Anybody Not Bothered By This Contract Extension?

MWS604 said:
Here's my take - Barta doesn't like being pressured to fire the FB or BB HC. Since Lickliter's buyout was so low a few big time donors could cough up the cash to buy him out. With KF's buyout so high, even though people were clamoring for his head in 2014, a coaching change was financially impossible. The very next year, the Hawkeyes finished the season 12-2. Putting the basketball buyout at $10+ mil does the same thing for the Basketball program. It forces cooler heads to prevail.

So my answer is no, the contract extension doesn't bother me. I still think that FM has a few longstanding weaknesses (TO management, bad perimeter defense, 10-11 man rotations) but they have always been there, even during the NCAA tourney years. My guess is that in the next year or two we will likely return to the NCAA tourney. KF is also has a longstanding weakness - bland offenses with WRs that are glorified downfield blockers. But he manages to go 8-5 or better most years (12-19).

Although many of us wish our AD set the "success bar" a little higher, most of the people making contributions are happy with having "slow and steady", clean programs, that have "good" years more often than not. Look around the sports complexes and see all the facility improvements for all of the IA sports programs. Financially, IA sports are very successful, despite the fact that we are a bottom-feeder in the Directors' Cup annually.

So long as there is such a negative correlation between financial and athletic performance, why make your job any harder by firing a coach? Besides the new one you bring in might not turn out to be an improvement after all.

I know, buzz killer ...
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I got depressed after reading this
 
With each passing year over the last decade+, my passion for Hawkeye sports has steadily waned to the point of being on life support. There was a time I really lamented losing one of my life-long passions and activities but, any more, I don't pay that much attention (still don't even know the final score for the Nebraska bball game).

Sure, there are a few moments, here and there, that are memorable and special and you feel some pride. There are a few more where, if I watch, I flare up and spout off. The majority of the time, I just find myself shaking my head in disappointment / disgust, then, shrugging it off in apathy.

There's just nothing more that can or needs to be said, no more polls, no more assessments, no more suggestions, no more complaints ... none of it matters or makes a difference. Gary Barta and the BTN have won.

We common fans are waaay down the list of importance to the $urvival of the athletic program. As long as big donor$ and corporate $pon$ors keep coughing it up for their photo ops, back slaps and private facility tours with KF and FMac ... as long as the Big10-or-so keeps up with its socialistic distribution of wealth from the BTN and bowls ... who gives a rip about a few thousand disgruntled fans and their measly $1000 season ticket going through their seasonal gripes about the lack of success. Gary Barta knows that most of you have proven to be nothing more than blowhards and gutless rubes when it comes to actually walking with your wallets and he looks forward to sending you his gratitude in a cheery, form e-mail when you renew next year.

Gary Barta doesn't feel one flicker of flame of heat to worry about the quality of product on the field or court, let alone that he would be fired. All the proof you need is one glance at his atrocious track record in the "Directors Cup" (see CJHawkeye's signature line). If that's not enough, take a look at the verdict and settlement in his discrimination case.

Good Lord, if that glad-handing, smarmy, git hasn't been fired by now, he never will be! As long as he avoids any sort of complicit connection to sexual abuse (which is the level of despicable you have to meet these days in order to stir up enough outrage to be fired) he's golden and the University of Iowa athletics is anchored to mediocrity.

Bottom line ... sit down, shut up and live with it for the foreseeable future. It's the Iowa way.
 
These things are becoming clear to me:

Fran seems to be overrated as a coach...

Poor game coaching: time outs, rotations, defensive schemes, plays...

Poor recruiting: PG lacking, a collection of similar, slower players

Poor fundamentals: perhaps puzzling and maddening help identify what it looks like

Poor results: in his tenure, hasn't accomplished much of anything that "counts" when identifying top level coaches

He, like many other coaches, is defined by other coaches as being "top notch" able to "get his team on the right track" etc. etc. Smoke and mirrors...

He also seems to be a poor leader with highly erratic behaviors that unsettle rather than settle a young and floundering team.

His main accomplishment is that he isn't Lichliter

It is pretty astounding that after about 8 years this season has turned into a complete disaster, when it was supposed to be the season where he could show what it is like to run his system with a roster of players who fit the system...hand picked by him.

Contract extension...bonuses...we expect that at Iowa, don't we. Reward failure in BB and FB...

Sigh...

Or...I could be wrong...
 
DDThompson said:
Barta’s idea of leverage is saying he’s not signing the check until the coach puts the numbers in the blank check that the coach wants.

Then — and only then — will Barta sign his name.
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ROFLMAO!!!!!................ tears..............POST OF THE YEAR............. ribs hurting from laughing so hard.
 
Looks like the heat is increasing a bit on GarBar (yeah, I know....wishful thinking). Keith Murphy did a piece of the "silent" contract extension and now the QC Times has an article criticizing it as well. Finally the sports media are growing a pair. Could there be some momentum growing? .... One can only hope.
 
STILLBUSTER said:
With each passing year over the last decade+, my passion for Hawkeye sports has steadily waned to the point of being on life support. There was a time I really lamented losing one of my life-long passions and activities but, any more, I don't pay that much attention (still don't even know the final score for the Nebraska bball game).

Sure, there are a few moments, here and there, that are memorable and special and you feel some pride. There are a few more where, if I watch, I flare up and spout off. The majority of the time, I just find myself shaking my head in disappointment / disgust, then, shrugging it off in apathy.

There's just nothing more that can or needs to be said, no more polls, no more assessments, no more suggestions, no more complaints ... none of it matters or makes a difference. Gary Barta and the BTN have won.

We common fans are waaay down the list of importance to the $urvival of the athletic program. As long as big donor$ and corporate $pon$ors keep coughing it up for their photo ops, back slaps and private facility tours with KF and FMac ... as long as the Big10-or-so keeps up with its socialistic distribution of wealth from the BTN and bowls ... who gives a rip about a few thousand disgruntled fans and their measly $1000 season ticket going through their seasonal gripes about the lack of success. Gary Barta knows that most of you have proven to be nothing more than blowhards and gutless rubes when it comes to actually walking with your wallets and he looks forward to sending you his gratitude in a cheery, form e-mail when you renew next year.

Gary Barta doesn't feel one flicker of flame of heat to worry about the quality of product on the field or court, let alone that he would be fired. All the proof you need is one glance at his atrocious track record in the "Directors Cup" (see CJHawkeye's signature line). If that's not enough, take a look at the verdict and settlement in his discrimination case.

Good Lord, if that glad-handing, smarmy, git hasn't been fired by now, he never will be! As long as he avoids any sort of complicit connection to sexual abuse (which is the level of despicable you have to meet these days in order to stir up enough outrage to be fired) he's golden and the University of Iowa athletics is anchored to mediocrity.

Bottom line ... sit down, shut up and live with it for the foreseeable future. It's the Iowa way.
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Well said along with REV’s comments.

All we can hope is that Frans sons and the kid coming in next season can significantly improve the guard position. Seriously how could we be worse???

Ok if Cook were to leave (transfer or try to go pro) then yes we would be much worse. Ok que the people that argued we me last year that losing Joc wasn’t a big deal and that we would actually be better this year.:rolleyes:
 
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STILLBUSTER said:
With each passing year over the last decade+, my passion for Hawkeye sports has steadily waned to the point of being on life support. There was a time I really lamented losing one of my life-long passions and activities but, any more, I don't pay that much attention (still don't even know the final score for the Nebraska bball game).

Sure, there are a few moments, here and there, that are memorable and special and you feel some pride. There are a few more where, if I watch, I flare up and spout off. The majority of the time, I just find myself shaking my head in disappointment / disgust, then, shrugging it off in apathy.

There's just nothing more that can or needs to be said, no more polls, no more assessments, no more suggestions, no more complaints ... none of it matters or makes a difference. Gary Barta and the BTN have won.

We common fans are waaay down the list of importance to the $urvival of the athletic program. As long as big donor$ and corporate $pon$ors keep coughing it up for their photo ops, back slaps and private facility tours with KF and FMac ... as long as the Big10-or-so keeps up with its socialistic distribution of wealth from the BTN and bowls ... who gives a rip about a few thousand disgruntled fans and their measly $1000 season ticket going through their seasonal gripes about the lack of success. Gary Barta knows that most of you have proven to be nothing more than blowhards and gutless rubes when it comes to actually walking with your wallets and he looks forward to sending you his gratitude in a cheery, form e-mail when you renew next year.

Gary Barta doesn't feel one flicker of flame of heat to worry about the quality of product on the field or court, let alone that he would be fired. All the proof you need is one glance at his atrocious track record in the "Directors Cup" (see CJHawkeye's signature line). If that's not enough, take a look at the verdict and settlement in his discrimination case.

Good Lord, if that glad-handing, smarmy, git hasn't been fired by now, he never will be! As long as he avoids any sort of complicit connection to sexual abuse (which is the level of despicable you have to meet these days in order to stir up enough outrage to be fired) he's golden and the University of Iowa athletics is anchored to mediocrity.

Bottom line ... sit down, shut up and live with it for the foreseeable future. It's the Iowa way.
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It's going to hurt Iowa athletics down the line. Future generations are not going to pay to watch it. I have 2 sons in high school that play sports, that couldn't care less about Iowa athletics. I used to take them to football and basketball games when they were kids. Barta caused me to cancel my season tickets after 2008-09 season in basketball and 2010 (football). They don't even want to watch it on TV.
College sports is it's own generational feeder system. Continue to squeeze the average fan out with apathy and/or prices and you strangle off your own base as time goes by. We couldn't sell out the final couple of games in the 2015 football season, for Christ sakes! When was the last time we sold out season tickets in either football or Basketball.
 
lightning1 said:
It's going to hurt Iowa athletics down the line. Future generations are not going to pay to watch it. I have 2 sons in high school that play sports, that couldn't care less about Iowa athletics. I used to take them to football and basketball games when they were kids. Barta caused me to cancel my season tickets after 2008-09 season in basketball and 2010 (football). They don't even want to watch it on TV.
College sports is it's own generational feeder system. Continue to squeeze the average fan out with apathy and/or prices and you strangle off your own base as time goes by. We couldn't sell out the final couple of games in the 2015 football season, for Christ sakes! When was the last time we sold out season tickets in either football or Basketball.
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This is spot on. I had season tickets for football for 10+ years and gave them up because I had 2 young kids that I wanted to spend time with on the weekends that were too young to go to games. As time passed the kids are older, and are at that age where they could start going week in and week out, but now its an issue of whether or not the product is worth the price of the extra tickets. Sure we may hit a game periodically and I may go with friends some times, but there's no longer the desire to watch from the stands as opposed to watch on TV. Not sure what it's like now as I'm not there every day, but I tend to remember the "middle aged" fan being few and far between at games as it was mostly an older or student based crowd.

That said, the beauty is every year they want us to pay more for less. Can't wait for the next ticket increase!!! I'm sure that'll get me back there sooner.
 
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