My column on Ferentz/Willies/Beathard & Cracks in Foundation

[tweeterhawk]

> When asked if Willies had expressed any concerns over a lack of playing time, Ferentz said ‘Not to me, no.”

Of course, the acolytes in the Iowa sports press corps chose not to ask a logical follow-up question: To anyone else on your staff? Or to press him why a receiver who had so impressed in spring camp had not received more playing time or been targeted more in the passing game.

Geebus. It is simply amazing what the $4 million man is allowed to get away with behind the walls of Fort Kinnick when fawning sports "journalists" refuse to hold his feet to the fire.

 

[Gibsonian]

Well written, Jon.

As a guy who was in your position for the better part of 6 years, I understand it isn't easy writing something like that with your name attached to it when you'll inevitably have to look the people you're writing about in the eyes. But, it needed to be said and I give you credit for saying it. I hope many people see your words and actually comprehend them.

Yes, needed to be said and I think that Willies, Beathard, and Smith are sending out some messages here as well - ones that they feel need to be said, no matter the cost to them. They are doing also at their own peril, which says a lot to me on the status of the team morale and the problems of this coaching staff. They know what happens to guys that speak out on the Iowa team. Something will get changed on how this program is ran or the larger exodus, greater fallout within the team will most certainly occur, just as has been predicted by our "insiders" here on HN. Fanbase is not so much different from the team members I'm guessing in their lack of satisfaction.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

... Ferentz's hazing of making you ride pine behind a terrible upperclassman and watch 60 minutes a week of terrible football is absolutely nothing compared to what the dudes in the NFL do to players.

Made me laffy.

Good to know this is just part of the "character building" process at Iowa; that's a life-lesson perk you prolly don't get at most power-conference schools.

It also helps explain why so many former Hawks make and have success in the pros, even though they struggled to beat ISU, Indiana, Purdue and NwU and could only help Iowa to 7-5 records -- It takes time to mold quality players into quality men. Ya hafta break 'em down and cleanse them of those nasty raw talents before you can mold them into all-around football players.

 

[SterlingWarriorHawk]

I come daily to continue to read this crapfest. Let us all pat ourselves on the back as being passionate and logical fans. Ok...maybe not all of us. I love Iowa football. I grew up listening to the games on the radio while my brothers and I threw the football around in the yard. I am not disconnected with reality. Are there problems? Yep, sure are. But here is the comedy in this crapfest:

1. If Iowa runs the ball 50 times a game and wins - very few **** and moan about playmakers not getting the ball.
2. If Iowa throws the ball 50 times a game and losses - many **** and moan about the throws not getting to the playmakers.

What is it? It can't be both. A wide receiver, who hasn't stayed in one place for too long, chooses to leave. I don't know the recruiting pitch, but damn there are 30 years of statistical proof that Iowa runs the ball and throws to the tight end. Good bye. Good luck.

The coaches contract is an albatross. He is the 4 million dollar man. Who cares? He does his job. The University agreed to it and when the team finished in the top 8 3 times in the early 2000's very few complained.

I am so tired of reading the nonsensical, entitlement, fire everybody, play the back-up mentality. At what point will people stop?

Rant Over

 

[deanvogs]

I come daily to continue to read this crapfest. Let us all pat ourselves on the back as being passionate and logical fans. Ok...maybe not all of us. I love Iowa football. I grew up listening to the games on the radio while my brothers and I threw the football around in the yard. I am not disconnected with reality. Are there problems? Yep, sure are. But here is the comedy in this crapfest:

1. If Iowa runs the ball 50 times a game and wins - very few **** and moan about playmakers not getting the ball.
2. If Iowa throws the ball 50 times a game and losses - many **** and moan about the throws not getting to the playmakers.

What is it? It can't be both. A wide receiver, who hasn't stayed in one place for too long, chooses to leave. I don't know the recruiting pitch, but damn there are 30 years of statistical proof that Iowa runs the ball and throws to the tight end. Good bye. Good luck.

The coaches contract is an albatross. He is the 4 million dollar man. Who cares? He does his job. The University agreed to it and when the team finished in the top 8 3 times in the early 2000's very few complained.

I am so tired of reading the nonsensical, entitlement, fire everybody, play the back-up mentality. At what point will people stop?

Rant Over

And a good rant it was. I think most posters on here are bi-polar (I'll include myself). We rant and rave about opening up the offense.........AND then our biggest complaint about the Maryland game is passing too much, and not sticking to the running game in the 4th qtr.

 

[David79]

They don't work as hard in practice.

Kirk thinks the way to keep things in order is play the guys who work hardest in practice.

In reality the best players rarely ever work the hardest in practice, not because they are lazy but the over achiever types are always going to out work their competition .

Kirk thinks hes is motivating the talented players to work as hard as the walkons but really he's just contributing to a mediocre team.

Every once in a while you get a Bob Sanders who is the most talented and hardest worker but for everyone of those there is 10 DJKs and if you choose to not play the DJKs you don't win.

This is so wrong!
The best players on the team like Scherff are the hardest workers. Sure there are good players that coast but the majority are hard workers. No one out worked Jordan. Willies has talent but he isn't going to be good anywhere if he doesn't put in the work.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Jon, I'm starting to think we may be on the outside looking in for the playoffs this year, kinda surprised you didn't mention that at all in your column.

 

[NCHawker]

I get all that, and when I saw the thread headline, Variety magazine / hollywood gossip / came to mind.


I think we all need to let go and step back.

[video=youtube;wbGw6UfGymk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbGw6UfGymk[/video]

 

[uihawk82]

I think leaving in the middle of a season is poor form.

I agree in that it shows not being a full teammate, not finishing the job (at least for this year), etc. Coaches want players with fortitude, strength (strong willed and physical), who see it through for the full game, season.

I think if Willies wants to transfer for whatever reason he will do it but I think he could have used these last 5 games to run the best routes he could, get open, and look to demand the ball. One last point it is part of an indictment of this offense that is supposed to be pro-style but totally lacks the vertical aspect of pro offenses going back 3-4 generations.

 

[docholihawk]

Wrong, Calvin Johnson could've done just about anything he wanted too.

Physical ability of that caliber trumps EVERYTHING when the exclusive objective is winning.

Dez Bryant case in point and he is not any where near what Johnson was at his prime.

I thought Johnson is in his prime.

 

[83Hawk]

I think if Willies wants to transfer for whatever reason he will do it but I think he could have used these last 5 games to run the best routes he could, get open, and look to demand the ball.

He has to get in the game to do those things.

 

[hawkinn3]

I like CJB even more now. He follow all the rules and shows he is the more dynamic QB when he gets playing time but Kirk still doesn't play him so he's apparently done following the rules and will say what he wants. I am also 100% sure he is leaving now.

 

[pmchawk]

I think leaving in the middle of a season is poor form.

I agree it is poor form but to me it sends a clearer message that something is actually wrong with the ones running the team. Especially when you tell the coach 1 thing and your guardian is saying something completely different. Leaving now doesn't give the coaches a chance to say after the season things like "KMM was a senior and that opens up a spot for you to get more reps" to me it's a vote of no confidence in the coaching staff.

 

[Travisam]

I come daily to continue to read this crapfest. Let us all pat ourselves on the back as being passionate and logical fans. Ok...maybe not all of us. I love Iowa football. I grew up listening to the games on the radio while my brothers and I threw the football around in the yard. I am not disconnected with reality. Are there problems? Yep, sure are. But here is the comedy in this crapfest:

1. If Iowa runs the ball 50 times a game and wins - very few **** and moan about playmakers not getting the ball.
2. If Iowa throws the ball 50 times a game and losses - many **** and moan about the throws not getting to the playmakers.

What is it? It can't be both. A wide receiver, who hasn't stayed in one place for too long, chooses to leave. I don't know the recruiting pitch, but damn there are 30 years of statistical proof that Iowa runs the ball and throws to the tight end. Good bye. Good luck.

The coaches contract is an albatross. He is the 4 million dollar man. Who cares? He does his job. The University agreed to it and when the team finished in the top 8 3 times in the early 2000's very few complained.

I am so tired of reading the nonsensical, entitlement, fire everybody, play the back-up mentality. At what point will people stop?

Rant Over

lol that was 10 freaking years ago dude. You don't think if Iowa finished in the top 8 3 times again that fans would be happy now? They haven't even sniffed the top 25 for almost 5 years now and top 8 is not going to happen under Kirk under any circumstance. He's done. He's less engaged and more stubborn than 10 years ago. "early 2000's is over". Get over it. That was a different program than the one you see today. Things change. How was Baylor in the "early 2000's"?

 

[PCHawk]

Made me laffy.

Good to know this is just part of the "character building" process at Iowa; that's a life-lesson perk you prolly don't get at most power-conference schools.

It also helps explain why so many former Hawks make and have success in the pros, even though they struggled to beat ISU, Indiana, Purdue and NwU and could only help Iowa to 7-5 records -- It takes time to mold quality players into quality men. Ya hafta break 'em down and cleanse them of those nasty raw talents before you can mold them into all-around football players.

He even molded Bsnks into actually believing he wasn't ready to play in '01.

 

[homes]

And a good rant it was. I think most posters on here are bi-polar (I'll include myself). We rant and rave about opening up the offense.........AND then our biggest complaint about the Maryland game is passing too much, and not sticking to the running game in the 4th qtr.

My sense is that it isn't that Iowa is passing too much, but it is the type of pass plays they run that is the source of frustration and consternation among the fanbase. Particularly since they don't seem to be very effective.

 

[deanvogs]

lol that was 10 freaking years ago dude. You don't think if Iowa finished in the top 8 3 times again that fans would be happy now? They haven't even sniffed the top 25 for almost 5 years now and top 8 is not going to happen under Kirk under any circumstance. He's done. He's less engaged and more stubborn than 10 years ago. "early 2000's is over". Get over it. That was a different program than the one you see today. Things change. How was Baylor in the "early 2000's"?

Agreed. The past 10 years this program isn't even avg. 7 wins a year. I understand that we will have some down years, but over the past 10 years the down years are far greater than the up years. We have really only had 1 good year (2009), and 3 decent years (2008, 2010, 2013) over the past 10.

 

[Travisam]

Agreed. The past 10 years this program isn't even avg. 7 wins a year. I understand that we will have some down years, but over the past 10 years the down years are far greater than the up years. We have really only had 1 good year (2009), and 3 decent years (2008, 2010, 2013) over the past 10.

2010 was not a decent year. That is the worst coaching job in all of sports I've ever seen in my life. That team was absolutely loaded with NFL talent and they completely **** the bed.

 

[PCHawk]

And a good rant it was. I think most posters on here are bi-polar (I'll include myself). We rant and rave about opening up the offense.........AND then our biggest complaint about the Maryland game is passing too much, and not sticking to the running game in the 4th qtr.

I wouldn't call it bipolar to think we should pass more when we pound the ball 50 times into a wall for 2 yards a pop, then think we should run more after Weisman gashes a defense almost at will on the previous touchdown drive. I would call that common sense.

Circumstances change from game to game and even drive to drive. You have to think fast to keep up. Judging by Kirk's ability to manage a clock during a 2 minute drill, quick thinking isn't his strong suit.

 

[PCHawk]

This is so wrong!
The best players on the team like Scherff are the hardest workers. Sure there are good players that coast but the majority are hard workers. No one out worked Jordan. Willies has talent but he isn't going to be good anywhere if he doesn't put in the work.

For every Scherff and Jordan there are 10 DJK's and Randy Moss's