Muttering

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.