Let’s try to separate us crazy sports fan vs the majority of people in NJ that do like Rutgers sports.
Also from the tons of others in this area that are either very casual or not into sports at all.
One thing that is keeping this together here is that so many local kids play here and actually do stay here.
Imagine if next year, coach just tells 90% of the NJ/NY kids that they are no longer on scholarship and he brings in a bunch of gunslingers from all over the country.
If it works and he wins- most of the crazies on here will be ok with it or even excited.
But most of the state would go nuts in a bad way.
Flood had players who became bad people (lots of DBs) .
Players can go off the hook and Colorado had more than a few of them and they had to go.
Some players had no talent and a sketchy prognosis not worth the investment
Colorado sports were also going broke and didn't even have the money to pay Sanders.
They had fired 3 head coaches before Sanders, ticket sales were in the dumps and stands were empty.
Football pays for the other sports that are financial liabilities and it wasn't at Colorado.
The college itself was 100% behind the house cleaning and changed its transfer rules to accommodate new players.
Like an old, neglected house, sometimes its cheaper and better to just rebuild than to try and fix.
Colorado football was desolate and a haunted house.
A whole lot more people were helped by the shake-up than hurt by it.
Part of Sanders' success is that he goes after the whole university and town.
He met with admins and academic depts and told them they would be needed to bring health to Colorado sports.
He was giving them presentations and celebrating them publicly - collectively they loved it.
Schiano 1.0 did something similar with his 250 mile "State of Rutgers."
I even fell for it and started going to games (3 hours each way) and even calling his radio show.
Some people run to fix problems and some work at the edges while others dance and avoid issues.
Sanders runs to problems and isn't shy about it.
In year two the whole situation is better.
At RU football we are in year 20 of no titles but have the usual "We'll get there."