Joint Statement from Barta and Pollard

[RobHowe]

Press release:

On Saturday, most fans from both schools celebrated the day and the rivalry in a positive manner showcasing all that’s good about the state of Iowa. Administrators and Public Safety officers at both schools are focused on improving the environment around this important game moving forward.


JOINT STATEMENT FROM GARY BARTA AND JAMIE POLLARD REGARDING GAME ENVIRONMENTS


“Both the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are committed to providing a safe environment for everyone attending events on their respective campuses. This includes members of the school’s marching bands. Unfortunately, both the Hawkeye and Cyclone marching bands have been the target of unacceptable behavior at football games in Iowa City and Ames in recent years. Some of the conduct directed at the students in our respective marching bands recently has been rude, vulgar, and in some cases, violent. We should all feel embarrassed when students in the bands don’t feel safe when performing at an away game. Each of our athletics departments is committed to doing whatever is necessary to improve the environment for visiting school marching bands in the future. A significant part of the solution is insisting our fans help address this issue by showing more respect to our visitors. We owe it to these hardworking performers to have a safe stage on which they can showcase their spirit and talent.”

 

[EstronHawkKing]

So, if something happened to the isu band last year at Kinnick, it took Pollard over 365 days to address this?!?! Now suddenly isu is also a victim?!?!?

 

[homes]

Pollard, You sue me, I counter sue you for double.

Barta, OK, we'll agree that Iowa fans are bad, too.

The man knows how to negotiate, I'm tellin' ya.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Nobody can quite generate a distraction like Barta. This never had to go public

 

[hawkinn3]

Barta buys cars for more than sticker price

 

[judzeehawk]

I'm sure the clowns have a video of the Hawk fans abusing the clowns band correct @scott50322a.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Well the good thing is that Pollard finally got it right in regard to not letting theft happen in our locker room during the game this year. His putting the ISU punt return team guarding the door proved to be successful. No one was getting into that locker room without running into those guys.

Too soon?

 

[Northside Hawk]

Could you see Barta trying to play poker?

 

[MelroseHawkins]

 

[latrans]

So ISU fan assaults Iowa band member and Barta apologizes? Got it.

 

[Hawk90]

The Golden Broom Award again goes to Gary B. for sweeping this under the rug. I hope a couple of band parents call him on it.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

I knew this would get more surreal. Like a bad 60's sitcom.

To our west we have Sam Drucker trying pathetically hard to convince America that Hooterville is really cool and should be relevant. (Because they drink a lot of shitty beer?)

And here we have Gomer Pyle.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

The Golden Broom Award again goes to Gary B. for sweeping this under the rug. I hope a couple of band parents call him on it.

The band doesn't generate billions of dollars. Get with the program.

 

[Hawk90]

The band doesn't generate billions of dollars. Get with the program.

Neither did the women's field hockey team, .......$7 million later..

 

[okeefe4prez]

I knew this would get more surreal. Like a bad 60's sitcom.

To our west we have Sam Drucker trying pathetically hard to convince America that Hooterville is really cool and should be relevant. (Because they drink a lot of shitty beer?)

And here we have Gomer Pyle.

They take so much pride in Busch Light over there. Look, I was in college in the '90's. I drank Busch Light like my ass was on fire. I went to Ames. Those morons were a decade behind the times back then, as they were drinking the highly fashionable Bud Light while wearing acid washed jeans and Spuds McKenzie t-shirts.

Busch Light is a fine beer. We all knew that over 20 years ago in eastern Iowa. The Clowns act like they just found it or something. "OMG Hilbert, Busch Light is liek totally the best beer evah." That and the world renowned Ames water are the focal point of their identities.

 

[phdsvp]

I think it's great that Gary Barta let Pollard write the press release and ignore Saturday's events. I'm sure he had his reasons... (the reasons are that he's the worst Power Five AD in the country and it's not close).

If I were the band director, I'd tell Barta that we're not going back there in two years and if he doesn't like it he can go spit. Just because Gary is a doddering idiot doesn't mean that he has to risk the safety of the students under his charge. The band is not part of the Athletic Department.

 

[Hawk90]

My question would be, why is this between the school's ADs' and not the university presidents? You've got an incompetent dolt and a used car salesman negotiating the safety of students. Does not sound right.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I think it's great that Gary Barta let Pollard write the press release and ignore Saturday's events. I'm sure he had his reasons... (the reasons are that he's the worst Power Five AD in the country and it's not close).

If I were the band director, I'd tell Barta that we're not going back there in two years and if he doesn't like it he can go spit. Just because Gary is a doddering idiot doesn't mean that he has to risk the safety of the students under his charge. The band is not part of the Athletic Department.

If I were the band director, I'd make sure to report it to ISU, knowing they will bury it. Then, I'd wait for them to omit it from their disclosure of crimes on campus report they are required to do and make a massive fuss about it then. Lawsuit, media campaign, start a hashtag, the whole 9 yards.

 

[homes]

The more of these responses I read, the more infuriating it is that he would turn his back on 1) the band and 2) the Hawkeye fans.

If I was Barta I would tell Pollard to stick it. I would issue a statement saying what happened. Then, let Pollard issue something that says, Yeah, well they did it as well, a year ago. That would be real credible. Barta wouldn't even have to respond to it unless he wants a chance to say that the Iowa Hawkeye fans are the greatest in the world. The matter is over. Barta has the back of Iowa, and Pollard looks childish.

 

[phdsvp]

The more of these responses I read, the more infuriating it is that he would turn his back on 1) the band and 2) the Hawkeye fans.

If I was Barta I would tell Pollard to stick it. I would issue a statement saying what happened. Then, let Pollard issue something that says, Yeah, well they did it as well, a year ago. That would be real credible. Barta wouldn't even have to respond to it unless he wants a chance to say that the Iowa Hawkeye fans are the greatest in the world. The matter is over. Barta has the back of Iowa, and Pollard looks childish.

Yep. Instead Barta lets Pollard both-sides-ism even though no one has any clue what happened in "past years" and essentially tells the people who were abused on Saturday that they shouldn't have been dressed like they were asking for it.