I am absolutely starved for any positive news from Hawkeye Football. Every single blurb, tweet, and major news break is either disheartening and/or downright weird. It all seemed to start at the end of the Wisconsin game and accelerated when Demarlo Belcher dropped the game winner in Bloomington. Sigghhhh……

It seems sacrilegious to question KF on well anything regarding change. But with the player defects, lost recruiting commits, and recent trend of going to the NFL as soon as possible, you have to question if there is something wrong with the culture of the team. Are the kids having fun playing football? You would think Iowa would need to change something to kick it over the hump and get to the next level of play. We are competitive in every game, but have never been dominate in any string of games. Only a few dominating wins over the last 5 years, and never more than one game a year of playing to the full potential.

My sense is more news will be coming tomorrow. It isn’t a good sign that the Insight Bowl was taken off the boards in Vegas today. The athletic department will never come and say if someone failed a drug test. I’ve heard two or three different sources name the same people and tell the same story about who won’t be eligible. Usually, when you hear the same rumor from two or three people who aren’t part of a group or friends, it ends up being essentially true.
That said, I can only hope for the best right now. I think the game against Missouri is very winnable and hope we are in a position to compete.

Tomorrow will be question and answer nothing more………………..

The leaving early for the NFL is the sign of a good program with a lot of talent……..

I notice the loss of one Wiscy recruit (3-star DB from Texas) to ND didn’t get much play out there. Odd, a kid decommits from an 11-1 team in a BCS bowl to go to 7-5 team, and no one runs the flag up. Much ado about nothing…….

Chad

Agreed, why would they single out Hampton & Robinson if there are more?

Time will only tell what this all means, and even then it’s subjective. A win in two weeks would sure help a lot though.

Garth & Chad,

You can really only talk about what is confirmed. Being in the legal profession, there’s a fine line you’re walking between speculation which throws gas on the blaze, versus confirming what is already set in stone.
Especially what’s at stake here which is millions of possible future earnings.

I guarantee this has a lot of what’s to do with it, or lack thereof really. There’s been a LOT of names implicated in this whole thing. You’ve heard as have I, I’m sure. It’s VERY cliched–but the only thing I can really think of is that “where there’s smoke there’s usually fire”. (I hate to even use that).

This isn’t a chain e-mail telling you every time you repost this Google will send you $100 and write it off as marketing costs. This DJK thing opened up a can of worms–allegedly–the size of Texas. No reason in speculating, and the whole lid has pretty much been ripped off.

If there’s no one else suspended, that’s a good thing. But, just an FYI, the U of I does have at least a 2 strike policy–and it used to be 3 strike policy–that accompanies failing a drug test or refusing one. I can’t say much more than that really. Not that I’m the afficionado of all things Hawkeye–I’ve never claimed to be, but I have good, legit, reliable sources, and it’s just best to let this all play out.

And Chad–I liked your first post–and I don’t know what a tick of a scapegoat is–but please tell me how in the hell this helps recruiting?? Because I wanna know. Right on Max!!! Good call.

Chad, I bleed black and gold too, and even have tattoos to suggest as much, but dude–be reasonable here. Don’t be Rocky Balboa here. If we are–we’re trying to fight off a MAJOR black eye that Ivan Drago just gave us, that could impact everything encompassing Iowa Hawkeyes football for years to come.

GArth & Max are likely right. Tomorrow Ferentz is gonna be like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix dodging bullets and whatnot. Or at least Cam Newton dodging questions left and right like he did @ the Colleg Football awards.

You’ve all seen a Ferentz presser. Or most of you have. This is going to likely be monotone KF for as long as the reporters are there and get sick of hearing, “I can’t really comment on that”…

I mean if “skipping a class” is “academic indigestion”—what do you REALLY think we’re going to draw outta tomorrow’s presser?

Actually Chad—you don’t need to replay to how it would help in recruiting….that might not get shown on the boards anyways. Don’t imply any rumors. Not saying you would or will, so please don’t take that the wrong way, but honestly, the more ambiguous these posts are and the less names they have attached to them the better for now.

Honestly, you’re going to have to find the best spin doctor in America to put the tourniquet over this wound to tell me how recruiting benefits from this at all.

Here’s a recruiting ‘benefit’ – although this is not a situation to recommended as a beneficial course to seek in any way – that might play out this way. It seems like Iowa is willing to pay a price to help its football players not get used up by football but, rather, to insist they ‘use’ football to get something more valuable/ lasting. Let’s see how Tuesday plays out but even if it’s a staggering enforcement of ‘rules with consequences’ there’s something to be said for that. There is so much misinformation flying around – it’s like Hollywood. No one knows nothing around here. What we do know is Kirk Ferentz has shown himself to be a pretty steady hand in all situations. Iowa Football is like a graduate program in Football… the very best graduation rates are in the 80% range. Not everyone completes the program. It’s tough. It’s disappointing. Guys get distracted, etc… Not everyone becomes a fighter pilot out of flight school. Obviously, things could go better across a lot of areas. I tend to agree with Chad and expect the news will reflect good and bad but, mostly, reveal solid leadership. Then, the next thing, will be proving it on the field.

We’ve always been one of the more strict programs when it comes to this. However, I don’t really see where leadership is coming into question here. I think that’s as solid as its always been.

We’ve always been able to take a 2 star player and make him a good TE, LB, DE etc, we have a knack for that. So maybe that’ll open some doors and be a good thing for recruiting. But I don’t see this being a great thing for recruiting at ALL.

I’ll put it this way. There isn’t a program anywhere that isn’t going to have rough performances and situations like this one. The difference is not all have solid leadership in response to such events. I think the press conference is going to reveal and reassert solid leadership. Demonstrate that and there’s a lot less hysteria. And one doesn’t have to go far online to find hysteria these days.

I don’t understand the speculation and impending doom. A star receiver was busted for drugs. Iowa will resort to throwing to 5-6 other receivers. End of that story.
Next story, a back leaves the team. Several players leave college programs every year, and this guy has had two medical leaves. End of that story.
Next story; another back with academic issues.
No it is not good, but has anyone been watching the Missouri Tigers this year?? They had their starting running back leave due to criminal charges, and operate with the student body sharing the rushing duties.
What’s the big rumor??

BTW, Iowa has lost depth, but in my mind they improved the talent. Marcus Coker has the potential of a Shonn Greene. I sat in the rain to wait for his entry to the Ball State game, knowing his abilities. He has looked good as a Freshman!!
Now, the Hawkeyes are waiting the decision of Rodney Coe, another talented running back recruit. Coe should see the light after learning the depth chart just cleared more in his favor. Don’t forget De’Andre Johnson is a redshirt freshman as well.
I’m excited to clean up the program, and move forward.

Mat & enatlanta, have it ferreted out,

Listen I am a debater and negotiator by trade. There are very few things I can’t use as a positive. Any negative press my organization receives, I use it as proof positive of our direct approach to issues and our immediacy to action, and great leadership.

Here is the thing; yes some people will be deterred by this. But those who are “interested” you can use it to your benefit. I’m honestly not a HOMER. There are those in here that know this. I’m not easily duped and I see things fairly clear. When I do miss something I roll in quick and admit my failings.

The anti-thesis to those who would call me a homer is that most people are reactionists. They over analyze the negative and postulate doom, and they over inflate the positive. As for me, I am indeed very high strung and somewhat emotional, but as manager in the car industry and someone with 40 years of good and bad life experiences. I know the good is never as good as it appears and the bad is never as tragic.

This will be a good thing if used in the teaching fashion it should, and based on the amount of kids still coming on their visits; it doesn’t appear to me to be a very big negative. Honestly I’m not even embarrassed by it. Why should I be, all I have to do is turn left or right and it is happening everywhere. More importantly, my life is way more important and long reaching than a few kids on my favorite college team getting in trouble. Honestly if I really cared I should give up sports entirely.

I always say to anyone who is ultra critical of a sports team, whether it be their own or a rival. Prove it………..Stop watching it at all. This is happening every day on every level and if it really bothers you that much prove it and stop supporting these hooligans at all levels. No one wants to do that though. This doesn’t reflect badly on me, it reflects badly on a few morons who made the same mistakes that……….sadly I did. They will recover hopefully and Iowa will be better than fine.

But it doesn’t make me think less of Iowa or KF, and it wont to the kids who want to play for KF.

I have a pretty good history of seeing things pretty clear so by all means disagree with me, but this won’t hurt Iowa much if any.

Chad

Here’s an idea: STOP RECRUTING THUGS. start recruiting special teams players (an area obviously overlooked as of late) and start shoring up the “Lake Delhi – D” and maybe we can start winning some games again….