Attn Hawkfromnorwalk

Not HFN...but this is always very laffy and pathetic at the same time:

Paul Clark's article about Iowa before the 2008 season. Iowa beat ISU that year 17-5 in Iowa City. Then went 9-4 the following year, with a 35-3 beat down of ISU in Ames...followed by 11-2 the year after that, with a 35-7 beat down of ISU in Iowa City. So Paul writes this garbage, and Iowa goes on to win 3 in a row.

Enjoy...


The current powder keg situation involving the University of Iowa football program is above all else, a situation of human tragedy. It's serious, serious stuff and that can't be forgotten and can't be moved off the top line on the list of what's most important about the entire issue. A young woman claims she was sexually assaulted, her chastity taken away forever against her will. Her angry and distraught parents allege the university failed in its responsibilities and obligations to the young woman and to them. And two young men face the possibility of the best years of their adult lives being spent behind bars. Even if deserved, and that is yet to be decided in a court of law, it's still tragic.

But this is a sports medium and what happens at Iowa in the athletic arena affects Iowa State in the athletic arena. So it is an ISU sports story, too. For the purpose of commentary on and analysis of Cyclone sports, it's a valid topic for this space. We'll leave the heavier commentary and analysis for the more suitable media and writers. We do sports here, so sports it is.

The Iowa State football program has a window of opportunity opening up to take advantage of all that ails Iowa football right now, including but not limited to the current headline-grabbing situation. In short, Iowa football is teetering on the brink of freefall and ISU has a chance to help itself by contributing a shove that will help send the Hawkeyes over that edge. Iowa's wounds are self-inflicted so there's no obligation to pull punches. If Iowa football found itself in a bad place through circumstances not its own doing, it would be bad form for ISU to compete with the Hawkeyes looking for the jugular. But that's not the case.

No, Iowa's undoing is its own. Three straight 10-win seasons dripping with good fortune, good luck, good breaks and over-their-head play had Hawkeye fans believing the program was really that good. National. Elite. Championship. Kirk Ferentz and staff set the bar awfully high for themselves and were desperate to clear it. Hard-working overachievers had taken the Hawkeyes to no. 8 in the country ? three years in a row, no less ? but that wasn't good enough. Unbelievably, that wasn't good enough. And they knew it was going to take a better athlete to go any higher, to get to number one, where the Iowa faithful actually believed Iowa should be.

The Iowa staff was right in its analysis but wrong to succumb to the unrealistic pressure of going higher. Values were compromised, good sense was set aside, character was demoted and ethics and integrity were given leave. The Hawkeyes assembled recruiting classes that were blue chip when it came to the tangibles but red flag when it came to the intangibles. Iowa wasn't at a level where it could get the four-star and five-star kids that didn't come from the scratch and dent aisle. It never will be. Those prospects who could both play and think went to the truly elite schools like they always have and will. The Hawkeyes resorted to the kids with four-star and five-star bodies but no-star heads and hearts. Unrealistic greed won out over realistic contentment.

And then predictably and on cue, karma caught up with Iowa football. Every bounce didn't go Iowa's way, every miracle play wasn't produced by a Hawkeye, every key injury wasn't on the opponent's roster and not theirs. When the Hawkeyes beat LSU with "The Catch" in January of 2005, you just knew their football genie had just granted the last wish. Sure, Iowa would still be average or a little better, but it was time to even things out. Three straight teams with the talent and ability to win six or seven games had won ten or eleven. The Hawkeyes were living on credit and the bills were going to come due. Sure enough, over the next three years, teams with the talent and ability to win six or seven games won ? six or seven games. And playing up to their ability, the equivalent of living within their means, just isn't good enough for the Hawkeye masses.

So what does it all mean for Iowa State? It means attack. Iowa is reeling, of its own doing, and ISU must attack. It must attack on the recruiting front, both for in-state and out-of-state kids that both programs offer and want. The gloves have to come off. The Cyclones can be and should be recruiting against Iowa on the offensive, not on the defensive. Plenty of lifelong Hawkeye fans are openly questioning what is going on with their football program, both silently and aloud. High school seniors that have grown up cheering for Iowa have got to be doing the same thing. Ditto for their parents. And if they aren't, they should be, and someone needs to tell them so. A lot of prospects fall in love with the ISU coaches, who they are, what they are. That has to become a red-letter selling point, making it higher priority for prospects and their families. Warm, embracing and passionate vs. cold, distant and calculating. You make the call.

It means attack on the football field on September 13. A win in Iowa City opens the door to taking control of the series again, of stringing together a few victories in a row. Getting a road win is the first step in making that happen. A distracted Iowa coaching staff with its future very much in doubt will still be in limbo, waiting for the latest investigative report from the Board of Regents. Just winning would be enough, but if the chance is there to pile on, then pile on. When Iowa football was down before, ISU head coach Dan McCarney seemed to take it easy on his alma mater and coaching friends, almost out of obligation. Gene Chizik has no such encumbrance. But by 1 or 21, at the end of the day, another loss to Iowa State ? any loss ? would leave Kirk Ferentz and Iowa football staggered at worst and on the canvas at best.

What's bad for Iowa football is good for Iowa State football, and vice versa. Choose to not believe that if you'd like, but it's true. Hayden Fry wasn't afraid to respect ISU enough to know that if he kept the Cyclones down, he had a much better chance of keeping Iowa up. Beating Iowa State was step one for Fry at Iowa and he obviously did a good job of it. To the point it was taken for granted and forgotten by almost everyone in black and gold except Fry. For better or worse, ISU has never beaten Iowa enough to take it for granted and has never lost sight of how important it is. It's step one ? yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever. Naturally, Iowa State can't rely on trouble at Iowa to gain the upper hand in the rivalry. But it danged sure better do everything it can to capitalize when it happens.
 
Benddontbreak said:
"Three straight 10-win seasons dripping with good fortune, good luck, good breaks and over-their-head play had Hawkeye fans believing the program was really that good.â€￾

"And then predictably and on cue, karma caught up with Iowa football. Every bounce didn't go Iowa's way, every miracle play wasn't produced by a Hawkeye, every key injury wasn't on the opponent's roster and not theirs.â€￾

"Warm, embracing and passionate vs. cold, distant and calculating. You make the call.â€￾
Click to expand...

Im sure there are some times where opponents key players were hurt but I cant think of a single one.
 
Somebody beat me to teh punch. Sorry I let you guys down. As for this masterpiece, this...this needs to be engraved in stone and placed into teh entryway of teh new Iowa football facility.
 
spliff45 said:
Not HFN...but this is always very laffy and pathetic at the same time:

Paul Clark's article about Iowa before the 2008 season. Iowa beat ISU that year 17-5 in Iowa City. Then went 9-4 the following year, with a 35-3 beat down of ISU in Ames...followed by 11-2 the year after that, with a 35-7 beat down of ISU in Iowa City. So Paul writes this garbage, and Iowa goes on to win 3 in a row.

Enjoy...


The current powder keg situation involving the University of Iowa football program is above all else, a situation of human tragedy. It's serious, serious stuff and that can't be forgotten and can't be moved off the top line on the list of what's most important about the entire issue. A young woman claims she was sexually assaulted, her chastity taken away forever against her will. Her angry and distraught parents allege the university failed in its responsibilities and obligations to the young woman and to them. And two young men face the possibility of the best years of their adult lives being spent behind bars. Even if deserved, and that is yet to be decided in a court of law, it's still tragic.

But this is a sports medium and what happens at Iowa in the athletic arena affects Iowa State in the athletic arena. So it is an ISU sports story, too. For the purpose of commentary on and analysis of Cyclone sports, it's a valid topic for this space. We'll leave the heavier commentary and analysis for the more suitable media and writers. We do sports here, so sports it is.

The Iowa State football program has a window of opportunity opening up to take advantage of all that ails Iowa football right now, including but not limited to the current headline-grabbing situation. In short, Iowa football is teetering on the brink of freefall and ISU has a chance to help itself by contributing a shove that will help send the Hawkeyes over that edge. Iowa's wounds are self-inflicted so there's no obligation to pull punches. If Iowa football found itself in a bad place through circumstances not its own doing, it would be bad form for ISU to compete with the Hawkeyes looking for the jugular. But that's not the case.

No, Iowa's undoing is its own. Three straight 10-win seasons dripping with good fortune, good luck, good breaks and over-their-head play had Hawkeye fans believing the program was really that good. National. Elite. Championship. Kirk Ferentz and staff set the bar awfully high for themselves and were desperate to clear it. Hard-working overachievers had taken the Hawkeyes to no. 8 in the country ? three years in a row, no less ? but that wasn't good enough. Unbelievably, that wasn't good enough. And they knew it was going to take a better athlete to go any higher, to get to number one, where the Iowa faithful actually believed Iowa should be.

The Iowa staff was right in its analysis but wrong to succumb to the unrealistic pressure of going higher. Values were compromised, good sense was set aside, character was demoted and ethics and integrity were given leave. The Hawkeyes assembled recruiting classes that were blue chip when it came to the tangibles but red flag when it came to the intangibles. Iowa wasn't at a level where it could get the four-star and five-star kids that didn't come from the scratch and dent aisle. It never will be. Those prospects who could both play and think went to the truly elite schools like they always have and will. The Hawkeyes resorted to the kids with four-star and five-star bodies but no-star heads and hearts. Unrealistic greed won out over realistic contentment.

And then predictably and on cue, karma caught up with Iowa football. Every bounce didn't go Iowa's way, every miracle play wasn't produced by a Hawkeye, every key injury wasn't on the opponent's roster and not theirs. When the Hawkeyes beat LSU with "The Catch" in January of 2005, you just knew their football genie had just granted the last wish. Sure, Iowa would still be average or a little better, but it was time to even things out. Three straight teams with the talent and ability to win six or seven games had won ten or eleven. The Hawkeyes were living on credit and the bills were going to come due. Sure enough, over the next three years, teams with the talent and ability to win six or seven games won ? six or seven games. And playing up to their ability, the equivalent of living within their means, just isn't good enough for the Hawkeye masses.

So what does it all mean for Iowa State? It means attack. Iowa is reeling, of its own doing, and ISU must attack. It must attack on the recruiting front, both for in-state and out-of-state kids that both programs offer and want. The gloves have to come off. The Cyclones can be and should be recruiting against Iowa on the offensive, not on the defensive. Plenty of lifelong Hawkeye fans are openly questioning what is going on with their football program, both silently and aloud. High school seniors that have grown up cheering for Iowa have got to be doing the same thing. Ditto for their parents. And if they aren't, they should be, and someone needs to tell them so. A lot of prospects fall in love with the ISU coaches, who they are, what they are. That has to become a red-letter selling point, making it higher priority for prospects and their families. Warm, embracing and passionate vs. cold, distant and calculating. You make the call.

It means attack on the football field on September 13. A win in Iowa City opens the door to taking control of the series again, of stringing together a few victories in a row. Getting a road win is the first step in making that happen. A distracted Iowa coaching staff with its future very much in doubt will still be in limbo, waiting for the latest investigative report from the Board of Regents. Just winning would be enough, but if the chance is there to pile on, then pile on. When Iowa football was down before, ISU head coach Dan McCarney seemed to take it easy on his alma mater and coaching friends, almost out of obligation. Gene Chizik has no such encumbrance. But by 1 or 21, at the end of the day, another loss to Iowa State ? any loss ? would leave Kirk Ferentz and Iowa football staggered at worst and on the canvas at best.

What's bad for Iowa football is good for Iowa State football, and vice versa. Choose to not believe that if you'd like, but it's true. Hayden Fry wasn't afraid to respect ISU enough to know that if he kept the Cyclones down, he had a much better chance of keeping Iowa up. Beating Iowa State was step one for Fry at Iowa and he obviously did a good job of it. To the point it was taken for granted and forgotten by almost everyone in black and gold except Fry. For better or worse, ISU has never beaten Iowa enough to take it for granted and has never lost sight of how important it is. It's step one ? yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever. Naturally, Iowa State can't rely on trouble at Iowa to gain the upper hand in the rivalry. But it danged sure better do everything it can to capitalize when it happens.
Click to expand...

Wow--it was nice for this guy to take a break from his Dungeons and Dragons game to write this.

Holy hyperbole.
 
from rivals - comparison of the two programs since this op ed was written....

Overall Record:
Iowa: 49-30
Iowa State: 29-48

Bowl Records;
Iowa: 3-2
Iowa State: 1-2

BCS Appearances:
Iowa: 1 (Iowa defeated Georgia Tech)
Iowa State: 0

Players Drafted:
Iowa: 27 (Including 3 first rounders)
Iowa State: 6

Iowa vs. Iowa State:
Iowa 4 wins
Iowa State: 2 wins
 
from rivals - the article in reverse:

The Iowa football program has a window of opportunity that's been wide open for roughly 35 years to take advantage of all that ails Iowa State football, including but not limited to the recent headline-grabbing losses that have become routine for the ISU program. In short, Iowa State football is, per usual, teetering on the brink of freefall and Iowa likely will help itself by contributing a shove that will help send ISU's current coaching staff over that edge. Iowa State's wounds are self-inflicted so there's no obligation to pull punches. If Iowa State football found itself in a bad place through circumstances not its own doing, it would be bad form for Iowa to compete with the Cyclones looking for the jugular. But that's not the case.

No, Iowa State's undoing is its own. Two straight 6-win seasons dripping with good fortune, good luck, good breaks and over-their-head play had Cyclone fans believing the program was really that good. Average. Almost noticeable. Bowl qualifiers. Paul Rhoads and staff set the bar awfully high for themselves and were desperate to clear it. Overachieving Gene Chizik recruits had taken the Cyclones to one game over .500 - with one bowl win, no less -- but that wasn't good enough. Unbelievably, that wasn't good enough. And they knew it was going to take a better athlete to go any higher, to get to the middle of the Big 12, where the Iowa State faithful actually believed Iowa State should be.

The Iowa State staff was right in its analysis but wrong to succumb to the unrealistic pressure of going higher. Values were compromised, good sense was set aside, character was demoted and ethics and integrity were given leave. The Cyclones assembled JUCO-loaded recruiting classes that never had a chance. Iowa State wasn't at a level where it could get the three-star kids that didn't come from the scratch and dent aisle. It never will be. Those prospects who could sometimes play and occasionally think went to average schools like they always have and will, not to water-quality havens like Ames. The Cyclones resorted to the kids with three-star bodies but no-star heads and hearts. Unrealistic greed won out over realistic contentment.

And then predictably and on cue, karma caught up with Iowa State football. Every bounce didn't go Iowa State's way, every fourth-down miracle conversion play wasn't converted by a Cyclone, every key injury wasn't on the opponent's roster and not theirs. When the Cyclones beat Nebraska with "The Eight Turnovers" in October of 2009, you just knew their football genie had just granted the last wish. Sure, Iowa State would still be slightly below average or a little worse, but it was time to even things out. Three straight teams with the talent and ability to win three or four games had won five or seven. The Cyclones were living on credit and the bills were going to come due. Sure enough, last year a team with the talent and ability to win three games won three games. And playing up to their ability, the equivalent of living within their means, just isn't good enough for the Cyclone masses.

So what does it all mean for Iowa. It means ignore. Iowa State is reeling, of its own doing, and Iowa, as usual, will focus on other things that matter. Anything but Iowa State. Iowa will continue to best ISU on the recruiting front, both for in-state and out-of-state kids that both programs offer and want. The gloves haven't come off. They were never on. The Hawkeyes can be and should be recruiting as they see fit, with no thought given to ISU. Plenty of lifelong Cyclone fans are openly questioning what is going on with their football program, both silently and aloud. High school seniors that have grown up never cheering for Iowa State are still doing the same thing. A lot of prospects fall in love with the Iowa coaches, who they are, what they are. That has to become a red-letter selling point, making it higher priority for prospects and their families. Warm, embracing and passionate vs. fat, dumb and awful. You make the call.

It means another Iowa win on the football field on Sept. 13. A win in Iowa City is expected and changes nothing really. A distracted Iowa State coaching staff with its future very much in doubt will still be in limbo, waiting for the next starter to quit. Just winning would be enough, but if the chance is there to pile on, then pile on. When Iowa State football was down before, Iowa head coach Hayden Fry tallied victories by 41, 43, and 54 points, almost out of obligation. By 1 or 51, at the end of the day, another loss to Iowa -- any loss -- would leave Paul Rhoads, Mark Mangino and Iowa State football sending resumes at worst and in the buffet line at best.

What's bad for Iowa State football is most irrelevant for Iowa football. Choose to not believe that if you'd like, but it's true. Dan McCarney wasn't afraid to respect Iowa enough to know that if he won one game a year, he had a much better chance of keeping his job. Beating Iowa was the only goal for McCarney at Iowa State and he obviously did a slightly above average (6-5) job of it. To the point it was his sole focus and ignored by almost everyone in black and gold after 2002. For better or worse, Iowa has generally beaten Iowa State enough to take it for granted and has never lost sight of how unimportant it is compared to bowls and conference championships. It's barely on the radar -- yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever. Naturally, Iowa doesn't have to rely on trouble at Iowa State to maintain the upper hand in the rivalry. But it danged sure is fun to capitalize when it happens.
 
spliff45 said:
Not HFN...but this is always very laffy and pathetic at the same time:

Paul Clark's article about Iowa before the 2008 season. Iowa beat ISU that year 17-5 in Iowa City. Then went 9-4 the following year, with a 35-3 beat down of ISU in Ames...followed by 11-2 the year after that, with a 35-7 beat down of ISU in Iowa City. So Paul writes this garbage, and Iowa goes on to win 3 in a row.

The Iowa staff was right in its analysis but wrong to succumb to the unrealistic pressure of going higher. Values were compromised, good sense was set aside, character was demoted and ethics and integrity were given leave. The Hawkeyes assembled recruiting classes that were blue chip when it came to the tangibles but red flag when it came to the intangibles. Iowa wasn't at a level where it could get the four-star and five-star kids that didn't come from the scratch and dent aisle. It never will be. Those prospects who could both play and think went to the truly elite schools like they always have and will. The Hawkeyes resorted to the kids with four-star and five-star bodies but no-star heads and hearts. Unrealistic greed won out over realistic contentment.
Click to expand...

I think this is the paragraph that bugs me the most in its almost complete and total inaccuracies. Save a couple of exceptions, it hasn't been the 4 and 5 star guys that Iowa has landed who have gotten into trouble at Iowa. None of the City Boyz were 4 or 5 stars. Everson was a 4-star, but Satterfield wasn't. DJK was a 3-star. Adrian Clayborn and Jordan Bernstine each had one minor legal incident, but they were otherwise fine off the field. Kyle Williams was a 5-star, but he was out of Iowa City before he ever played a game. Iowa's other blue chip recruits--Walner Belleus, Dan Doering, Dace Richardson, Jake Christensen, Ryan Bain, Tony Moeaki, Kalvin Bailey, Rafael Eubanks, Alex Kannellis, Tyler Blum, Jeremiha Hunter, Christian Ballard, Bryan Bulaga, Diaunte Morrow--were virtually spotless off the field.
 
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