possibly unpopular: discussion about the fans

[racerhawk]

Okay, so I've been going to hawk games for many years, and I have to say that I was quite disappointed with the fans today (except in the 4th quarter for obvious reasons). Here's why.

1. I thought they were generally pretty quiet early in the game.
2. They seemed to wait until the team made plays until they got into the game.
3. I heard a lot of booing.
4. I heard guys saying "Stanzi sucks"

I could go on, but you get the point. We are an undefeated team. Many acted like "old school" Michigan fans who wait for the players to excite them.

We've never been 9-0. My hope is that the fans will be truly rocking Kinnick next week.

It seems to me that fans, in recent years, look to games against PSU, Mich, and OSU as the "big" games. However, when Iowa takes care of Minny, UW, NW, Ind, Purdue, etc. they have great years.

Please don't be lame fans next week. That's all I'm asking.

 

[JonDMiller]

THere are always going to be pockets of 'someone sucks', no way that's ever going to stop.

Iowa's offense sucked the air out of the stadium for three quarters. I cannot fault the fans for having a hard time staying up.

The booing is bush league, anytime it happens.

Minnesota fans were booing Brewster taking a knee with like 40 seconds to go in the half and they were deep in their own territory and they were AHEAD 21-10. MINNESOTA FANS!

Perhaps its just a sign of the times.

 

[racerhawk]

THere are always going to be pockets of 'someone sucks', no way that's ever going to stop.

Iowa's offense sucked the air out of the stadium for three quarters. I cannot fault the fans for having a hard time staying up.

The booing is bush league, anytime it happens.

Minnesota fans were booing Brewster taking a knee with like 40 seconds to go in the half and they were deep in their own territory and they were AHEAD 21-10. MINNESOTA FANS!

Perhaps its just a sign of the times.

You're probably right about this being a sign of the times, but it's sad.

My dad started taking me to the games during the Commings years when Iowa was lucky to win a few games. What more can we ask for with this undefeated team? I don't like the booing and the "sucks" comments. It's just not right. I don't think people realize how special it is to be where we're at right now. We're not USC or Texas, and I think we should enjoy the ride and cheer. There really was some significant booing where I sat. Not all that isolated.

 

[TecmoSuperHawk]

I have had season tickets for 13 years and I have not seen the crowd get into it when the team is struggling as bad as Iowa did in the first half today. So I wouldn't blame the crowd there, it was very hard to cheer that first half effort. The crowd rose to the occassion late in the 3rd quarter and the entire 4th quarter. Clearly IU was rattled in the 4th quarter and the crowd had something to do with that.

But I agree with some of what you said. There were some very ignorant fans in Kinnick today. Suddenly everyone is a football expert in the stands. I heard one guy say Spievey tried to return that punt at the end of the 1st half because the media has gotten to him and made him think he's an NFL player so he's out trying to make plays to prove he belongs in the NFL. One of many stupid comments I heard today.

 

[flanagan77]

I was a student Bob's last two years. Worst fan demonstration I ever saw, ever, was the student section singing "bye, bye Bobby" when his son was hurt (really injured) and was being helped off the field.

You have a good point. We've got a lot of "fans" who think the team "owes" them (just look at the message boards), who think it's about "them" and not the team, but it's that way most places, and I don't think it's a majority of fans. Just a more vocal culture, and not for the best.

 

[racerhawk]

I have had season tickets for 13 years and I have not seen the crowd get into it when the team is struggling as bad as Iowa did in the first half today. So I wouldn't blame the crowd there, it was very hard to cheer that first half effort. The crowd rose to the occassion late in the 3rd quarter and the entire 4th quarter. Clearly IU was rattled in the 4th quarter and the crowd had something to do with that.

But I agree with some of what you said. There were some very ignorant fans in Kinnick today. Suddenly everyone is a football expert in the stands. I heard one guy say Spievey tried to return that punt at the end of the 1st half because the media has gotten to him and made him think he's an NFL player so he's out trying to make plays to prove he belongs in the NFL. One of many stupid comments I heard today.

Guys, I'm not saying that all of the fans were awful. I'm saying that there were a lot of ignorant comments made today. Significant booing. Lots of calling for "benching Stanzi."

In some ways, I agree with Jon. I can't blame fans for being somewhat negative about Iowa's peformance. However, I stand by my earlier statements. I DO blame people for saying "Stanzi sucks" and "bench Stanzi."
I'm almost 41 years old, and I've been going to games since I could walk. I know what I'm talking about.

I'm just asking for fans (who ACTUALLY attend games) to be respectful. If you don't attend games, this doesn't apply to you.

 

[Icarus]

A lot of people seem to think the crowd was weak today, but I just didn't see it. I thought the crowd was pretty good and saw a number of the players react to it positively (pointing towards the student section when coming off the field, for example). The booing was lame for sure, but that was clearly a minority. Maybe it was just where I was in the stadium, but it definitely seemed louder than some other home games this year.

 

[mccarthyizm]

Sorry, but it's not a sign of the times (whatever that means). The boo- birds came out after Stanzi threw four picks in a single quarter. Sorry, but every single team in every single sport in the country is going to get boo-ed for that.

It's not them teenagers today. It's 4 picks! It's an average gain of -5 yards on first down, over and over again.

Iowa had a miraculous turnaround today, but let's not forget just how horrible it got there for awhile.

 

[hawkcigar]

Sorry, but it's not a sign of the times (whatever that means). The boo- birds came out after Stanzi threw four picks in a single quarter. Sorry, but every single team in every single sport in the country is going to get boo-ed for that.

It's not them teenagers today. It's 4 picks! It's an average gain of -5 yards on first down, over and over again.

Iowa had a miraculous turnaround today, but let's not forget just how horrible it got there for awhile.

Sorry but I just don't understand booing an 8-0 team on their home field. Stay silent if you want and it may speak volumes, but booing your own team is weak.

 

[Caven]

To me I thought the boos were more directed at the constant run up the middle on 2nd and 3rd and long.

 

[racerhawk]

Sorry, but it's not a sign of the times (whatever that means). The boo- birds came out after Stanzi threw four picks in a single quarter. Sorry, but every single team in every single sport in the country is going to get boo-ed for that.

It's not them teenagers today. It's 4 picks! It's an average gain of -5 yards on first down, over and over again.

Iowa had a miraculous turnaround today, but let's not forget just how horrible it got there for awhile.

Not to pick a nit, but the booing was occurring (at least in my section) WELL before the end of the first half.

Also, my overall point is that the crowd wasn't all that energized at the start of the game (relative to, say, the Michigan game). I know, I know...that game was on ABC, etc... However, when Stanzi threw a pick six IMMEDIATELY in that game, the crowd continued to try to lift the team. That behavior, at least to me, seemed less evident today.

Hey, I know that hawk fans are great. I think we're the best fans in the world. However, I think we can do better next week at the start of the game. I think that this team deserves to not be booed.

I don't think it's an "old man" thing to argue that it's stupid to say "Stanzi Sucks" throughout the game, given his record.

It's just my opinion, and the guys saying that he sucked were definitely not teenagers....dude.

 

[Lexhawk]

You don't boo your team - ever. That's the deal. It's your team. You don't boo college students - ever. They are doing their best. If that's old school - so be it. We may not always be happy with what's going on. That's when when we sit quietly until we realize we are there to support our team. Then we get off our .... and start cheering again. That's when our team needs us.

 

[ThunderHawk]

Stanzi said that he was booing himself in the third quarter.

That kid has stones of steel.

 

[woodyk1]

You don't boo your team - ever. That's the deal. It's your team. You don't boo college students - ever. They are doing their best. If that's old school - so be it. We may not always be happy with what's going on. That's when when sit quietly until we realize we are there to support our team. Then we get off our .... and start cheering again. That's when our team needs us.

I agree. I only boo players (or coaches) when they are getting paid to play (or coach). I would never boo a college player. I can be disappointed (and sit on my hands) but I don't think college athletes should be booed.

 

[HandsyHobo]

Booing your team is not acceptable in college football UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

These kids (and they are kids) don't owe anyone anything except for their teammates, their coaches and themselves. THIS IS NOT THE NFL.

It's sickening. Seriously.

 

[mccarthyizm]

Relax. People pay good money to watch Iowa play. I've seen plenty of circumstances where I thought boo-ing was uncalled for, but that was THE worst quarter of Iowa football of the Ferentz era.

Boo-ing is going to happen when it costs a significant amount of money to attend a game. Some of you seem to have confused major college football with high school athletics. It's going to happen at this level.

 

[HandsyHobo]

Relax. People pay good money to watch Iowa play. I've seen plenty of circumstances where I thought boo-ing was uncalled for, but that was THE worst quarter of Iowa football of the Ferentz era.

Boo-ing is going to happen when it costs a significant amount of money to attend a game. Some of you seem to have confused major college football with high school athletics. It's going to happen at this level.

I don't care how much someone pays to enter the stadium. In what way is that relevant? The players aren't seeing a dime of it. They don't owe anyone in the stands anything.

 

[racerhawk]

Relax. People pay good money to watch Iowa play. I've seen plenty of circumstances where I thought boo-ing was uncalled for, but that was THE worst quarter of Iowa football of the Ferentz era.

Boo-ing is going to happen when it costs a significant amount of money to attend a game. Some of you seem to have confused major college football with high school athletics. It's going to happen at this level.

I think you may be confusing collegiate athletics with the NFL, for what it's worth.

Also, unlike some of you, the hawks never give up. I think we should all take a lesson from them, and not give up on them, either.

The fourth quarter was fantastic. Don't give up. The student-athletes are there for more than your entertainment.

Fight, fight, fight for Iowa...until the game is won. (Hey, that would make a catchy song, wouldn't it?)

 

[Butkus051]

3. I heard a lot of booing.

Not trying to single you out, Racer but I've heard this story line before so many times it makes me puke. Of course no one likes the booing but how many ever did something about it.

Two years ago that crap started in my section and on that particular day I had particularly successful pregame. When it started I stood up and told about 15 rows to "Shut ..... Up! You don't boo kids and that I didn't want it around me." In any case, I had several people people thank me for my outburst and diatribe that day but the most important thing is that it hasnt happened in my general area since.

You can make a difference if you want to. The complainers are as bad as the booers if they don't do anything about it.!!!!

NUFF SAID!

 

[DubuqueHawk]

Just a few thoughts on the crowd at today's game ...

1. I know this has been said several times in the past, but why does it take the student section until the second quarter to show up for the game? For goodness sake, this is the fourth-ranked team in the country they are cheering for.

2. I believe the crowd was a reflection of the game being played on the field. When Iowa was playing bad, the crowd was out of it. When the Hawks turned it on, the crowd was fired up. It was an odd game and I think the crowd really couldn't really believe what they were seeing.

3. I love the Hawks, but we have possibly some of the most uneducated fans in the country who attend the games. (We'll at least I think that has to be the case.) Of course I don't mean every fan, but some of the comments I heard in the section near me today were ridicules. For example, Iowa scores to cut the lead to seven points in the third quarter and a fan behind me says, "Are we going to onside kick it?" Or in the fourth quarter when the Hawks collected an interception and Sash got called for a block in the back, the guy in front of me throws his hand over his face in disgust and sits down acting dejected. He clearly thought we were not going to retain the ball. Of course there have been many other comments over the years ....

4. Finally, I love college sports, but I'm not buying the logic that college athletes have to be treated with kid gloves because they are not pros. They made me called amateurs in name, but have you seen the facilities and resources they have over other students? College sports are not nearly as pure as some like to believe