Huge swing in the program over the last 12 months

R

Rawkhawk73

Banned
Looking back, I am absolutely floored to see where we've gone as a program over the last 12 months.

We started out the year winning the Orange Bowl in convincing fashion and finishing with our highest ranking since the 1950's (at #7).

We go into the season with the highest of hopes. 26 returning seniors. Veteran "leadership" (I use that term lightly now considering how the season played out) on both sides of the ball. As much skill position talent as we've ever had at Iowa. A boatload of quality recruits are committing early making it appear as though this class may be the 2nd highest rated class of the Ferentz era. Just when it looks like things are rolling as good as they ever have, all hell breaks loose......

BW leaves at the start of summer camp, never to return. Coker breaks his collarbone, giving him no reps whatsoever this summer. Norm Parker gets hospitalized, never to return in a full-time capacity and eventually has to have his foot amputated. Jewel blows out his knee against Arizona. Beginning with Arizona, we proceed to lose 5 games (and nearly six if not for an unexplainable endzone drop by the Indiana receiver) when we were either tied or in the lead in the 4th quarter (we had lost 6 such games in the previous 11 years combined) capped off by an embarassing loss to a 2-9 Minnesota team that hadn't won a game at home all year.....apparently because the team "lost the will to win" (i.e. they QUIT). In between, there is an alleged brawl in the locker room after the OSU game. A major RB commit withdrawals his verbal and goes with Wisconsin. With no explanation we pull the offer of another major RB commit from Missouri. And to top it all off, our star receiver and the re-writer of all the receiving record books gets busted for pot, coke, pills and running a drug house.

So let me ask the question we're all asking ourselves right now...."What the f__k just happened here?!?!"
 
Without a doubt there are issues with the team and the staff. Some of it is bad luck, like the injuries to Jewell, Coker, Tarp, and Nielsen. But overall something happened to this team to make it turn around like it did. On the outside it does look like Kirk lost control of the team. They looked unmotivated. DJK's arrest is the cherry on top. This bowl game needs to get here so we can finally put the 2010 season to bed.
 
There is an issue inside the program with managing expectations and maintaining leadership roles on the team.

As I've said before, the issue for me is not that he was arrested for drug use; my suspicion is that half the team could be arrested for that on any given Saturday night.

It is why was DJLK allowed to put himself in the position that he was.

Why did not one player tell KF about it, and if they did, why did KF not tell him to get the hell out of that apartment?

There is no doubt about it that this is on DJK and DJK alone, but something isn't working inside the walls of the football complex as it relates to team chemistry.
 
Rawkhawk73 said:
Looking back, I am absolutely floored to see where we've gone as a program over the last 12 months.

We started out the year winning the Orange Bowl in convincing fashion and finishing with our highest ranking since the 1950's (at #7).

We go into the season with the highest of hopes. 26 returning seniors. Veteran "leadership" (I use that term lightly now considering how the season played out) on both sides of the ball. As much skill position talent as we've ever had at Iowa. A boatload of quality recruits are committing early making it appear as though this class may be the 2nd highest rated class of the Ferentz era. Just when it looks like things are rolling as good as they ever have, all hell breaks loose......

BW leaves at the start of summer camp, never to return. Coker breaks his collarbone, giving him no reps whatsoever this summer. Norm Parker gets hospitalized, never to return in a full-time capacity and eventually has to have his foot amputated. Jewel blows out his knee against Arizona. Beginning with Arizona, we proceed to lose 5 games (and nearly six if not for an unexplainable endzone drop by the Indiana receiver) when we were either tied or in the lead in the 4th quarter (we had lost 6 such games in the previous 11 years combined) capped off by an embarassing loss to a 2-9 Minnesota team that hadn't won a game at home all year.....apparently because the team "lost the will to win" (i.e. they QUIT). In between, there is an alleged brawl in the locker room after the OSU game. A major RB commit withdrawals his verbal and goes with Wisconsin. With no explanation we pull the offer of another major RB commit from Missouri. And to top it all off, our star receiver and the re-writer of all the receiving record books gets busted for pot, coke, pills and running a drug house.

So let me ask the question we're all asking ourselves right now...."What the f__k just happened here?!?!"
Click to expand...

Great question! This is the type of questions that the media needs to be asking KF, rather than the BS fluffy questions he currently gets. If your not currently working would you please go wright for the Press Citizen or the Gazette?
 
LDHawkfan said:
Great question! This is the type of questions that the media needs to be asking KF, rather than the BS fluffy questions he currently gets. If your not currently working would you please go wright for the Press Citizen or the Gazette?
Click to expand...

They won't ask the tough questions because they don't want to lose the access to him. But you can ask them without being accusatory. I'd think these things would be legitimate questions:

1. Does the staff keep tabs on where players have their residence and/or who they are rooming with?

2. Do you feel any of DJKs admitted drug issues are a failure of any part of your program that will need to be addressed moving forward?

3. Back in 2006, you were able to pinpoint the exact time that you felt the team became "fat cats" and where the wheels essentially fell off. Can you pinpoint where this occured this season?

4. How do you explain this year in light of returning 26 seniors, leadership on both sides of the ball, talent and experience at all the skill positions and a fairly favorable schedule (especially compared to last year)?

5. Your team captain and arguably your best player stated that the team "lost the will to win" following the loss at Minnesota. Do you share his belief? If so, what do you think was the root cause of this? If not, why do you disagree?

6. In the last 5 years you have had 2 teams appear to quit on the season once adversity or unmet expectations seemed to occur. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, why did it happen?

7. You have a losing record against only 2 Big Ten teams, Ohio State and Northwestern. OSU is understandable, but how do you explain your inability to handle a team that the other "elite" teams in the league don't seem to have a problem beating?

I'd be interested in seeing the responses to those questions, but alas, they'll never get asked.
 
Rawkhawk73 said:
In between, there is an alleged brawl in the locker room after the OSU game. A major RB commit withdrawals his verbal and goes with Wisconsin. With no explanation we pull the offer of another major RB commit from Missouri.
Click to expand...

Marc Morehouse has been on recored for quite awhile there was no fight in the locker room. Who is the RB commit we pulled the offer from?
 
The idea that people are afraid to ask questions because they will lose access is proposterous.

They work for newspapers not for the U.

KF has to meet the press, so this is a ridiculous statement.
 
Rawkhawk73 said:
They won't ask the tough questions because they don't want to lose the access to him. But you can ask them without being accusatory. I'd think these things would be legitimate questions:

1. Does the staff keep tabs on where players have their residence and/or who they are rooming with?

2. Do you feel any of DJKs admitted drug issues are a failure of any part of your program that will need to be addressed moving forward?

3. Back in 2006, you were able to pinpoint the exact time that you felt the team became "fat cats" and where the wheels essentially fell off. Can you pinpoint where this occured this season?

4. How do you explain this year in light of returning 26 seniors, leadership on both sides of the ball, talent and experience at all the skill positions and a fairly favorable schedule (especially compared to last year)?

5. Your team captain and arguably your best player stated that the team "lost the will to win" following the loss at Minnesota. Do you share his belief? If so, what do you think was the root cause of this? If not, why do you disagree?

6. In the last 5 years you have had 2 teams appear to quit on the season once adversity or unmet expectations seemed to occur. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, why did it happen?

7. You have a losing record against only 2 Big Ten teams, Ohio State and Northwestern. OSU is understandable, but how do you explain your inability to handle a team that the other "elite" teams in the league don't seem to have a problem beating?

I'd be interested in seeing the responses to those questions, but alas, they'll never get asked.
Click to expand...

Great point, Great questions!
 
BSpringsteen said:
There is an issue inside the program with managing expectations and maintaining leadership roles on the team.

As I've said before, the issue for me is not that he was arrested for drug use; my suspicion is that half the team could be arrested for that on any given Saturday night.

It is why was DJLK allowed to put himself in the position that he was.

Why did not one player tell KF about it, and if they did, why did KF not tell him to get the hell out of that apartment?

There is no doubt about it that this is on DJK and DJK alone, but something isn't working inside the walls of the football complex as it relates to team chemistry.
Click to expand...

Very well stated. Something is amiss and for whatever reason, this staff has troubles motivating teams that are receiving preseason accolades. I agree however, this is all on DJK, his drug use, but I'm not going to condemn the kid. It's at this time that you show true leadership and help him as much as possible.
 
In conjuncture with this however even though we may be witnessing a downswing we have also seen that this program can unexpectedly go into an upswing.
 
BSpringsteen said:
The idea that people are afraid to ask questions because they will lose access is proposterous.

They work for newspapers not for the U.

KF has to meet the press, so this is a ridiculous statement.
Click to expand...

hopefully you are reacting to the specific comment about the media being "afraid to lose access" regarding their questioning... in that sense, yes i would agree.

it may not be that they are afraid to lose access per se- but to think that any of the questioning by media with KF this year is anything resembling strong questioning during a difficult season is completely laughable. there is zero depth to any of his media sessions beyond his weekly dog and pony show.
 
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