12 Hours Later (Plus)..... Rutgers Football; Its Time- For The Second Time

This is part of my ongoing series reviewing the 2009 Rutgers Football season. Today we'll look at yesterday's loss to the Syracuse Orange, 31-13

I've been a Rutgers football fan for many years, attending my first game back in elementary school in the 1960's. And I've attended games spanning five decades. The reason I'm telling you this is to show that I've been around for awhile and just didn't jump on the bandwagon when Jeremy Ito hit that game winning field goal to beat Louisville in 2006. I've seen dramatic wins, a lot of losses, spent afternoon on the road following the team, and have missed maybe three home games in the last 20 years. With a certain amount of shame, I'll admit now, I ducked out of my aunt's wake to listen to Rutgers getting pasted by Miami way back in 1998.

Yes, I bleed Scarlet, even though I am not an alum.

This is a piece that actually troubles me to write, but I feel I have a responsibility to do so. And I'm not going to sugar coat my feelings about the 31-13 road loss of then #25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights to a last place Syracuse team.

This was an unfathomable, incomprehensible, mind boggling loss, one that any deserving ranked team should never have suffered. It follows a familiar pattern of Thursday night wins over ranked opponents being followed on the Saturday that follows nine days later with an embarrassing double digit loss, Its happened during the 2006, 2007, and now the 2009 seasons. You can read the stats here if you like. Its pretty ugly from the RU side of it. I won't go into the minutiae of it- but Syracuse, statistically one of the worst offensive teams in the country, was able to dominate Rutgers from start to finish with twice as many first downs and three times the total yardage. Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage was sacked an incredible nine times. The offense was bad, the defense was worse, and only the special teams seemed to have shown up at the Carrier Dome.

While following the game I started to think that maybe the premise of The Prisoner was taking place- a separate reality where people and things are the same yet different in a corner of a dreamer's subconscious. If that were the case "the dreamer" was wearing Syracuse Orange and RU was in for a few hours of torment in the Village otherwise called the Carrier Dome.

This was not the team that destroyed South Florida, so I thought....and it wasn't. But who were these guys?

Now naysayers and critics will start yelling "fraud". I won't, because any program that keeps going to bowl games and winning them while graduating their players is NOT a fraud. But its getting harder for even the most supportive fans to keep arguing their case to the critics. And frankly, its getting redundant.

Every Rutgers fan should be happy to have Greg Schiano as our coach. He took a program that was in the tank and rebuilt it the right way, without recruiting violations and with a minimum of off the field embarrassments. He recruits good kids who play hard and get their degrees. The fanbase has grown, and much of New Jersey has embraced Rutgers as New Jersey's College Football Team.

When Coach Schiano took over the program in 2001 the Rutgers Touchdown Club gave its members long sleeved tee shirts that had two words printed on the back.....It's Time.

It was time for the losing to stop, for the culture to turn around, for New Jersey to get its college football team, for the world to see Rutgers in a new light. Coach Schiano said he wanted to win a national Championship at Rutgers.

In 2001 we fans thought about first things first- it was more important for Rutgers to win a Big East Conference game. Things were so bad at Rutgers in 2001 that RU was in the midst of a eight game Big East losing streak that extended back to a 24-21 win over Syracuse in 1999. They lost the next game to Miami, and continued to go 0-7 in conference 2000. When Schiano took over Rutgers wouldn't win a conference game in 2001 or 2002, going 0-14 in the Big East. In 2003 RU lost to Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pitt. They had a 25 game conference losing streak going to then conference member Temple on October 25- Rutgers won that game at The Linc, 30-14. Think about it- a 25 game conference losing streak that spanned five seasons, two decades, and two millennium ended only a little more than six years ago.

Respectability as a program came that year and in 2004, though both were losing years. The turnaround began -and "the Chop" was born in 2005 with a 7-5 record and the first bowl appearance in in 27 years. Three more bowls followed, as will another after the 2009 season.

But once again...Its Time.

Rutgers is in a mode now of taking two steps forward and one back. The bowl appearances, the Thursday night wins, the 50,000 seat expanded stadium, the buzz on campus and in the state are great....but the program is treading water.

The goal for Rutgers is to be one of the elite programs. Elite programs don't have hangover losses after significant wins. Consider this- what do you think the likelihood Ohio State following up a win at Penn State with a loss at Indiana would be? Or maybe perhaps Florida smacking down LSU and getting beat at Vandy?

Slim and none. And that's what many prognosticators said about a Syracuse win over Rutgers. They saw RU as ready for Prime Time, that the arrival that was hinted at was finally here. They were wrong, we were wrong...and, sad to say, Rutgers was not worthy of a Top 25 ranking.

And because of this shocking loss, they probably won't see the Top 25 again in 2009. And probably deservedly so.

Rutgers has made great strides in the past decade, but now It Time once again. Its time to make the move and be a challenger to the Big East title, and not be eliminated from contention by Halloween. Its time to follow up big wins with wins over teams they are supposed to beat. Its time to reach and fulfill the promise they have hinted at over the past four years. Its time to shut the critics up once and for all. Its time for the fans to demand more...support the team and its Coach, but not be satisfied.

Its time for the Rutgers program to emerge from adolescence and hang out with the Big Boys. There is not a reason in the world for them not to be.

Everyone....Its time..

Some notes on other games Kudos go out to UCONN after their 33-30 double OT win over Notre Dame yesterday. It was the most significant win in the history of the program, and for all intents and purposes knocked Notre Dame out of contention from Gator Bowl consideration, and will probably go to the second place Big East team, which could be Cincinnati, Pitt, or even West Virginia. UCONN has had five losses by a total of 15 points, while the Irish have now lost three in a row, and back to back losses to Big East teams.

The win was for Jasper Howard, the slain defensive back was lost his life hours after UCONN's win against Louisville.

The question of whether Notre Dame will retain head coach Charlie Weis has yet to be determined.. My guess is that next week's game at Stanford would be his last.

And I wonder this out loud....how long will the rest of college football allow Notre Dame to be treated as a separate but equal partner in the BCS when they have not been relevant in the national discussion since the era of Lou Holtz, which ended in 1996? Notre Dame in the 21st century is like old world aristocracy, living off the reputation and accomplishments of their distinguished ancestors. And how long will it take before the Notre Dame administration comes clean and has to make a decision- are they serious about winning a national title as an independent where they make a fortune through TV and other revenues that they don't have to share with a conference? Or should they break down and join a conference where they can play their way to a conference title and a BCS bid? Do they want a return to football glory and a shot at a national title, or do they just going to keep the money, live off of past glory, and continue this tiresome kabuki dance they've been doing for a generation now?

Also yesterday- BJ Daniels and USF bounced back with a 34-22 win over Louisville after losing to Rutgers 31-0 a week ago last Thursday. Maybe they can win out the last two games, against Miami and Connecticut, and finish the regular season with nine wins. Rutgers fans should be thankful for USF; without them RU would be known as the most unpredictable team in the conference.

The Tattoosday Book Review: Tattoo Machine by Jeff Johnson

First, a point of clarification. I write blog posts with the ideal blog reader in mind. The ideal blog reader being me. And what I have noticed over the years is, despite the interest in the subject matter, it is rare that a blog post will hold my attention longer than a few paragraphs. This is why Tattoosday posts are generally brief, not drawn out, and some times split into multiple parts.

Similarly, my attempts at literary criticism are not as in-depth as many may like. I acknowledge that shortcoming while noting, for many, this is actually a plus.

That said, I am long overdue in reviewing Tattoo Machine: Tall Tales, True Stories, and My Life in Ink by Jeff Johnson.

Johnson is a tattoo artist and owner of the Sea Tramp Tattoo Company in Portland, Oregon.

As anyone in America can tell you, the rise in popularity of the art of tattooing has skyrocketed in the last twenty years, and the first decade of the 21st century has seen the acceptance of body art increase exponentially.

Johnson's book is not your typical tattoo primer (the fanciest of which has been Kat Von D's immensely successful High Voltage), but rather, a memoir of his life and experiences as a tattoo artist.

What separates Johnson from other tattoo writers is that he has a true gift for prose, a writing skill that eclipses the efforts of your standard "all about tattooing" books. As a result, the reader is sitting there in the shop with Jeff, listening to his story. I could hear the buzzing of machines and taste the neon in the air.

Case in point, a paragraph from Johnson's introduction:

"This isn't simply a memoir. It is also a personal look at the people behind an art form that has undergone a rebirth and is shaking the natal mucus from its drying wings as a new pool of exciting, schooled, and committed artists take their places. This is also a book about street shops and the artists that flourished or inexcusably withered in those fertile grounds. I want to give the reader a more complete picture of a tattoo artist's life and the lessons learned along the way, the things a TV show or a visit to your local establishment can't capture, the things people wonder about when they look through the window the first time and ask themselves What's really going on in there? This is what I've seen. You might not want to get a tattoo from me after reading this, but there you go..."

The narrative wends its way through Johnson's past to his present, getting the reader to appreciate the journey that led the author to the helm of the Sea Tramp.

He tells it like it is, warts and all. On shows like L.A. Ink, you don't get to see the unsavory characters that are often hindrances to a tattoo business. We get that here.

Part One, Dial Tone, dwells on the business side of tattooing, from employees and scheduling, to flash art and drawing, signs of a good shop, and shop lingo.

Part Two, Man's Ruin, provides a primer on the big problems confronting the business: drugs, criminals, scams and oddities. The oddities section certainly opened my eyes and made me realize any good artist wouldn't bat an eye lash over a mild case of psoriasis.

Part Three, Love and Hate, talks about the emotional journey that the author has taken.

Part Four, Wine, Song and Your Mama, deals with success.

Part Five, Tiny Revolutions, revisits the technical aspects of tattooing and spends a nice amount of time discussing the politics of tattooing and the regulation of the industry.

And the final section, Part 6, Smile Now, Cry Later discusses pranks, rivalries, and the life cycles of a couple of shops. Johnson does a nice job addressing that aching question: how does an artist feel when a great tattoo dies along with its host.

Ultimately, Tattoo Machine, despite its meandering, is a thoughtful, humorous and well-written volume on the life of a tattoo artist. Is it every tattooer's experience? Probably not. But I'd be surprised to find an artist who would read this book and not relate to anything between the covers.

We here at Tattoosday give Jeff Johnson's memoir a big thumbs up and a hearty recommendation.

~~~~~~~

Here's some more on Tattoo Machine.

And here's a real treat, a clip featuring Jeff and a discussion of Sea Tramp Tattoo Company:

Pressing Issues: A Mad Man's Greatest Hits

If you're a fan of MAD MEN you'll love this. Roger Sterling's BEST ONE LINERS, from Greg Mitchell's PRESSING ISSUES blog.

After that nasty loss to Syracuse I needed the laugh!

Pressing Issues: A Mad Man's Greatest Hits

Ouch! Knightmare In The Afternoon- Rutgers Falls To Syracuse 31-13

Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano put it this way in his post game press conference...."We didn't play well, we didn't coach well- and that's on me....my hat's off to Syracuse".

Rutgers was ranked #25 in the AP poll, 7-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big East. The Syracuse Orange came into the game at 3-7, 0-5 in conference. Rutgers was an eight point favorite.

An injury ravaged Syracuse ran the ball down Rutgers throats, and sacked Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage nine times in a 31-13 upset.

Ladies and gents, it was so bad that I decided at halftime to go to 5:30 Saturday night Mass. I could pray for Divine intervention and for mercy from the media hounds and critics of my beloved team....I know, the Man Upstairs has more important things to do than worry about point spreads.

To be honest, I had a lot of apprehension about this game. Rutgers historically has a problem after big Thursday night wins. In 2006 Rutgers beat #3 Louisville 28-25 on a Thursday night; the next Saturday following the Saturday bye they lost at Cincinnati 30-11. In 2007 RU defeated #2 USF 30-27 on a Thursday night, only to get spanked the following Saturday by West Virginia 31-3 (wearing horrible black jerseys at home to boot).

And this month RU beat # 24 USF on a Thursday night 31-0, only to lay an egg the next Saturday. What made this one so painful is that RU's loss was to a regional rival....and was the only conference win this year for the Orange, who have already been eliminated from bowl contention.

I'll be back tomorrow with my regular "12 Hours Later" feature to look at this surprising but predictable loss, and I'll talk some more about the Big East landscape, including that big win by UCONN over Notre Dame in overtime.

What's In A Name -"So Where's All The Trivia and The Crazy Rants?"

Some people may log on to this blog in search of obscure facts about individuals, places, and things, and are disappointed to see that there just ain't all the trivia they were expecting. So much for truth in advertising.

Others may visit, looking for Dennis Miller style angry monologues loaded with obscure cultural references that need annotations at every juncture. They too find that its lacking in the "rants" presented in the title of this blog.

So what gives? This is a blog that has minimal rants (usually involving political figures) and marginal trivia. So why the name?

The answer is....I didn't know where it came from. Until early this morning, that is. You see when I decided to start blogging I neglected to have a name for this bit of cyberspace. When I was asked to present a URL for this blog by GOOGLE my mind went blank. The first -and only- thing that popped into my mind was "Useless Trivia and Mindless Rants", kind of a backhanded poke at the pretentiousness and pompousness of blogging and bloggers- myself included. Because blogging itself can be an exercise in vanity, for better or worse. We're trying to show the rest of the world how smart we are- sometimes we get it right, other times we're lost. Admittedly.

The fact that I'm writing this and sharing with you is my admission of guilt.

Anyway....about this blog's name. I couldn't sleep last night so I popped on the TV and went to the ON DEMAND menu. IFC had the documentary about the history of MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS, featuring the surviving Pythons (John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin). I had watched chapter one previously and clicked on chapter two. The episode opened with the day the Pythons went into BBC headquarters in 1969 and talked about doing a show with the suits. The BBC brass gave them 13 shows initially- but when they asked the guys what was the name of the show they had none.

After throwing around some off the cuff names, they settled on Monty Python's Flying Circus. The name amused them, but made no sense- and it stuck. Some early audiences consisting mainly of elderly pensioners actually thought they were going to a circus- and they couldn't comprehend what they were seeing.

While watching the Python history my Inner Voice started babbling to me (again!).... the name "Monty Python's Flying Circus" was the inspiration for the name "Useless Trivia and Mindless Rants" .....but I didn't consciously know it until about 3:00 am this morning, after 801 previous posts and close to 15 months in the blogesphere.

Either that Inner Voice was right or else the old Ian Hunter album "You're Never Alone with A Schizophrenic" was more accurate than I had imagined.

So there you have it...the REAL reason for the name of this blog.

I'll see you later...."WE" must go food shopping.

Shom's Chakra

I met Shom very briefly as he was about to board a train at Penn Station.

Aside from shoulder pieces and Sanskrit text circling his upper left arm, he has a couple of other tattoos, including this one on his inner left forearm:


This piece represents one of the many chakra for meditation.

It was inked at Jinx Proof Tattoo in Washington, D.C. Work from that shop has appeared previously here.

Shom had to board his train before I could get more information, but I express sincere thanks for his brief participation here on Tattoosday!

Quick Hits For November 20, 2009; Ms. "O" Says She's Done, Craziness at "The Q" and Other Fun Stuff

Its Friday and time to throw some stories and links at you that may be of interest. from the sublime to the ridiculous, and all points in between, with some QUICK HITS

(1). To those of you who may have been asleep for the past twenty five years and have some catching up to do, you'd better hurry- Oprah Winfrey will be giving up her daily talk show in 2011 after a quarter of a century. She is expected to make the announcement today (Friday 11/20/09) on her show.

I've said in other entries we throw the term "icon" around too loosely- very often it is used regarding a person or thing that is trendy, one which appears to have staying power but often doesn't. There are few true icons, symbolic of an era in our history or pop culture; Lincoln, Elvis, The Babe....both first and last names are not necessary, one will suffice.

Oprah is among that elite, not just because of her place in television history but what she has meant to our culture and to her greater history as a nation. In the 1980's THE COSBY SHOW gave us a middle class African American family that became THE ideal American family of the era. And Oprah Winfrey came on the scene to become America's talk show host. Ms. Winfrey zoomed to the top and has stayed there for 23 years. She broke down barriers in this nation, and became a figure as important in our racial history as Jackie Robinson, Paul Robeson, or Bill Cosby. She came to us when a generation came of age in which color didn't matter anymore, and in doing so she became possibly the most influential person in the United States, and an international mega personality symbolic of an era....in other words, an icon.

For more on this story, click here.

(2). Great moments in TV censorship- Lucy and Desi can't say the word "pregnant" when "Lucy Ricardo" is carrying "Little Ricki"; Mary Tyler Moore's "Mary Richards" character is changed to single woman from divorcee shortly before production starts on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW because CBS was afraid America would reject a divorced woman. MASH takes place in a battlefield hospital with thousands of casualties- but no blood; in ALL IN THE FAMILY the Bunkers couldn't say the word or show a toilet, but we could always hear Archie flushing whenever Mike was looking for him; Barbara Eden couldn't show her naval in I DREAM OF JEANNIE; and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE- the list is too long. There have been chapters of books devoted to the battles SNL's writers and performers have had with NBC's standards and practices people.

And now its time to add another chapter to The Pantheon of Censorship. Its from our Jersey Girl pal Linda Moss on her Homeshoppingista blog. This one involves the folks at QVC. Linda reports that during the NARS cosmetics launch on QVC show host Lisa Robertson was forbidden to say out loud the name of one of the line's blushes.

The name of the product was ORGASM.

To add to the craziness she also reports that the word ORGASM was allowed on the screen, but could not be spoken out loud.

Then there was the fallout from the viewers, with some very interesting stuff happening on the QVC forums....

You can read more about at homeshoppingista.com.

(3). More from Miss Moss. Some have wondered "whatever happened to Judy Crowell?" Judy was a former QVC host who moved on to rival HSN with husband Paul Deasy to rival HSN a few years ago, and then both left HSN a few years ago. Linda is reporting that Judy will be debuting the Judy Crowell Collection fashion line of ShopNBC in the near future. Husband Paul Deasy has already made the move to the Minnesota based electronic retailer with a jewelry line. Check Linda's story by clicking here, and click here for more on Paul and Judy at PaulDeasy.com.

(4) From the world of sports, a sad story. Stefanie Spielman, wife of former NFL and Ohio State star Chris Spielman, has died at age 42, losing 12 year battle against breast cancer. She was thirty years old and pregnant when first diagnosed with the disease in 1998. I remember reading her story years ago, and that Chris left the NFL to stay home to care for her and their kids, and how he shaved his head when Stefanie's hair fell out after chemo.

The irony of her death coming on the heals of this week's mammography controversy involving new guidelines isn't lost on me. Her death was not in vain. Maybe her's is a cautionary tale that all women are vulnerable, not merely those of a certain age.

My condolences go out to the Spielman family.

(5). Just one more item in a parting shot this morning. I wonder if John McCain can relate to Mary Shelly's fictional Dr. Victor Frankenstein just a little more. Both gave birth to an out of control creature- the doctor's became the subject of countless movies, the Senator's is now on a nationwide book tour....and I'm not talking about Meghan.



"Its alive!!!!"