That was brutal

[burky247]

I have been to many visiting venues to watch Iowa basketball games over the years. Been to Michigan, Wisky, ISU, UNI, and Illinois just to name a few. But tonight was probably the most uncomfortable I have ever felt at a game...home or away.

It's hard to describe. It's kind of like having a party, and your drunk friends and others completely taking over your house and trashing it and you being powerless to stop it. As much as you want to lay down the law, there are just too many of them and everything you do is useless.

I've seen Illinois show up well to Carver before. 2003 I think was one year where they showed up in good numbers and were twice as vocal. I've seen MSU's fans represent well at Carver. This was different though. And our stupid system made it even harder to try and drown out the Illini fans.

My worst Carver experience of my life happened tonight. And fellas, that is a whole lot of years and games that had to be passed over to get to the top. I pray this nightmare of a mistake comes to an end.

 

[IAJay]

+ 1 my man. This whole game just felt incredibly strange.

 

[dbohlke]

I completely agree. I've been a season ticket holder for a few years now, and tonight was the absolute worst experience I've had in Carver. I left feeling like I just got kicked square in the nuts.

 

[webguy96]

Sadly, it wasn't "just" the section of students supporting IL as I can actually expected to see them show up, however, there were noticeable patches of orange intermixed even throughout the rest of CHA. At one point, I looked back at the cheerleaders and even they were getting frustrated at being drowned out by IL while attempting the I-O-W-A chant. Heck even our band was getting heckled but perhaps the most disturbing were the disrespectful shouts of "Go Hawkeyes" among other phrases that were being said by IL fans during the national anthem

 

[HawkDad]

the saddest part is the growing Hawkeye fan apathy setting in like gangrene.

 

[FreddyBrown]

This (Illinois fans flocking to CHA) has been going on for far too long and I consider it the greatest ongoing embarrassment in Hawkeye sports. I can't believe Barta can sit through that and not feel that he and his program are a complete failure.

 

[NewMexHawk]

Barta is an Athetic Director hired from another state and is a fundraiser. He is not a born and bred hawkeye so he really doesn't have a clue. He was previously an AD of the Wyoming Cowboys, so he called himself a Cowboy. To be a good AD you have to be aware of many many factors and I'm not sure Barta is?

He calls himself a Hawkeye...You don't just call yourself a Hawkeye because you took a job and have had the job for a couple of years.

When he sees the apathy he doesn't really know what that means like we do because he hasn't been around Hawk sports long enough. Iowa has almost lost a generation of hawk fans...fans who have never seen Iowa go to the NCAA tournament or do much of anything, who can't remember any great Iowa teams. Barta has no clue about this.

He just thinks that if Lickliter starts winning ALL will be good again and All Hawk fans will return to cheer for Lickliter and he will be everyone's favorite bb coach.

I think Iowa BB is in big big trouble and the apathy is terrible sign. It started with Alford and Lickliter has taken it to new heights, and with Lickliter's style of bb I believe it is going to be very difficult to bring fans back. Some will come back because they really want to come back but many are so disenchanted with Lickliter's style of bb that they are never coming back until we get a new and dynamic coach that can build a fire in people again...that make people WANT to come back to watch Iowa bb and that is going to take an exciting brand of bb.

Lickliter has the personality of a wall and turns people off. That is NOT what today's Iowa bb crowd needs. Plus, Lickliter doesn't want to get involved with Iowa's fanbase from what I can tell? But then I no longer live in Iowa City so maybe I'm wrong. Of course, there aren't many Iowa fans that want to get involved with Lickliter at this point.

Ferentz has the ability to handle Iowa fans, not every coach can. You have to be able to leave your ego at the door yet enjoy Iowa fans---meeting Iowa fans, be a good recruiter, and be a good coach. You can't be introverted and be an Iowa coach and you can't be an arrogant ***** and be an Iowa coach and you can't let the fishbowl affect you.

Who is that person? Is Lickliter that person? I don't think so but who is? Then there is the problem of bringing in a person who uses the position as a stepping stone. Turn the program around only to get the position he really wants--Lute Olsen.

 

[storminspank]

burky - I felt that way as well. It was an awful feeling. Now we know how the Gophers felt for so many years in the Dome.

You are dead-on with your analogies and references too... I think the worst thing about it is you can't do anything about it. That hurts.

 

[iowaoutlaw99]

I am 1,000 miles away from CHA and I felt like my nuts took a bashing last night.

 

[djwoody98]

I love the comments about Iowa City being a fishbowl. Is it a small town? Yes. Is it that any different than several other major college towns in the country? No. Lets stop talking about what a "pressure cooker" being a coach at Iowa is. Any major job with passionate fans will have deal with the same thing. Excuse me if I'm not crying a river over what a tough gig this is. You are paid handsomely. We expect winning programs. Anything less is unacceptable.

 

[Norse23]

I hope Barta was there to soak up that experience in person.

 

[BA96MA99]

I especially enjoyed the Big Ten Network doing a close-up of the Illini fans shouting and clapping, "THIS IS OUR HOUSE! THIS IS OUR HOUSE!"

My skin is still crawling from that.

 

[parquet]

Sadly, it wasn't "just" the section of students supporting IL as I can actually expected to see them show up, however, there were noticeable patches of orange intermixed even throughout the rest of CHA. At one point, I looked back at the cheerleaders and even they were getting frustrated at being drowned out by IL while attempting the I-O-W-A chant. Heck even our band was getting heckled but perhaps the most disturbing were the disrespectful shouts of "Go Hawkeyes" among other phrases that were being said by IL fans during the national anthem

We were there too. Why would you assume the guy yelling "Go Hawkeyes" was an Illinois fan. We have a few boorish fans of our own.

 

[Kindabigdeal]

All I can say is that we need to return the favor in 2-3 years when we visit Champaign during the fall and their football team is in the midst of a 4 year crater left by the Zooker.

 

[VintageHawkeye]

I am 1,000 miles away from CHA and I felt like my nuts took a bashing last night.

Ditto, on everything.
Last night was the last Iowa hoops game for me, I just can't devote the time to them anymore.
If I need to feel depression, aggravation, and embarassment, I'll visit the politics forum here.

(No, I am not a fair-weather bandwagon fan; I've religiously followed Iowa athletics since 1981. It's just that enough is enough with this b-ball program; until things change, I'm on sabbatical from them. It has become essential to avoid the pain.)

 

[highonhawks]

burky - I felt that way as well. It was an awful feeling. Now we know how the Gophers felt for so many years in the Dome.

You are dead-on with your analogies and references too... I think the worst thing about it is you can't do anything about it. That hurts.

You're spot on there Spank ,but at least the Gophers are still going bowling..We on the other hand are going nowhere.

 

[BLKNGOLD48]

This is the first time I've put my 2 cents in on the bball meltdown. I can't describe the feeling I had watching the game on TV hearing Illinois fans cheering louder than Iowa fans. But when you put on a performance like that week in and week out, who wants to watch that. It's painful to watch on TV, I can't imagine what it would be like to be there live. Barta and TL have lost this fanbase and I really think it is a no-brainer what needs to happen, but time will tell if it gets done.

 

[BA96MA99]

Miller and Deace talked about how the fanbase has gone from disappointed to snarky, and how difficult it is for a program's culture to climb out of a sarcastic fanbase.

Des Moines' Sports Station - 1460 KXNO

Gotta admit, I'm there with the snarky. I wasn't even disappointed watching the game last night--I just watched it to enjoy the train wreck. Because that's all there is left this season.