By all accounts, I should have no problems abandoning Rutgers football. I didn't attend the school, I've literally been to one Rutgers football game in my life (Cincy '06...yeah that was a let-down), yet I find myself on this board half the day, it is one of the first things I check when I wake up, and one of the last things I check before bed.
I grew up in Central NJ...Middletown to be exact. We weren't a big football household, but 60% of our football fandom was directed towards the Giants, 35% to Middletown South, and maybe 5% to college football. I'd sometimes watch Rutgers on Saturday mornings when they were on Channel 9 with Russ Salzberg doing the play by play. I recall watching them playing BC, VaTech, Miami, and the rest of the Big East. I certainly preferred them to do well, recognized they were the local team, but didn't really follow or care too much. About all I really knew about the overall picture of college football was that Notre Dame was a power (that I didn't like), and that other 'big' programs were Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Miami, USC, and Nebraska. I briefly cheered for Penn State and Nebraska when Middletown South alums were on those teams (Peter brothers, Stephen Michael Pitts), but deep down I always rooted for the NJ teams, so Rutgers it was.
I went off to college at Loyola in Maryland, and being in Baltimore, college football might as well not have existed. No one really cared about Maryland, no college in Baltimore played football, and my only memory during those years of Rutgers football was watching Texas @ Rutgers on TV when Ricky Williams was with Texas. My interest was probably at an all-time low. I moved back to NYC and had fully put college football in my rear-view mirror.
I end up going to grad school at Indiana University....finally, I am at a place with big-time....basketball. I go to a few football games, but don't really care all that much. While at Indiana, I met my future wife, whose brother was playing football at Iowa State. At that point, something changed for me and I started following college football more closely. While I rooted for Indiana, and cheered on Iowa State, my first football loyalty went to Rutgers...I know, that is one hell of a trio of teams to root for.
I think the appeal of Rutgers football for me was two-fold. Since graduation from Indiana, I've lived in Indianapolis, Chicago, and now Minneapolis, and Rutgers football is one thing that helps maintain a connection to New Jersey and New Jersey people. I still am a big fan of the NJ Devils and the Giants, but those are professional athletes and mercenaries. The fact that the Devils are so unloved does make my connection to them stronger than for most professional teams, but they are still professionals chasing the highest contract.
Since I started following recruiting, I've enjoyed watching guys like Quentin Gause go from a recruit with some potential into a really quality linebacker, while representing himself and the university well. I love the fact that guys that suit up in the salmon and chrome choose to be here, choose to represent Rutgers, and choose to represent New Jersey. Having seen college football up close a bit through my brother-in-law, you realize what a great experience and opportunity they have, and the fact that Rutgers has tried to do things the right way (for the most part...email-gate) makes me proud as it is easier to try and cheat, which ultimately cheats the kids. I doubt most of us realize how much time and effort these college kids put in representing the school and the fans and while I'd love to totally check out, I find that I just can't.
So this year has been tough...we all know it...and I hope we see a change for the better starting at the end of the season, but for better or worse, I remain hooked.
I grew up in Central NJ...Middletown to be exact. We weren't a big football household, but 60% of our football fandom was directed towards the Giants, 35% to Middletown South, and maybe 5% to college football. I'd sometimes watch Rutgers on Saturday mornings when they were on Channel 9 with Russ Salzberg doing the play by play. I recall watching them playing BC, VaTech, Miami, and the rest of the Big East. I certainly preferred them to do well, recognized they were the local team, but didn't really follow or care too much. About all I really knew about the overall picture of college football was that Notre Dame was a power (that I didn't like), and that other 'big' programs were Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Miami, USC, and Nebraska. I briefly cheered for Penn State and Nebraska when Middletown South alums were on those teams (Peter brothers, Stephen Michael Pitts), but deep down I always rooted for the NJ teams, so Rutgers it was.
I went off to college at Loyola in Maryland, and being in Baltimore, college football might as well not have existed. No one really cared about Maryland, no college in Baltimore played football, and my only memory during those years of Rutgers football was watching Texas @ Rutgers on TV when Ricky Williams was with Texas. My interest was probably at an all-time low. I moved back to NYC and had fully put college football in my rear-view mirror.
I end up going to grad school at Indiana University....finally, I am at a place with big-time....basketball. I go to a few football games, but don't really care all that much. While at Indiana, I met my future wife, whose brother was playing football at Iowa State. At that point, something changed for me and I started following college football more closely. While I rooted for Indiana, and cheered on Iowa State, my first football loyalty went to Rutgers...I know, that is one hell of a trio of teams to root for.
I think the appeal of Rutgers football for me was two-fold. Since graduation from Indiana, I've lived in Indianapolis, Chicago, and now Minneapolis, and Rutgers football is one thing that helps maintain a connection to New Jersey and New Jersey people. I still am a big fan of the NJ Devils and the Giants, but those are professional athletes and mercenaries. The fact that the Devils are so unloved does make my connection to them stronger than for most professional teams, but they are still professionals chasing the highest contract.
Since I started following recruiting, I've enjoyed watching guys like Quentin Gause go from a recruit with some potential into a really quality linebacker, while representing himself and the university well. I love the fact that guys that suit up in the salmon and chrome choose to be here, choose to represent Rutgers, and choose to represent New Jersey. Having seen college football up close a bit through my brother-in-law, you realize what a great experience and opportunity they have, and the fact that Rutgers has tried to do things the right way (for the most part...email-gate) makes me proud as it is easier to try and cheat, which ultimately cheats the kids. I doubt most of us realize how much time and effort these college kids put in representing the school and the fans and while I'd love to totally check out, I find that I just can't.
So this year has been tough...we all know it...and I hope we see a change for the better starting at the end of the season, but for better or worse, I remain hooked.
