Tag: CBS Sports Radio

CBS Sports Radio: Rutgers football is ‘closer to being a bowl program now than they were when Schiano took over three years ago’

Rutgers football is close to becoming a bowl program again.

Rutgers football, set this fall for its fourth season under Greg Schiano, is heading in the right direction. The rebuild is coming along, albeit slowly, but the program is moving upward.

That was the take from Kristian Dyer of Rutgers Wire appeared on Dave Smith’s national show on CBS Sports Radio on Sunday morning to talk Big Ten football and conference expansion. But the first question was to key in on Rutgers and talk about the status of the program’s rebuild for a national audience.

Two dozen affiliates carry CBS Sports Radio and it also is on Sirius XM.

Rutgers has yet to be bowl eligible under Schiano and is looking to take that next step in their development in the next two seasons.

“This was a big rebuild that Greg Schiano took over and for those who remember about 20 years ago, he took over a very similar Rutgers program and it took about four years till when you begin to see things kind of shift and turn a little bit in terms of the rebuilding project,” Dyer said on Sunday morning in his conversation with Dave Smith.

“And then in 2005. his fourth season, they went off to Arizona, they played in the Insight Bowl against Arizona State and narrowly lost that game and then the next year was the ‘Pandemonium in Piscataway’ season when they knocked off Louisville, they finished top 25 in the nation and kind of had that run of bowl games where in the next six years that they made five bowl appearances – winning them all. And  (they)became somewhat of a pipeline of defensive backs and offensive linemen to the NFL, and particularly the New England Patriots.

“It became a more established program. So this is the point now for Schiano -this is year four (but) really you’re at (year) three since his first season was the pandemic season.

“But they’re starting to refill that pipeline. They’re starting to get more talent into the roster. It was a pretty extensive rebuild given the state of the program where they were as the program that Greg Schiano inherited but I think an exciting Rutgers is good for theBig Ten. It gets the New York City market buzzing.”

“Their first year in the Big Ten – 2014 – they were 8-5. Almost beat Penn State, won a bowl game – beat North Carolina. So the potential is there for them to not necessarily be the laughingstock program that I think people very often knee-jerk think of when they think of Rutgers. But I think things are headed in the right direction and they’re closer to being a bowl program now than they were when Schiano took over three years ago.”

To listen to the full interview, click here.

Smith and Dyer also discuss the future of the Big Ten and if the conference will expand further with Oregon and Washington looking to be likely additions.

For Rutgers football news, follow @KristianRDyer on Twitter.

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CBS Sports broadcaster has choice words for Ben Roethlisberger

Nothing like a guy complaining about someone complaining.

Zach Gelb and his comments have me all kinds of riled up this morning. Which is exactly what he wants — irate Steelers fans spreading his drivel all over social media.

Here’s what Gelb had to say on his CBS Sports Radio show, appropriately-titled “The Zach Gelb Show“.

“Big Ben is gonna complain, ‘I didn’t get my bye week when it was supposed to be, so now my bye week happened in Week 4. Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo.'”

“Aw, stop it, Big Ben! Enough of him. You have people who actually have real-life issues this year. People losing jobs, people losing loved ones. People getting diagnosed with this virus and testing positive. And I have to hear Big Ben, ‘We got the short-end of the stick. Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo.’

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“Enough of Big Ben. Stop your bitching, stop your complaining. I don’t want to hear it from Big Ben Roethlisberger. Like, shut-up, please.”

So, let’s get this straight: Zach Gelb is whining about Ben’s “whining.” Okay.

Of course, he’s a broadcaster, and that’s what broadcasters do to get ratings. Gelb is saying what he knows will gain traction and unleash the keyboard warriors. All from his cushy chair at home — or wherever he goes on air from.

Zach Gelb has absolutely NO CLUE about what it’s been like for players in the NFL today — the risks they’re taking to play the game that millions love. Gelb has never played a down of professional football in his life. He has absolutely NO CLUE how this no-fault-of-their-own fiasco has affected the Steelers and the adjustments they’ve had to make, how upending the schedule has left them at a major competitive disadvantage.

And even though Gelb is a member of the media, it’s clear he did not prep for this blithering segment. He has no clue that Ben’s “short-end of the stick” comment was in response to a question that literally asked, “Do you feel like you guys got the short end of the stick?” Ben didn’t just come out and start randomly “bitching” to the press, he was prompted.

The question was not about his feelings on the global pandemic or people losing jobs and lives. So for Gelb to frame it like Ben doesn’t care about the bigger picture of the environment we all live in is utter nonsense.

These are professional football players. They aren’t on the front lines saving lives. But they are, in a sense, “essential workers,” who have all chosen to play instead of opt-out. Why? Because it’s what they love doing and they’re keeping the millions of football fans entertained. I’m not blind; the money is impetus enough. The bottom line is, they are making sacrifices and rolling with the punches.

So, thanks, Ben. Thanks, Pittsburgh Steelers. Because as small as football is in the grand scheme of things, I honestly would be bored to tears without it.

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