READ THIS COLUMN BY HLAS (RE: Iowa and the CBI)

As a lifelong Hawk fan who has some great memories, let me say it is sad that Iowa basketball has come to this:

“It would mean a lot,” Iowa senior Matt Gatens said about the chance for a postseason tourney. “You’d have the chance to fight on for something, put a banner up in Carver.”
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I don't get why Barta seems so confident we will get an NIT bid. Seems like it's beyond a long shot at this point.
 
Very good read. And I agree whole-heartedly. Playing in that tournament could provide a solid stepping stone going into next season, in addition to giving Gatens a chance to win something in the postseason.
 
herkyattack said:
I don't get why Barta seems so confident we will get an NIT bid. Seems like it's beyond a long shot at this point.
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Unless he's got some inside information, I don't get it either. He sounded to me like he was thinking "Look at all our good wins this year. How can we not make it?" when the answer is simple: We have a number of bad losses.
 
Gary Barta needs to read that. Fran has the program headed in the right direction, the players are excited, and most importantly the fans are once again excited about Iowa basketball and Barta wants to kill that? Why? Who cares if it is the 3rd tier tournament? It's national exposure and more games for the young players to improve themselves AND the program. It's not like this is a senior heavy team since Gatens and Cartwright are the only ones that play significant minutes. If this team is to continue to improve, and the fan support is to continue to build then Barta should not pass up any opportunity that presents itself. After all, isn't it his job to promote the program and lead the program in the right direction?
 
herkyattack said:
I don't get why Barta seems so confident we will get an NIT bid. Seems like it's beyond a long shot at this point.
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I really think he is saying this because he knows his reasons for not taking a CBI bid are very, very weak. But by saying he set his goals for NIT or above, then he can use this weak excuse as a fallback.

I truthfully feel Barta was advised by the Big Ten to not go to the CBI and Barta is too spineless to go against them.
 
I'm with Barta unless the players really want to play in the CBI. I'm very much anti CBI & CIT. Always have been.
 
It is ok to go to some crappy bowl game in football but our basketball program is so prestigious that we cannot accept a bid into the CBI. It is a bunch of bull crap!

If we were coming off a NCAA bids then I can see passing on the CBI. But this program is coming off back to back 20 loss seasons. A CBI bid is just what they need.
 
okeefe4prez said:
As a lifelong Hawk fan who has some great memories, let me say it is sad that Iowa basketball has come to this:
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+1 Instead of playing in the CBI,it would be cheaper and just as prestigious to buy participation ribbons and give them to the players.
 
TecmoSuperHawk said:
Only one thing to do now. Mass emails to Gary Barta. Hey it worked with the "new" tailgating policies.

gary-barta@uiowa.edu
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Awesome idea, email sent.

Mr Barta,

I have been a Hawk fan all my life and will always be. But you are making a huge mistake by not accepting a bid into the CBI if presented with the opportunity. These past few years have been brutal and to see this team accomplish what they have this season has been encouraging that we have turned the corner. It would be an incredible experience for me to see them back in the post season, even a CBI bid. You can count on my support to be one of the first in line for a ticket if Iowa was fortunate enough to receive a home game.

Thanks for all you do. GO HAWKS!

Sincerely,
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Kinda cheesy, I know, but I doubt he even reads it anyway.
 
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jackl said:
+1 Instead of playing in the CBI,it would be cheaper and just as prestigious to buy participation ribbons and give them to the players.
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oh hi Mr McCabe-has-no-athletic-abilities

You are not watching the games anyway so why do you care?
 
Just hang in there. We just played a team that is looking scarey good atm. Legit final 4 caliber. If I had the time, I would research what team had the lowest RPI that was ever accepted into the "modern" NIT. That might help a lot in this situation, as some teams with higher RPI's may have worse records and played in weaker conferences, with no wins against the top 25.

Rapid Reaction: Michigan State 92, Iowa 75 - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN

"What’s next: Michigan State will face the winner of Friday’s Indiana-Wisconsin matchup. Iowa (17-16) should get into the NIT. The Hawkeyes took steps this season."
 
If the decision was made above him, he just needs to say so.

Emailed the following:

Hello -

Let me start by thanking you for your stewardship and commitment to U of Iowa athletics. I do appreciate that.

I have a question about basketball post-season.

I see this quote attributed to you - “I’m confident we’ll get the chance to play in the NIT,” Barta said. “If not, you turn the page.”

I wonder about this. Why do you "turn the page"? What entity are you serving that rates higher than the coach, the players, the donors and the fans? I'm certainly not saying you don't have a perfectly logical and valid reason for denying the wishes of all of these groups, but I don't see it anywhere in the reporting of this story.

Could you take a few minutes and lay this out in terms that would make sense to someone like me? I was born and
raised in Iowa. I'm the first in my family to get a bachelors degree (at the ripe old age of 40ish). I'm now a graduate student, the mother of a grown son (with two masters degrees), a sports fan, and a supporter of an athletic program that supports the STUDENT as well as the athlete. I"m a grown-up. I can handle the truth. I think I'm a pretty rational person, but I'm not an athletic administrator.

Thanks in advance for any light you can shine into the dark and confused part of my brain where this information is bouncing around.

Regards,
 
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