Rah-Rah, Sis-Boom-Bah, Election Season is Done!
Yea!
Yea!
Yea!

Regardless of your political persuasion, if you are anything like me, you have to be happy that this political season has concluded. No more commercials spewing facts and non-facts; no more spots sponsored by political groups cajoling you to vote for their candidate or to not vote for the opponent; no more fliers hanging on your door or cramming your mailbox. The polls have closed and things will remain quite on that front till the political machine gears up again for the next big campaign – the 2008 Presidential Election. I estimate that will happen sometime…

today.

Can’t wait…

However, I will give the Democrats their due – at least when it comes to the pre-recorded phone messages. The big guns came out and loaned their voices for the Dems – former President "I feel your pain" Bill Clinton and former Veep Al "Lockbox" Gore, even though Gore’s message sounded more like the guy from SNL doing a Gore impersonation. The GOP came with… Joe Piscopo. That might explain a few things

So with the political season over, the pending vote certification in Virginia not withstanding, it’s time to move on to the season I really love – football season.

What does a former cheerleader know about football you might ask? Plenty – just ask the guys I have embarrassed over the years when they strike up a conversation with me while out at a local bar watching football. I’m no Vince Lombardi or John Madden but I do know the difference between Herschel Walker and Darius Walker.

We… Are… R…U! We…Are…R…U!

Outlined against a clear November sky the Scarlet Knights soared to new heights.  With the Empire State Building glowing red, Rice, Leonard, Teel and Ito sealed their place in college football in dramatic fashion. They formed the crest of the Piscataway cyclone before which the Louisville Cardinal team was swept over the precipice on the Raritan River last night as 44,111 spectators rushed the field in unadulterated jubilation.


Okay, so I'm no Grantland Rice but I'm sure he would have appreciated the scene that unfolded last Thursday night in Piscataway before a live national TV audience.   Regardless of what any pollsters or so called experts, like the guy who sits next to Lou Holtz up in Bristol, have to say, the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers have achieved so much this season and that is something no one can ever take away from them.  One had to get goosebumps as the ESPN cameras swooped over the jammed stadium, fans decked out in red waving their towels, hoping against hope that their team would rise the challenge.   One had to feel good for the seniors who have been there with Coach Schiano the past four years and have helped to turn the program around.  Most didn't really give the Knights a chance because after all, this is Rutgers football.

You see, in the annals of college football here in the state of New Jersey, this game between the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University (now #7 AP/6 BCS) and the Cardinals of the University of Louisville ( now #10AP/10 BCS) was the biggest game since, well, since November 6, 1869 when Rutgers hosted Princeton in the first intercollegiate football game, winning 6-4. That’s right – New Jersey is the birthplace of college football. Unfortunately, the Garden State hasn’t done a very good job of protecting its place in the history of one of the greatest sporting traditions this country has.

Rutgers, a.k.a. the State University of New Jersey, has long been a doormat of the Big East football conference (member since 1991) and a non-player for even longer in the world of big-time college football. But as I perused the official website of Rutgers
football, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the exercise in futility on the gridiron that has been taking place for years south of Hoboken in Piscataway hasn’t always been as bad as recent history would have you think.

During that first golden era of college football the included names like Red Grange and Knute Rockne, All-American Paul Robeson stared for the Scarlet Knights. In the time period following World War II, the team posted a mark of 27-7 and in 1961, the
Knights finished undefeated for the first time, going 9-0. During an eleven year period (1973-1983) the win/loss record for Rutgers was 78-44. It wasn’t really until the 1990’s that the funk of loosing settled down in Piscataway like Rosie O’Donnell at an all you can eat buffet.

I actually witnessed this sad state of affairs when Rutgers traveled out to South Bend in 1996 to take on Notre Dame. It was Lou Holtz’s last game and I had traveled out for the game, which wasn’t so much a game as much as it was a clinic. The Irish dominated 62-0
that cold, grey November day. As the Knights slowly walked off the field with their heads hanging, I recall feeling actually sorry for the visiting team for the first time in my life. Since then I have been somewhat of a champion of Rutgers due to the belief that there was no reason the program should be that pathetic. Not only due to the fact that the whole tradition started there but also because there is so much talent that comes out of the Jersey high schools and just doesn’t stick around but instead heads to greener pastures like Florida or Penn State or Notre Dame.

But Jersey native Greg Schiano has changed all that. Since his first season after leaving his assistant coaching position at the University of Miami, RU has shown steady improvement in their play and also in their record. In his first 5 seasons, the team as gone
19-28, including last seasons 7-4 record and the school’s second ever bowl game appearance. Coach Schiano has been successful in keeping some of the best home grown talent in state while also selling some pretty good non-Jerseyans to come to the Garden
State, including 21 players from the fertile football land of Florida.

So here the Scarlet Knights stood, almost 10 years to the day that I witness their demolition, on the edge of a precipice no one would have expected. Now that the
Knights have upset the Cardinals, are 9-0, in first place in the Big East and have surged into the top 10 for the first time in school history, the world of the BCS could be in chaos if Rutgers runs the table. Now that they have won, the Knights will still not be taken seriously. Consider it a case of too much too soon combined with a belief that the Big East football conference isn’t that good along with one other factor - I believe
there is a bias against my home state of New Jersey.

There are a few more games left for this team with yet another "big" game looming - the Knights have to travel to Morgantown, West Virginia to take on the Mountaineers.  Hopefully they will take the experience from this game, the first game of it's kind that any of these players have participated in, and use it to their advantage.  So with all my state pride, and I have a lot of it, I will be cheering for Rutgers and hope that this is the
beginning of a new NJ football tradition. Do you have Scarlet Fever? I know I do.

Heisman! Heisman!

He’s Our Man!

If He Can’t Do It,

No One Can!

Without getting into statistics and schedules and QB ratings, all I have to say is if Troy Smith of the Ohio State Buckeyes actually ends up winning the Heisman Trophy next month - the pundits at ESPN/ABC have basically crowned him the winner despite some other candidates playing well - I believe that he will go the way of many recent winners such as Andre Ware (Houston,1989), Ty Detmer (BYU, 1990), Gino Torretta (Miami, 1992), Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996), Chris Weinke (FSU, 2000) and Jason White (Oklahoma, 2003) – no where. I long ago lost some respect for this annual award that has been bestowed upon the best college football player in the country since 1935, players such as Johnny Lattner, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, and Bo Jackson.

During the last decade, it seemed the most important stats in deciding which gridiron star won was their teams’ record and ranking. Smith’s Buckeyes are undefeated and ranked #1. While I’m not saying Smith isn’t an excellent quarterback, he also plays on the best team in the country and plays with an offense that would probably fare well against a couple of NFL defenses. Has Smith really been tested, pressured? Forced to bring his team back? How does he fare when his offensive line or running game fail and the burden of bringing the team down the field to score is left to him? I’m not sure if we know but we might find out it a week or so when the Buckeyes face off against the Wolverines of Michigan who are currently ranked #2. But if you want a player with equivalent, and in some categories better, statistics to Smith’s but who has also engineered comebacks and taken a lickin’ and kept on tickin’ (and incidentally is the apple of the eye of many an NFL scout), I’ve got a player I South Bend for you.

(This message brought to you by Friends of Brady Quinn & Quinn forHeisman.com)

We are Dynamite!

Yeah, we are Dynamite!

BOOM! Dynamite!

BOOM! Dynamite!

There have been a lot of explosions coming out of La-La-land lately. First, there was the announcement that golden couple Reese & Ryan were separating after 7 years of marriage and 2 kids. This is one couple I was actually sad to hear that they decided to call it quits. Maybe they got married too young. Maybe her fame and success was too much for his ego to handle. And maybe he really did cheat. However, this time instead of wanting to read about their misery and the salacious reasons the union failed like I have with other celebrity couples, this time I think I would prefer to not know the details of the Phillipe/Witherspoon divorce. Because I thought they would make it.

The second separation announcement/explosion was probably the only one that could gain some attention on "Decision Day 2006." It’s one that many have been patiently waiting for...

Brittney Files for Divorce from K-Fed!

Girl, it’s about damn time. Brit has finally decided to end her irrational & rebellious stage and kick that pimp leech to the curb. Maybe having 2 kids finally made her grow up. Maybe she could handle listening to his crappy rap music anymore. I’m sure there are going to be many theories and tons of speculation, from "it’s just a ploy to get K-Fed’s attention and to stop dickin’ around because this time she means business" to this was the best time to do so financially for Ms. Spears, based on what clauses might be in the couples pre-nup. Whatever the reason, I hope she sticks to her decision and gets back to being our favorite little tartlet.

My bet is it’s the money.

Oh, and here is my favorite part so far! Looks like Brit may have topped Berger from SATC. Remember when he broke up with Carrie on a Post-It note? Well it seems as if K-Fed learned about the pending end to his expense account (I mean marriage) via text message while film an all-access show for a Canadian music channel. Now that’s cold.

First it was Lance Bass who was "forced" to come out and announce to really no one’s surprise that he was gay. Next it was that dorky doctor on "Grey’s Anatomy" and considering I can’t remember his character’s name, it was really big news. Since they say things happen in threes, this weekend it was revealed that Doogie Howser, MD, was living life as a "content gay man." Okay. This one definitely caught me off guard a little bit but yet, at the same time, didn’t surprise me. Not that I had really thought about it that much. It’s not like there were rumors running rampant about Neil Patrick Harris. And more importantly – does anybody really care?

GO!!! FIGHT!!! WIN!!!

There is something to be said for tradition. The Chicago Bears’ home uniforms have always been black jerseys. And that’s how they should stay – no more of those day glow orange jerseys. Please.

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend on the sidelines of college football games. The cheerleaders have started to look like more like pole dancers instead of cheerleaders.

Have you ever been asked how you like your chicken cooked? No? Well, this happened to my friend while we were ordering dinner a few weeks ago at Mikey². Not quite sure how to respond, he said "well done." Scary.

Could someone explain to me why the deli counter at the Shop Rite takes so long? Madonna could adopt another child from Africa in the amount of time I wait to get my ½ pound of chicken breast

Get ready kids: the long awaited nuptials between Kate and Tom (he doesn’t like her to be called Katie anymore) are almost upon us. Will we have to wait for the wedding pictures as long as we had to wait for pictures of baby Suri? Maybe – since they will probably have to work on them to make it seem as if Katie is happy and not a brainwashed Scientologist zombie.

If Faith Hill was really upset after loosing out to Carrie Underwood for the Country Music Awards Female Vocalist of the Year, so what? You know full well that most losers during award shows are sitting there gritting their veneered teeth while they smile and clap after their name has not been announced, mumbling under their breath "That bitch."

Raise your hands,

Stomp you feet.

Snap your fingers,

The Giants can’t be beat!

Oh well, At least I had some good food while tailgating before the Giants' game. Go Giants! Beat Jaguars!

Amanda Dwyer contributes to realhoboken.com and will not be cheering for Rutgers when they face her beloved Fightin’ Irish in a few years (tentatively). Send any comments to editor@realhoboken.com or post them in the message forum.