Is Iowa the most respectable and lovable program?

ottoman89

ottoman89

Well-Known Member
Serious question. Most of the big time schools out there have some sort of a knock against them. For instance Alabama, Nick Saban has been known to be a nutcase a jerk. Pete Carrol and the whole USC program are tied up in the media love and Pete Carroll also is a *****, as well as many of the fans. The list goes on.

But then when you look at Iowa, you have a coach with the upmost respect for the opponent, and everything that goes with it. He's loved by all his players and is a very down to earth guy. Iowa doesn't really have any reason to deserve hate.


What's your thoughts? Most lovable and respectable team in the nation?
 
I personally think people don't hate us... but they don't respect us either. Since it's been so long since we've been on top of the BCS standings people's first reaction is to say, well.. they're having a good year. That's why every time we go to a bowl game nobody really knows what to expect from us. I remember a couple years ago when Zook coached at Florida he thought Nate Kadeing was our Running Back! So no i don't think people hate us, but they look at us as weak and think we play in a weak conference...
 
CRhawkeye06 said:
I personally think people don't hate us... but they don't respect us either. Since it's been so long since we've been on top of the BCS standings people's first reaction is to say, well.. they're having a good year. That's why every time we go to a bowl game nobody really knows what to expect from us. I remember a couple years ago when Zook coached at Florida he thought Nate Kadeing was our Running Back! So no i don't think people hate us, but they look at us as weak and think we play in a weak conference...
Click to expand...
He thought Kaeding was our Running Back, really?
 
I think Iowa is a very respectable program. I'm not so sure that we will ever be the national darling though. There are a lot of fans out there who root against the underdog because they are either enamored by the "Big Name" programs or they simply hate to see someone pass their own team up.
 
I don't think it's a question that we as Iowa fans can answer. Do you think USC fans think Pete Carroll is a (whatever word you used) or that they themselves are too?

What about Boise State fans? Do you think they put on their blue shirts and think, "Man, I love me some Broncos football, but I sure wish I could respect it as much or have it be as lovable as those Iowa Hawkeyes out in Ohio." Same could be said for any number of fans/programs. Who's more lovable & respected than Penn State & JoePa?

Pretty much every fanbase thinks their own team is the most respectable & most lovable.

As for the Hawkeyes being unhateable or not having any reason to be hated, I direct your attention here:

http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/state-rivals/
illinois.scout.com
wisconsin.scout.com
www.gopherhole.com
http://espn.go.com/college-football/http://www.cyclonefanatic.com
 
For some reason football does not lend itself to the feel good Cinderalla stories that basketball does.

For example, assume Iowa snuck into the NCAA tourney last March. Say they played and defeated Duke with a last second shot in the first or second rounds. Iowa would be a national darling for that week.

Now assume Iowa plays USC in the Rose Bowl and won by making a TD pass with time expiring, we'd not see that same response from the public.

There is just something different about people's attitudes when it comes to football.
 
tubahawk said:
For some reason football does not lend itself to the feel good Cinderalla stories that basketball does.

For example, assume Iowa snuck into the NCAA tourney last March. Say they played and defeated Duke with a last second shot in the first or second rounds. Iowa would be a national darling for that week.

Now assume Iowa plays USC in the Rose Bowl and won by making a TD pass with time expiring, we'd not see that same response from the public.

There is just something different about people's attitudes when it comes to football.
Click to expand...


I've noticed this too, in that in March I find myself deeply caring about say, the Southwest Topeka Barber's College Fightin' Clippers and it's scrappy point guard with the clubfoot from Bonerville, Maine, and feeling utterly heartbroken when they finally lose in the second round to UCLA or whatever.

With football, I still love a good underdog story (Boise St over OU in the Fiesta Bowl is a perfect example), but yeah, it just doesn't have the same emotional impact.

I think it's because with football, there are just too many players to keep track of - 22+ as opposed to just a handful. Also, you only see maybe one game as opposed to multiple games over the course of a week or two.
Bu tthe biggest thing, I think, is that in basketball you can see the players' faces. It humanizes it a lot more, where in football they're all kinda' just nameless, faceless soldiers... automatons. More characters than actual people. I dunno... The "Cinderella" thing just translates to basketball better.
 
With that being said, I do think Iowa had a little bit of that feel good story last year from the media with Shonn Greene. From furniture delivery person, to leading the Big 10 in rushing. But Iowa also wasn't ever considered a Top 5 contender so it had the more appealing underdog role to add to that story.
 
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