A Hellish Hour for Hawkeye Football

(By Chris Hassel)

It was a rough day for the Iowa football program. It's not often that you lose a player, and a coach, within about 60 minutes. We'll start with the player. Marcus Coker has been suspended for "disciplinary reasons", according to a U of I release. The school says he violated the 'Student-Athlete Code of Conduct'. Coker's name didn't turn up in any searches for online court records, but that doesn't necessarily rule it out. Normally, this time of year, one would assume it has to do with grades. Most highly doubt that's the case with Coker. He's an Astro Physics major, and hopes to one day work for NASA. That doesn't sound, to me, like a person that's going to be skipping much class.

Coker rushed for 1,384 yards, and 15 TD's, in 2011.

Just minutes after the Coker suspension was announced, the University released a statement from Kirk Ferentz saying that Hawkeye Defensive Line Coach Rick Kaczenski, is leaving. He had been on the staff for 5 years, and rumor has it that he's going to take a position at Nebraska. Ouch. I don't know Rick, at all, but I do know him as a foul-mouthed lunatic on the sidelines. He was always the most outspoken coach on the Iowa sideline, and threw more temper tantrums than Fran McCaffery. I don't know how he was off the field, but I certainly wouldn't want to play for that hooligan.

Rick Kaczenski may just be headed to Nebraska.

Back to Coker, for a minute. How ironic is it that Coker, who had his coming-out party at last year's Insight Bowl after Adam Robinson had been suspended, gets suspended himself the very next year for the same game? What is it with Hawkeye running backs? They used to have the injury-bug. Now they have a trouble-bug. Within the span of 15 months, Coker, Mika'il McCall, Adam Robinson, Brandon Wegher, and Jewel Hampton, have all been suspended and/or kicked off the team. All five running backs were either Freshman, or Sophomores. And who knows if any of them will be on Iowa's roster in 2012? We'll have to wait and see. Hopefully, Coker didn't get himself in any real trouble, and he will come back hungry for his Junior season. 


As for the game against Oklahoma --- who knows what to think!? The Sooners have problems of their own. Leading rusher Dominique Whaley is out, along with fellow running back Brandon Williams, who announced this week he was going to transfer. Maybe they should just cancel the bowl game. It's clear Oklahoma fans/media don't care much about the game. At Monday's press conference, head coach Bob Stoops wasn't asked one question about the Hawkeyes.


Bill Fennelly is a magic man. Despite fighting cancer, and having no voice, he sweeps away Drake, Iowa, and UNI, for the 9th time in his tenure. Prior to his arrival in Ames, in 1995, the Iowa State had done that a grand-total of ZERO times.

Dowling wide receiver, and Michigan commit, Amara Darboh played his final high school basketball game, Tuesday. The senior will undergo surgery on his shoulder, next week. He's expected to be ready by the time he heads to Ann Arbor, in the summer.


And Bobbi D. seems to finally be slowing down a bit. Since Zach Borg warned her that our legal team is closing in on its identity, we haven't heard a peep from her. I hope legal ramifications don't scare her away. The Internet needs Bobbi D. We need Bobbi D.

Alford Amnesia, Bobbi D. Disappointment, Neti-pot Disaster

(By Chris Hassel)

It was somewhat fun to watch Iowa dunk its way to a 105-64 victory over Central Arkansas, Monday. I haven't seen an Iowa team run up and down the floor like that since the early Steve Alford years. Speaking of Steve Alford, I find it interesting that most people tend to forget some of the good teams he had. The Hawkeyes were ranked in the top-ten on two different occasions, under Alford. No, he didn't take the Hawks to the 'next level', but his worst year was way better than any of the last four Hawkeye seasons.

Northern Iowa was finally starting to make a push towards the top-25, and then the Panthers took a 9-day break. Apparently the voters completely forgot about the 10-1 Panthers, and their RPI ranking of 3, because they're no longer receiving any votes in the coaches poll. UNI will have a tough time with Ohio, Tuesday night. The Bobcats are 9-1, their only loss coming at unbeaten Louisville, by 5 points.

We don't have confirmation, yet, but it seems we are closing in on the true identity of 'Bobbi D.' Unfortunately, it sounds like the person is doing it as a joke. While this news is somewhat of a relief, I'm still a little disappointed. Part of me actually hopes that this nonsense can go on for weeks, months...even years. Bobbi D. ---- please be real!

Andy is big into the neti-pot phenomenon. Last week, he bought one for himself, and his brother and sister. Unfortunately, he's been using tap water. As you'll read in this article, that's not a good idea.
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/16/9503070-neti-pots-linked-to-brain-eating-amoeba-deaths

This guy looks like he could use a little more than a neti-pot.

The QB position in Kansas City has been a mess, all season. If Kyle Orton continues to play like he did against the Packers, it's going to be a mess next season, too. The Chiefs will have a decision to make. Re-sign Orton, whose contract expires at the end of the season, and have a QB battle between Orton and Cassel....or let Orton go and stick with Cassel for the remaining 3 years on his contract. A lot of it will have to do with how Orton finishes the final two games of the season, against Oakland and Denver.

Monday Night Football was finally worth watching, this week. From Chargers/Jags and Rams/Seahawks, to Steelers/49ers. Next week is the final MNF of the season, and it's also a good one. Falcons/Saints. 
I'm starting to worry about my mental well-being. I could say that my wife forced me to watch 'Kim and Kourtney Take New York', but the truth is, I didn't put up a fight. I actually let her watch it, and I watched it, too. What is wrong with me?

My favorite character is Kourtney's baby-daddy

.

Orton's Chief Concern, Cyclones Chip(pewa) Away, ISU/Iowa Plays Of The Year

By Zach Borg

I thought Kansas City would play better with Kyle Orton under center against Green Bay.  Better being maybe it wouldn't be a blowout yet after the first quarter.  Who knew?  Welcome to the NFL in 2011, where at almost the exact same moment the undefeated Packers lost the winless Colts won.

The biggest question now is whether Orton has finally found a home in Kansas City.  Playing behind a bad offensive line and without several starters, Orton managed and gave the Chiefs the cool hand they've been missing at quarterback most of the season.  Matt Cassel has a big contract and, despite winning the AFC West, has never really won over people in KC.  Or perhaps the Chiefs try to trade up and draft a QB.  That the Chiefs could still finish .500 or even make the playoffs with so many problems is encouraging for 2012 when stars like Tony Moeaki, Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry return.  As a Chiefs fan I still have nightmares about them choosing Elvis Grbac over Rich Gannon, and I fear this is round two.

In a little twist of irony, on the day Orton notches his biggest win since he led the Broncos past New England in Denver two years ago, Tim Tebow's magic ends against the Patriots in Denver.  Tebow himself didn't play too bad, but the fact remains that when he's gone up against teams that weren't struggling offensively the Broncos were beaten soundly.

It looks as though the Orton vs. Tebow (AKA Kansas City at Denver) game on New Years Day will be for the AFC West.  There's still a chance that it could be a winner take all game.  Unless Denver clinches the division next week, it's going to be quite the atmosphere at Mile High Stadium.

The Bears and Vikings are irrelevant.

Iowa State blew a big first half lead and ended up holding off Central Michigan 59-52.  To borrow a baseball term, they still haven't found a "stopper".  The Cyclones don't yet seem to have one guy they can look to and count on in the clutch to halt another team's run/momentum.  You'd think it would be Royce White but it hasn't been consistently.  Tyrus McGhee stepped up in this one, but with conference play right around the corner, they are running out of time to figure out their identity in Ames.

I always enjoy the end of the year because it gives me a chance to look back on the highlights of the local year when I put together my end of the year Cold Cuts (or montages as is the lingo at other stations I've worked at).  It takes time to sift through all the video, but it takes you back through the highs and lows of a season.

Looking back on the Cyclone and Hawkeye football seasons four things stand out.  Iowa's schedule looks even weaker now (if that's possible).  I firmly believe Marvin McNutt is the best receiver in Hawkeye history.  I don't know if we'll ever again see a year with as many twists and turns as Iowa State's 2011 campaign.  And it seemed like the Cyclones had two separate seasons in one-the Steele Jantz season (remember him?) and the Jared Barnett season.

Anyhow, here's your Hawkeye plays of the year.....

 ....and the Cyclones......

End Of The Big 4 Hoops Era, Rhoads/McCarney, Dedication To Bobbi D

By Zach Borg

I guess I'm supposed to talk about Iowa's 82-68 win over Drake.  I really don't have that much to say-these look like two teams headed nowhere this year, but at least there were some nice highlights.  Both teams are going to have a tough time in tough conferences this year.

More than the game itself, one thing kept crossing my mind-why is this probably the last Big 4 game on a campus site?  Yes, I know there will probably be some tournament next year, but unless its a two day deal where both the Cyclones and Hawkeyes play the Bulldogs and Panthers it won't be the same.

I know there's a lot of moving parts to this.  Conference realignment, money from home games, the list goes on.  But you can't tell me UNI's dominance over the last decade, coupled with Drake becoming more competitive as well, isn't playing a role in this. 

If Iowa State and Iowa are backing out of this in any part because they don't want to risk losing non-conference road games it is cowardly.  If either program is going to return to being an NCAA contender these are the types of games you have to win and prove yourself in.  Is it really going to make either team better for the conference season if they add more games with Chicago State and Prairie View?  If the answer is yes, then don't be shocked if, after UNI or Drake win games at this Big 4 tournament, Iowa and Iowa State decide to take their ball and go home altogether.

Paul Rhoads is breaking a lot of molds at Iowa State.  I'm not sure he'll last all ten years of his new deal because bigger jobs will come along if he wins, but I do think it shows how attached he is to this state and program.  This is an Iowa guy who grew up seeing legendary coaches like Johnny Orr, Dan Gable and Hayden Fry build/rebuild programs and become icons.  Whether he admits it or not, I think that's something that has to drive him.

So the natural question-how long before 5-7 wins a year isn't good enough for ISU fans?  Dan McCarney had a similar commitment to Iowa State.  He never had quite the splashy wins that Rhoads, who was an assistant under McCarney, had and it was the pre-Twitter/social media era.  But ISU football was, by Rhoads own admission, in far worse shape.  Even then, fans eventually tired of 5-7 win years and McCarney was gone after a down year.  Maybe Rhoads local roots buys him more time, but eventually all fans get spoiled (see Hawkeye, Iowa fan).  Over the next three years we'll find out if Rhoads is the kind of recruiter who can boost talent to get into the 8-10 win range.

It's not just Hassel, I think everyone in the sports office is being asked this question: "Is Bobbi D for real?"  First off, it is NOT me (sorry but I couldn't pull this kind of a prank off and sustain it this long), and I do believe Hassel when he says it isn't him.  I keep flipping back and forth on whether this is real.  You'd think a real person would have given us some actual identity (Bobbi D is an alias), yet I don't know how someone could keep being so persistent if it is just a gag.

In any case, as a guy who has been called ugly myself plenty (on multiple occasions.....by women....and siblings...and strangers who look at me like I escaped a carnival show.....) I try not to judge the beauty of anyone (though I certainly don't think it is a crime).  In any case, I'd like to dedicate this one to Bobbi; a track from "Handful of Peter" off the Family Guy LP that I hope will unite us all.

But if it doesn't and like Bobbi you can't take a joke, I'll save you the trouble of telling me I'll rot in hell.

By the way, on SoundOFF tomorrow night, two Cold Cuts.  Plays of the year for Hawkeye and Cyclone football.

Paul Rhoad$, Ferentz Mum, 'Bobbi D.'

By Chris Hasssel

Well, Paul Rhoads can now change his name to Paul Rhoad$. Iowa State's head coach signed a much-deserved 10-year, $20-million-dollar contract, to stay in Ames. Kudos to ISU for coming up with the money to pay Rhoads a good salary, and reward a man that's in the process of transforming Iowa State football. I've heard some people (mostly Iowa fans) say, "Why does a guy that has an 18-19 record over three seasons deserve such a big contract?" The answer is simple: It's Iowa State. This isn't Iowa, and it certainly isn't Oklahoma, Texas, or Oklahoma State. The ISU football program won two bowl games in its 116-year history, prior to Paul Rhoads taking over in 2009. With a win over Rutgers, Rhoads will equal that total in just three seasons.

In Iowa City, Kirk Ferentz refused to answer any questions regarding the Kansas City job opening. Ferentz and the Hawkeyes held a press conference for the retiring Norm Parker, but Ferentz made only a quick statement. Does that mean he's actually considering the Chiefs opening? I'd say absolutely not. I don't see Kirk leaving everything he has, at Iowa, for a tough job in KC. Plus, he would likely be taking a pay-cut to do it. Kirk knows, however, that every time his name surfaces in the NFL, he becomes that much more valuable for the Hawkeyes. That's the main reason he's getting paid nearly $4-million bucks a year. 

It's been an interesting week, to say the least, thanks to some woman (or man), calling themselves 'Bobbi D.' You can read some of its (Bobbi is an 'it' since I don't know its gender) thoughts here: http://bobbislittleangels.blogspot.com 

Most people think Bobbi is me. It's not. Some others think I know who it is. I don't. When Bobbi began posting, I thought it was a real (insane) person. But when it created its own Twitter page https://twitter.com/#!/BobbisAngels ... and it's own blog, I thought it had to be someone pulling a fast one on me. Now, after a week of bizarre posts, and several incidents of Bobbi tweeting, "I hope you rot in Hell!", to dozens of people on Twitter, I'm starting to think this is an actual deranged person. All I have to say to that is: Keep it up, Bobbi! You're keeping me, and much of the Internet world entertained. But, please, don't venture outside the confines of your home. The thought of running into Bobbi is downright frightening. Let's just keep it to the Internet, please. I do wonder what she looks like, though....

Six years ago, today, I turned 21. That makes me 27. Many people think I'm well into my 30's. It was great when I was in my teens. I could buy my friends tobacco when I was 13. I said I could...not that I actually did. I was shaving in 3rd grade --- no lie. I had a little rat mustache that looked awful. The ironic part about that is that I still can't grow a full beard. You know who else can't grow a full beard? The IceBorg. He doesn't even have to shave.

All Rhoads Lead To New Deal, VIP Had Big Red Feet, The Midnight Swinger Rocks

There is little doubt about Pittsburgh's target in its coaching search: former Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads. I don't think Rhoads has much interest in leaving home for Pittsburgh, but Cyclone fans will feel better when Iowa State announces a new contract extension, and raise, for Rhoads. ISU athletic director Jamie Pollard knows how important it is to keep Rhoads, and I'll be surprised if we don't hear of a new deal soon. Act, don't react...

My son, Cade, invited me to VIP Day at his school. I was completely upstaged by this clown:

Ronald McDonald put on a great anti-bullying show. Props, Ron.

How come we're just now noticing how much Costanza and Seinfeld love Tebow? http://bit.ly/tempcs

Looking for something fun to do on New Year's Eve? Don't miss The Midnight Swinger at the Funny Bone. The man puts on a great show. If you're in your 30's or 40's, you'll think The Swinger wrote his act after following you around as a kid...

The Midnight Swinger.

Graham Makes Chizik Look Good, Rhoads Won't Leave for Pitt, Winter Golfing in Iowa

Todd Graham isn't the first coach to bolt town leaving behind broken hearts and promises, and he won't be the last, but he is the most the most egregious example. Graham stayed at Pittsburgh one season. One. He leaves the Panthers for his fourth job in six years. He didn't have time to tell his players in person. He sent them a text. Graham did find time to hit a photog's studio to pose for pictures as the new head coach of Arizona State. ASU needs to get that out to recruits, along with Graham's certain message of commitment, loyalty, and integrity. The same message Panthers players say he gave them a year ago...

Graham's record at Pitt was 6-6, but should have been 7-5. Graham's time management, or lack thereof, at Iowa allowed the Hawkeyes back into the game. James Vandenberg and the Hawkeyes still had to make plays, and they did...

Pitt now needs a coach with character. Virtually all speculation lists have Iowa State's Paul Rhoads at the top. That makes sense. Rhoads is a hot name, and a former assistant at Pittsburgh. I'd be stunned if Pittsburgh's AD didn't at least pursue Rhoads. I'd be equally surprised if Rhoads had any real interest. It's going to take more than Pitt to get him away from home. ISU may want to get that new contract in front of him, just in case...

Jon Miller of Hawkeye Nation thinks Kirk Ferentz's next defensive coordinator will come from within. Miller says Phil Parker is his pick to succeed the retiring Norm Parker (the Parkers are not related). Many Hawk fans would like to see some new blood and fresh ideas...

Kyle Orton will make his first start for the Chiefs Sunday against the Packers. If Orton's trigger finger isn't ready, the Chiefs will turn to former Hawkeye Ricky Stanzi. Fired coach Todd Haley seemed to avoid giving Stanzi a shot at all costs, even as Tyler Palko stunk the joint up, so at least Stanzi's in the conversation for the first time. We know what we're getting with Orton, steady if not spectacular, but who knows with Stanzi? Be fun to find out, though taking on the Packers isn't an ideal baptism...

Bob Seger Tuesday night. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Wednesday night. These are good music options for weekdays in central Iowa...

Chris Hassel did a story on the new inside/out winter golfing facility at Legacy Golf Club in Norwalk. You can hit golf balls from inside a heated facility, but actually have them fly and land outside. Cool. Anyway, I learned there's a similar place in Newton. It's the Fore Seasons Golf Center & Lounge. They seem like nice people too. Here's a picture:

Fore!

Elf, Seger, Kelechi

Christmas movies I watch every year: Elf, Scrooged, It's a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone...

Can I count Die Hard as a Christmas movie? Guess not. Too much killing...

Bob Seger sang Little Drummer Boy at Wells Fargo Arena Tuesday night. That song is my Christmas favorite. I also enjoy the odd, but somehow works pairing of Bing Crosby and David Bowie, which also includes Peace On Earth...

The Seger song I can't take any longer: Old Time Rock & Roll. If it's not the most played rock song in history, especially when drunk people are dancing, it's in the conversation...

Nice to see Iowa State's Kelechi Osemele named Sports Illustrated first team All-America. When I talked to Osemele Tuesday, the 6-6 340 pound tackle told me he'd love to carry the football just one time in the Pinstripe Bowl. Come on coach Rhoads, make this happen! Osemele also said when he walks onto an airplane, passengers cut him the look of "man, I hope that big dude's not sitting by me". He needs two seats...

This is a big man.

Sports Illustrated names a first and second team, plus honorable mention. The magazine had 15 receivers and not one was named Marvin McNutt. Ridiculous...

Early DVR alert: SoundOFF on December 25th will be a Hazzle Dazzle Christmas Special...

Chief Speculation, Mission Impossible

I expect Kirk Ferentz back as Iowa's head coach for a 14th season. But... if Ferentz ever wanted to give the NFL a try, it's unlikely he'll find a better time and fit than the Kansas City Chiefs right now. Ferentz is close friends, and trusts, Chiefs GM Scott Pioli. The Chiefs, thanks in large part to injuries, underachieved this season. They're set up to contend in a weak division. Kansas City isn't far away. The last of Ferentz's kids, Steven, is about to graduate from Iowa City High. Ferentz just lost his longtime defensive coordinator, Norm Parker, to retirement. Ferentz has led Iowa to four top ten finishes, and two Big Ten co-championships, and now fans expect more than 7-5...

None of this means the Chiefs will offer Ferentz the job, or that he'd take it---the guess here is that Iowa is his final job---but again, if he were ever going to make the move, he'd be hard pressed to find a better time...

Ferentz remains under contract at the University of Iowa until 2020, which in the odd world of coaching contracts means if Iowa fires Ferentz, it owes him millions of dollars, but if he decides to leave, he's free and clear...

13 seasons and counting.

I already have my Science Center of Iowa IMAX tickets to see Mission:Impossible Ghost Protocol (and no, I don't know why the colon is between mission and impossible). At Rotten Tomatoes.com, 100% of the critics who have reviewed the movie give it the thumbs up, the trailer looks great, and Jeremy Renner makes any movie he's in better...

More colons.

Parker Retires, Packers & Tebow Keep Winning, Stanzi Not The Manzi

(By Zach Borg)

It wasn't a surprise that Norm Parker announced his retirement Sunday.  With his health problems it has seemed inevitable.  The assistant coach of the year award he received a few weeks ago is really more of a lifetime achievement award (despite it's title) and I think people had an inkling of what's coming.

Parker has taken a lot of heat for the defense's performance.  In all honesty, I think most of the fault this season lies on offense.  We all knew coming into the season it was going to be a rebuilding year with the talent lost.  The only game where you really can say the defense blew it was the Iowa State game in which Steele Jantz looked superhuman and was riding the pine about a month later.  The bigger problem has been Ken O'Keefe's offense.  They have NFL caliber talent, yet they've been inconsistent (especially on the road).  Iowa's defense didn't have the shutdown capability that they'd had in previous years, but they gave the Hawks chances to win at Penn State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and even the home game against Michigan State (turnovers and poor special teams play doomed them in the first half).  When Iowa's offense went in the tank, they left their defense on the field for a LONG time.

I spoke with former Hawkeye Derek Pagel this evening.  Certainly not a surprise to him (and I assume other past and present Hawks).  Talking to Pagel you see how loyal guys are to Parker, almost as though he is a father figure.  While he can't comprehend how Parker can still coach through his disability and illness, I think the fact that Parker has spent most of his life overcoming adversity is why people who go through that program respect and revere him.

As I just started in March I haven't had much experience with Mr. Parker, but one moment I had with him made an impression.  During the season I attended one of the weekly press conferences.  I was bogged down with equipment, carrying my camera, tripod and audio bag.  It gets kinda heavy and I'm sure I looked like a mess.  As I struggled to get in through the door and waited for an elevator Parker, who'd seen me coming in, came up in his walker and said he felt sorry I had to carry all that stuff and wished he could have gotten the door.  That struck me-here's a guy suffering from diabetes, who had part of his leg amputated, and he sincerely cares about my load (which in comparison to him is nothing).  It probably was time for him to step aside, and yes results on the field weren't great this past year, but Norm Parker is a good and selfless man, and that's something we need more of in coaching today.  May his retirement years bring him nothing but happiness.

At some point I think the Tim Tebow madness has to end.  It just looks like that point isn't coming anytime soon.  First, it's not all Tebow.  The defense has gotten better (in my opinion Von Miller may be that team's MVP), and today Matt Prater hit ridiculous field goals.  Yet there's no denying teammates feed off him.  I just don't understand how a guy can play like garbage for three quarters and then turn it on in the fourth.  I'm not a Broncos fan (as a Chiefs fan I used to passionately hate them) and it colors me a bit, but even I have to be awed by this.  The last eight weeks have been incredible.

What's equally as fascinating, though, is the way opposing teams collapse.  It seems like Tebow not only inspires his teammates, but deflates the other team.  How does Marion Barber run out of bounds late in the fourth with a three point lead and no Denver timeouts left?  Then in overtime Barber looks to be ready to break one, possibly for the winning score, only to fumble.  It's all just bizarre.

The one common thing over the last two months is that for the most part Denver has played bad, or at best, struggling offensive teams that Denver's defense has been able to hold in check.  That changes next week with New England coming to town.  If Tebow plays that badly for three quarters the Patriots will bury the Broncos much the way the Lions did in Tebow's only loss.  But if Tebow "Tebows" the Pats and Bill Belichick, clearly this is for real.

Ho hum the Green Bay Packers blew somebody out again.  Does it seem like this is getting enough press?  Certainly Tebowmania has eaten into the coverage that this would be getting.  But the Patriots were rock stars in 2007.  These Packers are the defending Super Bowl champs!  I think because Green Bay doesn't have quite as many personalities (IE Randy Moss, Tom Brady, even Belichick), they don't get as much hype.  All the Packers do is just go about their business in workman like fashion and roll teams.  Guessing that's the way Green Bay fans like it.

The Packers will play their final road game (well at least until a possible Super Bowl trip) in Kansas City next week.  I'd at least like to see KC make them sweat for, oh, maybe a quarter?  Unfortunately if Tyler Palko is out there again it will be 30-0 after by the second quarter.   Kyle Orton with five broken fingers would be better than this schmuck.  And what exactly did Ricky Stanzi do to piss off Chiefs brass?  What exactly is the harm in not playing him right now?  Palko played the ENTIRE game in KC's 37-10 drubbing at the Jets.  You'd think they'd at least get Stanzi some reps in garbage time.  Rumor has it Stanzi was not a Todd Haley choice and that GM Scott Pioli overruled him.  For reasons that go far beyond Stanzi I'm guessing there's a good chance Pioli pink slips Haley when things are said and done.

Football Withdrawel, No National Titles For ISU/UNI, Panther Hoops For Real

(By Zach Borg)

This was the first Saturday since August that we didn't have a team in Iowa playing college football.  Very strange and weird.  I already miss the sidelines at Kinnick, Jack Trice and yes, even the UNI Dome.  Though I don't miss having to smell the exposed sewer line on the Dome field.

Spoke with departing Cyclone offensive coordinator Tom Herman today.  The decision to leave for Ohio State really was pretty simple.  Professionally it's a chance to work with perhaps the best offensive mind in college football, Urban Meyer.  Personally it's a hefty pay raise moving from OC at ISU to OSU.  This was a no-brainer. 

Herman wanted to stay for the Pinstripe Bowl and will.  Players and the rest of the coaches were clear they wanted him for the final game.  Helps continuity, and sometimes we see teams play a bit harder for an outgoing coach.

Courtesy Iowa State Daily

Volleyball is not (and never will be) the top college sport in Iowa, but the Cyclones came damn close to having the best team in the country.  ISU lost in five sets to Florida State in the Elite 8 in Minneapolis.  Congrats to them on a fine season first off (their second Elite 8 trip in four years).  Still, this one stings.  They'd beaten the Gophers on their home floor last night, had more of a homecourt advantage in the Cities, and with top seed Texas (whom they'd lost to twice this season) ousted earlier in the day, the bracket couldn't have been set up better for them to win a national championship.

Something must be in the water at Iowa State when these coaches speak in postgame.  Christy Johnson-Lynch isn't quite Paul Rhoads, but she did have a pretty good and emotional speech after the Cyclones defeated Minnesota (it starts at about 1:40):   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlz1dHCzVT4&feature=channel_video_title

The Northern Iowa football team looked like a national title contender in FCS for much of the year.  But they never seemed to recover from their big 27-19 loss in late October at North Dakota State.  Had they won there the Panthers would have won the Valley outright and had either the one or two seed in the playoffs.  Instead they never really were the same, even in victory.  Going into the postseason, and even into the game, UNI had a better regular season resume than Montana, and Mark Farley still seemed upset about it in postgame last night.  But when you lose by 38 it's more than muted.

Courtesy Cedar Rapids Gazette

The Panthers have had one of the most consistent programs in FCS over the last 21 years, but you have to wonder if this program will ever get over the hump and win a national title.  Ever since their 2005 loss in the national title game to Appalachian State it seems like the Panthers tease everyone by playing their best ball in midseason, only to run out of gas as the playoffs arrive.  The last three years were especially brutal.  The 2009 team that nearly won at Iowa lost three of their final five and missed the playoffs.  The 2010 team sputtered at the end and was stunned by Lehigh at home in the first round.  UNI may struggle to even get back to the playoffs next year with early season road games at Wisconsin and Iowa.  The (likely) losses won't hurt so much as the fact that they could come away from that death march beaten up and injured before they even start league play.

Courtesy CR Gazette

The good news at UNI is that the Panther men's basketball team is for real.  In a cat fight against 8-1 UW-Milwaukee (also nicknamed the Panthers) UNI won soundly 67-51.  Northern Iowa is now 9-1 and their resume is impressive.  They've beaten power conference teams (Providence, Iowa and Iowa State), solid fellow mid-majors (Milwaukee, Colorado State, Old Dominion), and their only loss is to a perennial tournament contender St. Marys.  The Valley will be tough, but unless the Panthers do a total faceplant in league play, I think this is a team that can get an at-large bid even if they don't go all the way in Arch Madness.

Robert Griffin III was the deserving Heisman Trophy winner, don't get me wrong.  I just wish there had been more suspense.  Announcers were practically consoling Andrew Luck for finishing runner-up 20 minutes before the actual announcement.

NL MVP Ryan Braun has tested positive for use of performance enhancing drugs.  Braun called it "BS" and is claiming there was no intentional use.  I'll wait to see how it plays out before passing judgment on him.  He doesn't have a freakish build or anything of that nature that would lead you to believe he's on PEDs.  However, it would be naive to think athletes aren't doing them.  Just because they have more tests doesn't mean there are less ways to mask use.  As long as games are played someone will always look for that "extra edge", and that will include cheating too.

Army and Navy never seem to be any good on the field.  Does anyone care?  It's one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and these are some of the greatest people in the world.  

Cyclones Again, McCaffery Cares, Ed Assists

Iowa State showed flashes in the first half of Iowa. If the Cyclones can learn to play hard, smart, and together for entire games, they could make noise. Still a long way to go...

Much longer for Iowa. The Hawkeyes don't have enough skill, and they're not compensating with effort and intensity. Fran McCaffery seems far more invested than his players...

Hawkeye fans need to show patience. The Lickliter era set Iowa basketball back five years. McCaffery can coach, but it all starts with players. Help is on the way next year...

Classy move by Iowa State naming the media room after the late Pete Taylor. It was easy to see at the dedication how much the room means to Taylor's family and close friends...

Have the Cyclones ever had a year where they dominated the Hawkeyes like 2011? Iowa's lopsided wrestling win is the Hawks lone high profile win...

What the heck happened to UNI at Montana? The Panthers had another good season, but the 48-10 exit will sting for a long time...

Cyclone volleyball team reached the Elite Eight for the second time in four years. We might be under-covering this a little...

I'm fighting a cold. During Friday night's 9 p.m. newscast, I got choked up, lost my ability to talk, and needed an assist. Enter Ed Wilson. He walked over, grabbed my scripts, and finished the stories until I could get some water. Thanks Ed...

Looking forward to an Iowa Energy game with the family Saturday night...

We receive a few office gifts this time of year. My favorite so far comes from the always imaginative Kendra Daly at Daly Happenings. I ate the cow pie immediately, Jenny loves the udder lotion, and best of all is that ice scraper in a warm glove. I'll use that. Tonight:

Cardinals Had To Say Goodbye, Man Without A Team, Herman Heads To Columbus

No way the Cardinals could afford to pay Albert Pujols $254 million dollars for ten years. As great as Pujols is, and he's once-in-a generation great, he's already on the (relative) decline, as all 32 year old players are (outside the steroid era). The Angels will overpay Pujols based on the remarkable decade he just had, not the unknown one he'll have. Cardinals fans understand all this, but it still hurts to lose an icon, and find out it's almost always about the money...

NBA star Chris Paul was traded to the Lakers...

Never mind. Trade blocked...

On the surface, Tom Herman leaving Iowa State for a lesser job at Ohio State seems puzzling, and doesn't look great for ISU. Leave the offensive coordinator job for a QB job? Many Ohio State assistants have become head coaches, so maybe that's Herman's thinking, we don't know, he's not talking. Overall, Herman's offenses at ISU have been a mild disappointment, though this season Herman seemed to settle in and do his best job. The future looked better than the past. Now, he'll coach Buckeye quarterbacks for Urban Meyer... (Update: Herman will be the offensive coordinator and call the plays at Ohio State, along with coaching the quarterbacks. The move makes more sense now.)

I thought the buzz would return for the Iowa-Iowa State basketball game this year. It hasn't. I'm still looking forward to the game. I expect the Cyclones will win, but the 9 point line seems too much...

Don't forget, same time as the CyHawk showdown, UNI will be playing football at Montana on ESPN. That game should be at the UNIdome...

I slid past several stop signs Thursday night. Few things worse than that feeling of not being able to stop and fearing you're going to get t-boned out in traffic. Yep, Winter is here...

No texting and driving.

I have no idea why more people don't watch Parks & Recreation. The most recent episode had a lot of laughs, and enough heart. Always a good combo. No show does that better than Modern Family, but on a good night, Parks & Rec is in the neighborhood...

Parks & Recreation

My wife thinks it's odd I eat a jar of salsa in one sitting. Hey, that's good food. I think it might even be healthy. It's certainly addictive...

Add caption

Fennelly the Fighter, Cowboy Up, Random Vacation Pics

Second straight night we've seen a prominent coach have a meltdown. Unlike Fran McCaffery's temper tantrum at UNI, Bill Fennelly's technical seemed to spark the Cyclones in their come-from-behind win over the Hawkeyes. Fennelly disagrees with that. He says he doesn't believe techs ever help the team, but his players said Fennelly's emotion made them dig deep...

Fennelly's postgame news conference, where he could barely whisper his words, was a reminder he's fighting cancer and undergoing chemo while coaching. It can't be easy...

Some good reporting by the Register's Rick Brown on the likelihood that future Iowa and ISU men's basketball games vs Drake and UNI will happen at Big 4 doubleheaders at Wells Fargo Arena...

The more we learn of Jerry Sandusky, the more shameful and disgusting the story gets. Sandusky, dressed in a Penn State track suit, was led off in handcuffs Wednesday---arrested again after more victims came forward. The ninth and tenth victims also have horrific stories. Meantime, Sandusky applied for a job as a high school volunteer coach last year but the school didn't hire him when learning of the grand jury investigation into widespread sexual abuse. But Penn State kept allowing him run of the football facilities! What a dark, depressing mess...

Cowboy Up, Wade Sundell

Boxholm's Wade Sundell is in third place after round six of saddle bronc riding at the National Finals Rodeo. The pride of Boxholm can still win the world championship at the "Super Bowl or Rodeo". Sundell has won more than $160,000 in prize money this year and entered the sold out Las Vegas event #2 in the world...

I watched Pearl Harbor, the movie, on December 7th. The film has stunning visuals, but what a misfire to make the love triangle more important than the war...

The ESPN book is now in paperback and has even more chapters. It took me several minutes to complete the slog, I can't imagine even more pages. It has its moments, but not enough of them, and no narrative. Kind of like this blog, but instead of one page, 700...

How 'bout some random pictures from vacation? Not the fun days. The travel days.

Jenny ALWAYS gets the full body cavity search. She must look suspicious.

Chris Hassel thinks these should be available on every toilet, even in homes.

There's so much luxury on a plane these days.

Only in Mexico do you find a giant bottle of tequila walking around.

Is there any risk in smoking these?

Franny Mac blows his top

(Chris)

Well, Fran McCaffery has successfully made Iowa basketball entertaining again --- although it has nothing to do with how the team is performing on the court. Franny Mac was ejected from Iowa's 20-point loss, at UNI, for picking up a pair of technicals in the second half. I must say, I'm not pleased with how Iowa is playing right now, but I love the passion. It's clear that McCaffery will do whatever it takes to get things turned around, and I have no problem with him blowing his top every once-in-a-while. It's certainly better than watching Todd Lickliter fall asleep on the Iowa sideline a couple years ago.

McCaffery wears his emotions on his sleeve.

The Hawkeyes were actually within two points of the Panthers when all hell broke loose. I actually saw something I've never seen before in any basketball game after McCaffery's first 'T'. The Panthers scored 8 points on one possession --- all from the free-throw line. This after Fran, an Iowa assistant coach, and Zach McCabe, all picked up technical fouls. The Hawks went from down 2, to down 10, in about 20 seconds.

For some reason, Royce White didn't start against Prairie View A&M --- not that it mattered. The Cyclones smoked the Panthers, and White came off the bench to score 12. I'm thinking it has something to do with the awful white tank-top he wears before and after games.

Iowa State hosts Iowa, on Friday. Is anyone interested? I'm certainly not...except for the fact that Franny Mac might spontaneously combust after the next bad call.

What a miserable night to have to watch the Iowa and ISU game's on TV. Iowa State was on MC22. Iowa was on some Panther TV Network, that I hear is also a Mediacom production. It's almost 2012 folks. The world is going to end in just a few months. Let's upgrade the equipment for Christmas, please.

I'm looking forward to covering the Pinstripe Bowl, in NYC. I'm not going to make the same mistake I made when I went there in 2004. A taxi driver took me for a fool, because I was wearing an Iowa sweatshirt --- and he was right. The dude took me for $50 for what should've been a $25 cab ride. No more mister nice Iowan.

The thing I'm looking forward to the most is visiting Ground Zero. I was there in 2004 when it was a giant hole. I'd really like to see the great new memorial they have built to honor the fallen.

The World Trade Center Memorial looks powerful.

Electronics Blackout, RG3 is #1, Pinstripe and Insight

My wife and I just returned from our annual no-kids vacation. We went to Mexico for five days and did nothing. Just relaxed. It was wonderful. I also unplugged from everything. No blog. No Twitter. No Facebook. No email. No TV. No cell phone. We left an emergency number, and that's it. If you haven't tried this, I highly recommend it. I need a break, and people need a break from me. It's just good being reminded that life goes on just fine when we're not slaves to every thought, text, and update...

We did take a camera.

The stache is gone. November seemed like a long month. I never thought about shaving before deadline, but it's not easy being told constantly that you look like a porn actor, used car salesman, or high school principal (with apologies to all but porn actors, but those were the three most popular references)...

Final picture of the stache.

Stache for Cash raised quite a bit of money for American Cancer Society thanks to many of you who made contributions. Big thanks to Bryce Miller, Jon Miller, Peter Tubbs, The Ridgemont in Windsor Heights, and others who made donations in the final hours. And a shout out to Darci Borcherding and Chuck Reed with the American Cancer Society for organizing this last minute crazy idea inspired mainly by Andy Fales' desire to laugh at me...

Ahh. That's better. (Nice shower curtain.)

My Heisman vote goes to Baylor's Robert Griffin III...

RG3

I don't think any baseball player wanted the Hall of Fame more than Ron Santo. It's a shame it took him dying to finally make it...

Former University of Iowa Sports Information Director George Wine votes in the Harris Poll, which helps decide who plays for the BCS championship. Wine voted Oklahoma State 6th, one spot behind a Houston team which lost on its home field Saturday by 28 points. The system is broken...

Hawkeye fans have again come through for the team they love. Iowa had a mediocre season, with just one quality win, but the Hawks head to the Insight Bowl with a chance to make 2011 feel a whole lot better. They'll have to beat a highly favored team to do it, but doesn't this all sound familiar? (The IceBorg will cover the Insight for us, along with photojournalist Trent Reicks)...

The Cyclones will try to get excited for the Pinstripe Bowl, but the truth is few people want to leave Iowa for a vacation in New York in late December. Yankee Stadium, cool. New York City, cold. Still, for a 6-6 team, this is a nice bowl too. The Cyclone fans who can afford it, and it won't be cheap, will enjoy ringing in the new year in NYC. (Chris Hassel is assigned to the Pinstripe, along with photojournalist Brandon McCauley)...

Iowa/ISU Go Bowling, UNI Goes Primetime, Packers (Will) Go Perfect

(By Zach Borg)

As the bowls now basically have their own selection Sunday there is a certain madness to it.  In the end I'd still love a playoff like the FCS has.  However, there is some good in the bowl system.  Realistically there's only a handful of teams that you can expect to be in the mix for titles every year, along with a few surprises, so I do think for programs that aren't in that upper echelon its not a bad thing for them to have a reward to play for as well.  I was in Ames and talked to the Cyclones about their bowl announcement, and you could see how much this chance means to them.  There has to be a medium in which the top ranked teams/conference champions can play in a playoff while other bowls still exist.

I think both the Cyclones and Hawkeyes have to be happy, or at least not too upset, with their bowl destinations.  I think they are both better than other alternatives in Detroit or Houston. 

Whatever apathy Hawkeye fans had toward their bowl game was erased the moment Iowa drew Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl.  Fans love heading to Phoenix/Arizona in December, and they're playing a name brand team in OU.  Even some added zest to this year's game that last year didn't have with Bob Stoops being an Iowa alum.  As well as each fan base travels, it will have a great atmosphere.

We'll have nearly a month to break down matchups, but on first glance it looks like OU should win and maybe win big.  Still, for as much heat as Kirk Ferentz has gotten this year, his teams seemed to always be very well prepared for their bowl games.  Mizzou and South Carolina also looked to be impossible going in as well in previous years.  And much like last year, the staff has to know it will be a much easier offseason if they can get an 8th win against a solid bowl opponent.

Quite the contrast for Iowa State in their final two games.  They'll go from playing in the Little Apple in Manhattan, Kansas, to playing in the Big Apple in Manhattan, New York.

I'm sure Cyclone fans (and probably the football players and staff) were hoping for the Holiday Bowl.  Yes I know Iowa State had a tough schedule, but realistically you can't expect them to leap over Texas or Mizzou who they lost badly to in the regular season.  Besides, I still think the Pinstripe Bowl should be exciting.  Yes it will probably be cold, but New York is New York.  Cue Sinatra and all that.  It's a chance to experience one of the world's greatest cities and play in a fantastic venue.  As a fan or player, if you can't go to a BCS bowl, that's really all you can ask for.   

Now for the bad news-it's basically a home game for Rutgers.  They've played in Yankee Stadium already once this year and should get a good contingent come from New Jersey.  I'm sure Cyclone fans will travel well, but it still could look like a road game.  Then again, perhaps it's the perfect way to end the year for Iowa State.  They will probably be an underdog once again.

If you are a Hawk/Clone fan who is still grumbling about the destination, it could always be worse, signed-the Potato Bowl in Boise between Ohio and Utah State (cool name for a bowl though),  any bowl game in Alabama, Little Caesers Bowl between Purdue and Western Michigan (in lovely Detroit), or the Fight Hunger Bowl in San Fran between Illinois & UCLA (or as I call it the "Interim Bowl").

As for the BCS title game....meh.  Are they probably the two best teams?  Yes, though we'll never really know until there is some kind of playoff.  But really, how interested is the casual fan?   The first edition was a 9-6 snoozer that was overhyped, and I'm sure it will get even more ridiculous press from the Worldwide Leader with more than a month till the game.  If you're an SEC or southern football fan I'm sure it's great, but it's too regional to appeal to most on a national level.  Early on my guess is LSU wins this game by a couple touchdowns.  Most bowl game rematches are never as good as their original, and add to it that Jordan Jefferson is now entrenched as the starter.  The Tide can't bank on Jarrett Lee being there to stink it up.

Nice at day, blizzard at night for UNI?

The Northern Iowa football team gets lost amongst the FBS schools in this state, so I'm happy that they will get a primetime game all to themselves.  The Panthers game at Montana will be a Friday night game on ESPN at 7 PM CST.  As happens to be the case a lot with the Panthers another event in central Iowa (Iowa-Iowa State men's basketball play at the same time) will overshadow it to an extent, but it really will give them a national stage as they will likely be the only football game on that night in the country.  And the atmosphere in Missoula will be fantastic.  I attached one of my photos last year above, but it really is a spectacular venue to watch a game as much for the scenery as the game itself, and under the lights it will be pretty too (though probably very, very cold).

I guess if the Packers lost to one of their final four opponents (home for Oakland, Chicago, and Detroit and on the road at Kansas City) it wouldn't be the strangest thing to ever happen in football.  But I think it will take an act of God or Aaron Rodgers having his arm amputated for that to happen.  The Packers last real chance at a loss was in New York.  The Giants have historically killed perfect seasons before (The 2007 Patriots in the Super Bowl and in 1998 they ended Denver's run at a perfect season), but Green Bay took their best shot and still came out celebrating.  The Packers are a near lock to go 16-0, but until somebody actually gets to 19-0 its hard to say they will finish the deal.  Anything can happen in the playoffs.

Cyclones Short, Dumbest Play Ever, UNI Gets Screwed

(Zach Borg)

An absolutely thrilling final day of the college football regular season mixed with plenty of hoops and volleyball for a great sports Saturday in central Iowa.

It's gotten to the point where, when Iowa State is close with a ranked team, you expect them to pull the upset.  Not this time.  Cyclones defense was strong, but Kansas State just does not beat themselves with turnovers or penalties and wore them down.  The Cyclone offense had their moments, but too often it looked like a team quarterbacked by a redshirt freshman.

How can you not love Paul "the Gambler" Rhoads?  Win or lose it is great drama.  And how about Kirby VanderKamp on his fake punt run?  He actually looked like he knew what he was doing carrying the football.

So Iowa State finishes 6-6 for the second time in three years with a bowl game ahead.  At most other places that's nothing to write home about.  Against this schedule, and knowing the situation any staff faces in Ames, it's different.  That said, at some point I think 6-6 type years will get stale, even to Cyclone fans.  Especially if ISU keeps pulling off these landmark upset wins.  The difference will be seeing how Rhoads has recruited.  If he can truly upgrade the team speed and talent then there's no reason this program can't jump into the 8-win range, or maybe better.  But we still don't know just how good a recruiter he is.  A lot of guys the last three years were Chizik (and even McCarney) holdovers.

Iowa fans don't seem to care one bit about where the Hawkeyes go bowling.  If it's the Insight with a team like Texas I bet that changes. 

No dude, it's not a penalty, you just cost your team it's season

You can watch football for 100 years and you STILL may never see anything as boneheaded as the gaffe made by Wofford's Stephone Shelton in the FCS playoff game at Northern Iowa.  Early in the fourth the Panthers had just scored to take a 21-14 lead and were kicking off.  Shelton caught the ball in the endzone.  It's pretty common knowledge to most that if you let the ball bounce through the endzone or catch and take a knee it's a touchback.  Apparently it wasn't to Shelton.  He caught the ball and casually walked around in the endzone, thinking the play was dead.  UNI ran down field, knocked it out of his hands, and pounced on the "fumble" for a TD.  And that ended up being the DIFFERENCE IN THE GAME, as UNI held on to win 28-21.  DeSean Jackson thinks that was a stupid play.

Still, you have to credit the Panthers.  That's why you never stop playing till the whistle sounds.  Mark Farley and company really got screwed over in this playoff bracket.  They open with a tough Wofford team, and their reward for winning will be a trip to Missoula to play Montana in the next round next weekend.  This game should be in Cedar Falls.  UNI has two close losses to solid teams (one point loss to Iowa State, eight point loss #2 playoff seed North Dakota State) while Montana's resume isn't quite as clean (blown out at a bad SEC Tennessee team, lost by 14 to Sacramento State who didn't make the playoffs).  Having spent last year working in Missoula Washington-Grizzly Stadium is one of the toughest venues in FCS (and a bucket list place to watch a college game by the way).  Still, what better way to win a national title then by doing it the hard way?  Buzz is that ESPN may pick it up for a nationally televised Friday night game too.

Shout out to the Iowa State volleyball team.  They dominated the U (Miami) and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.  But maybe they got screwed too.  They have to play Minnesota in the Gophers home gym next Friday.   Get past that and they can probably get to the Final Four though.  And also congrats to UNI.  Florida ended their season, but the Panthers finished 33-2 this year.

Lots of hoops on Saturday too.  Good to see Curtis Stinson and the Energy raise their championship banner, even if Stinson likely won't be back to play this year.

About 20 minutes of bad play between the end of the first half and the start of the second half might have cost Iowa State a chance to upset #15 Michigan.  Royce White is a beast but this team runs hot and cold, and defensively they have far too many lapses.  Potential is there, but still a long ways to go.

After losing to a can of soup (Campbell), the Hawkeye basketball team didn't lose to a color (Brown).  Melsahn Basabe came off the milk carton at last and delivered a double-double in Iowa's 75-54 win.

There's no doubt right now the best hoops team in the state is Northern Iowa.  The Panthers moved to 7-1 after holding off Colorado State 83-77.  Not that I'm above pimping my alma mater CSU, but that's a solid win for UNI.  The Rams were coming off a win over Pac-12 Colorado and it had the makings of a trap game between the Iowa State and Iowa games.  The Panthers will crush Iowa and move to 8-1 on Tuesday.

Drake followed a 108-64 loss at Boise State with a 62-60 home win over Air Force.  How bad was their defense in Potato country if they could win and STILL not score as many as they did in a loss like that?