Media-types can be real tools at times...

[hoopthemottle]

Tell me, why do I, Joe Fan, need Kirk Ferentz in Iowa City when 13 of his players are hospitalized? Why do I need KF at a press conference? And why must KF leave his last week of 2011 class recruiting to return to campus? to sit by hospital beds?

The media types, from Doyle at cbssports.com to our very own Gazette guys, seem to think that the only course of integrity is for KF to react the way that they want him to react. Haven't they learned anything from watching him for 12 years?

KF is never going to do something because the media demands it or shouts it from cyberspace. He will continue to do what is right in his own heart and mind.

And I refuse to go over to BHGP. Bellanca is probably calling for KF & Barta to be fired again, a la July 2008 over "their role" in the Ced Everson deal.

Media-types: since KF won't talk to you and make your jobs simple, why don't you talk to the parents of the 13 players, and ask them if KF has been in touch. Ask them if they want/need him in Iowa City as badly as you need him there.

Sheesh.

 

[DexterMorgan]

Tell me, why do I, Joe Fan, need Kirk Ferentz in Iowa City when 13 of his players are hospitalized? Why do I need KF at a press conference? And why must KF leave his last week of 2011 class recruiting to return to campus? to sit by hospital beds?

The media types, from Doyle at cbssports.com to our very own Gazette guys, seem to think that the only course of integrity is for KF to react the way that they want him to react. Haven't they learned anything from watching him for 12 years?

KF is never going to do something because the media demands it or shouts it from cyberspace. He will continue to do what is right in his own heart and mind.

And I refuse to go over to BHGP. Bellanca is probably calling for KF & Barta to be fired again, a la July 2008 over "their role" in the Ced Everson deal.

Media-types: since KF won't talk to you and make your jobs simple, why don't you talk to the parents of the 13 players, and ask them if KF has been in touch. Ask them if they want/need him in Iowa City as badly as you need him there.

Sheesh.

Too much work.

 

[nationalchamps]

Excellent, excellent post.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

Excellent, excellent post.

Horrible, horrible post.

Numerous players are injured doing football activites to the point of hospitalization? That is something the coach, as the leader of the program, needs to be in front of. It has nothing to do with media demands, and has everything to do with showing leadership during a crisis in the program. And not a manufactured crisis, but people's health is at stake here. Some people are so myopic they can't see how serious this is.

I don't think he needs to be fired, be he certainly dropped the ball here.

 

[Section136]

Horrible, horrible post.

Numerous players are injured doing football activites to the point of hospitalization? That is something the coach, as the leader of the program, needs to be in front of. It has nothing to do with media demands, and has everything to do with showing leadership during a crisis in the program. And not a manufactured crisis, but people's health is at stake here. Some people are so myopic they can't see how serious this is.

I don't think he needs to be fired, be he certainly dropped the ball here.

Poggi's dad is happy with the response he got from all parties involved and has talked to Ferentz numerous times. Not calling you out Farmgirl, I just want to know why media folks are expecting more when a parent of a player that is in the hospital is satisfied with how KF and staff have handled it.

If there are unhappy parents from any of the 13 kids I am sure we will hear about it. I am of the belief that we would have already heard from parents that were not happy with the way everything was handled.

http://hawkcentral.com/2011/01/26/players-dad-trusts-coaches/

Edit- to add link

 

[ThunderHawk]

Ferentz and Barta have really screwed the pooch in failing to come back when their athletes are hospitalized...STILL FREAKING HOSPITALIZED...due to program-sanctioned workouts.

It just screams "we don't really care about our athletes."

Horrible optics.

I'm sure they do actually care about those kids but it looks terrible.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

Poggi's dad is happy with the response he got from all parties involved and has talked to Ferentz numerous times. Not calling you out Farmgirl, I just want to know why media folks are expecting more when a parent of a player that is in the hospital is satisfied with how KF and staff have handled it.

If there are unhappy parents from any of the 13 kids I am sure we will hear about it. I am of the belief that we would have already heard from parents that were not happy with the way everything was handled.

Player’s dad trusts coaches | Hawk Central

Edit- to add link

My point is that it never should have happened in the first place. There is serious systemic problem if 13 guys need hospitalization during a sanctioned team activity.

 

[Section136]

My point is that it never should have happened in the first place. There is serious systemic problem if 13 guys need hospitalization during a sanctioned team activity.

True, if it was just the workout that put these 13 in the hospital I agree with you.

My opinion- It was the workout plus another factor that put these guys over the edge. Whether it be a supplement, im talking the legal kinds, or something else. I find it hard to believe that not 1 person in the previous 11 years ever ended up in the hospital from this workout and we get 13 in one year and that it is just from over exertion.

 

[DexterMorgan]

Ferentz and Barta have really screwed the pooch in failing to come back when their athletes are hospitalized...STILL FREAKING HOSPITALIZED...due to program-sanctioned workouts.

It just screams "we don't really care about our athletes."

Horrible optics.

I'm sure they do actually care about those kids but it looks terrible.

I agree to an extent. I would guess that it only appears this way to outsiders and that the athletes and parents of said athletes know that KF cares about them and their safety. I would imagine that he has been in contact with each and every one of them as well as the doctors and players. The players don't need him, the University did simply for PR and Kirk could give 2 ***** about that. Not saying it's right or wrong but that's my read on the situation.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

My point is that it never should have happened in the first place. There is serious systemic problem if 13 guys need hospitalization during a sanctioned team activity.

The problem is we're bringing in guys that are too soft and can't handle this workout. We do this every year and none of the former Hawkeyes who've went onto the NFL ever needed to be hospitalized after this workout, that is not a good sign for the current guys. As Jon himself said, it's not a big deal, they're going to be fine, we've just become a lazy, soft team and I'm glad we're trying to correct that.

 

[tazclone]

The problem is we're bringing in guys that are too soft and can't handle this workout. We do this every year and none of the former Hawkeyes who've went onto the NFL ever needed to be hospitalized after this workout, that is not a good sign for the current guys. As Jon himself said, it's not a big deal, they're going to be fine, we've just become a lazy, soft team and I'm glad we're trying to correct that.

Bernstine has stated it is the toughest workout he has ever gone through so it is possible that the workout was changed. Who knows? Doyle isn't speaking and Federici couldn't tell anyone what the workout was in the presser. The silence from Doyle and the sidestepping from Federici about the workout are intersting to say the least.

 

[Hawkeye101]

Agree, this is an excellent post.

I believe it was reported that KF had been in touch with each and every set of parents of those impacted. He's not a Dr. and there really isn't any value in him sitting at bedsides either.

Someone please tell me if I have this wrong, but the treatment they are receiving at UIHC is bedrest and re-hydration. No drugs are being administered. From what I've read about the condition, is that it can become life threatening if not treated (meaning rest and proper hydration). Those who are trying to portrait this as if 13 Hawkeye players are all on their death beds while KF is out recruiting are simply ill-informed.

Wasn't it Poggi who was posting on his FB page about soreness, etc? Hardly something someone would do if they are in such dire straights as some are trying to portrait.

Should KF have been here for a presser, sure, but it's still being blown way out of proportion from my perspective.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

The problem is we're bringing in guys that are too soft and can't handle this workout. We do this every year and none of the former Hawkeyes who've went onto the NFL ever needed to be hospitalized after this workout, that is not a good sign for the current guys. As Jon himself said, it's not a big deal, they're going to be fine, we've just become a lazy, soft team and I'm glad we're trying to correct that.

That's garbage. I would maybe believe that if 3 or 4 guys were hospitalized, but 13? That means there was a problem there. Every team pushes hard, and every team has weaklings, but only one team put a baker's dozen in the hospital.

 

[TheNebraskaHawk]

My point is that it never should have happened in the first place. There is serious systemic problem if 13 guys need hospitalization during a sanctioned team activity.

OP: Fantastic opening post!

Iowafarmgirl, are a doctor (For that matter is any of the media and has anyone asked a doctor how easy or hard it is to tell if someone has crossed the line with this illness?) I would bet my last dollar that even a doctor would have a hard time telling if an athlete doing an intense workout was crossing the fine line between being pushed to the point of exhaustion or coming down with this illness.

Iowa is doing nothing different than any other school, but Iowa had the 13 students that became ill. I maintain, however, that there is no way to know this is happening until it has actually happened. The coaches were doing the same workout they had done with their athletes for years, this time the 13 students became ill. Why has it not happened in the past using the same workouts, there is a reason, but instead of slashing and bashing KF, the press once again has chosen to sensationalize.

Another thing, someone had to recognize that something was wrong and they obviously did as the students went to the hospital. Has anyone asked why the students went in the first place? Could it be that a coach recognized there was an issue and sent them to the hospital (I do not know, but has anyone asked?)?

 

[nationalchamps]

Bernstine has stated it is the toughest workout he has ever gone through so it is possible that the workout was changed. Who knows? Doyle isn't speaking and Federici couldn't tell anyone what the workout was in the presser. The silence from Doyle and the sidestepping from Federici about the workout are intersting to say the least.

Or maybe JB was more out of shape than before? Did anyone else see the end of the 4th quarters this year?!?! These guys were out of shape so any type of a rigorous workout is going to be hard on their bodies! I'm beginning to think most of you have never played sports before.

 

[nationalchamps]

That's garbage. I would maybe believe that if 3 or 4 guys were hospitalized, but 13? That means there was a problem there. Every team pushes hard, and every team has weaklings, but only one team put a baker's dozen in the hospital.

And our team was completely out of shape this season. Maybe this shows just how out of shape this team was this year.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

That's garbage. I would maybe believe that if 3 or 4 guys were hospitalized, but 13? That means there was a problem there. Every team pushes hard, and every team has weaklings, but only one team put a baker's dozen in the hospital.

Our team got complacent after the Orange Bowl. It showed on the field last year and apparently in the weight room now. The good news is it's only January, hopefully these kids don't miss too much time with this. They're already behind, don't want them falling farther behind.

 

[DexterMorgan]

I know we'll never get this info but...

It would be interesting to see how they came about going to the hospital. Seems pretty odd that all of the sudden 13 guys would decide they need to go to the hospital.

Maybe this is just being very optimistic but....what if 1 person (lets say Poggi) went to the hospital because the level of soreness wasn't something he normally experienced. They discovered Poggi had external blah blah blah (im sick of looking up the word to copy/paste). Poggi is in contact with staff or other players and explains his condition, then many other players go in for precaution because they too are feeling extreme soreness and dehydration?

Maybe I'm off in fairy tale land but It'd be interesting to know the circumstances surrounding that.

 

[edr247]

I disagree that KF needed to drop what he was doing (program related) and run back to Iowa City, when it was told from day 1 that the players were safe and in no real danger. He was in contact with the players and their families, and nobody's come forth and said they were unhappy with the doctors, coaches or athletic department. We know that at least Jim Poggi's dad was very satisfied, though understandably concerned about his son.

It wouldn't have made a lick of difference if KF had been back on Tuesday or Wednesday (as I understand it, he was due back in Iowa City late Wednesday or Thursday?). Plus, if you tell recruits that everything is fine, but then cancel appointments to run back to Iowa City, does that send the message to them we wish to convey?

As for Barta, who was out fundraising, I'm not wholly sure.

Either way, the presser could have been postponed until later this week, so that both could have been there (just to show their faces and stop the critics from jumping on that as well), and so that more information could have been compiled.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

Our team got complacent after the Orange Bowl. It showed on the field last year and apparently in the weight room now. The good news is it's only January, hopefully these kids don't miss too much time with this. They're already behind, don't want them falling farther behind.

There is no way you acctually believe that. That is beyond asinine