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Losing interest

I have been a fan my entire life and I will keep going. I am bringing my son to his first game this Saturday and having my father, me, and him all there means something special to me. Things will eventually get better.
Is your son excited? I can still recall the feeling I had walking into Shea Stadium as a kid. It was magical.
 
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According to what I have read, we have between 6-7K individual season ticket holders.

That would be more in the ballpark, considering that we've sold about 24k seats to season ticket holders this year.
 
It's not about the full share (see Indiana). It's about the long head start (50 years or more) the football factories have had in building the brand, expanding stadiums, attracting fans, winning, etc.

We certainly could find more $$ to spread around the program, but the question is: would that change the usual Big10 standings ? Or would it be a waste of money ?

No easy answers.
How would spending more be a waste of money? We've never tried it. We're always looking for the next up and comer coordinator, instead of someone with head coaching experience. The G5 schools should be our proving grounds for that. Yet we don't spend the money to lure one of those guys away.

Also how is spending more on coordinators and assistants a waste of money? One of our biggest hurdles has been paying for them. They cost money too. We get a coach and then give him rock bottom budgets for them. The one time we ponied up(Ralph) it worked wonderfully.

Look what all the schools receiving full payout are paying for their coaches in the B1G. You'll notice those who have changed their coach recently are spending more than they ever have. Know why? They're now getting $51 mil. How are they doing? A helluva lot better than us with our $11 mil. chump change.
 
huh?? everyone who is a real/true ,unwavering RU fan has understood our issues for, forever--if you want to desert--go ahead but why the need to make an annoucement and by the way I assume those that leave will no longer be posting on this site since you no longer care
 
huh?? everyone who is a real/true ,unwavering RU fan has understood our issues for, forever--if you want to desert--go ahead but why the need to make an annoucement and by the way I assume those that leave will no longer be posting on this site since you no longer care

Translated: "I'm going to rant about stuff people said even though they didn't actually say it."
 
translated--read what was posted here by another-- "There's a huge difference between losing interest and bailing on the team/program." and he is right
 
translated--read what was posted here by another-- "There's a huge difference between losing interest and bailing on the team/program." and he is right

And the OP was very clear in pointing out that he was not bailing on the team. No one has said that they're "deserting".

The suggestion that people who don't physically attend games shouldn't post on this forum is ridiculous. A lot of people who post here regularly don't go to games.
 
listen when diehards are actually thinking on bailing on tailgates and maybe just going to the game, you know interest is way down...next year will be SCARY with season ticket sales probably under 20K
 
That's fine, but some of our fans get a single paper cut and act like they are mortally wounded and become drama queens. EMU was a paper cut, IMO.


losing to EMU was not a paper cut...you do realize it was a MUST win for the program in year where wins are going to be hard to find. Realistic posters knew the team max was probably only 4 wins this year despite some pollyannas going off on 6-7 wins based on nothing but reports from practice and falling for the same routine every year. Now Ash MUST win 2 conference games and get to 3 wins ....there is no wiggle room....3-9 would actually be a success at this point...lot of pressure to do it against teams that are better. RU will be favored to go 1-11...so no its not a paper cut, last week showed alot of flaws in whats going on including the QB and head coach
 
Is your son excited? I can still recall the feeling I had walking into Shea Stadium as a kid. It was magical.

He is 12 weeks old. We are going for a quick tailgate and part of the game and then leaving. We figured this would be the game that I would be okay with leaving early at. He has his rutgers gear and ear plugs ready to go.

I will be excited for the first game that he is aware of going. I remember my first game. 1992 Rutgers vs VA tech on Halloween.
 
losing to EMU was not a paper cut...you do realize it was a MUST win for the program in year where wins are going to be hard to find. Realistic posters knew the team max was probably only 4 wins this year despite some pollyannas going off on 6-7 wins based on nothing but reports from practice and falling for the same routine every year. Now Ash MUST win 2 conference games and get to 3 wins ....there is no wiggle room....3-9 would actually be a success at this point...lot of pressure to do it against teams that are better. RU will be favored to go 1-11...so no its not a paper cut, last week showed alot of flaws in whats going on including the QB and head coach

It really was a must win for 2017. That's why the loss was so painful. It has nothing to do with how good or bad EMU ends up (I personally think they'll win 7 or 8 in regular season). There just aren't that many opportunities on the Rutgers schedule for real chances to pick up wins.

What Rutgers must do is show that progress is being made. And such progress must be close to inarguable. If such progress is not made, it will get very tough to see Ash being successful, which means any excitement will be another few years off at least. With the loss to EMU, that goal just got a heck of a lot harder to achieve. Losing games close alone is not enough for this year.

With that said, it is two games into the season. It sucks the way things turned out in week 2, but even the 2016 team had a chance to win a few games. Hopefully the 2017 team will get some chances too and cash in some of them.
 
It isn't going to get easier, look at the 2020 and 2021 schedule that was release this week. Not a single
cupcake on the schedule.
 
It isn't going to get easier, look at the 2020 and 2021 schedule that was release this week. Not a single
cupcake on the schedule.
In all fairness, you don't know which teams may fall off between now & then. When the 2017 schedule was released 2 years ago, who knew Purdue and Indiana would get their acts together? Who is to say they won't revert to the mean? Who says MSU doesn't completely go in the tank?
 
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What does # of years as a season ticket holder have to do with my level of suffering? Following the team for 32 year does not count as an emotional investment?

i'd just say be careful to call people soft when you (may not) haven't invested the weekends and $$ that many have. Their equity is real time and money...I'm and big NY Giants fan but I'd never call out a long time season tix holder. Much less make it a personal call.

clearly you're a huge fan..and a good one. just might want to notch down the judgment factor a bit. (IMHO)
 
i'd just say be careful to call people soft when you (may not) haven't invested the weekends and $$ that many have. Their equity is real time and money...I'm and big NY Giants fan but I'd never call out a long time season tix holder. Much less make it a personal call.

clearly you're a huge fan..and a good one. just might want to notch down the judgment factor a bit. (IMHO)
Fair enough. I was triggered by the OP's comment about never being anything but cellar dwellers. That kind of talk sets me off. In the end, we all want the same thing, but we all react differently after a loss. For me, I put it out of my mind right away and move on to the next week. There was a fella leaving the stadium on Saturday next to me who was ranting and raving like an absolute lunatic. IMO, if a loss negatively affects you that much, maybe its time to take a break or root for a new team.
 
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losing to EMU was not a paper cut...you do realize it was a MUST win for the program in year where wins are going to be hard to find. Realistic posters knew the team max was probably only 4 wins this year despite some pollyannas going off on 6-7 wins based on nothing but reports from practice and falling for the same routine every year. Now Ash MUST win 2 conference games and get to 3 wins ....there is no wiggle room....3-9 would actually be a success at this point...lot of pressure to do it against teams that are better. RU will be favored to go 1-11...so no its not a paper cut, last week showed alot of flaws in whats going on including the QB and head coach
Disagree, only because YOU seem to thing every remaining game on the schedule after Morgan is an automatic loss or a near loss.
I saw a team in the UW game that could stand toe to toe with a top 10 team. Maybe that was due to a lot of things, such as UW being unprepared or jet lagged. I'm not going to let one poor performance cause me to write off the rest of the season.
We obviously see things different ways. That's fine. But it is funny how you declare those with a positive feel are polyannas based on nothing but practice reports and falling for the same routine. No, it was more than that. We have a competent OC. We have more playmakers and we thought we had a QB who could play at a higher level than those that played last year. Maybe we don't have those things. Or maybe we do, and last Saturday was just a bad day after Kill got discombobulated. We'll find out soon enough. Peace out.
 
Despite the occasional good seasons, teams like Purdue (2 Rose Bowl appearances) and Indiana (1 Rose Bowl appearance) are considered "cellar dwellers" in the B1G. No getting around it. To be concerned that RU will not raise the level of perception of the football brand higher than these programs in many of our lifetimes is not really a dumb post. More money is not the cure-all for everything and both past and recent history suggest it is a real possibility.
Though I'd also considered that the money will bring us only to financial parity with Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana, I think the difference for Rutgers is the recruiting area we are in. It's always been the case that if we keep some of the Jersey talent from going to other teams, we will get better. It won't make us dominant in and of itself, but it will give us an edge over those three teams.
 
In all fairness, you don't know which teams may fall off between now & then. When the 2017 schedule was released 2 years ago, who knew Purdue and Indiana would get their acts together? Who is to say they won't revert to the mean? Who says MSU doesn't completely go in the tank?
Yeah, I know what you are saying, but there are no Army, N.H. Buffalo, Villanova etc. But you get what you ask for
so, so we will wait and see.
 
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Though I'd also considered that the money will bring us only to financial parity with Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana, I think the difference for Rutgers is the recruiting area we are in. It's always been the case that if we keep some of the Jersey talent from going to other teams, we will get better. It won't make us dominant in and of itself, but it will give us an edge over those three teams.

Partly what makes the RU football failure so difficult. NJ is LOADED with talent. This isn't Kansas or Syracuse we are talking about.

If the administration over the years just showed a little bit of real foresight, interest, and support, the program would be in a much different position than it is in. Years of no one truly caring, at least compared to those that do, has led to always being behind the eight ball.
 
I go to the games bc I love to tailgate and drink.
Already don't care about the actual football after last season and last week. I'll always support the program and love taking trips to Piscataway and NB, but for other reasons than the on-field product. I do see myself leaving some games at halftime again this season, as I did a few times last year, and that was the first time I'd ever done that.
 
Buh bye. Don't let the door hit you in the @ss.

Some of our fans are so soft and weak.

This is what a rebuild looks like. Come back when it is all shiny and new if you can't take the pain and watch some ugliness on the way there.

RU fans know full well what rebuilds look like. There was one in '90, another in '96, another in '01 and now here we are again. It gets old and tiresome. I'm from the Lou Lamoriello school: rebuild shouldn't be in the vocabulary. Certainly not this often.
 
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Though I'd also considered that the money will bring us only to financial parity with Purdue, Illinois, and Indiana, I think the difference for Rutgers is the recruiting area we are in. It's always been the case that if we keep some of the Jersey talent from going to other teams, we will get better. It won't make us dominant in and of itself, but it will give us an edge over those three teams.

In this regard, I like that the coaching staff is looking outside the traditional recruiting grounds. This is a long-term view on evolving recruiting dynamics, in my opinion.
 
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whose definition of "bailing "on the program is not attending games? but why should those that do abandon their support of the program post?--unless their only motive is to attack it and be trolls.
 
Sad to say that I am finally beginning to lose interest in RU Football. Thinking we may never be anything but cellar dwellers in the B1G East. Living away from the local hardcore fan base may be contributing to my thoughts and lack of interest.

Unfortunately thousands of Rutgers football fans feel the same way.
Our Season ticket holder base has declined by 25% over the last 2 years. Shocking for any P5 program.

We need some wins now.
 
The incompetence of both football and hoops has caused me to occupy my time with pursuits from my past that never let me down. Too painful to watch this crap anymore although I think hoops has a real chance because of Pikiell.Now if we win a few I will deny any of this...
 
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Is your son excited? I can still recall the feeling I had walking into Shea Stadium as a kid. It was magical.

How long before you realized you were gonna watch the Mets and end magic? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
 
whose definition of "bailing "on the program is not attending games? but why should those that do abandon their support of the program post?--unless their only motive is to attack it and be trolls.
Because people have real lives and not everyone is retired with a ton of extra $. Rutgers Athletics is in the entertainment business and honestly they arent entertaining.
I love all the clowns who bash other fans for not being loyal. If Rutgers football is your life, good for you but stop killing people for making hard, emotional decisions. My guess is they have much better all around lives than you single minded people. And most of you jokers were Floodies till the end and beyond!
 
The incompetence of both football and hoops has caused me to occupy my time with pursuits from my past that never let me down. Too painful to watch this crap anymore although I think hoops has a real chance because of Pikiell.Now if we win a few I will deny any of this...

Making the lil' monk commit unspeakable felonies?
 
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One interesting thing I read is that our season ticket holder base has not gone down, it's just that those people have reduced the number of tickets they buy by a great deal. Folks do not want to lose their loyalty points by dropping out completely, so they do the bare minimum to keep what they have.

The number of season tickets sold for Football has dropped by over 7000 tickets over the last 2 years.
In 2015 it was 31,168 ticket holders and in 2017 it's down to 23, 871 holders. That 25% drop is beyond alarming. We need to turn this season around..... if not a 2 win season this year might see season ticket sales drop below 20,000. We can't have this.
 
The incompetence of both football and hoops has caused me to occupy my time with pursuits from my past that never let me down. Too painful to watch this crap anymore although I think hoops has a real chance because of Pikiell.Now if we win a few I will deny any of this...
Go on....
 
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This was a devastating loss for me. I've already checked out mentally for this season. I'm a long time season ticket holder and I almost didn't even want to attend this week. I'll still go to games but the passion and enthusiasm is gone. It's just not fun anymore.

I'll look forward to the tailgates, suck it up and go into the games, but my interest has waned. I look forward to wrestling season starting. Call me whatever you'd like, but I'm sure this loss took the wind out of a lot of long time fan's sails as well.
 
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The number of season tickets sold for Football has dropped by over 7000 tickets over the last 2 years.
In 2015 it was 31,168 ticket holders and in 2017 it's down to 23, 871 holders. That 25% drop is beyond alarming. We need to turn this season around..... if not a 2 win season this year might see season ticket sales drop below 20,000. We can't have this.

If you have been paying attention you shouldn't be surprised by this. A painful lesson for Barchi.
 
Rutgers was in the dumps I remember then they beat Syracuse and it changed everything.

We need a big win like OSU, Michigan or PSU. Without that happening, I don't see fans coming back.
 
Fair enough. I was triggered by the OP's comment about never being anything but cellar dwellers. That kind of talk sets me off. In the end, we all want the same thing, but we all react differently after a loss. For me, I put it out of my mind right away and move on to the next week. There was a fella leaving the stadium on Saturday next to me who was ranting and raving like an absolute lunatic. IMO, if a loss negatively affects you that much, maybe its time to take a break or root for a new team.
yeah..this stuff is tough. I think we all want the same thing Shift. I am sure of it. :fistbump:
 
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yeah..this stuff is tough. I think we all want the same thing Shift. I am sure of it. :fistbump:
I love how Knight Shift rants about people being lunatics when he is the biggest POS on this board. His buh bye comment to a fellow Rutgers fan is beyond uncalled for. The fact that he has no life is no reason to call a fellow fan, season ticket holder out. He is so narrow minded that he fails to realise that Rutgers needs every fan it can get.
 
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I love how Knight Shift rants about people being lunatics when he is the biggest POS on this board. His buh bye comment to a fellow Rutgers fan is beyond uncalled for. The fact that he has no life is no reason to call a fellow fan, season ticket holder out. He is so narrow minded that he fails to realise that Rutgers needs every fan it can get.
he had me at "fair enough" :)
 
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