Very interesting topic.
I don't post much. I read threads quite often, but rarely does one push my buttons enough to post. But this one has me thinking.
I used to be a guy that didn't care what it took. I wanted a 'w' on Saturday. I wanted the best program in the nation. I wanted the perfect offense and defense every week.
Don't get me wrong, I still love watching Iowa highlights after a win, and I hate reading or watching anything after a loss. But I've changed my thinking quite a bit over the last 2 and a half years.
The character KF has and the leadership he provides is more important to me than anything else now. The way he reacts to wins. Remember the Illinois win in '07 and his interview on the field. Or the MSU and PSU wins last year. You can see the emotion. He loves his players. The 'love' and 'family' Urban Meyer talks about is really what you see when KF talks about his team and the university. I truly believe the development of his players as men and football players is more important to him and winning and losing. Now, with that being said, I believe KF wants to win. I think you can tell how special he thought this season was going to be by how hard he took the Arizona loss. But he has shown the University of Iowa exactly who he is and what he stands for. He values who he is and what he represents. That will buy him a few losses every year.
Will a 6-6 season, followed by a 7-5 and 7-6 season not have consequences? Absolutely it will. Winning is important. There is no doubt about that. But what KF teaches from hard work, to responsibility to leadership will build a foundation where winning follows. I think you are seeing the rewards from that foundation right now. KF and this staff have learned from the mistakes they made from '05 to '07. Will there be bumps in the road? Sure. It will be very difficult to stand on 10, 11 and 12 win mountains every year. Very difficult.
But I for one will take 9-4, 11-2, 10-3 and a 7-5 every four years if the man at the top is as special as KF. Florida can have 2 national titles in 3 years if this is what you have to go through after that.
You won't have a flawless 'off the field' squad. We all know what goes on in college and sometimes you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. You make mistakes. But as someone said, what kind of 'people' are those who are making mistakes. Do they give you anything which would lead you to believe there is hope. That the mistake wasn't who they are.
I don't know Chris Rainey. I don't know Meyer. I don't know KF.
I know what I've seen, read and heard about all of them.
Chris Rainey threatened someone's life. That is what we know about him. That's not a behavior issue, that is a character issue.
I believe KF practices what he preaches. Someone with that kind of character would not be playing this year (if ever) for KF. Obviously the same can't be said for Meyer.
To me, winning is about more than a W and L column. And I think I've learned that from KF.