I have NO idea how to account for the decline, obstinacy, chippy quips, etc.

ProfessorHawk

ProfessorHawk

Active Member
I just have a really hard time reconciling the fundraising and generosity towards the children's hospital and the UI College of Liberal Arts with merely pigheaded obstinacy as regards change, innovation, etc. within the program itself. That ain't just write-offs. He could give to the NRA or some other bloated fundraising institution. I don't see Kirk as some mercenary corporate stooge singing the ME ME ME ME ME tune. There has to be more to it than that. In ways, this is like watching the decline and precipitous bottoming-out of a family member. I mean, I'm sure Kirk has changed, who doesn't? But even Miller grants his general goodness and human quality. Those are not bad characteristics in anyone, these days. I am also not going to be one of these guys who invokes my alumnus status and my earned UI BA and PhD as justification for claiming some special status vis a vis "fans" vs. alumni and going down into that cesspool. ****, this is painful enough without measuring puds. Something is also wrong with the word-wrap on my end, so forgive the absence of paragraphs and indents. I see Kirk as the sort of guy who has an unreal abrasive side but who also plays John Denver LPs and puts his feet up, enjoying the simpler things and a good, cool can of beer (shoutout to Catfish Keith). He's probably shocked at the venom and vitriol the entire athletic dept. is getting, because I really DON'T think he saw this coming. I know when the exam preps I give my students come back to me generally good, occasionally exceptional, I take that as an accurate measure of what they are learning. I really think he thought the Hawkeyes had practiced well for the bowl game. His main metric is what he sees on the field in practice. I have no idea what variance exists between practice and game performances, and really neither do any other posters, outside Miller and others with real traction inside the program. I just know that I am very conflicted with the idea of pulling the plug on Kirk Ferentz because I am not convinced he'd just pull the plug on the Hawkeyes, or on us, as alumni, fans, etc. I don't see that he would. Yeah, he singed the contract. He probably also didn't see this coming. I know, I KNOW....the freshmen and sophomores at Tennessee made our Jr/Sr-dominated team look foolish. I also know the game plan had a lot to do with that as did the general malaise surrounding OUR Hawkeyes in general just now. But they are OUR Hawkeyes, and Kirk is one of them, not just a rich "fat-cat", I don't believe he sees the world that way. I freely admit I don't have the answers, but I also admit that I doubt haste, anger, and the weird "what have you done for ME lately" mentality is the right methodology for viewing this interval of Iowa football. I think we should be cautious.
 
HawkU said:
Do you have a paragraph phobia? No need - they are your friend.
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"Something is also wrong with the word-wrap on my end, so forgive the absence of paragraphs and indent."

Yeah, I typed that above. And some things require more than soundbytes to express, manno.
 
We understand that Kirk and Mary are good gracious people that gives back. That however doesn't excuse or give Ferentz a pass for not getting it done on the field.

We are also past the "ME lately" stuff, 2015 will be year 5 of unacceptable results.. It's Time!
 
Here's a theory. Mary is the altruistic one, she appreciates everything they have and is behind much of the charity efforts. (not to mention that I'm sure it's encouraged by Barta)

Kirk has gotten full of himself, his success went to his head and he's become arrogant and self-righteous
 
ProfessorHawk said:
Didn't I address that above? My word-wrap is not working. I stated that, quite clearly. Thanks
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Sorry Professor, there was nothing clear in your original post. I am guessing most readers gave up trying to make sense of it by the second sentence. Maybe you would like to try again or start over because I have no idea what your point was.

Other than that, I like your passion.
 
guffus said:
Sorry Professor, there was nothing clear in your original post. I am guessing most readers gave up trying to make sense of it by the second sentence. Maybe you would like to try again or start over because I have no idea what your point was.

Other than that, I like your passion.
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I think the professors point was that we should accept less than mediocre on the field as the new norm, just as society has learned to accept poor grammar, spelling, and writing skills, etc... from our education system.
 
Waaaay tl:dr. Incoherent rambling made my head spin. Brevity is the soul of wit. Be more witty, plz
 
guffus said:
Sorry Professor, there was nothing clear in your original post. I am guessing most readers gave up trying to make sense of it by the second sentence. Maybe you would like to try again or start over because I have no idea what your point was.

Other than that, I like your passion.
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LOL. We should give the Prof a break, I think he is just venting like most of us have the past week. This could turn in to one of those epic posts.
 
ProfessorHawk said:
"Something is also wrong with the word-wrap on my end, so forgive the absence of paragraphs and indent."

Yeah, I typed that above. And some things require more than soundbytes to express, manno.
Click to expand...
Maybe you should have posted that for the title. The body of your post scared me, so I didn't attempt to read it.
 
Does someone have the cliff notes for the OPs post? I don't know what the hell he is trying to say in that diatribe.
 
I'm pretty die hard and don't like to give up without a fight. That said, I made it to the 3rd sentence.
 
I think we should proceed with caution, as well. We need to be more cautious when hiring our next FB coach and the contract he is offered. ;-)
 
OP, I really do agree with your general sentiment. The decline has a lot to do with the obstinacy (the good captain would cut off his nose if he thought it would prove a point to his face). The chippy quips? The dude is gonna be 60, he's a multi millionaire, and really answers to no one. He could drop the mic right now and go be a consultant for his patna' in New England. I'd get snarky too in his position. Not that it gets him any points with us proles.

He'll get his last shot next year...you can pretty much book that. So, it's up to him to make the necessary changes. I think it's pretty obvious what they need to be.
 
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