raising Lombardi's Silver in the air), but it doesn't really bother me if people want to be posers and don't have the fortitude to watch missed extra points and fumbles and interceptions that snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But I say, c'mon, there is always room on the bandwagon .
And also of note, Temple won. I am shocked as you are. Rutgers last rival has been pitiful of late, not that I don't take joy in watching the Cherry and White suffer, but twenty losses in a row, sheesh, Bowling Green should be making plans to drop to Div II after that loss. The Owls are primed for hoops in the post-Chaney era. How do you get kicked out of a conference? Stinking beyond repair. As bad as Rutgers was, they didn't get kicked out of the Big East, a conference that was losing teams, and seemed on the verge of collapse, still decided to jetison one of their own. Seriously, Temple, give it up, drop to Div. 1A and suffer a mediocre fate in the Atlantic 10.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Bi-Focals

Like anyone, I am excited about current success leading to future recruits and the restocking of talent. And to read a list of current and future NJ talent staying 'home' as it were, is what many Rutgers fans have claimed is the secret to Rutgers long term success. Plus, that a giant talent like Anthongy Davis would even give a program like Rutgers a sniff when the likes of Ohio State and USC are calling, (now take a minute to let that sink in, Buckeyes, Trojans, Scarlet Knights????), can we begin the bronze mold for Mr Schiano now? He grew up in Piscataway, and the program is on the rise, and...ok, I may be getting ahead of myself, but this is what hope and success does.
Our focus, however, must be split at this point.
But, as fun as the future is, and apparently as lackluster as the Huskies might appear, we are meant to savor a dream season, not get lulled into an unexciting opponent. They are all exciting opponents in my mind. Plus, seasons like this are what makes being a Rutgers fan so special. we are not Notre Dame where they aregue over which National Title is more special, or Atlanta where they can't even distinguish which of the 14 division titles were the hardest to achieve, or even the Yankees, where 26 years of ultimate success has always been bought (not that there's anything wrong with that). To be a Rutgers fan has been a journey of patience, savoring the upsets of Michigan State, and gritting through New Hampshire and 'Nova.
When Temple went into the MAC sunset, and began it's expert ability to give up 62 points, Rutgers lost its only rival. And they were only a rival because we both stunk so bad, that to brag about being the best of the doormats was our only battle cry. While it would be nice to buy into a UConn rivalry, in reality we are in search of a team we can call a rival.
When I really need a reality check about Rutgers, I have always turned to Jerry Izenberg. He knows when to call a spade a spade, or when to call the Knights on an embarassing turn of events. Of course, he also captured the rapture of a bowl bid this year, and currently tells the tale of Shawn Tucker and his kind of unbelievable choice to follow his heart and go north as a young man, and give Scarlet a chance. He suffered through 1-11, and now his dreads fly around in the joy of 7-0. Izenberg is one of the few professional news columnists, not assigned Rutgers as a beat, who takes his thoughts and focused on the Knights. And he is insightful, and writes with a passion that a Scarelt Knight fan can appreciate.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Chads

I was born but not really aware of the previous years of success of Rutgers football. No, I came of age as a Rutgers football fan watching Penn State roll into Giants stadium to not really beat the Scarlet Knights, but more to wittle them down, and then toss a few 70 yard bombs to break my heart. 1961 Rose Bowl? Hmmm, I remember 1961 like it was never. But why shouldn't beating Cornell and Dartmouth count as much as beating the best of the PAC-10 or Big 10 or 11 or whatever it is. And not to rely on the Home News Tribune too much, but this is why Schiano is a defensive genius, (yes I said genius Adem) getting the most out of quality guys who could have gone anywhere (as long as anywhere is like, K-State, Illinois, or gasp, Temple) but they chose Rutgers and their team first, not me-first style.
And bandwagon? C'mon recruits, we'll take you. Don't want to go to the Criminal U, er, Miami anymore? Why not? FIU is a quality opponent, right, and Duke, I mean that will help your BCS standing. Ha ha.
And if I could afford to buy the insider on ESPN, (please, do you know how many Pop Tarts $39.95 will buy), I would love to hear why Craig James thinks the world would be behind an undefeated Rutgers in the BCS championship game...although methinks annointing them undefeated is like awarding a presidential election at 11 pm-ish...there are many dangling chads to keep track of.
Including the next game up on the schedule, which recent history with UConn should remind us that this is still Rutgers, and as happy as you can be that they have won them all so far, let's take nothing for granted. South Florida was a bobble away from sending us to overtime, for example, and even big teams like Florida (fumble? incomplete pass?), Notre Dame (sorry Seamus) are a bad day or even just a bad call away from dashing dream seasons...not that i wouldn't need several pinches to wake up from the ecstasy of 11-1, 10-2, etc....but in the deep recesses of my Philadelphia tainted mind, I remember the Rich Kotite led Eagles 7-2, then losing the final 7...I'm not suggesting that could happen on The Banks, but I am a realist afterall.
Enjoying the ride....

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Long suffering

I am a Rutgers fan. To say that is no longer immediatly met with chuckles and pity. Right now, I am fully infected with Rutgers fever, and I don't mind admitting it. Although there are other web sites out there that are strong testaments to college football, (see www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com for an example) there is not, in my humble opinion, one that seeks out Rutgers info and puts it all in one place. NJ.com has a section, but it seems to be pretty tied into that paper's content, of course. I hope to be an independant source of Rutgers football information.