No sorry this dumb turd says that without Baker we are not a talented team... we may not be Duke or Kansas but we do have talent. It’s ok though just hope other teams we play out think the same. PSU...arrogant ...vapid twits... douche nozzles as always have been...
Thoughts on RAC from Penn State writer...
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He's a fan. Why can't you cover and be a fan too? Most of the country that's how it is. NJ just happens to the exact opposite. The love fest for the ex-coach and gym is pretty clear.
"Like Rutgers now, Penn State was just starting to get really competitive in 1995. The Lions began their third Big Ten season 4-2, shocking many just the way Rutgers’ 3-1 B1G start has stunned the conference this season. PSU finished 1995 at 17-10 and 9-9 in the league, just out of the NCAA money, much as I expect RU to end this year."
Wrong.
Wrong.
The RAC already has drawings to spruce up the outside, add a new opening, expand the concourses and add two thousand more seats. There is no reason IMO to build a new arena. As we continue to grow as a team and become a consistent winner, I see us turning our arena into 10,000 seats that is the HOUSE OF HORRORS for visiting teams.
You are right, The RAC is a dump but it's OUR dump.....with charm.
In the town I grew up in we had an old bar right in downtown that had been there for decades. It sat right next to the firehouse, near the train station. Anyhow, it had been there unchanged for decades but it was a dump. In its way, it was an institution in our town, Many kids had their first legal drink there, thanksgiving the place was packed wall to wall as the college kids came home. even though it was a dump, everybody in town loved it because it was our home! The owners were offered alot of money for the land the bar sat on and sold out. Now condos sit where that beautiful dumpy bar used to sit. That is the "charm" that the RAC has for us fans. If pikes is able to build a sustainable program and we sell out every home game expansion is going to come. The University will not give up the revenue they can haul in if there is demand from the public for tickets.
I agree. But the only real "charming" thing about the RAC is that it has an ability to slightly amplify the crowd noise. And I think the name "The RAC" is really cool. Other than those two things - what else is charming or nostalgic about it ?? We can't even point to it and say its the place of good times/good memories. The teams in the 70s played in the Barn. So it doesn't even have that charm. Given how long its been there, its even had very few cornerstone or milestone moments occur inside for the University as a whole (athletics and non-athletics). Partially because its not even suited well enough for some of the other non-athletics things you'd want to do there. Think about this, the place didn't get a new scoreboard or even air conditioning until the last 4 years. It has been completely neglected and underutilized (but overused because 70% of our athletic teams depended on it for 30+ years).
You lost me at "slightly amplify crowd noise". There is no slightly about it. The sentence should read, But the only real "charming" thing about the RAC is that it has an ability to dramatically amplify crowd noise.
You don't want to discredit but then you go ahead and do any way. "Ifs" discussions after games are meaningless. Fouls are part of the game. If Jones didn't hit that flurry of shots within a minute halfway through the second half it would have been a blow out.
I dunno, I was attributing it more to our fans and giving some to the building. Was I being too complimentary to the fans?! lol
Other places are known to get really loud as well. Most of which are not the new cookie cutter type of facilities. So my takeaway was that if RU wanted to preserve the home court advantage at home, building something new should not be ruled out completely just because of the noise containment. Instead I think everyone would be super pumped if that was a consideration in the new building design (if and when or ever a new building is considered)
Slghtlines and closeness too. Better than any pro arena.
Nothing charming about the RAC, and I don't care. It's an awesome home court that does not have to be filled to be loud, and when it is filled it is simply deafening.
I never, ever care what anybody else says. I can make my own judgments and so can all of you. I'm not going to scream at this guy any more than I'm going to have multiple orgasms because some clown in Iowa or someplace says something nice about us. I just don't care.
I will say that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts for us, but those parts are SO MUCH BETTER than they have been in the recent past. And the not-so-recent past. And the not-so not-so recent past. I love this team, I'm a fan of this coach and, while I don't think we're a lock for anything at this point, we've got a damn good shot at playing past the last game on the schedule.
That should be enough for anybody that has been a fan of this program for a while.
I never, ever care what anybody else says. I can make my own judgments and so can all of you. I'm not going to scream at this guy any more than I'm going to have multiple orgasms because some clown in Iowa or someplace says something nice about us. I just don't care.
I will say that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts for us, but those parts are SO MUCH BETTER than they have been in the recent past. And the not-so-recent past. And the not-so not-so recent past. I love this team, I'm a fan of this coach and, while I don't think we're a lock for anything at this point, we've got a damn good shot at playing past the last game on the schedule.
That should be enough for anybody that has been a fan of this program for a while.
Sure, I suppose you can read the article through skeptical glasses and anti-PSU negativitiy and find things not to like, but why? It's loaded with cool observations. The writer was so impressed with what he saw at the RAC on Tuesday that he actually reached out to long-departed PSU coach Bruce Parkhill to share the awesomeness he witnessed! Are you kidding me? As G-RUnit pointed out above, maybe it's "begrudging" respect, but it's respect nonetheless. Enjoy the ride man, we're just leaving the starting blocks.
I read the article this morning before anyone here had commented. First thought I had was it is full of backhanded compliments. Felt like reading an election night concession speech. Didn't post it because I thought it was just me. I guess I'm not the only one who thought that.
It's not him calling the RAC a dump that's douchy. It is a dump (could be much better with a few improvements.) It's calling RU a no talent team that makes him a jerk. RU and PSU are very evenly matched right now. The continued arrogance and condescension from their fans and writers is actually approaching funny at this point. EVERYONE else sees this team is on an upward trajectory. He/they just don't want to admit it.
It's not him calling the RAC a dump that's douchy. It is a dump (could be much better with a few improvements.) It's calling RU a no talent team that makes him a jerk. RU and PSU are very evenly matched right now. The continued arrogance and condescension from their fans and writers is actually approaching funny at this point. EVERYONE else sees this team is on an upward trajectory. He/they just don't want to admit it.
It’s only a dump if you compare it to other major arenas. Otherwise it’s “our thing” and we need to maximize its effect on opposing teams.
In college sports, your program needs to mirror the state it represents. Rutgers should never have a huge stadium or arena. Small, loud, effective - that’s the N.J. way
Maybe he needs to drink a white claw in the men’s room and this guy won’t think the RAC is so dumpy ...
Bullshit Greene. Seriously. Bullish!t. How “right on the money” are these quotes?
“Roster full of guys that outside 2 or 3 no other contender would want”
“Without Baker this isn’t a talented team”
THIS!
Have you ever been to the Palestra?
And I love:
For incoming opponents, “the RAC is like a 40 minute root canal.”
“ different if Stevens etc”. If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle. How about If Geo could play we win by 20 going away. Every game plays out differently. Players get into foul trouble, Caleb went 8 for 8 prior game and couldn’t make a basket in this game. Let’s not apologize for winning
The quotes I agree with were:
I think the amount of volume for a venue half the size of what they're used to playing in is a big advantage. The author was talking about the Rec here in its heyday, but was drawing parallels to how similar the feel is at a packed RAC. If we could manage to tick up the capacity a couple thousand more, closer to 10k, while keeping that intimate, "right on top of the court" feel, that would be huge. Just have to keep selling out the place to show there's demand.
This feels like the core of Pike's philosophy. Lunch pail basketball - outwork, out-hustle... want it more than the other guy. To quote the Untouchables, "never stop fighting 'til the fight is done". If recruiting ever ticks up where we're pulling in 5 star players, I hope that core identity isn't lost.
I think the amount of volume for a venue half the size of what they're used to playing in is a big advantage. The author was talking about the Rec here in its heyday, but was drawing parallels to how similar the feel is at a packed RAC. If we could manage to tick up the capacity a couple thousand more, closer to 10k, while keeping that intimate, "right on top of the court" feel, that would be huge. Just have to keep selling out the place to show there's demand.
This feels like the core of Pike's philosophy. Lunch pail basketball - outwork, out-hustle... want it more than the other guy. To quote the Untouchables, "never stop fighting 'til the fight is done". If recruiting ever ticks up where we're pulling in 5 star players, I hope that core identity isn't lost.
I have an enormous respect for the team. The team is playing exactly how I want a team i root for to play. Very proud of them.
As we get better, the fan base rises to the occasion and more opponents lose to us at home in part due to the deafening noise level, we need something better than the RAC that opposing fans, coaches and media quote. Thinking something like the Crypt, Cave or Cavern, Catacomb, or Vault. Would be nice to tie into being a Knight.
The guy who has been harping on reported vs. actual attendance, and the legitimacy of reported sellouts across all Rutgers sports for at least the last 20 years calls other people thick-skulled..... that is rich. You win the message board for the day.
I think that when you cover a team, you know you are writing for fans of that team and write to your audience. So fan or not, it's biased the way a fan of PSU would want. I also think that when you cover a team you start to bond with them and root for them in private because that's what humans do.
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"The Rack" is a notorious medieval torture device. We couldn't have a better name. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rack_(torture)
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The location of the RAC in the middle of nowhere, with no bars or restaurants around, isn't good. But exterior aesthetics aside, it's an amazing place to see a game. The slope/angle of the stands is steeper than is currently allowed by building codes. You could not make an arena like this anymore. The result is that a) there are no bad seats for watching; the nosebleeds are still right on top of the action; b) the fans are right on top of the court and it's intimidating and crazy as hell, and c) its loud as hell.
The only thing I'd consider replacing the RAC for would be a downtown arena in New Brunswick so that people could take the train to the game (park in the next town over) and hit the town before and after the game. It's been studied and considered, but that ship has sailed and is not an option. So just love the RAC; it's our home for the foreseeable future.
Anyone ever been to Indiana's Assembly Hall? If you think our arena is quirky you need to check that arena out.
Well, at least they added some food options nearby with Henry's Diner, Hoja, Qdoba, and Starbucks.... used to be the closest option for anything non-concession was the Livingston Student Center.
A Buffalo Wings would be perfect. Could it survive when students not in session?
