Most Disappointing Seasons

ICAlumni

ICAlumni

Well-Known Member
I thought i'd been disappointed more than I could ever be after the 2002 basketball season. It was the worst season I could ever remember as an Iowa fan. 1997 in football wasn't much better. If I remember right - the offense and defense were ranked extremely high nationally and yet they barely finished over .500.

This year's football season tops both of those for the most disappointing of all time (for me.) It's just a damn game that kids play, but MAN, it's really bugging me and hitting me hard this year. Maybe I bought into the hype too much. Maybe i drink too much KoolAid. But I can tell you this... if there is one thing we have learned about KF it's that he does MORE WITH LESS. In all phases...

He does better when his teams are underestimated.
He does better with players who are 1* and 2* players than he does with blue chippers.

Kirk is simply at his best when expectations aren't there and that doesn't bode well. Because when you win and when you are successful, expectations are there... they are built in. You can say "you are a victim of your own success" but that's part of the reason you do this for a career right? It's why you fight the fight, make the big bucks, take the pressure packed situations to heart.... etc... right? If you do well when expectations are low, you are going to continually cycle between mediocre and good and that's what we've done under KF, and it's what we are going to continue to do.
 
Perhaps the most disheartening thing i've heard through all of this is: "I didn't make the expectations" (KF regarding this year's team.)

- Yeah, actually you did. You made the expectations by winning a BCS bowl last year. You made the expectations by building a successful program. You made the expectations by signing your name on the fattest contract in the BT and (nearly) in the country.
 
A good football team figures out a way to beat a 2-9 team ANYWHERE. It hurts to lose to Wisconsin and OSU but they are both 11-1 teams. The Arizona game was given away and yet we still had a chance. If Stanzi doesn't throw a horrible pick in Evanston that's a W. God this sucks big time. So much potential and I just didn't see the effort today.
 
No, HE made them. He made them by being successful. He has to understand that, based on past success people thought this team would be REALLY good. And they were right. This team SHOULD be really good. Ferentz did less with more this year... he really did. And it has just been really really really hard to watch.
 
You do understand that last year was the exception not the norm. Iowa is a 9-3 or 8-4 team with the occasional 10+ win program. To think they are more than that is myopic.
 
So I guess based on your logic, the 7-5 record this year is acceptable because expectations were just too damn high? A couple of all-americans, the second winningest QB in the history of the program, coach of the year and a ton of talent all over the field at all of our other positions meant that we should temper our expectations because we're always an 8-4 team?

Horse****.
 
sdjones said:
I guess you are disappointed then. You need last years luck with this years schedule.
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yes, no way we should ever expect to beat Northwestern or Minnesota. And what is your obsession with the word "myopic'? I have seen that you use it in thread after thread.
 
No excuse for losing to Northwestern and Minnesota. I'll give you a tough loss at Arizona and winnable games at home to Wisconsin and OSU. Even then it's 9-3. Underachieving any way you slice it.
 
Yeah, you are such a trailblazer. I'm sure you don't listen to Rome daily... he's used that word for 10+ years daily. I'm sure it was YOU who came up with it.

It doesn't describe ****.

Sorry but you're going to find yourself in the minority acting like people shouldn't have had high expectations this year.
 
I guess I will continue to be "myopic" for thinking we should defeat Minnesota and Northwestern most years. Or that we should win 50% or more of the games that come down to the last possession of the game.

I just noticed you used that word a lot and it made me think of Bill O'Reilly, when he always uses a big boy word at the end of his show, and then looks so proud because he thinks no one knows what it means. Not saying you are doing that, just made me thank of that and I wondered why you were focusing on that word so much.

Do you really think a 9-3 record was that unreasonable this year?
 
Never said I was a trailblazer. Not a big Rome fan, I guess you are. I never claimed to have come up with the word.
So, I'm in the minority.
 
sdjones said:
I guess you are disappointed then. You need last years luck with this years schedule.
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luck is where preparation meets opportunity. In every loss this year, Iowa's vaunted defence has given up a late lead and their offence has had a chance to drive for a TD. Last year they thrived in those situations and this year they did not. They had many of the same opportunities, but much different results. The defence that always seemed to get stronger as the game went on last year was fading this year, and the offence was more consistent this year, but seemed much less capable to elevate its play at critical times. It was a disappointing year because they seemed to have the pieces in place to do much better, but were missing that part of the team that refuses to lose.
 
creslinhawk said:
luck is where preparation meets opportunity. In every loss this year, Iowa's vaunted defence has given up a late lead and their offence has had a chance to drive for a TD. Last year they thrived in those situations and this year they did not. They had many of the same opportunities, but much different results. The defence that always seemed to get stronger as the game went on last year was fading this year, and the offence was more consistent this year, but seemed much less capable to elevate its play at critical times. It was a disappointing year because they seemed to have the pieces in place to do much better, but were missing that part of the team that refuses to lose.
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I'd say you are right on.
 
creslinhawk said:
luck is where preparation meets opportunity. In every loss this year, Iowa's vaunted defence has given up a late lead and their offence has had a chance to drive for a TD. Last year they thrived in those situations and this year they did not. They had many of the same opportunities, but much different results. The defence that always seemed to get stronger as the game went on last year was fading this year, and the offence was more consistent this year, but seemed much less capable to elevate its play at critical times. It was a disappointing year because they seemed to have the pieces in place to do much better, but were missing that part of the team that refuses to lose.
Click to expand...

Should a good team really be in a position where the game is on the line against the likes of Indiana, Minnesota, and Northwestern?
 
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