You are wrong on a 75 and sunny day with tie score 95% of people would not still be there.
The "I was soaked " excuse
- Thread starter RUbot
- Start date
Jeez. This Rutgers fan base just hates each other. There is nothing they won't complain about regarding other RU fans!
I was nice and dry through the whole game, I stayed home and watched it on TV.
I was nice and dry through the whole game, I stayed home and watched it on TV.
This thread is right up there with the one, from a while back, that yelled at everybody for not donating more money. Although this one might wind up more fun than that other one, if people were to embrace the wonderful pun opportunities presented by the subject matter. 
Wow, a lot of strong reactions to the OP. I had good rain gear and stayed for the entire game. Would I have if I had young children with me, definitely not. BUT, there is a generalized truth to what the OP is saying, in that as a fan base, there are far too many times when people arrive late, leave early, or don’t show up at all. Yes, everyone has the right to do whatever they want because they bought the ticket, but it would be nice to see more fans in their seats for the entire game.
The number of people attacking the OP who is 100% correct is demoralizing. If you decided not to go to the game or you left early that is fine, but the hypocrisy of calling someone else sanctimonious while extolling how significant your many responsibilities that prevent you from wearing some decent gore tex to a game is gross.
For anyone attacking the OP, please do us a favor and never compare us to the Penn States, OSU's and Nebraska's of the world as you are the reasons we will never have that level of fanaticism.
For anyone attacking the OP, please do us a favor and never compare us to the Penn States, OSU's and Nebraska's of the world as you are the reasons we will never have that level of fanaticism.
Do I have to wear my foul-weather gear when watching from my sofa?
And Nebraskans don't have anything better to do than sit around in the rain (or snow), eat corn and watch football.
Well... you know, recorded history paints a pretty bleak picture of fanaticism. PSU fanaticism led to a pedophile cover-up of epic proportions.
And Nebraskans don't have anything better to do than sit around in the rain (or snow), eat corn and watch football.
Do you have a similar setup for a black out game in the rain?
This is my main annoyance - which isn't real.
Can't just have a red Rutgers hoodie and red hat. Need a whole black setup for black out games.
Then also a whole white setup as well.
That extends to potential snow/rain games top and need all red or black setups.
Need a full Rutgers wardrobe for different weather and color potentials.
Yeah it can certainly be unhealthy but how many programs have sustained success without significant fan support(bodies in seats, money, etc.)?
Based on the majority of responses to the OP it is pretty clear a decent portion of our fanbase is satisfied with being a middling program which is 100% fine but those same people should refrain from complaining about why we don't recruit better or why we can't beat OSU, Mich, etc. when our culture can be lacking.
A post discussing weather related attendance on some of our competitors boards would probably be responded to with folks showing off their water proof gear and discount codes encouraging people to buy the same.
Penn state would have at least 90k there under the same conditions
a dry bar? How disappointing. I've lost some respect for you.
If RUFB has some sustained success, fans will become more numerous and more fanatical. Look at the RUMBB program right now.
My objection to the OP's post is the chastising tone. If the goal is to encourage people to willingly participate in something, insulting them is not usually the ideal approach.
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I've actually been to a Rutgers-Pedd St. game in Happy Valley on a very rainy Saturday night a number of years back. If I remember right, the game was broadcast on ESPN.
The place was packed. Not an empty or dry seat in the house.
I do not know what the OP's intent is but the post starts with what appear to me are a couple of genuine questions as to why people don't go the extra yard buy some decent gear, and go into the game.
You may interpret them as rhetorical but do they rise to the level of "chastising"?
I have no intent of starting a conflict with you but if our fanbase feels victimized by someone genuinely asking why they are not going into games then our limited success is self evident.
It's a good point. But everything is relative. If we are being honest with ourselves and not insecure about our fandom - PSU, OSU and Michigan have generational history both on the field and within their respective fanbases that Rutgers does not have. How do we compare with programs like Indiana, Illinois and Maryland in terms of fan support - because that is much closer to the level we are at right now.
You need to look at Basketball as a model for a potentially successful program in terms of fan engagement. Rutgers was averaging perhaps 4000-4400 per game before Pike arrived. The RAC (JMAC) is now double that - sold out for the season......and the buzz around the program and recruiting is palpable. It's not like Pike has street cred and personality of Coach Prime either. Steady continual build with more and more conference wins every year, built on a tough defense first mindset. Football can get there if we can get to the point where winning against the top programs in conference is possible in any given game.
Has it occurred to the OP that Rutgers football has 20,000 season tickets sold and that if there were close to 20k people in the stadium then maybe he's lecturing the wrong crowd?
Of those 20k season tickets maybe 50 to 60 percent are diehard attendees. His beef isn't with the people on this board, the people actually reading this temper tantrum. His beef is with the rest of the state of New Jersey.
Of those 20k season tickets maybe 50 to 60 percent are diehard attendees. His beef isn't with the people on this board, the people actually reading this temper tantrum. His beef is with the rest of the state of New Jersey.
Well the opposite end. I went to RU @ Wisconsin a number of years ago in a pouring rain storm and stadium was 3/4 empty.
Back in the days when our son was playing- there would be nothing to get us to leave a game early and then either stand longer in the weather for him to come out of the Hale center or to the waiting buses during an away game.
But now- I usually do watch from the comfy of home but if I was at that game- even in great gear, I am sure my wife would have insisted on leaving and I am sure I would not have argued.
But now- I usually do watch from the comfy of home but if I was at that game- even in great gear, I am sure my wife would have insisted on leaving and I am sure I would not have argued.
Someone like Skyler would come out of the woodwork anyway, and find something to criticize. The last time my father drove up alone from southern Virginia for a game he was in his 80s, and the game turned out to be that West Virginia ice bowl debacle. I gave him a yellow slicker set like everyone had back then – – that was all I had for him. And some a hole who thought he had the right to tell others how to be a Rutgers fan started to give him a hard time about the color. And that a-hole wound up leaving early while my father stuck it out to the final gun.
Bottom line is that you don’t know someone else’s situation, so you should think twice.
For this past Saturday’s game, I wore brand new insulated rain gear that was supposed to be waterproof and wasn’t. The years experience did not keep me from getting soaked through. I stayed to the end anyway. But if I had my wife and daughter with me, I would not have. Again, there are 1000 scenarios that a guy like Skyler doesn’t consider before he criticizes people.
It’s really bad the clothing ripoffs. I have an old red ru poncho that is 100% waterproof but need to be careful what you’re buying for sure.
Penn st. Osu and Nebraska have something we don't. A track record of consistently winning and national championships to show for their efforts.
Right, winning at a high level is part of their culture and recruits tend to gravitate towards this as it provides some assurance that the institution/leadership they are going to commit to has an understanding of what it takes to succeed.
Unfortunately we do not have that but we as fans can help to some degree by providing a game day atmosphere that is a reflection of a winning culture. As someone smarter than me once said - "Fake it until you make it".
I dated a girl who was PSU- her thing was that you go to the games- get drunk as F- you get in the stadium early as that is where the real party started and you stay no matter what or you were pretty much ousted from any group or Sorority you were a part of. - The only thing that pissed her off, she fell for a really hot PSU player, future NFL'r and he happened to be the only football player that wouldnt have sex. hahahah K Brady - she did tell me I made up for it but not as hot as he was. lol
Before the game standing in the concession line a college age fan makes admiring comments about storm gear my wife and I were wearing.
He says he just has two hoodies. This was over jeans.
I thought, do I give him the explanation of how all that cotton was just going soak up water in no time flat and be worse than wearing nothing? Tell him you need to dress for the weather and plan ahead. Give him the benefit of many years experience and some hard lessons in outdoors bad weather? Gore-Tex, layers, importance of keeping head and feet warm and dry, etc.
No, assuming this was already his second pass (at least) at the White Claw line I just encouraged him to look into some rain gear for next time.
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I wore a waterproof shell from REI, that apparently lost its waterproof properties through the years. No bueno.
I was fine with a RUTGERS Gore Tex shell over a fall jersey, base layer and tee shirt, wool RUTGERS cap, heavy duty Footjoy Gore Tex rain pants, and midweight Gore Tex hikers with wool sox. If I had to do it over again, would have worn my higher (and still waterproof Gore Tex boots) Often, when you don't expect it to rain all day, it does.
Then again, 2 of the 3 kids behind us in 127 had no shirts on in the second half.
Then again, 2 of the 3 kids behind us in 127 had no shirts on in the second half.
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the OP has a point about learning from this experience. After sitting through the Army game at West Point in Sleet/Snow/Rain and standing in a half foot of slush I swore to myself I would properly prepare moving forward. I was dry and only mildly uncomfortable on Saturday. I left after the 3rd quarter because the game was depressing and my buddy was cold/wet. (To be honest it was mostly because the game was depressing, I’m not that good of a friend.)
It’s not a bad idea to look into appropriate gear. And you don’t have to spend $1500 like Ru4real to stay dry and warm.
It’s not a bad idea to look into appropriate gear. And you don’t have to spend $1500 like Ru4real to stay dry and warm.
A good poncho, good socks and boots, base layer and a wool layer works well for low 50’s wet day.
I found that a simple cheap a$$plastic parka over nice socks in work boots and a warm hat and long sleeve undershirt/hoodie/windbreaker did the trick nicely. Cost me little.
Keep the feet, the hands, and the head warm and dry.. all I need.