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OT: Trip to Michigan

fg7321

All Conference
Nov 29, 2009
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So just got back from a family reunion in Michigan and a trip to the Upper Peninsula. First off really beautiful place to go to especially the UP.

What i did find really interesting is the ratio of Michigan fans vs MSU . By far people wearing all sorts of Michigan gear out numbered MSU by more than 10 to 1 and we were in Multiple tourist locations.

It seems that the Michigan FB team was doing a tour of the state and we came across Football players on Mackinaw Island. People were taking pictures with them like they were rock stars. I wished them good luck except against Rutgers.

The last day as we were leaving the UP we passed the three team buses they were traveling in and I was obnoxiously holding up my Rutgers hat by my window as we passed them. Fun times !

I'm curious if Rutgers FB does a similar tour of NJ to promote the team?
 
Rutgers will never have the relationship with generic New Jersey residents that schools like Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio (St) have with theirs. Just by school name, football history, and relative things to do/sources of pride around the state. But that’s alright, because we have things that they too don’t have, such as the amazing Jersey Shore, NYC market, and other special cultural items that are a part of our greater culture
 
Think of it like this. Michigan will pack the big house with over 100,000 fans even during a bad year and bad opponents.

Michigan State struggles to fill their much smaller stadium in a good year and against good opponents.

Michigan has a long and storied history of college football. Michigan State just became consistently good like 15 years ago.
 
Rutgers would LOVE to have that fanbase.
When RU wins , their fanbase can compare with the best of them.
Too many years of having the Rutgers administration short change it's sports programs has made for some difficultly in competing with the best and building a large fan-base.
The saying of win and they will come holds true for Rutgers and once that happens on a regular bases , the bandwagoners will become loyal supporters , just like the Bama and Ohio State bases are.
 
Most Michigan fans I’ve been around are pretty chill

it’s like people that come from old money, they know they’re rich so they’re used to it. They’re used to being good in FB bc they’ve been good forever
 
Michigan is interesting state.
I see shore pics that look like the land is from Oregon and the water is clear and blue like from Caribbean
Detroit always fascinated me with what it did in WWII and then with car culture.
Its a shame what's been done to that city
 
The last day as we were leaving the UP we passed the three team buses they were traveling in and I was obnoxiously holding up my Rutgers hat by my window as we passed them. Fun times !

I'm curious if Rutgers FB does a similar tour of NJ to promote the team?

Great job on the hat holding, I would have done the same.

To my knowledge, no, Rutgers doesn't take the team around NJ to promote themselves. It would be kind of cool if they did, but I'm not sure they would receive the superstar status it seems the UM team gets.
 
Yes my daughter is a recent graduate from UM and actually ran track for the wolverines. The state support for UM is overwhelming with a campus and athletic facilities that are top notch. Academically UM is consistently ranked in the top 3 state universities with UCLA and Cal while Michigan State is not close to that level. The football team had been going to Europe and South Africa for their summer trips but due to covid they did a state tour. The upper peninsula and Lake Michigan is quite stunning.
 
When RU wins , their fanbase can compare with the best of them.
Too many years of having the Rutgers administration short change it's sports programs has made for some difficultly in competing with the best and building a large fan-base.
The saying of win and they will come holds true for Rutgers and once that happens on a regular bases , the bandwagoners will become loyal supporters , just like the Bama and Ohio State bases are.

i think a lot a ppl are setting themselves up to be disappointed if RU ever starts winning 7 or 8 games a season and expects the stadium to be packed. The rabid fan base just ain't there. Add to that the things that have changed since RU was decent (circa 2011). Covid, NIL, inflated prices, better viewing options at home/bars, etc. Look at the Devils in the early-mid 2Ks. Consistent winner for a solid decade, had won 3 Cups yet typically got about 15-16k in a 19k seat arena. I remember going to a Devils/Bruins playoff game in 2003 and the place had about 3k empty seats. Remember thinking to myself what a shame this is. Went again later in that playoff season against Ottawa, think it was game 4, and at least the place was pretty much sold out.
 
Great job on the hat holding, I would have done the same.

To my knowledge, no, Rutgers doesn't take the team around NJ to promote themselves. It would be kind of cool if they did, but I'm not sure they would receive the superstar status it seems the UM team gets.
In NJ they're more likely to run into a bunch of Karens and Chads bitching that their tax money is being wasted on sending football players to the shore.
 
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