Awesome post. I can still so clearly remember wearing Rutgers gear around 2000 and 2001, and people would comment on it in random public places. Imagine being in public places, and people think a person wearing a shirt for the state university is an incredible novelty. You would get comments like "did they lose again this week" or the chuckles like "how can you publically support that team." Around 2003 and 2004, if you tried to talk up the team, explain how this might be the year we turn it around no one would believe you. When they found out you actually went to the games, they would act like you were actually insane. I remember dreading coming to work after the bad losses in, because I knew it was going to be relentless.
It was like the twilight zone. Being there for that made the last 10 years incredible. Block R's all over the highway would have been unthinkable in those times, as would having every game on national TV and being able to bring up Rutgers football in discussions with fans of PSU, OSU and Michigan and not being laughed out of the room. Rushing the field in 2005 when we became bowl eligible. The standing ovation in the corner in Phoenix that lasted for what seemed like 20 minutes after we lost the game. Rushing the field after every win in 2006 after becoming bowl eligible, because each additional win brought us further into uncharted territory. An invite to the ACC or Big Ten being a crazy pipe dream that only the craziest of Rutgers fans dared to discuss, and only out of earshot of people who went to other schools who would openly laugh in your face if they heard you. Trying to convince fans that Rutgers was actually a good team, not just a team getting lucky in a bad conference.
It goes on and on, and its been one hell of a ride.