Thoughts on Howe's article

BlckNGldHwk said:
Dare I say it, but maybe Hawk fans are becoming more realistic in their expectations? We have wasted many an off-season banging the drum and getting excited only to have the season come and be disappointed. So now we have more realistic expectations and her excited when there is a reason to be excited, otherwise just sit back and enjoy the ride.
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Spot on!
 
Great conversation, I appreciate everyone's thoughts...keep them coming...

I would agree with Jon and others, 'apathy' was the word that really bothered me. I also agree with Norwalk, the negativity really increased after the DJK incident.
 
Howe uses the word ''apathy'' in the title,and immediately concedes that the word overstates what he is trying to convey. Some of it has merit,as there is tempered expectations in the fan base for the first time in at least 4 years... that is fair,and simply a reflection of realistic analysis of our youth and shortcomings in the d-line.

I find my own feelings pretty similar to normal...excited for the season,curious about the new players and new staff,and optimistic that it will all fall into place resulting in a solid season with 8 wins or more.

Now, that said, I recognize that a few injuries could be devastating,but I am an optimist by nature,so I am thinking positive.

Howe is bored,and stating the obvious here....Hawks are not rated,and so there is not a frenzy of high expectations out there....so it goes.
 
Sounds like Rob isn't that excited for this season and that seems to be shaping his overall view. Personally, I'm very excited. Not the same anticipation as going into the 2010 season, but I don't think it's possible for me to not get excited for the season. The overall feeling I get from the people I interact with seem very excited as well. At the gym and work, it's all anybody is talking about now that it's so close. Expectations are definitely tempered, but all the unknown factors going into this year has my full attention.
 
remember when howe attacked the barnstormers and alouettes coaches for blackballing DJK? that was awesome
 
I don't think there is apathy I think there is a sense that this season is kind of an unkown because of all the young players and the new coaches so it is hard to know exactly what Iowa will look like. It is hard to get totally ramped up when you don't know what you have so I think it is more of a hesitancy than apathy.
 
"Maybe apathy is too strong a word. We're not there yet. There certainly appears to be some lethargy, however..."

"It's a $2 billion industry and picking up steam as it heads to a playoff system. Fans spend big money on the sport and the schools compete in an arms race for top facilities. It also helps to push coaches salaries to, some would say, obscene heights. Hawkeye Head Coach Kirk Ferentz will earn approximately $4M this season. His contract runs to 2020. That's a lot of dough anywhere...These coaching paychecks lift the expectations for at least a portion of the fan base, however."

First, Howe uses the hook word "Apathy" to snare the attention of an anything-but-apathetic fanbase. (Only we extremely fanatical fans read message boards about Iowa football, and Howe knows it---even if he never leaves his house. It's how he earns a living.)

Second, this is one more opportunity for Rob to dredge up the salary issue that he (and others) think is so relevant to the conversation. It is for Rob; it isn't for me. There isn't a single one among us who would turn down a larger salary if our employer offered it. And, there might not be a large number of us who would be as philanthropical with that largesse as Kirk and Mary have been.
 
hoopthemottle said:
"Maybe apathy is too strong a word. We're not there yet. There certainly appears to be some lethargy, however..."

"It's a $2 billion industry and picking up steam as it heads to a playoff system. Fans spend big money on the sport and the schools compete in an arms race for top facilities. It also helps to push coaches salaries to, some would say, obscene heights. Hawkeye Head Coach Kirk Ferentz will earn approximately $4M this season. His contract runs to 2020. That's a lot of dough anywhere...These coaching paychecks lift the expectations for at least a portion of the fan base, however."

First, Howe uses the hook word "Apathy" to snare the attention of an anything-but-apathetic fanbase. (Only we extremely fanatical fans read message boards about Iowa football, and Howe knows it---even if he never leaves his house. It's how he earns a living.)

Second, this is one more opportunity for Rob to dredge up the salary issue that he (and others) think is so relevant to the conversation. It is for Rob; it isn't for me. There isn't a single one among us who would turn down a larger salary if our employer offered it. And, there might not be a large number of us who would be as philanthropical with that largesse as Kirk and Mary have been.
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Regarding the salary debate - I'm not sure anyone faults KF for accepting the payraise. It was merited based on his performance as our coach from 2002-04, particular after raising the program up out of the ashes.

I'm not sure if I speak for everyone else, but if I personally have a problem with KF's salary, it's only because since he got his big payraise, we typically have not seen nearly the same kind of results on the field (2009 as the exception) as we did BEFORE he was given the raise.

It would be kind of like if I was given a big promotion at work based on what I had been producing, and then my performance dropped off after I got the promotion and the bigger paycheck. In that case, I would certainly expect some people to be unhappy with what I was producing relative to the new set of expectations.

To me, KF's salary is not a huge deal, but I don't believe it is 100% irrelevant, either.
 
PS--I disgree with Rob. I am excited to watch the team practice this Saturday, and I am excited for my season tickets to arrive in the mail, amd I am looking forward to watching the BTN feature on the Hawks at 9pm tonight, and I am excited about Sept. 1 in Chicago...so, no, I am not apathetic or lethargic?
 
The last time I was fired up for Iowa football was 2 years ago. At that time, I predicted Iowa would go 11-1 or 10-2 at worst. Then I went to Tucson to watch my beloved Hawkeyes get their butts kicked by a so-so team. I knew the season was pretty much over then.

Last year, I attended the Iowa-Penn St game at Crappy Valley. I had seats directly behind the Iowa bench. Time after time, a group of dejected Iowa defensive and offensive players walked slowly to the bench, and many times, they had that look of defeat on their faces. At that time, apathy set in for me.

And I still have that same feeling today. I just don't see a bright future right now.
 
"It would be kind of like if I was given a big promotion at work based on what I had been producing, and then my performance dropped off after I got the promotion and the bigger paycheck. In that case, I would certainly expect some people to be unhappy with what I was producing relative to the new set of expectations.

To me, KF's salary is not a huge deal, but I don't believe it is 100% irrelevant, either."

1977, I hear what you are saying. But even in our down years under KF, have we ever dipped as far as Texas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida State or USC in their recent down years? And we haven't had NCAA sanctions like Miami, USC, or tOSU or Penn State.

We won the Orange Bowl and went 11-2 in 2009. Absent a broken ankle, we might have maintained enough momentum to go undefeated with a B10 Championship to boot!

KF might be "worth" a lot of money. And to the original point, if we were apathetic, we wouldn't care either way. We DO care.
 
If you want to start talking about salary, go look at Iowa on the list of athletic department revenues. That's Kirk's #1 job and his pay is in line with his results.
 
We're having pretty good ticket sales given our apathy.

The absence of Keefe alone is enough to excite me.
 
David79 said:
I don't think there is apathy I think there is a sense that this season is kind of an unkown because of all the young players and the new coaches so it is hard to know exactly what Iowa will look like. It is hard to get totally ramped up when you don't know what you have so I think it is more of a hesitancy than apathy.
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This is well said. I've tempered expectations because of all the unknowns and disappointments of past couple years but by no means am I not excited. Curious to how things will go this season for sure. Apathy wasn't a good word choice by Howe.
 
BearcatHawkeye said:
I ready the article and I really don't see a problem with with it at all. I think he hits on some very good points (ie basketball excitement, and a feel of a wait and see on this football team)
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I didn't take the article as "negative" either.
 
Rob says
"Of course, I could be off of my rocker. I do work from home and some days have little contact with the world outside of watching of SpongeBob with my kids . "

I like him btw.
 
JonDMiller said:
This is sort of my thinking, too. We've known since the winter that this season was more rebuild than reload. We've known the DL issues that Iowa will face, and I just think this team can only fly so high this year. Combine that with renewed excitement in basketball and I think folks are just being more realistic with this football season.

Apathy is not a word I would use were I describing this season. Apathy means people don't care, or at least, that is my thought of what it means. Perhaps it means different things for different people.
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Oh no! We suck again.
 
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