What Iowa Sports Do You Follow Closely?

[HuckFinn]

I went to the Drake Relays when I was growing up with my dad and grandfather. It made an impression on me. Later on, I got to watch my older sister run there, including on a couple winning relay teams.

It took until my senior year of high school until I got my shot to run there. Fun fact, City High won every relay at Drake that year except the two I anchored. (Medley and 4x8). We got third in both and I felt like a total failure.

Getting a chance to go back and run there a couple times in college was amazing.

A few years back, my dad flew out and we drove (along with my boys) down to Eugene to watch the Hawks compete in the NCAA meet at Hayward Field.

If you are a fan of the sport, you owe it to yourself to watch a meet there someday. Doesn't matter what the meet is. Awesome facility built for track and field - serves as a mecca for the sport.

It'd be cool to watch the Big Ten championship meet there. Olympic trials would be incredible. Any good international meet in summer would be awesome, too. Maybe even the best option.

Great post!

 

[Northside Hawk]

I would get into volleyball and hockey more if Iowa had a decent team and actual team respectively. I love both sports.

We would go to Wisconsin volleyball at the old fieldhouse in Madison about once a year when our daughter played in high school. Got into a couple of their postseason and championship runs mostly for the sake of my daughter and her coach.

 

[Seth53]

I'm the exact opposite. I haven't been able to watch NBA since the late 90s. Better personalities by a mile, better game overall IMO. If you walk in my garage on a day there's no good live sports on, chances are you'll catch me slamming Coke Zeros and watching the 80s/90s Celtics/Bulls/Pistons/Lakers/'Blazers going at it. Even the Jazz games were phenominal.

If you have Netflix, watch 30 for 30: Celtics/Lakers: The Best of Enemies
Three parts.

It's some of the best TV I've watched.

"30 for 30" Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (TV Episode 2017) ⭐ 8.2 | Documentary, Biography, History

1h 41m | TV-G

www.imdb.com

 

[HuckFinn]

I would get into volleyball and hockey more if Iowa had a decent team and actual team respectively. I love both sports.

We would go to Wisconsin volleyball at the old fieldhouse in Madison about once a year when our daughter played in high school. Got into a couple of their postseason and championship runs mostly for the sake of my daughter and her coach.

Hey, North. Granddaughter Kirsten is a junior at UW Green Bay, division 1, Horizon League, on a 4 year full scholarship in volleyball. 6’1”+ blocker and kills, second place on the team. Sadly, tore up an ankle and is medical red shirt for the rest of this season. I live an hour from GB, so follow closely.

 

[BigD]

Drake Relays is the best T&F event in the Midwest bar done. high school, college, and pro all in one spot.

Totally agree.

 

[CP87]

I'm the exact opposite. I haven't been able to watch NBA since the late 90s. Better personalities by a mile, better game overall IMO. If you walk in my garage on a day there's no good live sports on, chances are you'll catch me slamming Coke Zeros and watching the 80s/90s Celtics/Bulls/Pistons/Lakers/'Blazers going at it. Even the Jazz games were phenominal.

For me, basketball will always be star-driven, and since the HS to pro era, and the subsequent one-and-done era, MBB just doesn't have stars. Whereas the NBA is lousy with stars (this has been aided by the influx of Euro talent). I don't sit down an watch games on a nightly basis, but I enjoy scouring highlights.

Conversely, on the women's side of things, players stay 4 years and become stars in college. Further, the WNBA is a mess in how it is run (particularly officiating), so WBB >>> WNBA.

 

[Fryowa]

For me, basketball will always be star-driven, and since the HS to pro era, and the subsequent one-and-done era, MBB just doesn't have stars. Whereas the NBA is lousy with stars (this has been aided by the influx of Euro talent). I don't sit down an watch games on a nightly basis, but I enjoy scouring highlights.

Conversely, on the women's side of things, players stay 4 years and become stars in college. Further, the WNBA is a mess in how it is run (particularly officiating), so WBB >>> WNBA.

My take on that is I don't need stars in college ball. It's good basketball no matter who the players are and there's no denying it's miles more exciting than watching a 145-128 snoozefest with 3 "star" players on the bench because they're so tired they need 2 games off a week. It's slow-paced, non-physical, boring basketball with boring crowds IMO.

I just grew up in an era where you could watch Bird/Jordan/Malone/Johnson/Laimbeer/Olajuwon/Stockton/Rodman/Drexler/McHale duke it out any night of the week on network TV and it ruined me.

 

[CP87]

My take on that is I don't need stars in college ball. It's good basketball no matter who the players are and there's no denying it's miles more exciting than watching a 145-128 snoozefest with 3 "star" players on the bench because they're so tired they need 2 games off a week. It's slow-paced, non-physical, boring basketball with boring crowds IMO.

I just grew up in an era where you could watch Bird/Jordan/Malone/Johnson/Laimbeer/Olajuwon/Stockton/Rodman/Drexler/McHale duke it out any night of the week on network TV and it ruined me.

Yeah, any criticism of NBA regular season is totally legit. Across the league, there will be a dozen highlights per week that are mind-blowing, but watching an entire game would be a slog.

But NBA playoff action is second to none.