Howe: As the Hawkeye World Turns...

[Northside Hawk]

The "UCLA noticed in their scouting that he held the ball out so they went after it" angle is laughable. Everybody could see that Harmon did that in their film study...all year. You're telling me that UCLA was the only team that spotted it and tried to knock the ball away. Please.

If so then why did he not have multiple fumbles in other games that year? He had ONE fumble all season and think of how many times the ball was his hands. (He caught something like sixty passes that year in addition to his rushing carries, even returned some kickoffs).

Hayden himself, in his book "High Porch Picnic", said that UCLA spotted multiple tendencies in film study which makes sense because bowls were announced earlier then and teams got five weeks to prepare. I tend to take Hayden's word the majority of the time. He coached that team, so I guess his input is laughable.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

If so then why did he not have multiple fumbles in other games that year? He had ONE fumble all season and think of how many times the ball was his hands. (He caught something like sixty passes that year in addition to his rushing carries, even returned some kickoffs).

Hayden himself, in his book "High Porch Picnic", said that UCLA spotted multiple tendencies in film study which makes sense because bowls were announced earlier then and teams got five weeks to prepare. I tend to take Hayden's word the majority of the time. He coached that team, so I guess his input is laughable.

Can't just disagree, huh? Have to be a smart ass at the end. I know what Hayden said and I'm sure he was sincere. The tip on the defensive slants in particular was a killer. Still have a hard time believing Harmon's style of ball carrying (which was pretty obvious) was missed all season...and then suddenly UCLA figured it out and took advantage.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

That could be problematic. He would spill the beans on Fran's secret sauce on the defensive side of the ball and Iowa's domination on defense would be over.

lol.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Can't just disagree, huh? Have to be a smart ass at the end. I know what Hayden said and I'm sure he was sincere. The tip on the defensive slants in particular was a killer. Still have a hard time believing Harmon's style of ball carrying (which was pretty obvious) was missed all season...and then suddenly UCLA figured it out and took advantage.

The only explanation I can come up with is that UCLA had five weeks to prepare, while teams during the season had only one week. You can decode a lot of things in five weeks, or three weeks like you get today. They were probably able to devote hours of practice time to having a scout team back carry the ball like a loaf of bread and practice stripping it.

Hayden was good at decoding himself. If bye weeks were more common in his coaching days I'm sure his record after a bye would have been a lot better than his successor, but even Kirk is improving here.

A little known sidebar about the defensive slants. Larry Station, trying to change directions in pursuit, aggravated an existing back injury early in that Rose Bowl and was in such pain he nearly passed out on the sidelines. But it was his last college game, and he stayed in, but wasn't his normal effective self.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

In 1989 Harmon admitted taking money from Norby. Which came out during Norby’s criminal trials. The same time it came out that Norby was hooked up with Franzese, a capo in the Colombo mob family. Norby admitted he and Bloom has had players legs broken if they didn’t follow orders.

If you want me to believe Kirk didn’t know by the time he was head coach that Harmon was a scumbag I ain’t buying it.

We can disagree, it’s ok. Ronnie Harmon to me will always be a pos who sold his soul and the most important game in Hawkeye history to the mob for $54,000. It was way more than $54K, but I say that because once he took that first dime he was nothing more than a mule who had to do whatever they said. I’ll never think of the guy as a Hawkeye.

Some people refuse to believe the obvious, and think he was a good guy who just got unlucky...and handed the ball to UCLA 5 times in the most important game of his career after losing it once all season. It’s ok because it hurts to believe anything else.

JFC, get a clue. Franzese was never a capo. Well, except in his own mind.

 

[oldhawk12]

Had never listened to a podcast from 2019 with Harmon done by Harty. As you can imagine, it was a love fest. No tough questions. Nothing about the fumbles, nothing about being paid by Norby. Nothing.

Basically, Ronnie said after he was asked to switch to wide receiver by hayden, jackson & snyder…as a 17 yr old freshman (I’m sure it was to get him on the field earlier), he made the outlandish statement that he never spoke to an Iowa coach the rest of his time here.

He had absolutely nothing good to say about Hayden or any coach (exception of bill dervich) & he only came because of bernie wyatt. Nothing good was said about Iowa City. He tried coming home after yr 1, but his dad wouldn’t allow it. So he had no option but to stay & endure. Went on & on about how black players have no one to talk to & how it’s a real problem. Although he gave no examples & wasn’t asked for any.

Weirdest interview I’ve ever heard. And not really sure the point of it. It was great hearing him, but immensely disappointing to hear his attitude about the school & staff.

He even said he recommended his brother Kevin shouldn’t come here. Also mentioned iowa has no interest in him in Iowa City or around the team & that the older players in general aren’t made to feel welcome.

I found nearly of the interview (if you can call it that), was sour grapes from Ronnie. I remember thinking he was the greatest player in Iowa football history. But after the Rose Bowl & now this…i do think he was on the take & I have never wanted to believe it for nearly 40 years.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Had never listened to a podcast from 2019 with Harmon done by Harty. As you can imagine, it was a love fest. No tough questions. Nothing about the fumbles, nothing about being paid by Norby. Nothing.

Basically, Ronnie said after he was asked to switch to wide receiver by hayden, jackson & snyder…as a 17 yr old freshman (I’m sure it was to get him on the field earlier), he made the outlandish statement that he never spoke to an Iowa coach the rest of his time here.

He had absolutely nothing good to say about Hayden or any coach (exception of bill dervich) & he only came because of bernie wyatt. Nothing good was said about Iowa City. He tried coming home after yr 1, but his dad wouldn’t allow it. So he had no option but to stay & endure. Went on & on about how black players have no one to talk to & how it’s a real problem. Although he gave no examples & wasn’t asked for any.

Weirdest interview I’ve ever heard. And not really sure the point of it. It was great hearing him, but immensely disappointing to hear his attitude about the school & staff.

He even said he recommended his brother Kevin shouldn’t come here. Also mentioned iowa has no interest in him in Iowa City or around the team & that the older players in general aren’t made to feel welcome.

I found nearly of the interview (if you can call it that), was sour grapes from Ronnie. I remember thinking he was the greatest player in Iowa football history. But after the Rose Bowl & now this…i do think he was on the take & I have never wanted to believe it for nearly 40 years.

He would have been third or fourth string behind Eddie Phillips, Owen Gill, and I still think Treye Jackson (remember him) was still around. Hayden did a tremendous favor by playing him at wide receiver, and as a true freshman which was rare for Hayden. He had two TD receptions as a freshman in the Peach Bowl and averaged 20 yes per catch as a sophomore.

He didn't even play (broken leg) when we demolished Texas in the Freedom Bowl. Imagine how much we could have racked up with him out there.

 

[Teddy]

Had never listened to a podcast from 2019 with Harmon done by Harty. As you can imagine, it was a love fest. No tough questions. Nothing about the fumbles, nothing about being paid by Norby. Nothing.

Basically, Ronnie said after he was asked to switch to wide receiver by hayden, jackson & snyder…as a 17 yr old freshman (I’m sure it was to get him on the field earlier), he made the outlandish statement that he never spoke to an Iowa coach the rest of his time here.

He had absolutely nothing good to say about Hayden or any coach (exception of bill dervich) & he only came because of bernie wyatt. Nothing good was said about Iowa City. He tried coming home after yr 1, but his dad wouldn’t allow it. So he had no option but to stay & endure. Went on & on about how black players have no one to talk to & how it’s a real problem. Although he gave no examples & wasn’t asked for any.

Weirdest interview I’ve ever heard. And not really sure the point of it. It was great hearing him, but immensely disappointing to hear his attitude about the school & staff.

He even said he recommended his brother Kevin shouldn’t come here. Also mentioned iowa has no interest in him in Iowa City or around the team & that the older players in general aren’t made to feel welcome.

I found nearly of the interview (if you can call it that), was sour grapes from Ronnie. I remember thinking he was the greatest player in Iowa football history. But after the Rose Bowl & now this…i do think he was on the take & I have never wanted to believe it for nearly 40 years.

Good stuff from the most despicable, dishonest, pestilence to ever play football at the University of Iowa. Probably why Hayden and the coaches weren't in the locker room after the Rose Bowl when Herbie Webster beat the hell out of the nameless evil, including picking up the nameless evil and smashing it's head into locker doors. Well maybe that serial armed rapist in 78, so he has some competition.

The second paragraph contains a huge lie. The nameless evil told the press back in 83 he asked the coaches for the position shift because he wanted on the field. Since those teams were deep at running back and thin at wide receiver, he got his chance.

Of course, he was on the take. The nameless evil wore $30-$40K of jewelry and expensive clothes. The bar owners hated him, real handsy with the girls and never spent any money, indeed, he mooched money and drinks off stupid jock sniffers.

Iowa should remove any mention of the nameless evil in anything Iowa related. Take his name and statistics off the media guide, wipe him out of every roster. Delete him from team photos (like the cover of Sgt. Pepper) so just little white spots where a face was supposed to be. Trespass him so he could never enter any building or property of the University.

 

[oldhawk12]

Good stuff from the most despicable, dishonest, pestilence to ever play football at the University of Iowa. Probably why Hayden and the coaches weren't in the locker room after the Rose Bowl when Herbie Webster beat the hell out of the nameless evil, including picking up the nameless evil and smashing it's head into locker doors. Well maybe that serial armed rapist in 78, so he has some competition.

The second paragraph contains a huge lie. The nameless evil told the press back in 83 he asked the coaches for the position shift because he wanted on the field. Since those teams were deep at running back and thin at wide receiver, he got his chance.

Of course, he was on the take. The nameless evil wore $30-$40K of jewelry and expensive clothes. The bar owners hated him, real handsy with the girls and never spent any money, indeed, he mooched money and drinks off stupid jock sniffers.

Iowa should remove any mention of the nameless evil in anything Iowa related. Take his name and statistics off the media guide, wipe him out of every roster. Delete him from team photos (like the cover of Sgt. Pepper) so just little white spots where a face was supposed to be. Trespass him so he could never enter any building or property of the University.

After the interview & hearing his wife pile on with her interview around the same time frame…completely agree. He benefited enormously from the u of I, Hayden & all the coaches. And to whine because he was simply a minority. How is that Iowa City’s fault? It doesn’t make it racist. And newsflash…college football & sports in general is a business. How is that a shock to anyone? I came away shaking my head with the entire premise

 

[Fryowa]

Ronnie Harmon was a POS cheat in my book. Your opinion may be different and that’s fine.

I couldn’t care less about him taking money or having jewelry. Throwing the Rose Bowl is unforgivable though. The guy is a waste of space. Think about how many players and coaches worked their asses off their whole football careers to get to a game like the Rose Bowl (when it actually used to mean something).

Eff Ronnie Harmon. He can eat a bag of male appendages.

 

[HuckFinn]

Ronnie Harmon was a POS cheat in my book. Your opinion may be different and that’s fine.

I couldn’t care less about him taking money or having jewelry. Throwing the Rose Bowl is unforgivable though. The guy is a waste of space. Think about how many players and coaches worked their asses off their whole football careers to get to a game like the Rose Bowl (when it actually used to mean something).

Eff Ronnie Harmon. He can eat a bag of male appendages.

Making him a cannibal is way over the top! Second thought, maybe not.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Had never listened to a podcast from 2019 with Harmon done by Harty. As you can imagine, it was a love fest. No tough questions. Nothing about the fumbles, nothing about being paid by Norby. Nothing.

Basically, Ronnie said after he was asked to switch to wide receiver by hayden, jackson & snyder…as a 17 yr old freshman (I’m sure it was to get him on the field earlier), he made the outlandish statement that he never spoke to an Iowa coach the rest of his time here.

He had absolutely nothing good to say about Hayden or any coach (exception of bill dervich) & he only came because of bernie wyatt. Nothing good was said about Iowa City. He tried coming home after yr 1, but his dad wouldn’t allow it. So he had no option but to stay & endure. Went on & on about how black players have no one to talk to & how it’s a real problem. Although he gave no examples & wasn’t asked for any.

Weirdest interview I’ve ever heard. And not really sure the point of it. It was great hearing him, but immensely disappointing to hear his attitude about the school & staff.

He even said he recommended his brother Kevin shouldn’t come here. Also mentioned iowa has no interest in him in Iowa City or around the team & that the older players in general aren’t made to feel welcome.

I found nearly of the interview (if you can call it that), was sour grapes from Ronnie. I remember thinking he was the greatest player in Iowa football history. But after the Rose Bowl & now this…i do think he was on the take & I have never wanted to believe it for nearly 40 years.

Damn... I haven't heard that interview or anything at all from Harmon forever. I'm sure Harty agreed to not touch the obvious topics at all just to get him to come on. Nothing that I've ever heard over the yrs has gotten me to think any different about him. He totally threw that Rose Bowl. Is what it is. I feel better knowing he doesn't want to be around the program in any capacity than if he did. To me that just verifies everything. If he was contrite about his all time terrible game and wanted to come back and be a part of the program at all that would mean maybe he wasn't on the take and didn't fumble on purpose. Everyone knows better. We aren't idiots

 

[oldhawk12]

when you read her article defending Ronnie, she brings up three dropped passes, but conveniently says nothing about the 4 fumbles. Instead, complains about white teammates making similar mistakes during the season with no accusations. Obviously, she would have gotten that from Ronnie. What complete garbage