Has there ever been a better time to be an Iowa fan?

[HNMitchSmith]

Iowa football finished the season #9 in the country, Hawkeye hoops are currently #9 in the AP poll, and Tom Brands' grapplers are #2 in the nation.

Has there ever been a better time to be a fan of the Black & Gold? I tackled that in my new column: http://hawkeyenation.com/2016/smith-hawkeye-glory-days-are-now

Will we eventually look back on 2015-16 and call it "the good old days"? What other season's were good times to be a Hawk fan (1986-87 and 1987-88 come to mind).

 

[Thawki]

Iowa football finished the season #9 in the country, Hawkeye hoops are currently #9 in the AP poll, and Tom Brands' grapplers are #2 in the nation.

Has there ever been a better time to be a fan of the Black & Gold? I tackled that in my new column: http://hawkeyenation.com/2016/smith-hawkeye-glory-days-are-now

Will we eventually look back on 2015-16 and call it "the good old days"? What other season's were good times to be a Hawk fan (1986-87 and 1987-88 come to mind).

When I was at Iowa from the fall of 1983 to the spring of 1987, that time would rival this one, for sure.

Football team was #1 in the nation for five weeks and beat Michigan at home on national TV and they went to the Rose Bowl and I believe we finished #4 overall that year and had an outside chance to win the national championship had we won the Rose Bowl. The basketball team started out 18-0 in the 1986-1987 season and went to the Elite 8 and the wrestling team won at least two national championships, I believe. Women's basketball had Vivian Stringer taking them to new heights as well.

I would say that was the best time since the 1950s, if not ever, to be a Hawkeye student from a sports perspective. But I am biased towards the time I was there, to be sure.

 

[Fryowa]

Mid 80s were definitely better, but this is still awesome.

Back then the Hawks were respected nationally. Now the consensus outside of Iowa is that our teams are over rated, have weak schedules, and can't compete in big games. On paper, those are tough points to disagree with. Subjectively, you can make arguments both ways. The Big 10 West and B1G basketball in general this year are very, very unspectacular. The complete loss of bowel control in the Rose Bowl and losing to MSU did not help matters. If Iowa can hopefully put together 10 or 11 more conference wins and not get beat by some team like Rutgers, and go at least 3 rounds deep in the NCAA that will help.

I have a lot of friends and acquaintances unconnected to the state of Iowa and the one thing I hear from all of them, over and over, is how the Hawkeyes choke in big games, and can't compete with major teams. I absolutely despise it but I have nothing to counter their arguments with.

 

[JLCHawk]

Mid 80s were definitely better, but this is still awesome.

Back then the Hawks were respected nationally. Now the consensus outside of Iowa is that our teams are over rated, have weak schedules, and can't compete in big games. On paper, those are tough points to disagree with. Subjectively, you can make arguments both ways. The Big 10 West and B1G basketball in general this year are very, very unspectacular. The complete loss of bowel control in the Rose Bowl and losing to MSU did not help matters. If Iowa can hopefully put together 10 or 11 more conference wins and not get beat by some team like Rutgers, and go at least 3 rounds deep in the NCAA that will help.

I have a lot of friends and acquaintances unconnected to the state of Iowa and the one thing I hear from all of them, over and over, is how the Hawkeyes choke in big games, and can't compete with major teams. I absolutely despise it but I have nothing to counter their arguments with.

I began being a Hawkeye fan in the 50's as a kid, watching the two Rose Bowls that we won. I kind of drifted away from it until I was in the service in the late 60's & guys were always talking about their home state football teams. I couldn't say much because Iowa was lousy then. I went to my first game at Kinnick during the FX Lauterbur days. He came to Iowa from Toledo with a 23 game winning streak & MAC Championships in 68, 69, 70. He was a miserable failure at Iowa. Bob Commings replaced him, & was also a miserable failure. My renewal as a Hawkeye fan wasn't much fun. Way too many *** kickings during those years. Hayden Fry made being a fan much more enjoyable again. Yet even his reign had some embarrassing moments, like all 3 Rose Bowls. Kirk has done a very good job on balance in his 16 years, but not without some very lopsided losses. So my point here is simple. I enjoy every moment when things are good, but I didn't relax until after the Nebraska game because I was hoping they would go undefeated. I am really enjoying watching the basketball team but will not relax until seasons end because I think this can be a special team. Call me a negative nancy but I can't change it.

 

[imported_ankle23]

When I was at Iowa from the fall of 1983 to the spring of 1987, that time would rival this one, for sure.

Football team was #1 in the nation for five weeks and beat Michigan at home on national TV and they went to the Rose Bowl and I believe we finished #4 overall that year and had an outside chance to win the national championship had we won the Rose Bowl. The basketball team started out 18-0 in the 1986-1987 season and went to the Elite 8 and the wrestling team won at least two national championships, I believe. Women's basketball had Vivian Stringer taking them to new heights as well.

I would say that was the best time since the 1950s, if not ever, to be a Hawkeye student from a sports perspective. But I am biased towards the time I was there, to be sure.

i would say this is the time period that is the best - in my lifetime. right now not even close, but obviously this current year is great.

the coaching during this 80s periods - especially Gable and all his national championships......living legend status... Fry and Stringer taking programs from nothing to national prominence........is what puts this period on top.

 

[uihawk82]

Iowa football finished the season #9 in the country, Hawkeye hoops are currently #9 in the AP poll, and Tom Brands' grapplers are #2 in the nation.

Has there ever been a better time to be a fan of the Black & Gold? I tackled that in my new column: http://hawkeyenation.com/2016/smith-hawkeye-glory-days-are-now

Will we eventually look back on 2015-16 and call it "the good old days"? What other season's were good times to be a Hawk fan (1986-87 and 1987-88 come to mind).

Yes, this is a great year but I would have to day 1956-1960 and 1981-1985-6 were better.

In 1956-1960 the hawks won the Big 10 in football twice, won two Rose Bowls, won 1 football National title, and finished high in the polls the other years. They won the Big 10 Bball championship at least twice and went to two Final Fours. It cant get much better than that.

And 1981 to 85-86 bought two more Big 10 football championships, two more Rose Bowls and high season ending rankings, a slew of Big and National wrestling championships, and a Final Four with several other great bball teams and a final 8 appearance.

2015 is and was great, 2014 OK, 2013 above avg, 2012 terrible so there were better times to be a hawkeye.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

This has been a great year for Hawkeye sports, no doubt. I can't get two years ago out of my mind though - the hoops team was ranked 10th at about this point in the season, and we know how that ended up, so am holding my breath that the team can maintain their level of play the next 2 months and truly make it a great season. Let's finish the deal.

Have to sustain it for a little longer for me to call it a great "era", though. Before this year, football had been disappointing the past handful of years, and basketball was still trying to find its footing after the Alford era, and the disastrous Lickliter years. Let's hope this year is the start of another great stretch.

The 1980's were excellent and the best overall stretch in my lifetime. It seemed like all the major programs, both mens and womens, were all very good more often than not.

My memory only goes back to earlier to mid 80's, but it sounds like the 1950's saw some great Hawkeye teams as well.

 

[bcl20]

This is potentially the best Iowa basketball season I've ever seen. As far as one of the comments about lack of respect, the football team got that for sure but the basketball team is getting plenty of respect. I've heard people even mentioning them as one of the teams that can win the National championship and most seem to consider us as front runner for the big ten championship.

 

[Hawknigh]

If measured simply by wins and losses (or rank), maybe. If measured by the quality of the teams, dominance of opponents, and duration of success, nope.

 

[Seth53]

79-82

Final Four, B1G champs
Rose Bowl, B1G champs
Wrestling....dynasty
Swimming...won Big-10's

Lute, Hayden, Dan all on campus at same time. Heady stuff.

 

[ColumbusHawk]

When I was at Iowa from the fall of 1983 to the spring of 1987, that time would rival this one, for sure.

Football team was #1 in the nation for five weeks and beat Michigan at home on national TV and they went to the Rose Bowl and I believe we finished #4 overall that year and had an outside chance to win the national championship had we won the Rose Bowl. The basketball team started out 18-0 in the 1986-1987 season and went to the Elite 8 and the wrestling team won at least two national championships, I believe. Women's basketball had Vivian Stringer taking them to new heights as well.

I would say that was the best time since the 1950s, if not ever, to be a Hawkeye student from a sports perspective. But I am biased towards the time I was there, to be sure.

Iowa finished ranked #10 that year. Just shows how everybody's memory is faulty. More revisionist history.

 

[BrueCrew3]

For me, the late 70s/early 80s was the golden era. The football team was good to great and the basketball team was a perennial contender.

Having said that, this is probably the greatest single year to be a Hawkeye fan.

GO HAWKS!!!

 

[DrKnipe]

I remember Zabel, who obviously isn't around now, saying the late 50's were the best ever at Iowa. He would have seen as an announcer from '49-'96, and then all the years around that.