Who will be next years lightning rod?

RobHowe said:
No. I didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed. And don't patronize me by telling me to take it easy. I feel passionate about what I'm discussing.

You said Cook brought it on himself. So, yeah, you did say he deserved it. He should of or could have acted differently so people wouldn't jump on him? By doing what?

He wasn't posturing. He was going through a process available to him for an evaluation about his future, similar to if someone takes an internship in their academic field of study for a gauge on their future. Moss did the same thing as did plenty of others.

You, and others who think like you, decided that he was posturing. That's the way you look at it, not the way it is.

Your expectations don't justify your actions. Saying that's the way it is in the "real-world" is stereotypical BS. These guys are under a public microscope that most people in the "real-world" will never experience or understand. The "real-world" analogies are nonsense.

Again, expecting more, like your comparison of a HS athlete getting attention, doesn't mean over-the-top criticism and scapegoating is justified. It's your choice to do it, but it doesn't make it right.

I will agree that I'm pissing in the wind here. Your mentality is not the exception anymore. With the Stephen A. Smiths and Skip Baylesses of the world, sports conversation has just become one big echo chamber of criticizing athletes.

While I don't like it, I can see some justification in professional sports. Athletes are paid a lot of money to perform. I've got no time for it being done to college athletes. I think it's weak.

And with that, I'm out. I'm not going to change the tone here.

On social media, I've just started blocking and muting people. I'm not getting into it with them anymore. I'm going to reduce these exchanges on here as well. My life is better without you.

I started monitoring the HN message boards in '03. I'm worn TF out by the growing negativity.
Click to expand...

Let me try this one more time Rob...because you and I have always gotten along. I respect the way you do things.

I wasn't ripping TC, I'm merely stating a fact. Like it or not, people's perceptions and expectations change based on things like going to a draft camp or whatever. I may not think it's fair, you may not think it's fair, but that's kinda how things work. I didn't say THAT'S HOW THINGS SHOULD BE, GIVE THE KID HELL!!!...

Are some people too hard on a kid like TC...of course. There's no shortage of that in college sports. I understand why you'd be so angry about that. But please don't put words in my mouth. He went to the draft camp, when by all accounts I've read...he really wasn't NBA ready. If he wants to go...great! Take advantage of the opportunity. But you also accept (fair or not) that it will change how people perceive you and probably the expectations. I didn't invent that...

Don't blame the weather man for the direction the wind blows.
 
InGoodCo said:
that makes me a little sad because i love when you interact on here or Twitter. Makes you cool in my book because you're easily accessible to talk Iowa sports and to most, sorta of a celebrity in the Iowa sports world. I love when Doc or Moorehouse tweet me back and I likely get it because I am having fun with them. Unfortunately, in the digital age, if you are selling some sort of brand or product, a quick way ahead is engaging with your fans or readers. But it also opens the doors to the negative and that really can have a mental toll on anyone. That doesn't make you weak, doesn't make you grouchy, doesn't make you thin skinned, it makes you human. Thanks for being accessible, as a fan, we appreciate it.
Click to expand...

I've contemplated quitting posting on here because the negativity is so ridiculous . The whole "next level" talk never stops no matter what level you get to. But I love talking Hawkeye sports too much to leave. That and the constant negativity has helped me look at things in a more positive light. So posting on here is weirdly good for me.
 
PCHawk said:
Are you starting to think about closing down the site? I was just thinking the other day about when the end of Hawkeye Nation would happen with the way message boards are dying out. Reading your post made me think it might come sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...
I'd be just fine if they closed the message boards, but I am positive that they drive a lot of the traffic. I don't see any way they "shut down" the site unless people stop coming to it.... at least from a business stand point, the message boards work. It's a very out of date way to communicate tho. I am guessing he just means he's tired of fighting with people who are just insufferable and can never be on the losing end of an argument. If Rob takes the time to respond to your post, it means he's interested. The next time Rob does that and it's not met with a "WOW, are you grouchy today?" or a stand offish backhanded comment will be one of the first. It's got to be exhausting. I've interacted with him tons of times over the last 10 years on twitter or on here and we've not always seen eye to eye. I've even asked him before how I got in his cross hairs? I wasn't really, but I felt singled out. It's hard to admit you're wrong on a stance, but through years of experience I've realized I am wrong about a lot of things.
 
PCHawk said:
I've contemplated quitting posting on here because the negativity is so ridiculous . The whole "next level" talk never stops no matter what level you get to. But I love talking Hawkeye sports too much to leave. That and the constant negativity has helped me look at things in a more positive light. So posting on here is weirdly good for me.
Click to expand...
t8f5x9ehn2211.gif
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Let me try this one more time Rob...because you and I have always gotten along. I respect the way you do things.

I wasn't ripping TC, I'm merely stating a fact. Like it or not, people's perceptions and expectations change based on things like going to a draft camp or whatever. I may not think it's fair, you may not think it's fair, but that's kinda how things work. I didn't say THAT'S HOW THINGS SHOULD BE, GIVE THE KID HELL!!!...

Are some people too hard on a kid like TC...of course. There's no shortage of that in college sports. I understand why you'd be so angry about that. But please don't put words in my mouth. He went to the draft camp, when by all accounts I've read...he really wasn't NBA ready. If he wants to go...great! Take advantage of the opportunity. But you also accept (fair or not) that it will change how people perceive you and probably the expectations. I didn't invent that...

Don't blame the weather man for the direction the wind blows.
Click to expand...

I dont think it's going to the camp that has made it worse for him. It's two things. One is that he seems to have made it clear that he's not a 4 year guy. Moss went for evaluation, but that's where it stopped. From what I've read (and it could be contrived) is that Cook has always "known" he would be off to the NBA before his eligiabily is up. That's what fans get on more so than him going through the evaluation. The other thing is he is supposed to be our best player but he played down right awful at the end. That's when it really went bad as far as critisism is concerned. Things got kinda bad for Garza when he was struggling but it wasn't as bad for him because of the two reasons I mentioned. I'm with you tho, this isn't about what I feel or believe. I'm just explaining people's obvious thought process. Hell watching Cook over the last few weeks had gotten me to the point I was ready for him to be gone. Then I remembered he's a good player that's playing bad. Not a bad player that's playing normal.
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
Let me try this one more time Rob...because you and I have always gotten along. I respect the way you do things.

I wasn't ripping TC, I'm merely stating a fact. Like it or not, people's perceptions and expectations change based on things like going to a draft camp or whatever. I may not think it's fair, you may not think it's fair, but that's kinda how things work. I didn't say THAT'S HOW THINGS SHOULD BE, GIVE THE KID HELL!!!...

Are some people too hard on a kid like TC...of course. There's no shortage of that in college sports. I understand why you'd be so angry about that. But please don't put words in my mouth. He went to the draft camp, when by all accounts I've read...he really wasn't NBA ready. If he wants to go...great! Take advantage of the opportunity. But you also accept (fair or not) that it will change how people perceive you and probably the expectations. I didn't invent that...

Don't blame the weather man for the direction the wind blows.
Click to expand...

Why is it that if people "perceive" a kid to be something, that it is ok to then rip on him? It is like posters think that if a kid underperforms their "expectation" that all of a sudden it is fair game to rip on them mercilessly.

I like Rob have gotten tired of it, and I post here much, much less than I used to. I'm not saying it is because of you @hawkdrummer1 I'm saying in general these message boards aren't fun for me any longer. I think the level of fan across the country is pathetic to be honest, it isn't limited to Hawk fans.
 
deanvogs said:
Why is it that if people "perceive" a kid to be something, that it is ok to then rip on him? It is like posters think that if a kid underperforms their "expectation" that all of a sudden it is fair game to rip on them mercilessly.

I like Rob have gotten tired of it, and I post here much, much less than I used to. I'm not saying it is because of you @hawkdrummer1 I'm saying in general these message boards aren't fun for me any longer. I think the level of fan across the country is pathetic to be honest, it isn't limited to Hawk fans.
Click to expand...

Once again....you're inserting something that I DID NOT SAY. for F's sake
 
InGoodCo said:
I'd be just fine if they closed the message boards, but I am positive that they drive a lot of the traffic. I don't see any way they "shut down" the site unless people stop coming to it.... at least from a business stand point, the message boards work. It's a very out of date way to communicate tho. I am guessing he just means he's tired of fighting with people who are just insufferable and can never be on the losing end of an argument. If Rob takes the time to respond to your post, it means he's interested. The next time Rob does that and it's not met with a "WOW, are you grouchy today?" or a stand offish backhanded comment will be one of the first. It's got to be exhausting. I've interacted with him tons of times over the last 10 years on twitter or on here and we've not always seen eye to eye. I've even asked him before how I got in his cross hairs? I wasn't really, but I felt singled out. It's hard to admit you're wrong on a stance, but through years of experience I've realized I am wrong about a lot of things.
Click to expand...

I remember that exchange and thought it was strange at the time. But now it makes more sense after his latest "sick of it all" post. I thought Hawkdrummer made a really well thought out post that had no negativity in it and was surprised when I started reading Rob's reply. But by the end it made sense. He has dealt with the negativity for so long he has developed an unconscious bias towards posters. He reads every post assuming it's going to be negative because usually it is. That bias made him see the worst in Drummer's post and made him come at you who is probably the most positive poster on here behind Clinton.
 
deanvogs said:
Why is it that if people "perceive" a kid to be something, that it is ok to then rip on him? It is like posters think that if a kid underperforms their "expectation" that all of a sudden it is fair game to rip on them mercilessly.

I like Rob have gotten tired of it, and I post here much, much less than I used to. I'm not saying it is because of you @hawkdrummer1 I'm saying in general these message boards aren't fun for me any longer. I think the level of fan across the country is pathetic to be honest, it isn't limited to Hawk fans.
Click to expand...

Shitty people who are oblivious to reality are every where (not you HawkD1, you're cool in my book) and it's not just Iowa fans...... the nice thing is I have a special app that helps me find those people really easily, it's called Facebook. Anonymous posting message boards are so obsolete, I think about leaving all the time, but the confrontation and smack talk always lead me back here. It's really just a time eater.
 
deanvogs said:
Why is it that if people "perceive" a kid to be something, that it is ok to then rip on him? It is like posters think that if a kid underperforms their "expectation" that all of a sudden it is fair game to rip on them mercilessly.

I like Rob have gotten tired of it, and I post here much, much less than I used to. I'm not saying it is because of you @hawkdrummer1 I'm saying in general these message boards aren't fun for me any longer. I think the level of fan across the country is pathetic to be honest, it isn't limited to Hawk fans.
Click to expand...

Nothing makes it ok for them to rip on them. It seems like 2 things are getting argued here. One is whether or not it's ok to rip on kids (there should be no arguement here) and the other is if the critisism is accurate. The expectations of Cook made the criticisms accurate in my mind. He is a really good player who played well below his ability lately and it really hurt the team. Fans know it, players know it, coaches know it, and he knows it. The critisism is wrong, especially the tweets directed towards him.
 
PCHawk said:
I remember that exchange and thought it was strange at the time. But now it makes more sense after his latest "sick of it all" post. I thought Hawkdrummer made a really well thought out post that had no negativity in it and was surprised when I started reading Rob's reply. But by the end it made sense. He has dealt with the negativity for so long he has developed an unconscious bias towards posters. He reads every post assuming it's going to be negative because usually it is. That bias made him see the worst in Drummer's post and made him come at you who is probably the most positive poster on here behind Clinton.
Click to expand...
right? At the time I was like, Rob why are you coming at me, I carry around the "IOWA IS AWESOME" flag every day of the week. I think I might have said something critical of a player tho and that was all he saw. I was likely wrong, and I can't blame Rob for always coming into the conversation with both barrels loaded.
 
PCHawk said:
I've contemplated quitting posting on here because the negativity is so ridiculous . The whole "next level" talk never stops no matter what level you get to. But I love talking Hawkeye sports too much to leave. That and the constant negativity has helped me look at things in a more positive light. So posting on here is weirdly good for me.
Click to expand...
InGoodCo said:
I'd be just fine if they closed the message boards, but I am positive that they drive a lot of the traffic. I don't see any way they "shut down" the site unless people stop coming to it.... at least from a business stand point, the message boards work. It's a very out of date way to communicate tho. I am guessing he just means he's tired of fighting with people who are just insufferable and can never be on the losing end of an argument. If Rob takes the time to respond to your post, it means he's interested. The next time Rob does that and it's not met with a "WOW, are you grouchy today?" or a stand offish backhanded comment will be one of the first. It's got to be exhausting. I've interacted with him tons of times over the last 10 years on twitter or on here and we've not always seen eye to eye. I've even asked him before how I got in his cross hairs? I wasn't really, but I felt singled out. It's hard to admit you're wrong on a stance, but through years of experience I've realized I am wrong about a lot of things.
Click to expand...
I come here because there is a contingent of people who make me giggle, and a contingent who get upset about dumb things (people who get madder when I giggle at them, which is a bonus) Everyone takes this thing so seriously it's ridiculous.

And it's not just this place. This whole damn orbiting rock is a meaningless, farcical, dumbness that we get to participate in for 60 or 70 years before we hit our expiration date and turn back into dirt. Just learn to laugh at the good and the bad and it'll all be ok for the short-ass time you're here.

Step back and think about how much of a bad practical joke this is. Billions upon billions of apes trapped with each other on an infinitesimally small rock, hurtling through space, dropping bombs on the tribes you don't like, making fun of college basketball players online, dying of stupid diseases, winning lotteries, working 50 years to roll the dice on your very last 5-10 years of life...

It's all just a big hilarious joke and whoever is pulling the strings has a hell of a sense of humor.

Relax. It's all temporary hilarity. Laugh at the fortune and misfortune, and stop worrying so much about everyone's feelings all the goddamn time.

d306ec21483423290eeafb7f2f8eb2e5.jpg
 
PCHawk said:
Nothing makes it ok for them to rip on them. It seems like 2 things are getting argued here. One is whether or not it's ok to rip on kids (there should be no arguement here) and the other is if the critisism is accurate. The expectations of Cook made the criticisms accurate in my mind. He is a really good player who played well below his ability lately and it really hurt the team. Fans know it, players know it, coaches know it, and he knows it. The critisism is wrong, especially the tweets directed towards him.
Click to expand...
according to Hardy on Twitter, MD has been getting a ton of horrible tweets at him today.
 
PCHawk said:
I remember that exchange and thought it was strange at the time. But now it makes more sense after his latest "sick of it all" post. I thought Hawkdrummer made a really well thought out post that had no negativity in it and was surprised when I started reading Rob's reply. But by the end it made sense. He has dealt with the negativity for so long he has developed an unconscious bias towards posters. He reads every post assuming it's going to be negative because usually it is. That bias made him see the worst in Drummer's post and made him come at you who is probably the most positive poster on here behind Clinton.
Click to expand...

Thanks, PC. I'm glad somebody read it the way I thought I wrote it.

I can understand where Rob's coming from, he puts up with a lot of crap and is closer to the program than any of us. I know it's not personal when he reacts like that. I just said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
 
This is a good post (pat on the back) haha - I kind of come here for my therapy. I like to see the pessimistic side of things cause I often don't see them on my own. It does get overbearing. I am glad Iowa ended the season on a high note so that doesn't have to RULE the off season talk this year. The only way I quit is if they shut em down. I think most of the people I interact with on here would be a solid hang for a beer and an Iowa game.
 
My guess is it'll be the coaches kid(s) Seems like the knee jerk reaction to how fans react to things would go. Regardless of if Cook comes back or not knowing it'll be his last yr I think fans will be inclined to knowing he is who he is with expectations. JBo might take some flack but not much. He's got a ton of good will built up and rightfully so. He's a legend in my book if he's played his last game. But he's got some records to break next yr it'll be fun to watch him do it.
CM and PM are both in tough spots I think. Hopefully Fran can manage their playing time and roles accordingly to what their capable of. Putting too much on their plates would be a mistake but a tough one to navigate for him as well..
 
This thread got entertaining in a hurry lol. The negativity definitely gets overwhelming at times. Heck I tend avoid posting on here after losses for that reason(I still read). The negative Nancies come out and there's little point in arguing some of their over the top pessimism.

Back to the topic. There's no doubt the McCaffery boys have been and will continue to be lightning rods for criticism their whole careers at Iowa. They both knew it the day they agreed to play for their dad. It's just part of the deal when you are the coach's son.

As for who will be the biggest lightning rod next season? That's a tougher one to know at this point. It will depend on how the players perform and what off the court noise they create. Odds are the McCaffery boys will be in the discussion simply because of their last name.
 
InGoodCo said:
according to Hardy on Twitter, MD has been getting a ton of horrible tweets at him today.
Click to expand...

That's just dumb. I don't get why people think it's ok to tweet bad things at a player that did nothing to them and is no longer going to be part of the program's future. I feel for MD, he always came off as a great teammate that worked hard. No way he deserves horrible crap tweeted at him.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top