<p>It is pretty funny to hear the ESPN announcers speak of Rutgers as though it was in downtown NYC. </p>
<p>The empire state building DID look great in red, I must admit!
Guess there isn't a landmark building to highlight in downtown Piscataway,NJ.</p>
<p>"Guess there isn't a landmark building to highlight in downtown Piscataway,NJ."</p>
<p>ROTFL</p>
<p>There probably is a good steak sandwich or pizza joint.</p>
<p>Well, the Newark campus has the old Fireman's Fund/Law School building. Gorgeous. They could light that up & the Newark kids could finally feel like part of the University.</p>
<p>They do have Johnson and Johnson plaza in New Brunswick. I would have liked the occasional shot of the ivy covered buildings on the College Ave campus.</p>
<p>Just as a drink of water tastes best after 40 years wandering in the desert, an overachieving football team feels best after a 0-11 season just a few years ago.</p>
<p>Also, a strong football season brings unanticipated (at least in RU's case) money to the school. </p>
<p>As they said in the "Right Stuff", "No bucks, no Buck Rogers"...</p>
<p>Both of those teams that played in that game would be nothing but mediocrely ranked if they played in a real conference.</p>
<p>I also dug out and wore my Rutgers T-shirt yesterday (it still fit!). I was surprised how many strangers congratulated me as I ran around town. Evidently, Louisville's defeat gave new hope to Florida and the other one loss teams.</p>
<p>While many people view college athletics as frivolous, the impact they have on the campus spirit can be tremendously positive. Yes, there will be some student who go overboard with binge drinking before and after a big game, but the vast majority of student get swept up in the joy and drama of the moment and have a blast. This is what is happening to RU now.</p>
<p>But the next day these same students will be in class, but with a bigger smile on their faces and a sense of greater pride in their hearts. And for many this sense will continue with them following graduation. This is something that is not restricted to the big football factories. Go to a P'ton home football game and the stands are populated with many faithful alums. Swarthmore alumni came out of the woodwork when it announced that it was ending its football program.</p>
<p>And with a few exceptions, such asDuke/UNC b'ball, this phenomena is associated with football. I am not sure of the reason for this, but with the increasing prominance of pregame and postgame tailgating football games take on a festival atmosphere. And because most football games are played on Saturday afternoons, it becomes an event that many alumni can attend even if they live hours away from dear alma mater.</p>
<p>I stuck a Rutgers pennant outside my office yesterday, and folks knocked on my door to tell me how much they enjoyed the game. People here in Madison remember UW football pre-Barry and can understand what it means to turn a program around and the impact it has on the campus.</p>
<p>UW-Madison football-early 70's -freshman year went to games, party atmosphere, tuba players (sousaphones actually) oompa-ing around the field's perimeter during the game (you went for the excellent band, not the football, this was before all the pre and post game band stuff); mediocre team (Ohio State or Michigan ALWAYS went to the Rose Bowl)- juniors told me the team had won its first game in three years when they were freshman. Back then UW had a good reputation, without sports needed to bolster it. It's too bad sports are needed for people to feel good about /value their school.</p>
<p>Back then the school was unified as being the top protest school around. When that died off football filled the void.</p>
<p>My Wake Forest Deacons just shut out Florida State! I feel a kind of brotherhood with you Rutgers folk!</p>
