Remember when a game day experience was fun win or lose?

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Playmaker

Well-Known Member
No, me either....too long ago. But look at these people having the time of their lives watching a bad Iowa team....at 3:08, the lady in her late 50's waving the bota would be clubbed to death at Kinnick these days....and then charged with three (3) felonies. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXAZObj9Qqg
 
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Playmaker said:
No, me either....too long ago. But look at these people having the time of their lives watching a bad Iowa team....at 3:08, the lady in her late 50's waving the bota would be clubbed to death at Kinnick these days....and then charged with three (3) felonies. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXAZObj9Qqg
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In other words, it has nothing to do with the product on the field? Or football isn't fun as long as KF is involved? Or playing Iowa State is a bad idea?
 
It's still fun, minus the big, mouth breathing, know it all, ref booing, fatty I have to set next to.
 
Holy crap y'all....I am ALL about the winning!!! I'm just talking about how KF, the U of I, and the Barney Fife's have combined to suck ALL the life and fun out of the program and game day experience. Winning at the highest level should be Job #1....I thought that went without saying.
 
Playmaker said:
Holy crap y'all....I am ALL about the winning!!! I'm just talking about how KF, the U of I, and the Barney Fife's have combined to suck ALL the life and fun out of the program and game day experience. Winning at the highest level should be Job #1....I thought that went without saying.
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I always have fun at the games. You get out what you put in. If you go with the mindset that all the fun has been taken out...then you WON'T have any fun.

I guess it comes down to what your definition of fun is. Getting drunk and acting stupid? Enjoying time with friends/family? Tailgating with good food and fellowship?

As I walk thru the parking lots on game day, I see thousands of fans having a great time. Why aren't you?
 
Guess that I'm parroting what I hear others say given that I'm watching 95% of the games from 900 miles away. But having been part of the same game watching group here in Dallas for going on 30 years now, I can tell you that I've never seen such apathy in our group as I have in the last four (4) years. Although we are watching the same bad football and eating the same bad food as y'all are at Kinnnick, we are allowed to drink out of open containers and turn up our music in the Sports Bar's back parking lot without fear of being ticketed or arrested. So there's that. :)
 
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83Hawk said:
I always have fun at the games. You get out what you put in. If you go with the mindset that all the fun has been taken out...then you WON'T have any fun.

I guess it comes down to what your definition of fun is. Getting drunk and acting stupid? Enjoying time with friends/family? Tailgating with good food and fellowship?

As I walk thru the parking lots on game day, I see thousands of fans having a great time. Why aren't you?
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You should take a walk through the prime lot just outside the press box side of the stadium.

As little as 5 years ago you couldn't beg for a spot in that lot. It was packed with great characters, tailgating setups, Hawk vehicles...and was electric with fans. I strolled through before every game last fall and it was nowhere close to full, some games not even half full...it was stunning. Same is true of the Dental School lot and the lot just North of Kinnick. They too...are less than full on a consistent basis.

Gary and Sally have killed the game day environment and there is no better proof than those lots. As is usually the way with the PC, rather than police the few that get out of line...they practice behavior control and punish everybody.
 
I don't recall losing being fun....ever. Even during our hay-days under KF. I was at the loss to ISU in 2002...not fun. I was at the loss to Michigan in 2005 that broke the long home winning streak....not fun. I was at the Orange Bowl in 2002 against USC....not fun.

We ain't the Cubs, where the "event" is more important than the outcome....at least not yet! :D
 
83Hawk said:
I always have fun at the games. You get out what you put in. If you go with the mindset that all the fun has been taken out...then you WON'T have any fun.

I guess it comes down to what your definition of fun is. Getting drunk and acting stupid? Enjoying time with friends/family? Tailgating with good food and fellowship?

As I walk thru the parking lots on game day, I see thousands of fans having a great time. Why aren't you?
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Head in the sand or intentionally being obtuse?
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
You should take a walk through the prime lot just outside the press box side of the stadium.

As little as 5 years ago you couldn't beg for a spot in that lot. It was packed with great characters, tailgating setups, Hawk vehicles...and was electric with fans. I strolled through before every game last fall and it was nowhere close to full, some games not even half full...it was stunning. Same is true of the Dental School lot and the lot just North of Kinnick. They too...are less than full on a consistent basis.

Gary and Sally have killed the game day environment and there is no better proof than those lots. As is usually the way with the PC, rather than police the few that get out of line...they practice behavior control and punish everybody.
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I made no comment about how full the lots are. Why aren't people showing up? Is it the product on the field? Are a significant number of folks *really* not showing up because of Barta and Mason?

My observations are what they are. When I walk thru the lots (including the prime lot), I see thousands of people having a good time. I can't say I've ever seen anyone who was NOT enjoying themselves (if so...very, very few).

Again....you get out what you put in. Thousands upon thousands of fans seem to have no trouble having a good time tailgating at Iowa football games.

To those that complain about the "lack of fun"....what is "fun" to you? If you don't think you can have fun without turning your music up full blast, getting drunk and acting like a fool, and disturbing other people....then maybe you really shouldn't be in a public gathering like a tailgate.

I see fans playing games, hear all types of music, people enjoying the company of friends, family and other fans, laughing, cooking and eating great food and even *GASP* drinking alcoholic beverages. These people seem to be having a great time.....I guess I don't understand how this is no longer "fun".
 
I am not going to get into this spitting contest of whether it is fun or people are being held back by Sally and Gary but I will say the mood inside the stadium and the sound and energy inside the stadium is less since 1210. And the in 2012 the crowds could not keep up the energy.

In 2001 through 2006 even during commercial timeouts the stadium was buzzing. Now it is not buzzing a lot during the game. I think a lot of fans, me included, are a little bored with the product. The last home game of 2013 is a good example of some unexciting first half football and then a great second half.

But when you have continued average at best football the crowds are not going to have fun overall.
 
Agreed.

The atmosphere inside the stadium being less subdued overall is directly the result of the product on the field (and not the fault of Barta and/or Mason).

It is hard for fans to get loud when the brand of football being displayed is dull, unimaginative, and predictable. Losing to teams like Iowa State and Directional Michigan doesn't help, either.
 
Listen, I love to watch great, tough defensive play and a snot-pounding running game with a good passing attack. Pittsburgh Steelers, old time Dallas Cowboys, '85 Bears, 2001-2006 Hawkeye football, 208-09 hawkeye football. But lately the running game hardly gets a big carry, the defense was tough in 2013, but not last year, and the passing game is so iffy, so inconsistent.

Bring back excellent even above avg football and the fans will have a blast.
 
I go and drink and am merry. However it is no longer what I remember. We often bring people from out of state. They used to rave about Iowa City on game day. Now its really not mentioned.
 
Fan expectations are higher now. Going to games in the late 70s and 80s expectations were low. Now they are higher and when they arent being met....less fun.
 
83Hawk said:
I made no comment about how full the lots are. Why aren't people showing up? Is it the product on the field? Are a significant number of folks *really* not showing up because of Barta and Mason?

My observations are what they are. When I walk thru the lots (including the prime lot), I see thousands of people having a good time. I can't say I've ever seen anyone who was NOT enjoying themselves (if so...very, very few).

Again....you get out what you put in. Thousands upon thousands of fans seem to have no trouble having a good time tailgating at Iowa football games.

To those that complain about the "lack of fun"....what is "fun" to you? If you don't think you can have fun without turning your music up full blast, getting drunk and acting like a fool, and disturbing other people....then maybe you really shouldn't be in a public gathering like a tailgate.

I see fans playing games, hear all types of music, people enjoying the company of friends, family and other fans, laughing, cooking and eating great food and even *GASP* drinking alcoholic beverages. These people seem to be having a great time.....I guess I don't understand how this is no longer "fun".
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I didn't mean to challenge your observations directly. There are definitely plenty of people having a good time, IOWA fans are a loyal and enthusiastic bunch. I'm proud to count myself among those loyal fans.

But the atmosphere immediately outside of Kinnick is a direct reflection on the efforts of Barta and Mason. And is pizzes me off to no end. As others have commented...it carries into the stadium. The "No fun" crew has been effective...and it shows.
 
The last game I went to I had a great time. It was the OSU game with the low flyover... which was awesome by the way! We lost, which sucked, but I still had a great time! Of course I'm seeing it through different eyes than when I was a freshman during Hayden's first year. I was able to do the things I wanted to do to have fun, but those things are quite a bit different now than they were 30 years ago... way, WAY different! :)
 
SpiderRico said:
I don't recall losing being fun....ever. Even during our hay-days under KF. I was at the loss to ISU in 2002...not fun. I was at the loss to Michigan in 2005 that broke the long home winning streak....not fun. I was at the Orange Bowl in 2002 against USC....not fun.

We ain't the Cubs, where the "event" is more important than the outcome....at least not yet! :D
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When I started following the Hawks, the event was definitely more important than the outcome. We lost a LOT more than we won. Our recent 2012 four win season would have been welcomed then. When my brother was going to Iowa, he was in the marching band. They used to play the fight song for first downs because if they waited for touchdowns they might not play the fight song at all during the game. His last year there was Hayden Fry's first year.
 
SpiderRico said:
I don't recall losing being fun....ever. Even during our hay-days under KF. I was at the loss to ISU in 2002...not fun. I was at the loss to Michigan in 2005 that broke the long home winning streak....not fun. I was at the Orange Bowl in 2002 against USC....not fun.

We ain't the Cubs, where the "event" is more important than the outcome....at least not yet! :D
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I had fun at Gameday in IC even though Ohio State won....The game was even competitive until Tate threw a terrible pick.
 
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