The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers

Oh, They Were THAT Kind of Number 2

2007-10-21T06:35:00.000-07:00

Other titles could have read:
"BullsHit Knight Wall," "Bulls S#$% the Bed," or "Bulls Forced to Get Off Pot"

Sorry about that South Florida. Didn't mean to bring you back to reality. You played a great game, you have a pretty flashy quarterback...and by that I mean it looked like he was blinded by a thousand flashes of light the way he played in the second half.

It seemed like some of the defensive intensity was back in this game, although it was still an offensive pass interference call away (although it was pretty blatant) from being a very, very, very tight game with a field goal pending us towards a tie game (no idea if that is good english, but maybe that hypocritical english professor will offer to correct my web grammar when he is done counting the four or five books he has sold...)

The trickery was nice, but I'm sure there will be a groundswell complaining that it took gadgetry to beat them. I don't have any problem with it. Those types of plays work for a reason. Coaches and/or players see chances and then players execute them. And if you look at the fake field goal, South Florida had a pretty good idea it was happening, but some fingertips kept that from being a head scratcher and keeping it a hi-fiver. And I read one comment complaining again about student behavior (albeit a small one) chanting 'overrated.' The comment says this devalues the accomplishment of your team beating someone. I can't disagree more. Teams like Virginia that keep escaping with one or two point wins can make cases that they are good until someone proves them otherwise. A loss to Rutgers doesn't mean South Florida isn't good, but it does mean that Rutgers proved something in taking down a good team. Plus, and I can't believe I need to enlighten people to this again, trash talking is part of the game for a fan. It is not a polite pursuit all the time. Yes, we clap when someone who is injured walks off the field, or we might even clap if someone sets some weird record, but ultimately, we want to cheer for our team, and root, yes root, against the opposing team.

If Auburn had hung on to win last night, which if they were any friend of Rutgers they would have, Rutgers could have had a pretty good ladder argument to be in the top 5. You know, Rutgers beat South Florida which beat Auburn which almost beat LSU. I love those games...but only when AU doesnt get BURNED on a 22 yard td pass with virtually no time on the clock...and if one auburn db can just tip the ball away, I am heading to photoshop to build a ladder with all kinds of logos....but oh well, I will just have to wait for Rutgers to whip WVU and not need a ladder...

Go RU.

Not THAT guy

2007-10-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

So it has been a few days since I spewed out my thoughts on the men of Scarlet. And the last time I did, we were coming off a heartbreaker versus Maryland. Now, we are a few days removed from a Bearcat beatdown that was tough because we had chances, not a chance, but chances to win that game. Even though I don't know exactly how to pick up the pieces and talk the talk, I know that I don't want to be that guy who dumps his team at the slightest hint of adversity. Far from it. Even though this sucks, and I don't like to see my team go through these kinds of tough losses, I am comforted by the not so distant past that reminds me that times have been tougher, and to be disappointed to lose to a ranked team and not have a secret acceptance of my place in the football world, means a lot in terms of football respect.

So, two losses into this tough stretch, the season still stretches out in front of us. National Title hopes, I mean, realistically, they were a far off dream this season anyway, but now that reality is firmly in our front mirror. The middle linebacking woes seem to have cropped up in our rush defense, and having tight ends who can block and catch the ball have room for improvement. I can only tell you that a bowl would still be a nice goal for this team, regardless of the year, and three wins amongst our final games seems a good chance, considering teams like the Cuse, Pitt, and Uconn are on the horizon. Oh, and Louisville might not be the big bad bird we all thought they were, at least their defense couldn't stop a pickup flag football team.

Is it irony also that one of the comments I received on my last post was from someone selling rutgers floor mats? I felt like I was a little bit of a floor mat after losing on consecutive weeks this year, oh, how I might have been spoiled by last year, but I knew to keep my fandom from going amuck. Back in the '80's, as a Rtugers fan, I thought a team like West Virgina had a good M.O. They were good enough to be in the national title talk once every 3 or 4 years, when one of their classes came together and developed and peaked together. I always thought I would be happy with that. I just hope I don't have to start burning couches to foster that kind of mojo.

By the way, the link for those Rutgers mats if you are curious is oddly enough:
www.rutgersmats.com

Enjoy and go RU.

Bandwagon: Plenty of Seats Available

2007-10-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. A place I knew was right around some bend. A gut-wrenching Rutgers loss to an inferior team we should have beaten. As expected, the dire-hards are off the bandwagon, leaving behind those who were there in the first place. We, the fans who suffer and stay no matter what the current wind, are not surprised, although it stings nonetheless.

I remind myself and others that not winning a national title is a problem most schools in division 1 have and the fact that Rutgers' chances have diminished greatly doesn't change my allegiance or enjoyment of the team. I still like seeing players develop and mature. I enjoy the process of this team learning and evolving. It is not that far removed from the crappy days of autumn where a three point loss was a victory, not a sad feeling that something slipped away. And if I try hard enough, I can look at the 7 teams in the top 13 that lost and take some solace that maybe it isn't over yet...maybe we can rise through the rankings again and since it was early enough in the season, we still have time to reload the bandwagon and the press votes to have a run at it. But if all I have to look forward to is a chance at a conference championship, that wouldn't suck too bad.

And beyond my Rutgers fandom, I enjoy college football, so the upcoming match-ups with Cincy, USF, Louisville and WVU are still games I anticipate greatly.

Things could be worse, they can always be worse. I could be a Temple football fan.

Go RU.

Dowling Decision: Dreck Based on Ignorance

2007-09-29T11:06:00.001-07:00

For all he spoke about the intelligence level of college athletes, Professor William C. Dowling exposed his own level of smartness by choosing his quotes to try to make his points. I hesitate to simply call him stupid because much like the Rutgers athletes Dowling drilled, I don't know the man, and wouldn't know him if he was pulling off his hood. So, here we go again. And this comes on the heels of people complaining about the low-brow nature of football fans in general, but it attacks sports on a much broader scope. It seems to be the trend that a success in one area of the world causes someone to look for a way to tear it down. I don't necessarily think that shouldn't happen. Our country and our world has benefited from inspection and debate over many things...civil rights, taxation without representation, and the Yugo all came, were developed and embraced or sent to the societal scrap heap. That activity only happened AFTER people considered these ideas, talked about them, mulled them over, and maybe even fought and died over them.

But discourse based on a marketing plan to promote a book is not a good place to start the discussion. Yes, we all understand the jealousy associated with non-sports fans who don't understand the fascination with sports and want to call anything associated with organized collegiate sports a tremendous waste of time and money. And maybe there are indeed a few corners cut to allow these gifted athletes to play games for the entertainment of people. But don't discount the benefits of the system. Nothing, I repeat nothing in this world is good without any bad associated with it. So does Dowling and his disciples want to disband all college athletics because he doesn't agree with the distribution of scholarships? Phrases such as throwing out the baby with the bathwater, or cutting off your nose to spite your face come to mind. Make no mistake, although he condemns things such as big time athletics and television, his comments to the New York Times were granted to sell his book. His disdain of media is hypocritical.

But before I just dismiss this man Dowling as a racist anti-athletics hater, I decided to do something he apparently did not take the time to do. I tried to learn about him from his apparently abandoned web site. And as one might suspect, he is an interesting man with many scholarly pursuits. He is an english professor with degrees from Dartmouth and Harvard with several books to his credit. From his English professor pulpit, he takes shots at students who use the word 'like' too much, tells serious English students to learn latin, and he also goes on to say:

"...I loathe and detest television and keep telling my students to smash their TV sets and fill their rooms with books. (I actually do think that the people in Hell watch TV. Also that people who watch TV here on earth -- instead of reading books and learning Greek and arguing with their friends about Aristotle or Milton or Tocqueville -- are in Hell and simply haven't realized it yet.)"

Dowling ran marathons before sustaining an injury and loves to spend time in Paris for pleasure. He also moonlights as a Paris restaurant critic. But as you also might imagine, he has some interesting contradictions. For a man who wrote his first book about the form of the Boswellian hero, and also someone who loves to mine through great literature, how can he not see the parallels with sports? Aren't sports dramatic and filled with moments worthy of literature? Aren't athletes heroes in their own right who overcome circumstances of games and their lives to prevail? If they do not prevail, sometimes those competitors are even more fascinating at how they pick themselves up and continue to fight. Why is his preferred debate about "Aristotle or Milton or Tocqueville" more appropriate or desirable than my debate over Rutgers, West Virginia, or Louisville? His opinions seek to create a jargon filled barrier with those who do not share his passion. not open up the academic doors to those in the libraries after school. And if his environment is so distasteful, and he does not approve of his association with his third-rate university employer, why does he stay? Couldn't he make his observations from a distance at a school that he approves? Why is his tenure protected seat at Rutgers the only place he can work? Instead Dowling employs the long standing tradition of hacking up a situation with criticism but does not offer a solution for fixing the problem short of disbanding college sports ties to television revenues.

Finally, Dowling is a man who proudly claims he is no longer on e-mail or the internet because of porn sites popping up and ruining a manuscript he claimed to have been working on for six years. This declaration is symptomatic of the Dowling overall. He chooses to look at himself as a victim for something which he is not. Number one, if you are working on something for six years, you should have it backed up someplace, so the most you will lose is from the last point you backed-up your information. And that could be as simple as printing it, e-mailing it, or saving on a variety of disc formats. Secondly, internet pop-ups are often a function of cookies which can be deleted from your computer. Dowling's ignorance strikes again. For someone who loves to read so much, he ought to read the entire story about athletics in general, and specifically Rutgers football's players.

I encourage you to read Dowling's words, or his web site at least and judge for yourself if he is an enlightened man with a well-thought out opinion or a media saavy marketing man who is ultimately trying to generate interest in his own book sales and inflate his ego.

Go RU.

Score a Touchdown...Jesus!

2007-09-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, this might be a time that I point to and realize that I had it too good. This is the type of post that I will look back on when times aren't as rosy and say, what were you thinking. But I will also remember that this was inspired by a true sense of empathy and a willingness to share pain with those around me, a desire to help someone understand their grief, and maybe to cope with their confusion a little better.

You see, I have been a Rutgers fan for a long time. I wear that a badge of honor, especially now, when the years of suffering are blossoming into a top ten ranking and massive national respect. I don't begrudge those who have recently climbed the steps onto the bandwagon, in fact, I embrace them and feel proud to have them on board. The interesting time will be when we have adversity, when we might, gasp, lose a close game, and things might be going our way. Then we will see who stays in their seats, and who will pull the string for the driver to stop at the next stop and let them off.

With this in mind, I feel it is appropriate to extend my expertise on adversity to a program that is so unfamiliar with losing that they have never, EVER started a season 0-4. They have been led by some of the greatest names in sports history, and even have a statue of Jesus they use to guide their young men and bless them as they cross the goal line. With all those victories, great players, coaches, and history, you know that a fan of Notre Dame is feeling a bit bewildered right now. No wins? Sputtering offense? Rebuilding? It's ok Irish fans, we, the Rutgers faithful have been there. And while you might view this on the lines of the bizzaro Seinfeld episode, maybe there is room to learn from this experience. My biggest problem with most fans of teams that have massive amounts of success is that their great seasons get muddied and confused. Conversations like, "What was your favorite championship Muffy? Number two or number five?" Well, now you get a bit of perspective Golden Domers. Now you can see where the teams you have trampled were. Remember this lesson. Soak in the crapulence. Before you know it, Big Charlie (A jersey guy by the way) will turn it around and you will find the next Gipper or Montana or Brown. By suffering a little bit through this season, the next success you taste will be even sweeter and you will understand a little bit about the wait for something. It is often times the journey that is so much fun, not necessarily the destination. So feel free to cry it out, then dry those tears, it will eventually get better...unless you put Temple on the schedule. If you lose to them, you will have to disband the program.

Go RU.

91 seconds

2007-09-17T19:41:00.001-07:00

Time of possession. The NY football Giants used to make a living with their ball-control offense. In fact, a lot of teams in the pre-West Coast and Greatest shows in turf era made a living out of running the ball, keeping their defense on the field, and thus, the opposing offense off the field, and control the clock. Overwhelming nine minute drives would crush an opposing team's spirit, and prevent any offensive rhythm from appearing in the game. And the next thing they would know, it's 21-7, and there isn't any time left for a drive, and they are so out of whack and trying to throw on every play, and a fresh defense is pinning its ears back and coming after them on every play.

So, how then, do you explain 1:31 versus 13:29 in time of possession on Saturday, yet look at the scoreboard and see 42-0 in the second quarter of the Spartan massacre? How do you look at 11 offensive plays that cover 277 yards and result in six touchdowns? I can't recreate that on NCAA college football 08. It seems impossible (and maybe a little inhuman) that a team can have drives of:

2 plays - 52 yards
1 play - 28 yards (after a botched fake punt)
2 plays - 92 yards (pass of 65 yards, five yard penalty, then a 22 yard run by Ray Rice)
2 plays - 46 yards
3 plays - 42 yards (starting to slack off offensively...)
and finally, 2 plays - 53 yards.

For the quarter, four guys accounted for all the offense...
Ray Rice, 3 carries, 33 yards, 3 TD's (Rutgers 3-0....)
Mike Teel, 7-8 passing, 244 yards, 3 TD's
Kenny Britt, 3 catches, 96 yards, 2 TD's
Tiquan Underwood, 4 catches, 148 yards, TD

Plus, two penalties by NSU, an illegal sub, and a pass interference. The only blemish, outside of those borderline timeouts, was an incomplete pass and that little roughing the kicker penalty. Otherwise, that is a perfect pummeling of an overmatched opponent.

91 seconds. Oof.

Lastly, I might have a bone to pick with Coach Schiano for calling timeouts at the end of the first half, trying to get the ball back to add to the 42 points already posted over the poor Spartans of Norfolk State. But upon further review, I think he was just trying to get his first stringers back on the field for one last series, to practice the two minute drill against semi-live competition. And Schaino even said after the game, that he was coaching the game hard through the first half, so I guess I give him a break for trying to squeeze everything he could out of the first half...maybe.

But, and maybe I need that Mark guy from the Ledger to write a scathing opinion piece to get this started... for all the people upset at booing college athletes, calling timeouts up by 45? No outrage from the sit on your hands set? Hmmm....where are all the people who were worried about feelings last week. Doesn't Norfolk State deserve any compassion? No Spartan love? See, football is about physicality. All you George Will wannabes should crawl back to your area rugs and fireplaces and stick to things that you know. Allow me to bring you to the breakfast club as you sip your chaintes...

          RARITANSAM
        Don't you ever talk about my
             friends!  You don't know any of my
             friends, you don't look at any of my
             friends and you certainly wouldn't
             condescend to speak to any of my
             friends so you just stick to the
             things you know, shopping, nail
             polish, your father's BMW and your
             poor--rich--drunk mother in the
             Carribean!

                       COLUMNIST
                  (furious and sobbing)
             Shut up!

                RARITANSAM
             And as far as being concerned about
             what's gonna happen when you and I
             walk down the hallways at school,
             you can forget it!  'Cause it's never
             gonna happen!  Just bury your head
             in the sand...and wait for your
             f***in' prom!

And stop telling me when I can and can't boo. I consider this issue laid to rest.

Go RU.

Let's Learn About Who We are Going to Boo

2007-09-12T18:15:00.001-07:00

Oh wait, I meant to type who we are not going to boo...in fact, we are going to make notes of every positive thing they do, write them on note cards, and send them to the locker room at half-time with pre-filled blank get-well cards for any injuries we may have missed when they happened live and didn't have time to write out get-well notes...and then after the game, we will cheer equally loud for each team, making sure every other fan is clapping for the opposite team so no one's feelings get hurt, and then we will ask them if it is ok to leave our seats and return home, where we will read at least 100 pages of classic literature before eating, and certainly will not operate machinery until we have personally reviewed our fan behavior and the behavior of those around us, relatives, and neighbors who we have seen at least once in the past 7 months, and report any suspect behavior and especially anyone who boo's to Joe Paterno or the estate of Mother Theresa (does she have an estate?)

So maybe I have a bit of time on my hands, but I got to thinking yesterday, what exactly is a Norfolk State. Yes, it is a blatant attempt to rip off the classic tale of asking the precise definition of what exactly is a Rutgers…but what fun it would be to dig into the history of the storied football program of Norfolk State, who they are, where they come from…(with thanks and non0cited information from the Norfolk St Athletics web site, the city of Norfolk web site, wiki, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, and the AP and UPI wires…see, I am a journalist sort of…)

Norfolk is one of the oldest cities in our country, established in 1682, which I believe is the last time Temple had a winning football season. Some famous people who are from this Virginia mecca of commerce are Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid), Bob Saget, and Wayne Newton. It is part of the Hampton Raods region in Virginia, which is the cities of Norfolk, Newport News, and Virginia Beach, as well as the body of water that makes up the harbor of Hampton Roads.

Norfolk State the School was formerly known as the Norfolk State Unit of Virginia Union University, but in 1942 became an independent entity and was known as Norfolk Polytechnic College (aka Norfolk Tech). Then Norfolk Tech bounced into the realm of Virginia State College, lost it polytechnic status, and settled in to being Norfolk State College. And of course, as all colleges aspire to be, it then grew into being Norfolk State University. Enrollment as of last year was 6,238 students. The most popular majors are business, nursing, psychology, biology, and music education.

Their official colors are green and gold and their mascot is a Spartan. They play in one of my favorite conferences outside the Big East, the MEAC. The Spartans have fielded a team since 1938 and they have been to the post-season once and played only one game, their heyday way back in 1984. It was Willard Bailey’s first season as head coach, and it was a dream season. Cruising to the CIAA championship with 10 wins and only one loss, ranked 6th in the polls and hosting 8th ranked Towson State in their in the first round of their first time ever in the Division II NCAA playoffs. The game featured the nations number one passing attack from Towson against the vaunted Norfolk State defense that was particularly stingy against the run, coming into the game giving only 47.3 rushing yards a game, which ranked them number one against the run in the nation. So what happened? Well, six Norfolk turnovers in the form of a blocked punt, fumbles and interceptions stymied their offense, and somehow against the solid Spartan defense, Towson found a way to pound out an uncanny 295 yards of rushing offense. The final score was a result of a furious Norfolk comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, led by quarterback Willie Gillus, who tossed a touchdown pass to Leonard Hopkins, and running back Raynard Ravels. But it was too little too late as Towson took a 31-21 victory. (Towson went on to lose in the next round 45-3 at the hands of eventual national champion Troy State) The 1984 team holds the distinction of having the most wins (10) and the longest winning streak (8) in school history. Anthony Johnson, a SBN 1st team all-American in 1984, set the record that year for the most rushing attempts in a game (43 versus Howard) and for a season (310). Glenn Jones, a defensive back, was drafted with the first pick of the ninth round of the 1985 draft, and Bruce Manley, another defensive back was a free-agent signee with the Seattle Seahawks. But that was it for that run…the next few seasons went steadily downhill, 6-4 in ’85, 4-6 in ’86, and 4-7 in ’87. Coach Bailey tried to right the ship, but eventually the program went in a different direction after a 3-7 campaign in 1992.

Other than that, their big guys were Aaron Sparrow, a quarterback with numerous records, and Kevin Talley a 1-AA defensive player of the year and all-american linebacker who set the NCAA record with 195 tackles in a seaon and once had 30 tackles in one game (overachiever anyone?) Eventually went to the Quad City Steamwheelers of AFL2 fame, but as far as I can tell, he hasn’t played in a game in a few years. There is someone else named Kevin Talley who is a death metal drummer, but apparently these two have no relation, but I can’t confirm that.

So, now, I guess, all that’s left is the massacre that is going to take place at homecoming this week. I hope people can get over the bad press from last week over the rudeness of the SOME not ALL of the fans. I guess it is a sign of the times though. With more success comes more everything, fans, scrutiny, the need to fill newspaper and web spaces...wait a minute, that's me too, because I am sucked into talking about it. I like a victim.

Go RU.

To Boo Or Not to Boo

2007-09-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now I have read two articles about horrible Rutgers fans cheering an injured Navy player as well as hurling insults at Navy players, and as you might imagine, I have some thoughts on the matter (although the list of things I don't have a thought on is a much shorter list). First of all, it is inexcusable to cheer for an injured player, regardless of team affiliation. And I see the point about harassing Navy cadets and family members with profanity and jeers. Yes, this shows little class and embarrasses the football program, the university, and as I have read, the state of New Jersey, and humans in general as one recruiter for the Navy said in the opinion piece of Mark D.'s column on NJ.com However, let's keep this in perspective. A few fans, or even half a section does not represent all of Rutgers fans. In the course of a football game, people tend to cheer for big hits, fumbles, and other miscues of the opposing team. While cheering for injuries is clearly over the line, one must understand that football in general, and football fandom in particular is not meant to be a refined activity of nobles. People are passionate and rabid and I think it is easy to be confusing excitement of a game with anti-American taunting of Naval cadets. Did that happen in the stands during the Navy game? I have no doubt. Was it insensitive? Yes. BUT, it is not fair to condemn all of Rutgers football fans for the actions of others, nor does it make sense to pin that behavior on New Jersey in general. Are we supposed to now sit on our hands when Navy throws an interception because it is insensitive to make them feel bad because they are in the military? Are we supposed to forfeit our game with Army because it is disrespectful do defeat the young men headed for military duty and defending our country? That's where I feel these columns are headed. If someone wants to highlight the atrocious actions of SOME of the fans at the Rutgers-Navy game and point out how deplorable it is, go ahead, I am upset it happened as well. But be mindful of casting the guilty net over all of Rutgers football or over the entire state of New Jersey., We are proud of our team and respectful of our opponents (even Temple).

On another note, what's wrong with chanting A__hole when a ref is talking? isn't that standard in every NFL stadium? And maybe those fans should get a little leeway because they don't how to act when their team is whomping other teams. Remember, it is a steep learning curve going from perennial doormat to top 25 team. These kids are learning how to cheer and be cocky, and of course there are going to be some missteps along the way. And while i am not a fraternity person, that is an easy cheap shot to instantly accuse the people in the story as beer swilling frat boys. Please, some guys I went to college with could drink entire Fraternities under the table by themselves. So go Lamda Pie Omega yourself, calm down, and go pledge to be a more informed web opinion giver Mark D.

Looking forward to Norfolk State, learning all about them, and revealing some things you might not know...but that is another rant.

Go RU!

The MidBuffOwlKnight Cup

2007-09-10T06:29:00.001-07:00

Rutgers has officially claimed its first title of the season. Ok, so it isn't a BCS championship, but nonetheless, they have dominated a section of the country in an accidental round robin tournament between Buffalo, Navy, Temple, and Rutgers. I know, I know, I am shocked as you to learn that Temple still has a football program and that they actually attempt to take the field on Saturdays and win football games. Kicked out of the Big east, think about the magnitude of that, a conference on the verge of being decimated by defections to the ACC still kicked them to the curb. So, it came as no shock that of the four teams in this round robin, Temple finished 0-2. Buffalo even smoked them 42-7 to finish the two week stretch at 1-1. Navy only beat them by 12, but still walked away with an easy victory to go 1-1 as well. Rutgers was the undeniable champion, going 2-0 with two convincing victories over Buffalo and Navy. The only match-ups not featured were Temple vs. Rutgers, a foregone conclusion, and the game for second place, Navy vs. Buffalo. While that would be an interesting match-up, the trouncing Temple would likely receive from Rutgers would put them at a convincing 3-0, and either Buffalo or Navy would at best be 2-1. So just as Division 1A uses polls to determine the final champion, I would like to offer this one-man, RaritanSam poll of how the four teams officially finished in the MidBuffOwlKnight Championship Cup Standings.

1. Rutgers (1)
2. Navy
3. Buffalo
4. App. State

Also receiving vote - Temple

Congratulations to the Scarlet Knights for winning this prestigious mid-year, mid-week championship.

Sailing, Sailing

2007-09-06T04:38:00.001-07:00

I know everyone looks at Rutgers' schedule and says they will sail through the early part, and not have a real test until, depending who you ask, South Florida or West Virginia. But, and I promise this blog entry will be the last reference to one of the greatest upsets in sports history (more thoughts later), but remember the Wolverines...not because they overcame adversity, but because they were steamrolled by a disciplined, mistake capitalizing team with a nickname of a team in the Big East that does the same thing...and trots out Pat White and Steve Slaton.

So as Navy drops anchor in the Raritan, and I don't want to be too un-American here, but the Scarlet Knights need to not give them any option other than trying to pass and come from behind. I am encouraged by the offensive explosion and the defensive manhandling versus Buffalo, but Navy is a quantum leap up. They are a respectable team and don't deserve to lumped in with the Norfolk State on this list. Why? Well look at their past four seasons.
2007: 9-4
2006: 8-4
2005: 10-2
2004: 8-5

Those are decent win totals for any Div 1A team, regardless of opponent. Plus, and I know this is a cliche for a service academy, they are disciplined. they tend to not make mental mistakes. Now having said that, they also played one of my favorite teams to mock in the Owls of Temple University. You know Temple, that Div. 1A that almost had a parade when they finally beat Bowling Green (who should have gone immediately on Conf USA probation). Anyway, Navy beat Temple 31-19, but if Temple is within 12 points, your team has issues.

I don't think Tiquan will rebreak his receiving record, but I think Teel and the passing game will continue to take advantage of the emphasis on stopping Ray Rice. We all see what happeens when the receivers hang on to the footballs they should...and Tiquan making a few juggling catches and runs of passes he shouldn't catch doesn't hurt things either.

And the defense? I can't wait to see what they do next. They are a menacing, quick, and hard hitting defense that flies to the ball and takes pride in stopping teams. They don't get as much love as the offense it seems because chicks and SportsCenter dig the longball and the touchdown. Football fans however dig poor third down conversion stats and tackles for loss...ok, this is heading into weird territory, but you get the idea.

This game is a winnable game for the Scarlet Knights as long as they continue to take care of the football, set-up the pass with the run, and play the stifling defense that comes with a few years of experience tangling with Navy's triple option.

Go RU.

Whew!

2007-09-04T10:10:00.001-07:00

My oh my, what would it be like to be an App State Mountaineer these days. I might suggest folding up the program now, having accomplished it all. What else is there? Go to the Swamp, or the Horseshoe, or ahem, The Chop House to try to take down the mighty Gators, Buckeyes, or, ahem, Scarlet Knights.
I don't mean to drudge up recent painful history, but we have a certain understanding of what the Wolverines are going through. Granted we weren't the fifth ranked team in the country, but as recent as last year, we stumbled into Cincy as a seventh ranked team and gacked our way to a loss. Granted, they are Division 1A and an eventual bowl team, but still...And lest we not forget recent times with Villanova or New Hampshire, and newly christened 1A programs Buffalo and UConn took it to our beloved Knights as well.
But having said all that, what a horrible, horrible loss. Michigan quarterback Chad Henne said he didn't want to call that loss embarrassing because that took away from what App State accomplished. Now, I admire his political correctness, but don't be mistaken, that was embarrassing. Yes, App State played well, and made two unbelievable, yes, and i do mean UNBELIEVABLE plays on special teams to block two game altering field goal attempts, but they should never, NEVER be allowed to hang with a 1A team for a half, let alone win the game. So what if Mike Hart was missing for half the game. They still have professional prospect players in their quarterback (Henne) and wide receiver (Manningham), and I am sure their fourth-string RB could have or should have been able to run the ball. If a bottom tier Big Ten team beat them it would be a disgrace, but a team from 1AA, just awful. To overlook an opponent and not be able to adjust to the circumstances that were happening, it doesn't make sense.
And, it was a game with no line. Not that I am a gambler per se, but if even Vegas says it is not going to be close enough to put a line on the game, that should tell you something about how favored Michigan was. I have been kicked in the groin by some losses in my life, but I cannot even begin to empathize with how that loss must sting, and how it will continue to sting for many years to come.
Whew....thank goodness it wasn't Rutgers.

Go Scarlet Knights!

Rebuffed and Welcome Back

2007-08-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

(With apologies to Norman Rockwell)

Well, if you have been here before, welcome back to the fan's blog. And if you are new to this blog, welcome. A few disclaimers that may or may not need to be said. This isn't the sports section, this is the op-ed part of the Rutgers football scene. I love Rutgers football...that used to sound like the opening line in a support group, "Hi, My name is RaritanSam" The group replies, "Hi Raritan," and then I state, "And I have been a Rutgers football fan for 30 years..."
So, yes, I feel like my seat on the bandwagon is a little more worn than most, but I don't feel like there should be limited seated on that wagon. No, I encourage all to come aboard (and I even don't mind that some will bail when, somehow, these Knights have a bump in the road that will toss a few faint-at-heart fans who can't stand the sight a few bumps or bruises).
Ok, onto the game last night. First off, don't call it a scrimmage. Yeah, I know it is a cute way of describing a less than stellar opponent, but it's jumped the shark (although, jump the shark may have jumped the shark at this point...but that is another rant). Enough of complaining about the schedule. It's like complaining about a receiver dropping passes. Yeah, we know it ain't cool, but they aren't trying to drop them, and Rutgers isn't trying to schedule bad teams, but what do you expect them to do, ring up Notre Dame and ask if they wouldn't mind coming to Piscataway next Saturday and then call Buffalo and say, thanks but no thanks. C'mon, be realistic sports writer types.
This game wasn't close. It was a showcase of talent, and a confidence builder and the polar opposite of the old way of opening AT Texas or AT Cal and getting smoked and injured before the season began. If anything, this is the proper way to start the season. And I know that from watching most contenders doing the same thing. And the other question to pose is, who would want to play Rutgers these days. Top tier teams have little available and not too much to gain. Middle tier teams, where the Scarlet Knights now sit (let's be honest, they are good, but I am not ready to annoint them national title contenders just yet...) aren't sure they want to get into it. Someone will be brave enough to add them, because at some point pride and money will enter the mix, Rutgers seems to be traveling people a bit more, and pride in remembering the old Rutgers and 'knowing' that they can stomp down this Cinderella with ease.
I don't look gift victories in the mouth, never will again. And while beating Buffalo isn't going into the vault (except for Tiquan nudging Emmers out of the record book for receiving yards), it is nice to have another laugher to enjoy.
Go Knights.

Handing It Down

2007-08-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

There once was a day when I used to count victories before a season and hope we could scratch our way to .500 at the end of the day. Now I am dealing with learning to temper my expectations and trying to keep too many people from thinking this team is destined for a bowl, maybe an undefeated season, maybe a national title. Look, in addition to being a big-time Rutgers fan, I have also bled Phillies red for many years, so I know about expectations that can be so lofty that people forget about actually having to play the games. So for me, predictions are nice, but results come from the same breaks that led The Scarlet Knights to 11-2 could have easily been 7-4.

So here I am, in a new type of day where I am tempering my expectation, not hiding my eyes from the upcoming horror show, and I see a new phenomena on the Banks. Guys who fought through adversity (which we have had a multitude of) and know what they did do taste success (which football hasn't had for a long while). A guy like Brian Leonard is the poster child of someone who could sit around a campfire with a piece of straw dangling from his lips and talk about the bad ole days of 1-11. Now there are guys like Ray Rice or Jeremy Ito who are taking young guys under their wings and showing them the right way. And as with any success in the making, it takes a few generations to build up the gene pool so that you produce consistent winners. Not that I am getting all Jimmy the Greek here, but I am talking about the culture of winning that has guys constantly saying things like "The team comes first" or "We still have goals we didn't accomplish" and almost shunning a Texas bowl massacre as not really being all that much of an accomplishment. (I have a slightly off-key version of "born to Run' on a karaoke machine in the middle of a bar that says it was anything but an unsuccessful end to a season).

So as we all learn to deal with this newfound success, let us remember to take notes of how we got here, and try to pass on the new fans who are going to fill the Chophouse, and maybe the often cited 6,000 people on the waiting list, that it isn't always 11-2 and Texas toast. And when someone fumbles on a Saturday, that it isn't time to throw in the ax. We have been building this thing for many years, through all the insults and taunts, and it takes patience and passion to bleed Scarlet. Remeber to hand that down.

Keeps your Big Ten Hands to Yourself

2007-08-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Uh, welcome back, I guess to me, and in theory, whoever else is blogging over to read my random and personal Rutgers football notes and thoughts.

This article about Rutgers potentially going to the Big 10 is most likely speculation on a slow news day after all the dust has settled on Major League Baseball trade day. But it is a scary thought that Rutgers would even be mentioned to be leaving. First of all, there is a serious loyalty issue to be resolved and I for one, won't easily forget the traitor mentality of three schools that slunked into the ACC (and by the way, none of them have had the success uf RU in football thus far, thank you very much) So there is the bad taste, loyalty thing.

But I would also point to the fact that we don't want to run with the Big Ten fellas, I mean, who cares about them. I know there are those who would claim it is a better overall conference, but I think much of that is past reputation, which only can carry you for so long. The Big East is a quality conference. I won't say that on many given years we have as many quality teams top to bottom as some other conferences, but I do believe the potential is there....if schools would stop this bailing for greener pasture pastures crap.

Please Rutgers, let this be a media rumour on a slow news day, please.

Staying on the Block R

2007-01-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

If you look at the major programs in the country, most of them have a heavy flavor of in-state recruits. And then the marquee places sprinkle in a few blue chippers. But look at Ohio State's roster and you see this Ohio town and that Ohio town, and yes, even a New Jersey guy is in there to shore up their secondary (Malcolm Jenkins from Piscataway).

But Rutgers is keeping a 6 foot, 6 inch, 340 pound anchor on the offensive line in the form of Anthony Davis. And if you don't quite understand the significance, let me put it this way, in terms of recruiting, it might have as big an impact as the victory over Louisville, and maybe in the long term, more of an impact. Anthony is from the shadow of Rutgers, and recent history has seen some pretty good atheletes bolt from Piscataway and find success elsewhere, Jenkins in football is a decent example, but you might also remember a guard from Villanova names John Celestand (who used to stick to Rutgers every time payed them, and incedentally, was draftred by the Lakers in 99 and has a World Championship Ring from 2000, go figure)...but I digress...

Anthony Davis is a 5 star stud that was recruited by the likes of perennial impending national champions like Ohio State, USC, and even nostalgia former powers Florida State and Miami, and according to some web sites, Davis had over 50 offers to sift through. After all the dust settled, including a awe-inspiring, VIP visit to the game of the season, Ohio State v. Michigan as an honored guest of the Buckeyes, Davis still looked in his heart and chose the Scarlet Knights. And his prescence will hopefully show other recruits that Rutgers is not a flash in the pan, with one good season, and then a return to obscurity, instead, Rutgers is a young team, with good players not only as starters but as back-ups, and adding more depth all the time.

And if you think this young stud would have signed if Schiano had bolted to Miami, don't kid yourself. Schiano is as big a reason kids are coming as any. After the dust settles this Monday night to determine a national champion (non-playoff division), start poling around and look at who will again be making national headlines for all the right reasons.

Welcome Mr. Davis.

Decades, Lifetimes, Memories

2006-12-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

Top 15, that's where we live. And I am waiting with great anticipation for Jan 6th when Anthony Davis maybe, just maybe, makes us even more legit by taking a block R from the bag and dons scarlet and not an oat, or whatever Ohio State thingee is. I know we are up against it because it is hard to top a little thing like a wire to wire run into the national championship game, with Heismans in the front lobby, but maybe, just maybe, this kid from the shadow of Rutgers stadium got bitten by the Scarlet bug in the shadow of the biggest media town in the world. But even if he goes his own way, like a Brian Toal (how's that working out Toalie...), we are ready for great things in the near future.

I always hear about teams not wanting to mortgage their future for short term success, giving up too much to a chance at success now, only to have the cubboard bare for the next generation. (See Barry Switzer's Oklahoma, national prominence, followed by probation, etc.) But all I keep reading is how young this team is, and how all they have known is winning, yet the players themselves have a sense of ownership of what they have accomplished, and even with the disappoinment of a non-BCS bowl, they were able to find the silver lining and smack the heck out of K State and realize it is a step on the road to accomplishment.

The National Title game isn't a complete joke anymore, I'm not saying they will be a lock for the top-ten, but they will be ranked going into next season...but let's remember to savor this year, an amazing run, an amazing team, an amazing feeling of going on the way up.

Need a little recap of the year? The Home Tribune has a great photo montage of the year in review, makes your heart swell to see the pictures flow through...

Still in Scarlet heaven...Go RU!

37-10

2006-12-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

And it wasn't even that close. Announcers talking about calling off the dogs early in the 4th quarter...in a bowl game? Have you ever heard that kind of talk about Rutgers?

Welcome to a place never visited before. We're talking footsteps on the moon, finding those blind fish that shouldn't be able to exist on the bottom of the ocean, places they have only talked about, and then one day, bam you are there. A play or two away from a conference championship and a BCS bowl bid, double digit wins, respect.

Like many people, I was dreaming of tasting the oranges of Miami, but let's be real, and not be too greedy, this is the first time we have ever gone to abowl in consecutive years....which of course makes sense since the Texas Bowl marks bowl number three in Rutgers history. So, as a fan, I grew into the idea of this bowl, leaving my heartbreak at the goalline of the third overtime, and moving on to the first bowl win ever, the second 11 win season ever, and the smushing of a team like a bug that in past years wasn't a reality over any squad.

But there I sat, watching in awe, as my friends told me it was in the bag, but I didn't believe it until the clock hit zeros. Then the game is over, Schaino is getting a water bath (no Gatorade in the budget?) And then a random K-State fan came over to me, shook my hand and said he thought we had a nice team. Now mind you, K-State has been to 12 bowls in the last 14 years, and they've won in six of those trips. Think about that, twelve bowl games in the last 14 years...versus three in 137. I'll be honest with you, I don't know how to react. Yes, I am savoring the victory, the season, the players, the coach (who is staying), the positive press, but I don't know what to do next.

As a longtime fan, this is two of the best years in the modern era. And yes, although I have tremendous respect for the 60's and 70's teams that played their asses off, they were basically an Ivy League team that put together a some great seasons. But today, college football is a business, and taken much more serious by many more teams. So, this type of success seems sweeter amongst tighter competition, and toss in the lumps we have taken in the past, it is like a dream that I am walking through.

I am in Scarlet Heaven.

Fostering Greatness

2006-12-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

The defense finally has a face. All-American Eric Foster.

Before we begin to sing his praises, it should be mentioned that just because they aren't media darlings that ESPN Gameday guys name with puppy love adoration doesn't mean these guys aren't good. If you've watched, listened or read any of the games you've heard their names called. Greene, Thompson, Frierson, Meekings, Girault, Renkart, Beckford, the McCourty twins, Collins, and the list goes on. Even a freshman like George Johnson has not only had an impact with his defensive play on the field, his emergence and opportunity aparently had an impact oon Rutgers getting a commitment from 6'4" Alex Silvestro, a bruising defensive end who liked to see the early playing time given to a first year player. And on top of that, Rutgers out-recruited teams like West Virginia, Iowa and Tennessee. Did I just write that? Tennessee out recruited by Rutgers? I might need to go get my brown paper bag to avoid hyperventilating.

But let's talk Eric Foster. His legend is well known. He blew up his knee last year in the second game of the year and he wasn't sure he would ever play again. And he is listed at 6'2" which if you know anything about the phrase "he is listed at..." in sports terms means he probably isn't 6'2", but he makes up for that with speed and that proverbial motor that doesn't stop running...check out this youtube for an example of his non-stop motor...
We got that fire...

Makes me want to strap on a block R and run through a wall.

A Reason to Stay

2006-12-07T11:17:00.000-08:00

There are two familiar refrains why head coaches leave their current jobs in most sports.

Number one: They are at a small time program and they are looking for a bigger program and a bigger challenge. (For example, Urban Meyer, Bowling Green to Utah to Florida) This makes sense, of course, because not only do you get more prestige and apply your coaching skills in a more difficult and perhaps more satifsfying way, you also get more pub and coin.

Number two: A coach will pine away to go back to his alma mater or team he/she played on. They do this I assume, to continue the tradition started by a former coach or players, and they wish to be included in that teams' lexicon of greatness. (Roy Williams going back to UNC, for your example here).

So it made a lot of sense to have Schiano going back to Miami to take over the Canes because it would in theory fulfill both of those commonly cited reasons for a coach to leave. But I offer that the grass is not greener in other pastures, rather, Rutgers is the best place for him to continue on as a coach. And in Rutgers, Schiano has a unique opportunity that not many coaches are afforded. Before I get to that, letr me toss out a couple of questions...

Who coached Penn State before Paterno, Florida State before Bobby Bowden, or who took over for Vince Lombardi, or Woody Hayes?

Answers: Charles A. "Rip" Engle at PSU, Darrel Mudra at FSU, Phil Bengston with the Packers, and Earle Bruce at OSU.

The point is, with the exception of Penn State which had a bit of success before Paterno got there, each of those legends made their respective organizations the legendary entities that they were. Rutgers has a nice little footnote of playing in the first college football game, birthplace of college football, and I admit I like the ring of that, but guess what, Delaware was the first state...exactly.

Schiano's legend is still being written. If he like Penn State so much, it is because Joe Pa is a walking legend, and not just with the X's and O'x of football. Great coaches, especially college coaches, are not simply able to win, they are able to win in an atmosphere of young men growing into adulthood. I am not naive to think that money and the business of it all isn't a factor, but go take a poll about the differences between the NFL and NCAA Div 1, and although there is tons of revenue being generated, the difference is the family atmosphere of college programs, alumni, boosters, fans, all connected by a love of an educational institution. And Schiano is doing his best to avoid the academic pitfalls that make his players athletes mainly and students by name alone.

Rutgers is his chance to make his legend from scratch and perhaps give us another cool slogan below the birthplace of college football on a t-shirt.

I am beyond happy that he is with Rutgers for the long haul.

Go RU

Random thought: When people cover Chicago's professional team, they should not put the teams nickname in front of a common word for making shots or you wind up with a sentence that begins like this:

"The Bulls hit..." unless it is going to be something like "The Bulls hit the fan and boy was it messy..."

Like I said, random thought.

One word....

2006-12-06T14:14:00.000-08:00

WHEW!

Take that Sha La La, and cue Bowser to sing, "Goodnight sweetheart, now it's time to go..." Keep your hands off our coach Mr. Dee and Company. How great is it that Miami, the former class of the Big East, who was going to ruin everything by leaving, couldn't entice someone from lowly little Rutgers to take the money and 'prestige' of Shalala University. Everyone with a good coaching position raise your hand....Miami, not so fast, put that hand down, and go bother Bernie or Barry. Or my recommendations would be for Ms. Donna to find a corrections officer who coached in the state pen, that is the type of discipline that teams needs, not a fine upstanding and honorable man as Mr. Schiano.

In my idle thoughts, I wonder what would happen if Bowzer from Sha Na Na and Ms. Donna made it...with apologies to Conan...Sha Na Na plus Sha La La...hmmm...

Anyways, now that I got that out of my system, thank the football gods that Schiano had a vision of things to come on the banks...he is the salesman that can bring the goods to market, and sell the new era of Rutgers to young men who aren't so into going all over America. I was braced for either decision he made, although I don't know where I would have gone to cry by myself if he left.

And can we stop linking the football teams success to the so called Olympic sports demise. Of course they spent money on the program, because if they didn't spend to upgrade and bring all the elements up to at least sniffing distance of big time programs, what is the point of being in D1. Let's cash in and go to 1AA and be like Nova...are they crazy? Are these academic types not realizing the ancilary benefits of the program? You would think they would be able to see the subtle benefits of recognition, revenue streams, as well as campus and state pride the football team brings. As much as I like and respect the award winning opera singers, debate team, and calc breakthroughs, they simply aren't the type of thing that appeals and calls to a wide student body. It creates an environment of fun and energy that can overlap into other areas of campus life. Involved students and alumni helop a university grow and succeed. Enrollment grows, endowments grow, recognition grows, the university as a whole grows. So please stop tallying up the price of paying a good coach and flying the team and staff to a bowl without at least trying to guess at the economic impact beyond the gridiron. And if anything, the success of the football team can create revenue to SAVE the Olympic sports, not shove them out of the way because of the football budget. How much revenue does the swimming team generate? Ok, so it is not all about the benjamins, but part of the big picture is. Feel free to have all the bake sales you want and see if you get close to a Texas Bowl payout, and gasp, if they had only made that two point conversion, and maybe held on defense one more time...Orange Bowl, BCS, millions...(breathing heavy, feeling woozy...), ok, ok, I'm back, just had a little moment there...back to muttering a little, until I realize, at least we ain't Temple and I fall to the ground and thank the football gods again.

Go G.E., he can still being good things to life...(see earlier post for more on this line of thinking, and some of my finest photoshop work to date) We are glad you'll be staying. Where else would you want to grow old and win National Titles than the good old Garden State?

Go RU!

Everything's big in Texas

2006-12-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

No doubt, many Rtuegrs fans would rather be heading to Miami and drinking o.j., but I am enjoying the two year string of success nonetheless. While I believe a playoff makes sense, even a limited one, I must admit, that it would diminish the little bit of luster bowls such as the Texas Bowl have to offer. And Kanses State is a quality opponent, who at leaast for one night was better than a huge program in Texas (although they were also worse than Kansas on another night in the near future).

Make no mistake, this is a big step, to not only make the leap to a 7 win season last year, but to sustain and improve this season. I am excited that the team is young, and growing with each experience. Guys like Kenny Britt, Kordell Young, and George Johnson, true freshman who have contributed significant minutes and plays to this seasons success...Rutgers is not yet a program that can bring in guys like this and have them redshirt and get acclimated and ease into their roles. We need them now, and thankfully, they made the committment to the program.

Go RU.

Muttering

2006-12-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

I'm like a homeless guy with a mental disorder wandering around, muttering the f-word to myself, but then remind myself that 10 wins isn't bad, two straight bowls aren't bad, and I wonder if I am becoming the fan I loathe. The fan who is never satisfied, and can't see the success through the disappointments. Teams don't routinely go undefeated or win national championships or tear through a league to get to and perhaps win a BCS bowl game, that's what makes those accomplishments special. And the teams that do those things on a regular basis generally have a cadre of fans who get mad, even furious when their team isn't the greatest every year. This is also the reason a coach can win 80% of his games including a national title and be thrown out of his job without a peep of criticism (Coker anyone?) There can be only one national champion each year...ok, maybe two if the polls go crazy...does that make 115 or 116 other division I coaches and their teams losers and underachievers?

So, I know all that, and I am excited at the beginning of this rise, and I hope it continues for many years, but at the same time, I can't get over the feeling that we may have left something on the table. That doesn't take away from the success or the accomplishments, and in some ways sets RU up for perhaps its first ever bowl win, because Wake is good, bottom line. They may have won against a weaker ACC conference this year, but they have a potent running game, speedy WR's, and a young QB who doesn't know he shouldn't be this good this early.

Rutgers is a walking, talking, ten win miracle. They recruited well, and they won games, and they have turned it around with a fantastic coach and a stock of talented and strong character players. And I will toss in the splintering of the Big East by traitor Shalalala (I wonder if Bowser works for her...) as a factor to help because maybe Rutgers saw a chance to step into the void at the top of the conference without as much money as it would have taken to step into Va Tech, Miami, and BC's budget. As it turns out, we are approaching them, but as karma would have it, Rutgers has had a better season than all of them.

And one other thing, I had the chance to hear the radio broadcast of the game. For the most part, I enjoy their coverage of Rutgers. They are informed and relatively free of homerism, although they know when to lean in and hope things are going to Scarlet Knights way. They paint a picture of the game as they should do on radio, and often engage in situational conversation that brings fans inside the game. However, with all that being said, I have a major bone to pick with the duo of Carlin and Pernetti and it relates to their talk about James Townsend. Yes, Townsend dropped a huge pass that would have been a touchdown late in the game. But these two kept bringing it up as the play that cost Rutgers the game. Now, I am not denying that it was a huge mistake, but to rail on a guy for one play was over the top and inappropriate. Why not rail on Ito for missing the 52 yarder? According to their logic, that cost them the game too. Or blame McCourty for letting WVU get down to the 1 yard line in the third overtime in one play. That play cost them the game too. Many plays add up to why a team wins or loses a game. For example, Bill Buckner is often blamed for the Red Sox losing the World Series in 86, but people don't remember Calvin Schiraldi stinking up the joint from the pitchers mound on that night. It was irresponsible journalism to blame Townsend not only when they play happened, but throughout the rest of the telecast.

Possibilities

2006-12-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

In Shawshank Redemption, Red talks about hope being a bad thing, and being locked in crappy football prison for so many years, I have been smushed by hope often. But that familiar refrain has a chance to be buried with a little magic this evening. Rutgers didn't kill anybody, and their only crime has been being a bad football husband, and whatever that crime's punishment is, they have more than served enough time. Maybe it is odds of probability, that they woudl finally hire a good coach who would finally keep enough local talent, and have some odd connection with another football power state in Florida. And if the world played the scenerio out enough times, Rutgers would come up a winner...
But that doesn't mean that the huge strides taken the last two years mean we will walk into Morgantown and walk away with an easy victory. The road is a cold and lonely place in college football. The lone easy road victory this year came after the defense ruined the team leaders leg, and I am sure that the shocked middies couldn't recover emotionally in time to get back into that game. In tonight's game, the Neers are spoilers, and probably aren't too happy after being reminded of that fact all week.
But that being said, my man Dufraine thinks hope is a good thing, and a win could be our parole where we go to Buxton, find a shiny rock that has no earthly business being there, find a map to Zihuatanejo and live in football paradise. i don't know if our visit to respectability will last a year, two years, or is a generation long thing, but my own experience says to enjoy the hell out of it now, and savor every moment I can.

Here's to savoring and some couch burning in Piscataway.

Go RU

Peter King...PR Man?

2006-12-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, here's a list and you tell me what they have in common...
Ben Roethlisberger (hey , I speeled it right!)
Peyton Manning (Colts superhuman)
Kimmie Meissner (16 year old triple axle landing world champ)
LeBron James (alien)
Liu Xiang (Chinese sprinter, broke the world record in the 110-meter hurdles)
Albert Pujols (aka, the baby, boo hoo, I only got a world series ring and not the mvp...)
Tra Battle (hard hitting safety from UGA)
Maggie Dixon (the late coach at Army)
Tiki Barber (freaky Giants RB)
and...
Brian Leonard

Give up? They are all being considered for Sportman/woman of the year. (Thanks to Rob for the heads up on this)Brian Leonard is Peter King's pick, and while his proximity from his home in North Jersey to the Banks may have a small factor in this, or the gush job he wrote following the Louisville game notwithstanding, it is still a small miracle that Leonard is getting this kind of pub. Not for us, of course, but I wouldn't call Rutger's fans exactly unbiased in our admiration of Brian Leonard, and if you read some of the comments below King's article, many people across the country don't understand the impact of #23 on the community around Rutgers, and the state of New Jersey overall.

And I don't think it is fair to project his NFL career. There are no guarantees, and plenty of things have to break the right way for him to get drafted with a team that fits his abilities, and a coach who will utilize him to take advantage of his strengths. The NFL is a different game, a quicker game with the best of the best. I'm not suggesting I don't think he can do well in the NFL, I merely suggesting that his success in the NFL is irrelevant to his current hero status. He will always be the face of this turnaround, with all due respect to Schiano. Players and talent win games. I admire Schiano and give him the utmost respect for selling the program, but Leonard was a stud who came to Piscataway and mentored this group. Young people don't always respond to a coach hammering in details, or questioning effort, or showing someone the right way to prepare for a game, But someone like Leonard, who may or may not be a guy who gets in peoples faces and fires up his teammates...I don't know, I am not in the lockerroom. But my suspicion is that Leonard is a guy who leads by example, works his tail off, and gets the most out of his abilities. In return, his teammates see that ethic and emulate it. He will be sorely missed, but his impact will be longlasting.

From the random observation department, on the CnnSI website, there is an ad for viagra that says, "For all you weekend warriors (or athletes or something)...Play Hard." Ahem. viagra? play hard? kinda cheap...and I like it!

Go RU.

Q&A on Mountainlair

2006-11-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of being posted on another blog, as Mountainlair, a great blog for West Virginia Mountaineer information. To read my brilliant insights...ok, at least to read my blather, please feel free to surf over to Mountainlair and take a gander. Thanks to John at Mountainair for giving me the chance to babble...now here's also hoping my prediction comes true.

Go RU!

80

2006-11-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

I am a child of the 70's, but I remembert the 80's. Reaganomics and that whole gang...parachute pants, breakdancing, garbage pail kids, the other Bush, and lots and lots of Rutgers losses. But another 80 sticks out in my mind as well, as in 80-7.
This was the score of one of the most infamous games in recent Rutgers history. A crappy West Virginia team decided to not just take out its frustrations on Rutgers, not just to shove this loss far up into the deep recesses of our worst fears, they also decided to fill the hole created by that deep planting with concrete to indelibly leave a mark on all who watched, listened, or just got updates on the web. Now, this was when the web was a pledgling thing, and I figured the GameCast on ESPN was screwed up because the score kept changing so fast and how could it get to 59-0 at the half? It didn't make sense, and it still doesn't make sense.
The thing is, we remember that game, they way we remember an especially bad breakup where you discover your girl not only won't be dating you, but she has been secretly dating your soon to be ex-best friend, and they had their first "experience" in your bed, when you were getting a soda or something, and you, know, it just happened....yeah, like 80 points can just happen.
We remember that embarassment, the players, the coaches, it is burned in. And like a bigger kid who kicked your ass, but you couldn't do anything about it...until now.
Now, we are ready to answer for that. Sure it has taken a few years, but the scars are still bright and fresh. We remember 80-7 and we are still pissed. I doubt it is the same for the players, because as a football player you have to have a short memory for things like that, but it still makes my stomach tighten when I think about that game, and I still want revenge. Schiano isn't exactly the run it up type of guy, and I have read that he and Rodriguez (WVU's head coach) are somewhat friends...
But screw that. I want to hang 60 on them, and finally delivery punishment for that crime with 80 counts of cruelty.
80-7...walk to the light CarolAnn...80-7

Madness

2006-11-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so maybe the national spotlight has left the banks, but I remain. It is a crazy system, and one that is rife with prejudice and historical bias. I don't want to hear about the Big East as a weak conference anymore. Every conference, every team, is vulnerable (see USC at Oregon State, Texas v. A&M, and Florida v. South Carolina while not a loss, but a clear indication of their vulnerability). Ok, so we don't have a long list on national championship teams, but even the teams that left, Miami, Va Tach, BC, who everyone called the class of the conference, are not exaclty conquering the world. It's like a broken record, that conference sucks, this conference is the strongest...if the teams had a chance to play, there would be a definitive answer, but instead we are stuck in a self-fulfilling NCAA edict to keep it a murky national scene, so many teams can remain in contention, and many arguments can carry on about who deserves to be there. Playoffs? I know it is some kind of taboo word....too many teams would end their season with a loss, thus too many coaches would be judged a failure...I don't see why 4 or 8 teams couldn't play an extra week or two to give a chance to a somewhat fair amount of teams...or why not do January madness and invite the top 64 football teams? Now that would be exciting....

Kirk Derpstreet

2006-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

Uh, while I have appreciatted Kirk's enthusiasm over Rutgers turning things around, have you heard the one about the pollster who forgot to put a team on his list? Thanks Kirk. Lose to Cincy...off his radar.
Must have been high on Buckeye mania.

Forecast Wrong: Sun Rises

2006-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok, so maybe the world ending is a bit dramatic. But talk about getting kicked in the groin by the Bearcats of Cincy...and give them no credit, all they did was show up and not vomit all over themselves. And I don't totally blame Teel. Sure, he didn't play the best of games, but there was the usual cast of dropped passes and you can toss in a bunch of lingering injuries, and a defense that allowed a bevy of big plays...ugh. The WR's will eventually learn that the ball is a precious thing, and they need to cling to it when it comes in their general direction, and if a bad pass is floating in their direction, feel free to turn into a DB and try to deflect the pass, or maybe, gasp make a tackle on a guy who is about to streak 80+ yards for a TD.
Is there a worse penalty than 15 yards for defensive pass interference? I counted at least three times Cincy defenders were beat and just decided to tackle an RU WR, and instead of a big gain, it is just a fifteen yard and an automatic first down. One foot in bounds, and clock stopping on first down are cool college quirks, but the leniency on pass interference seems like a strategic move by a defender that is not punished properly.
Yes, the sun did rise Sunday, but only through a thick fog. My expectations for this season were 7-4, 8-3 at best, so I should be happy with the 9-1 predicament they are in, but have you ever been to Duke's football stadium or Northwestern's field? I'm not saying that the Knights of Scarlet are headed into a similar quick tailspin, but you never know. And when they are riding at 9-0 and #7 in the nation, I would rather they take advantage of the situation and go as far as they can. Don't talk about taking steps right now, don't try to give my an upbeat tone because of the laurels, right now, I am rightfully pissed that we gacked away an opportunity to be national champions of NCAA Division I football. Maybe it was a slim chance and we have 137 years of bad pub to overcome and Ohio State would have smoked us...I wanted the ride to last as long and as far as it could, and a bad effort to Cincy stings and doesn't feel like it should have ended that way. When you lose because the other team is better, still bitter, but at least legit. When you lose because you didn't show up and played poorly, ugh.So, yes, I admit, I was riding the dream wave of Buckeyes versus Scarlet Knights, only to have it dashed amidst a Bearcat "signature Big East win."
I feel weird to have the cache to give anyone a signature anything, and I should take solice in the fact that my Ohio State friend (Stiffy, you bastard) took the time to rub in the loss. Usually I would have a call of pity not derision...I guess we have come far.

Go R.U.

Sun May Not Rise

2006-11-19T02:28:00.000-08:00

Trap This

2006-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. We haven't been here before, we don't know how to not look past any game, and how in the world can we come off the biggest win in team history and not have a let down?
Plus, Cincy is hungry to be bowl eligible, and we are on the road.
I could mention the chopping coach, or the superman fifth year senior who overcame broken beer bottles on his car, or the sophomore who keeps getting stronger, or the much maligned QB who just keeps plugging away, but there is a better reason why this whole season has been for real, with no disrepect to anyone on the offensive side of the ball.
Rutgers defense is for real. No one has run up the score, no one has dominated us for a whole game, and although the no name group is starting to get some name recognition, they remain a solid, team oriented bunch of speedy, and maybe a bit unsersized group of crazies.

So trap yourself in happiness, the ride is not over....

Remember the Titans...and Canes, Eagles, and Hokies

2006-11-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

How sweet it is, and continues to be.

Notwithstanding the doubters, Matt Hayes on Sporting News, and Dennis Dodd on Sportsline, who still think Rutgers is a pretender and won't win on Saturday night,
most of the nation is giving Rutgers respect. No one in their right mind thinks an undefeated Rutgers has some kind of guaranteed birthright to get into the national title game. The biggest factor is history. USC, Florida, Notre Dame...these names evoke majesty in terms of college football, a loss or bump in the road indicates a normal progressiona for a championship team, and they have the history to back it up. Make no mistake that the powers that run college football like the debates that no playoffs spark. The talk keeps college football on the minds and lips of people, and keeps serious interest in the regular season. In sports such as the basketball, the regular season is about maneuvering for position, and while the banner for winning your conference is nice, it doesn't really mean much.
But football is a different animal. Each game, and by extension, each play can drastically change a season (see South Florida dropping a two point conversion, or Ray Rice's game changing rommp against Pitt). And the Scarlet Knights will be in playoff games the rest of the regular season, and potentially, as the schedule makers knew, their finale against West Virginia will be just like every other conference's title game.
What I don't understand is the posturing that the Big East is a weak conference. Rankings being as subjective as they are, are still generated by writers and coaches, (and sometimes they don't get it right by their own admission) and if you look at them, apparently people think Rutgers, L'ville, and West Virginia are for real, and three of the best 25 teams in the country. They don't list them with asterisks, I assume the rankings mean that if a lower ranked team played a higher ranked team, the team ranked higher would win. Right? So what is the confusion? The last time I checked, the ACC is the worst conference in America, they are the joke, and not the powerful force with the cream of the Big East crop. It may be a perfect storm this season having a former doormat (RU), a former Conf USAer (L'ville), and the team that just so happened to smoke the SEC champion LAST YEAR (WVU), but past history doesn't indicate current success (see White Sox, Red Sox, Hurricanes, and Lightning).

Go RU.

CHOP HOUSE

2006-11-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

I know I wrote about this before, but this name came to me in a flash in Thursday night.

The nickname for Rutgers stadium should be simple, yet evoke pride and a sense of the frebzy that occurs when a team tries to come into our confines and escape with a win. The easiest , simplest, most effective way to capture that essence...

THE CHOP HOUSE.

It's visual, and we wouldn't be one of those culturally insensitive group of fans that do a fake native american scalping motion. Instead we would continue the chopping motion of an ax against wood, chopping our hand axes into our palms...although maybe there is a morbid beheading thing in the dark recesses of your mind.

Toasting

2006-11-10T07:20:00.001-08:00

Pinch Me

2006-11-10T06:20:00.000-08:00

I am still shocked and I will admit it.

I have always believed they would eventually win...
I have always wished that they would eventually win...

It is nirvana, heaven, redemption, gratification, and it isn't over yet.

I stopped to smell the roses yesterday, to savor the possibilities, and maybe take a moment to dream. Down 25-14 at the half, I had a weird feeling, they were set-up nicely. Just like RU had learned from UConn about letting up a little at the half, RU came out like mad chopping dogs, and shook the foundations of college football. Yes, the foundations.

And, I cried, literally cried tears of joy watching the highlites this morning.

Go RU.

G.E. (Schiano), He brings good things to life.

2006-11-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

"I am a man of constant sorrow..."
Yes, you know the infectious song from O Brother, Where Art Thou, and quite frankly the theme song for a generation of Rutgers fans. Can you imagine if you were born in 1976? There's no way you remember any of the events of that Rutgers season. And maybe by the time you were 5 or 6 in 1981, Deron Cherry had graduated and you were lucky enough to see tht scintillating 3-0 victory over Virginia at Giants stadium, or the heartbreaker to the Wayne Hardin led Temple Owls (who were only two years removed from their win over Cal in the Garden State Bowl...)
You were watching the end of an era as Frank Burns (who was drafted by the Eagles in 1949) was heading out the door, and Dick Anderson was on his way in the door, followed by the Graber era, and the Shea error...and then along came Gregory Edward Schiano....hmm, remember the old general electric jingle? G.E. we bring good things to life? Certainly true again...

Just for another historical note...I found this little nugget in the NY Times archives...dated Jan. 7, 1984:

SPORTS PEOPLE ; Then There Were 10

Published: January 7, 1984

The Rutgers football schedule for 1984 includes Miami, the final No. 1-ranked team, and four other teams that competed in bowl games this past season. But if the opponents look tough, preparing for them has been even tougher, especially because the Scarlet Knights do not have a head coach.

An advisory committee headed by David A. (Sonny) Werblin has pared a list of candidates to 10, but while it continues the selection process, the recruiting is being handled by the nine assistant coaches, none of whom are sure they will be retained by the new coach. Jerry Petercuskie , one of the assistants to Frank Burns , who was dismissed after the Knights' 3-8 season, said that not a single high school player had committed himself to Rutgers. ''Some have said they'll wait and some have not,'' Petercuskie said. ''We lost some because of the fact we don't have anybody here.''

From not a single player in the state committing to NJ State U., to now, where these kids weren't even gleams in their parents eyes...

By the way, for more about the newest trends, and how many recruits came to find respect for RU, Steve Politi from the Ledger is writing some very interesting articles leading up to the Luoisville game about historical decisions by coaches, recruits, and the program overall that led up to this era of Knights football.

Thump Thump...Thump Thump...

2006-11-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

It started as a small pitter patter as Manny picked off the pass amidst the powder blue of the Northern Carolina. Then, the spanking of the Illini behind the shed, and the merciless Soliches and Bison slaughter had it thumping a bit harder. Then an odd trek began, on the road, and up the rankings. I remember when I happened to be in South Florida near Miami when Rutgers was in Tampa. A guy spotted my Rutgers shirt and said, "Hey, their having a nice year, but it is going to be tough tonight. You know, they lost to New Hampshire a few years back." Not understanding this unfounded attack, I responded, "Yeah, that was a few years ago, and times have changed...By the way, how is the U doing this year?" knowing that they hadn't had the best of starts, including a bad loss to FSU. The man responded, "What do I care? I root for New Hampshire." So, I knew odd things were afoot when Hurricane fans were jumping ship to root for a Div 1AA team. And after three exhillerating wins on the road, the cardiac kids block a punt, clamp down on UConn, and set-up Rutgers' biggest Big East game....ever.
But still, I have been having this odd feeling in the ticker, so I went to the doctor, and low and behold, he reported back the above image. I have Rutgers Heartworm. I can't eat as much, and I am frequently starting conversations with random people about Rutgers. My doctor said that I am not in any immediate harm, but he was curious about all the scars. I had to explain that I have had the heart muscle rebuilt several times from being broken with all kinds of actions, missed field goals, turnovers, penalties, injuries, etc. Someone, the joy of this season has not only healed many wounds, it has made my muscle stronger and ready to grow even larger.

Is it Thursday yet?

But did I mention?

2006-11-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

By the way, the significance of tonight's game is only for one of those teams to rise into a tie for first place with the Scarlet Knights...

Burning Sofas and Red Birds

2006-11-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Important Big East games not inclusing Miami or Virginia Tech (hey, BC never really meant much to anyone right?) didn't often happen in the big east. Now, the BE has the appetizer for the second most important game of the regular season, giving full due to the Bucks and Big Housers. I have often wondered what would happen when you cross a bearded mountain guy with a loaded musket and a redish bird with a mean scowl on its face? It seems like the Mounts have the upper hand in this game. All their offensive weapons running amuk, and a defense that does what it needs to do to keep things in order. But, like everyone likes to ponder, who have the Mounts played?
Marshall? 3-5
Eastern Washington? 2-7
East Carolina? 4-4
Mississippi State? 2-7
Syracuse? 3-6
UConn? 3-5.
The only school that even seems like a good win is Maryland which stands at 6-2. I know, I know, you can only win the games on your schedule, and no one in the "Pwer" conferences is jumping at the chance to go to Morgantown, but the bearded hilltopper hasn't exactly been going through the SEC grinders like Floria and Auburn have experiences.
On the other hand, let's ponder Louisville opponents thus far:
Kentucky 4-4
Temple...ugh, not quite a high school JV squad, 1-8 (bowling green should be ashamed...)
Miami, 5-3, and the Card beat them pre-brawl
K State, a respectable 5-4
Middle Tenn St., 5-3, but the best team in their conference, the Sun Belt
Cincy, 5-4, a tough Big East squad,
Syracuse, 3-6

Just based on strength of schedule, it seems like the Cards are a stronger team, plus this game is in Louisville, the site of their only win in the brief 7 game series. And don't forget, that while the Michael Bush show is sidelined for the year, the huge o-line Louisville is still opening holes worth 151+ yards per game.
So, in the game that will determine who will battle Rutgers down the stretch for the Big East title, I predict, with a big apology to my man Brownie, a 20-17 Louisville victory. Thus will set up the next in this season long series of "the biggest games in Rutgers history...."

Superman: Doomsday Plans

2006-10-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-31T12:35:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-31T08:27:00.000-08:00

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!

Zubaz Ecstasy

2006-10-30T05:32:00.000-08:00

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.

Bandwagon

2006-10-29T05:47:00.000-08:00

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.

Bi-Focals

2006-10-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

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.

Chads

2006-10-27T05:58:00.000-07:00

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....

Long suffering

2006-10-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

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.