ISU Improved, Drunk Fans, Iowa Staycation

Iowa State looked like a much better football team in game one than it did a year ago. I can't imagine a staff more suited to the challenges in Ames than Paul Rhoads and crew...


As Austen Arnaud goes, so goes the season. He looked much better in the first quarter against Northern Illinois, but made some familiar mistakes after that. Arnaud can do that and still beat a MAC team, but it won't be enough against Iowa, and many others on the Cyclone schedule. I'm sticking with my 6-6 prediction, which despite the match of last season, would mean Iowa State is much better...

I have Iowa going 9-3 and many Hawkeye fans are insulted by that. Those are high expectations. 9-3 is a solid season...

Good gosh some fans get too drunk. I had several people who couldn't form sentences trying to talk to me Thursday night in Ames. I don't mean over-served, I'm talking about wet your pants, pass out in your own vomit drunk. Too much...

Iowa State has really improved the overall experience of going to a game. (The drunks are at every stadium, not just Jack Trice:)...

Nearly all sports and leagues---even the NFL---are experiencing a drop in ticket sales. Not the Hawkeyes. Every football game sold out. People will find the money somehow if there's enough anticipation. There's never been more in Iowa City...

The U of I commits, potentially, more than $40 million to Kirk Ferentz. He's worth it too. It's all relative, but Ferentz helps make a fortune for Iowa and Johnson County (estimated at $100 million a year). The contract extension through 2020 doesn't guarantee Ferentz will stay at Iowa---he can still leave whenever he wants---but it does appear more likely he's at his final head coaching job. Why would he leave?...

Iowa takes on Eastern Illinois without five starters. The Hawks could win this without 22 starters...

RVTV starts Monday. Looking forward to some male-bonding, not looking forward to catching my annual cold. Happens every year...

Watching the Deer Hunter as I blog. What a great movie. So much said without dialogue. If you haven't seen it, make sure you do. Clear out a night with no distractions. Phenomenal...

We're taking a staycation this week (yes, I hate that word too). Water park all the way in Des Moines. The things we do for kids...