I think Iowa has always prided itself on a clean-cut, corporate culture. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that means "white" culture (this is how Toren Young put it in a recent tweet). There are many aspects of the Iowa culture that benefit the team and the individual: hard work, accountability, love for your teammates. But it sounds like there are others that black players feel are oppressive. These claims are not being made by disgruntled malcontents, they are being made by respected team leaders like James Daniels, Mike Daniels, Toren Young, Tevaun Smith, etc.. I think it is time to listen.
Howe: Iowa Football Must Address Former Players Speaking Out
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
- Status
I think Iowa has always prided itself on a clean-cut, corporate culture. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to admit that means "white" culture (this is how Toren Young put it in a recent tweet). There are many aspects of the Iowa culture that benefit the team and the individual: hard work, accountability, love for your teammates. But it sounds like there are others that black players feel are oppressive. These claims are not being made by disgruntled malcontents, they are being made by respected team leaders like James Daniels, Mike Daniels, Toren Young, Tevaun Smith, etc.. I think it is time to listen.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
As I said, there’s certainly room to listen, improve, and change. You’re either growing or dying.
At the same time, KF will never undertake a change that puts the individual above the team. That culture isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.
BlacknGold19
Well-Known Member
This world has become a joke.
You're wrong after only two hours. Are you sure you want to post again, or wait another two hours when it's exponentially worse?
BlacknGold19
Well-Known Member
Hey Rob lay off Twitter man. We get it
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Just hearing about this. IMHO, in the political climate as of now, Doyle will be looking for another job soon.
I'm impressed...it takes a special kind of stupid bravery to double down on this kind of wrong. So what are you thinking for your "new" username?
I think it's actually going to end very well for Iowa football, one way or another. We'll probably say goodbye to some coaches, including Doyle, but I think the coaches that stay and/or join will bring a different culture to the team. Kind of interesting that Coach White was listed as a reason someone joined the team and I don't believe that person lasted longer than Coach White did.
Like one of the football players said, there's a reason they don't let players have their Twitter accounts, and there's a reason they don't let every player talk to the press. The press can only report on what gets reported to them.
TheIowaHawkGuy
Well-Known Member
This is not how I saw Kirk Ferentz ending his career at Iowa. These acts of hidden racism and racial mistreatment are unacceptable and have been going on for many years. Kirk has known. Imagine how many current players would like to express themselves but are not allowed to. The blowback from this is going to be damaging and unrepairable under this era of Iowa football. Who knows what other activities have racial mistreatment as well. Gary Barta has experienced sexism and racism during his tenure. Tone deaf. Iowa football is going to go through a serious culture rebuild. Hopefully other athletics and the university are about to change drastically. A good change though. One of equality.
Mike Daniels and Faith Ekakitie (sp?) have already come out in Kirks defense, I think he’ll be fine.
pootspot
Well-Known Member
Rob is intimate with all these recruits as calls and gets to know all of them. Never a peep or word about any of this before @RobHowe ? Seems recruits would tell other recruits about the culture if afraid to go to student advisers/staff to help football players on campus/coaches/administrators, etc.
Why would they sell the program to the next generation as a lie? The recruits do have a student who shows them around and talks About the program correct? 20 years and everyone has held their tongue?
These are terrific rebuttals as a journalist to get a deeper feel of what exactly they felt and why they didn’t let anyone know what was going on. Do we/why don’t we have these answers?
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I obviously believe that there likely is something going on here, but how can Iowa have 20+ years of talking how the culture is so great to just have it all shot up by mostly former players who have transferred out and may have had other issues. No way Doyle survives this. And why don’t we ask more guys? Black or white? Did the white players just stand down? They didn’t speak up for their fellow teammates when they were discriminated against in this culture? They need to investigate and then get on top of this, it’s not good. That said, I don’t believe that what these players experienced at Iowa is or was any different then any other university in America regards to race culture, which doesn’t make it ok, it means it likely speaks to the change that needs to happen systematically
ShockHawk22
Well-Known Member
If we are really honest with ourselves I think we can see that at least some of these things are true just by the little information that gets to us. How many times in KF tenure has a white player struggled and Kirk sticks with him instead of putting in his backup (who was black). We all thought it was just a loyalty thing to an upper class men or that the struggling player practiced better. We got fed lines like “he’s just not as a complete blocker“ and other things which unless we are at all practices, the fans wouldn’t know to justify. Maybe there was a little more going on.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
A lot of the stories coming out on Doyle are disgusting. He’s gonna have to face the music here. The thing that seems so weird is how 7 days ago, Doyle was considered mostly responsible for Iowa’s success and culture because he had more exposure with the players than any coach. Iowa needs to act
- Status
