Has the view of Iowa football been this negative in the last 50 years?
- Thread starter NCHawker
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SCHawkeye2
Well-Known Member
I was there for both Commings and Fry.
Commings teams were non-competitive and boring.
The very next season (with much of the same talent) Fry's teams were competitive and exciting. They had nothing to lose, they took chances, they gambled. It didn't really matter whether it succeded or not, as fans we were happier to see the Hawks go down fighting, rather than Commings running the ball when down 30-3 in the fourth quarter. The first couple years, fans and talent came back to the Hawks - not because they won more games - because they were exciting.
We need to be exciting again - the wins (and talent) will return.
Commings teams were non-competitive and boring.
The very next season (with much of the same talent) Fry's teams were competitive and exciting. They had nothing to lose, they took chances, they gambled. It didn't really matter whether it succeded or not, as fans we were happier to see the Hawks go down fighting, rather than Commings running the ball when down 30-3 in the fourth quarter. The first couple years, fans and talent came back to the Hawks - not because they won more games - because they were exciting.
We need to be exciting again - the wins (and talent) will return.
Hawknick
Banned
Outside of the 78 season I thought Cummings was not too bad. They were built around a strong running game and great defense. Jon Lazar, Jim Jenson, Dennis Mosley were all fun backs to watch. The facilities needed an upgrade to support the team and recruiting that came later. A few years ago I made a thread about the 10 best coaches in Iowa Football history, I put him at #10 just ahead of Burt Ingwersen.
CPHAWK82
Well-Known Member
Well said and was the theme of the iSu game last year as Kirk didn't even bother blitzing the qb because I guess he was so dangerously fast that they had to respect him and stay in contain mode. iSu's achilles heel was their offensive line and Kirk's game plan gave them way too much respect. I remember LTP even saying after the game they played too conservatively.
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
It's depressing to think how much better last years offense could have been while Beathard, Willies, Duzey, Powell, Wadley, Canzeri, Parker all went basically unused or underused.
And yes there would have been more mistakes and turnovers.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
Starting in 2002, Ferentz gave us what we all desperately believed we could have, at Iowa...top 10 teams, competitive teams and teams that punched you in the mouth. As Iowans, we've been second-fiddle so often, heard way to many times about corn and hogs during television broadcasts, that we relished being a team that would kick you in the nuts: "Come on USC, come on, Alabama, come on anyone!" For 3 glorious years, we had that. We quickly gave Ferentz our trust, we believed, we were convinced.
Then, it stopped. Ferentz didn't capitalize on 3 years of momentum. He didn't capitalize on the national exposure the talking heads couldn't stop giving us. He didn't capitalize. Instead we have 9 losses out of 16 to ISU, 8 losses out of 16 to jNW, and way too many losses to MAC teams. All the while Ferentz, himself was capitalizing: National coach of the year awards, new contracts worth millions, but the program settled into mediocrity. I, for one, feels as though the benefits (contractually) are skewed heavily in favor towards Ferentz than we see in the performance of the program.
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
So, you're saying the only correct choices in how any Iowa fan feels about the current state of the program are "Positive" or "Apathy"?
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
I was actually responding to this part of your post: "If you're negative of Iowa Football, that's your problem."
TheIowaHawkGuy
Well-Known Member
I'd say the internet, more media exposure, and social media makes it "feel" more negative just because there are much more ways to express anger, disappointment, frustration, or resentment now than ever was in the 70s/80s/90s
TheIowaHawkGuy
Well-Known Member
This is pretty much spot on IMO. I'm apathetic now. Don't get excited like I use to and don't get upset like I use to. Very much monotone when it comes to feelings for Iowa football. It's knowing the end is nearing and just riding it out now.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
yeah, IMO, that's a you problem (not you specifically). Iowa isn't in that bad of place in the grand scheme of things and if you think they are, I don't think you're looking at it with a lot prospective. So, if you're negative, I would say that's on you cause it could be and has been a lot worse. It's a lot worse in a lot of other places.
I'm not saying you have to live in Rainbow Brite Land and pretend things are perfect, they aren't and I recognize that... but around here we act like we're one of the worst programs in country instead of a middle of the row program that goes through ups and downs like 95% of all other college football. I want it to be better, but to me and just my opinion, that's reason to be positive rather than negative. Here comes the "You're what's wrong with this fan base" brigade, but personally I am anything but negative about Iowa Football.
I'm not saying you have to live in Rainbow Brite Land and pretend things are perfect, they aren't and I recognize that... but around here we act like we're one of the worst programs in country instead of a middle of the row program that goes through ups and downs like 95% of all other college football. I want it to be better, but to me and just my opinion, that's reason to be positive rather than negative. Here comes the "You're what's wrong with this fan base" brigade, but personally I am anything but negative about Iowa Football.
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
there's a difference between programs that don't have the resources and fan support to do better and what's going on at Iowa.
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
Na, everyone get's their opinion. But it does cut both ways. But the negativity that exits is due to the realization that we were once a top 25 to top 10 program and now we're potentially going to have 6 FR/SO walk ons starting for us. The general fan base saw that nothing would change unless the fans found their voice and that is what we are all hearing. We were right there at the door to being a nationally recognized program; we knocked, the door opened and then we turned around and walked away.
Hawknick
Banned
It is good to see some positivity here. There are several reasons to believe that this team will be good. It starts with experience on defense. They had one heck of a spring! Great Iowa teams in the past had former walk ons as starters too. These guys can help this team win just as they did.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
So, in the last 5 years, how many B1G teams have knocked that door down and became this relevant program that Iowa *should* be with all its fans, money and resources? I can think of 3... so, 80% of the conference can say the same thing and are in the same exact spot as Iowa. I want more to, but the dead horse has been beaten and dead. We want change, we're gonna eventually get it, but until we do it's not like we aren't in the same position as the large majority of college football. Ya'll need Jesus.