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Yesterday, as Rutgers was getting mauled by Michigan State, the tenor of social media went from "Hey this Big Ten thing is fun" to "MY EYES. MY EYES! MY EYES!!!"
And one prominent Rutgers booster, Jon Newman (of RVision fame), took to Twitter and called out the man in charge. No, not Robert Barchi, but football money guru Greg Brown.
This is not a football issue. It's a leadership issue. We stand still as others pass us by. Cc: @gregbrownmoto #Rutgers
— Jon Newman (@jonnew) November 22, 2014
#Rutgers fans on Twitter it's time @gregbrownmoto heard from you directly. He's the guy who can make the changes at the top.
— Jon Newman (@jonnew) November 22, 2014
Initially, other fans joined on with Newman, taking head coach Kyle Flood to task. Steve Politi pushed this issue as well pointing out that fans were fed up with blowouts. But Jon immediately pointed out it wasn't Flood he was talking about.
.@KyleFloodRU Please accept my apologies for others' misunderstanding. None of my previous tweets were directed as you.
— Jon Newman (@jonnew) November 22, 2014
Those who reacted to my tweets. To be clear I'm talking about LEADERSHIP and the ability to compete in all sports and for dollars. #Rutgers
— Jon Newman (@jonnew) November 22, 2014
It's clear Jon's not just upset about the coaching.
Money does wonders. Maryland, who has had a ton of Athletic Department debt, is still planning toi create a new shiny football facility out of Cole Fieldhouse. And Sean Frazier--who came in 2nd for Rutgers AD job--in less than a year on the job at Northern Illinois University, unveiled a plan for a 138 million dollar privately funded facility upgrade.
Meanwhile, Rutgers is mired in feasibility reports and rearranged offices. They will be building a full on indoor baseball facility this upcoming year, and that's great. But bigger plans need to be put into effect, and someone needs to take the reins of political capital and start looking at the bigger plan. If Maryland can do it, then so can Rutgers.
One tends to wonder, however, how much political capital there can be when fundraising isn't high enough to garner the Athletic Director the annual bonus she receives if donations reach a certain point.
Money is an issue at Rutgers, and it can be gotten. But the leaders, whether that is Julie Hermann, Robert Barchi, or Greg Brown, need to step up and make the changes needed to bring in that money. Politics and red tape need to be cut through.
Rutgers can't be a Big Ten school in name only. There is a arms race going on, and Rutgers is falling behind. Basketball should come first. They need a practice facility. I've said it over and over. But beyond that, all sports need money, and it's up to Rutgers' leadership to find a way to bring that cash in.