don't understand Fans

[1977Hawkeye]

You don't understand fans? Let me break it down for you - they want to be entertained and they want to win. Iowa is neither winning a lot or entertaining this year. Hence, meltdown central.

^^ Excellent ^^.

People can write all of the long-winded essays they want on how fans think and why we should feel good/bad about things - but this post sums it up in just a few short sentences. Well said. Start winning again, consistently, and fans will be happy. It's no more complicated than that.

 

[blkngldFRO]

If you don't understand Fan's maybe you need to remember that the term Fan is short for Fanatic.

 

[GhostofBTT]

^^ Excellent ^^.

People can write all of the long-winded essays they want on how fans think and why we should feel good/bad about things - but this post sums it up in just a few short sentences. Well said. Start winning again, consistently, and fans will be happy. It's no more complicated than that.

There is a difference between being happy and being angry. I sat in the stands in Heavenston Saturday and I didn't feel angry. I felt dizzy mostly, but also bored, and a little disappointed. I did not have the overwhelming urge to take my bitter complaints to the internet, which is strange because I complain about much of the worthless minutiae of my life on the internet.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

There is a difference between being happy and being angry. I sat in the stands in Heavenston Saturday and I didn't feel angry. I felt dizzy mostly, but also bored, and a little disappointed. I did not have the overwhelming urge to take my bitter complaints to the internet, which is strange because I complain about much of the worthless minutiae of my life on the internet.

About the same here. I watched the game the other day and wasn't upset at all, because frankly, I wasn't surprised at the result. A big part of that I guess is because my expectations are so much lower. Unlike back in 2010, I don't expect the team to be good. I hope that can change again in the next few years, but right now, I'm pretty apathetic. Not so much where I don't come to the boards and complain, though. Apathy hasn't set in that much.. I have trouble seeing myself ever getting to the point where I don't pay attention to Iowa sports at all. Lifelong fan.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

^^ Excellent ^^.

People can write all of the long-winded essays they want on how fans think and why we should feel good/bad about things - but this post sums it up in just a few short sentences. Well said. Start winning again, consistently, and fans will be happy. It's no more complicated than that.

Couldn't agree more.

The bigger problem on HN though is the "why". Coaching and JVB are the two front runners of contention...(expectations is the other point on ongoing dissagreements). While I agree on some frustruation on in-game decisions, clock management....I don't agree on the personel and recruiting criticism. The only completely unacceptable loss this year was CMU (really bad), otherwise we were beaten by better teams (albeit badly by one of them).

NW was basically 3 plays - long run when we had them at the goaline, the long pass for a TD, and the blocked punt. I realize this does not make anything ok, just an observation that W/L usually is a 3-5 play difference.

I think we will see better talent, and better recruiting. I am undecided on the off scheme, I like some things and think a better QB and just a touch more speed can make all the difference...but we will see.

I am unhappy with the results, but don't see the doom and gloom others see going forward.

KF ain't perfect, no doubt. I don't think he's the best coach in the nation, or even in the conference. But I also don't think he's the awful coach so many on here think he is either. i still believe his pro's outway the con's.

I was hopeful for 7-8 wins this year, I thought 6 was the basement, I didn't see the CMU loss coming (that could end up being the game that cost us a bowl game).

Expectations
Coaching
(these are the underlying fighting points)

 

[Travisam]

The fact that Donatell was in over Law for the entire game against an offense that was 90% running just shows the stubbornness of KF. I said from the get go that the coaching changes were not going to make a difference. This is KF's team regardless of who is coaching under him. You can put a Geo Metro engine in a Ferrari body, but it's still going to run like a Geo Metro.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

The fact that Donatell was in over Law for the entire game against an offense that was 90% running just shows the stubbornness of KF. I said from the get go that the coaching changes were not going to make a difference. This is KF's team regardless of who is coaching under him. You can put a Geo Metro engine in a Ferrari body, but it's still going to run like a Geo Metro.

I think Law might end up a good one, but don't think this is a good example of some perceived KF stubborness. We are not in practice and I find it very hard to believe there aren't a few reasons Donatell plays over Law. Again, my speculation is the same as everyone else's....we really don't know squat.

 

[olddude]

NW was basically 3 plays - long run when we had them at the goaline, the long pass for a TD, and the blocked punt. I realize this does not make anything ok, just an observation that W/L usually is a 3-5 play difference.

Thats right. There are only so many chances in life, in a season, in a game or in a series. Only so many tackles only so many catches and so on. We have a young team and this point needs to be stressed. When they go home and stuff their face with turkey or go on spring break or lay around playing vid games, they need to think about what every other person that plays their position is doing. Be prepared. I said in another post, I dare them to look up where their numbers in speed and strength match up against those they are playing or those that got drafted before them. That is what it takes. That is where hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. *'s dont mean anything now, it is all about drive and will power. If your speed and strength match those top drafts, maybe you need to work on the game more and Iowa does have some pretty good coaches who can help you with that.

On a side note, I have been thinking about our db's getting their heads around and I am curious, does the side line yell "ball"? At home the crowd could as well. Sooner or later, they will have to pick up on the keys of it, by crowd noise, and the keys the WR are giving, but to help them learn a bit, maybe the sidelines and the first few rows could help them out? We need to win ALL non con games, we need to win ALL trophy games AND WE NEED TO WIN ALL HOME GAMES.

 

[homes]

About the same here. I watched the game the other day and wasn't upset at all, because frankly, I wasn't surprised at the result. A big part of that I guess is because my expectations are so much lower. Unlike back in 2010, I don't expect the team to be good. I hope that can change again in the next few years, but right now, I'm pretty apathetic. Not so much where I don't come to the boards and complain, though. Apathy hasn't set in that much.. I have trouble seeing myself ever getting to the point where I don't pay attention to Iowa sports at all. Lifelong fan.

That was tried 4 years ago. However, in all facets of life, people want results. There may be talent on the bench and in the recruiting class, but until results are produced, it's meaningless.

 

[hoffahawk]

I agree with the OP to a point.

I along with most other Iowa fans knew we weren't going to be great this year and were happy with the coaching changes that happened after last season.

Of course it is going to take longer than under a year for the new coaches to get things figured out as well as make the proper connections that need to be made on the recruiting trail to upgrade our talent. I STILL think that both BF and Woods are huge additions to our coaching staff and is the young blood this staff has been lacking for a very long time. I think they both can bring in players that we have whiffed at over the last 4-5 years.

BUT................................

There is absolutely no excuse for the in game decision making and utter lack of awareness that seems to happen on a week in and week out basis.

How can JVB run a perfect 2 minute drill for pretty much the entire 4th quarter last year vs. Pitt and now looks like he has no clue what he is doing on the field?

How can we take not 1, or 2, but 3 delay of game penalties? One would think after the first JVB and the coaches might make it a point to find the play clock and get the F'ing plays in sooner so that doesn't happen again.

Why do we continue to look like we have never seen anything the opposing team is doing on O or D vs. us week after week? Do they not watch film or game plan for the next opponent? Why do we not make adjustments like every other team seems to make when they play us? NW has a horrible pass D that was missing both starting CB yet we still ran the same stretch running play over and over again even with their back up CB's playing 10 yards off the ball.

Those are the things that tend to add up and get fans ****** off. Look I can handle the losing when it's clear that a team has better talent than us but to continue to see the horrible game management over and over again just seems to be too much for a lot of fans. I might not agree with everything those fans say about the program our KF but I do understand where they are coming from.


Rant over.

 

[Cover3]

^^ Excellent ^^.

People can write all of the long-winded essays they want on how fans think and why we should feel good/bad about things - but this post sums it up in just a few short sentences. Well said. Start winning again, consistently, and fans will be happy. It's no more complicated than that.

Very true, 1977. You're usually about in line with what I'm thinking, and this is no different, but I would like to add one other aspect that seems to be irking people now beyond just the losing. Fans are maybe not happy if the team isn't winning a lot, but even just seeing improvement can placate the masses a significant amount.

The OP mentions the 4* recruits we have, and also lists the players those guys are backing up. Not saying anybody should be starting over anybody else, but from the perspective of the more restless fans, hearing about our last two classes doesn't yield as much optimism when those guys are barely seeing any snaps 19 months after signing. [I'm not too concerned about it, and frankly, from seeing Cooper in action and being about a wash with our other DTs, I'm confident we don't have any current difference makers riding the pine.]

For example, I watched the first half of the 1993 Alamo Bowl on YouTube a couple months ago, possibly to prepare for this season. I was 8 years old then, but I was following the Hawks closely by age 10 in 1995, and I was surprised when watching the game how many names I recognized. Sed Shaw, Tommy Knight, Damien Robinson, Matt Purdy, and Ross Verba, to name a few off the top of my head, started or at least played pervasively throughout that game. Those guys were still around in 1995-96 when Iowa was winning 8 and 9 games.

Again, I'm not advocating anything here, but I think a good portion of the fan unrest would be quelled if a few more of the 2011-12 recruits were seeing the field. KF's decision-making, however, should in no way factor in fan unrest.

 

[GhostofBTT]

Too much text...

 

[Cover3]

Too much text...

Haha. I actually though midstream that might be the case. Here it is:

1. Much fan unrest could be quelled if our 4* recruits of the last two years were getting more snaps, BUT
2. Some of them are getting snaps, and based upon the ones that are (i.e. Cooper), our results wouldn't be revolutionized this year by playing them, and FURTHER
3. KF, even though I don't agree with a lot of what he does, should in no way factor in fan unrest to his decision-making.

Is that better on the concision front?

 

[olddude]

Too much text...

ADD?

 

[docholihawk]

I'm still questioning why are we running so many plays that Greg Davis ran at Texas. In order for that offense to work you need speed at the skill positions which we don't currently have and which Greg Davis admitted before the season.

 

[PCHawk]

What the OP and others wearing blinders are not perceiving is that the same coaching level problems continue to exist year after year. Very poor clock management, overly tentative in-game decision making, complete lack of creativity, highly simplistic schemes, bewildering player management, unprepared players for various game situations, and awful/inconsistent special teams play.
The interesting thing is...all of these things have existed throughout The Ferentz tenure. It's just that the past few years it seems much worse as Iowa has a major talent and leadership void. Many of these flaws were effectively masked when Iowa had NFL caliber talent on the field.

Additionally, add to the above pervasive nepotism of staff and inexplicable redshirt management of players. Oh, and of course, very poor recruiting.

See...the issues just keep popping out.

I agree with all of this except the part where you say problems were masked with NFL talent. All of the same issues were glaringly obvious then too. The only difference is back then we were barely winning against teams we should have been killing and now we are getting killed against teams we should be even with. Most of our fans our actually convinced that Penn State has way more talent then us.