Here's One Football Poll the Hawkeyes Have No Interest In Leading

Now that Iowa is back in the football bowl picture, I feel compelled to keep my readers informed periodically about what's taking place as we get closer to Selection Sunday.

Selection Sunday in this case means who goes where in the postseason scenario.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that the Hawkeyes are one of the fan favorites to land the coveted Big Ten Conference spot in the Motor City Bowl.

I'm kidding when I say that.

I'm not kidding that Iowa is among the two favorites to wind up in a game at Ford Field [pictured above] in downtown Detroit on the night after Christmas.

I'm kidding that the Motor City Bowl is something the Hawkeyes covet.

At least I don't think they want to go there.

I mean, going through two-a-days to prepare for a Dec. 26 game at an indoor stadium in Detroit against a team from the Mid-American Conference isn't my idea of wrapping up a season.

Then again, maybe it would be fitting that a team with more players on the police blotter than the honorable mention lists should finish 2007 in the crime center of the world.

First things first, of course.

Iowa, with a 4-5 record heading into Saturday's game at Northwestern, needs to win twice more to be bowl-eligible.

No problem.

The way I look at it, those two victories will come Nov. 10 and Nov. 17 when the Hawkeyes play Minnesota and Western Michigan in Iowa City.

I'm predicting a loss at Northwestern, so beating powder-puff teams Minnesota and Western Michigan will give Iowa a 6-6 regular-season record.

These days, Iowa at 6-6 is music -- and money -- to the ears of bowl people.

Especially a bowl like the Motor City, which is always scuffling.

Things are so bad with the Motor City that there's been only one Big Ten team -- Northwestern in 2003 -- that played in the game even though the bowl has had a tieup with the conference since it was organized in 1997.

Whenever the bowl assignments are about to be passed out, Big Ten teams do everything they can to avoid Detroit and the Motor City.

How'd you like to be an Iowa senior having to tell your Uncle Harry in Portland that you're finishing your career in Detroit?

Uncle Harry would say, "Don't forget to pack your handgun permit along with your jockstrap."

I mentioned earlier that Iowa was on the "preferred" list at the Motor City Bowl.

Here's the deal. On its website, the Motor City has a little feature that asks the question of fans: "Which Big Ten team would you like to see in the Motor City Bowl this year?"

For a while yesterday, Iowa led with a whopping 43 percent of the votes. Then came Michigan State at 20 percent, Penn State with 8 percent, Indiana and Northwestern with 7 percent each, Michigan with 6 percent, Illinois with 5 percent, Wisconsin with 3 percent and Purdue with 2 percent.

For some reason, Ohio State and Minnesota weren't listed.

I assume that's because the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes are so good and Minnesota is so bad.
At the time Iowa led the voting, there had been 426 ballots cast.

Later in the day, after 725 votes had been cast, Northwestern had 38 percent and Iowa had 29 percent. Michigan State followed with 13, Indiana and Penn State 6 each, Illinois and Michigan 3 each and Purdue and Wisconsin 2 each.

There'd been 725 votes cast then.

My guess is that either Northwestern or the Motor City Bowl selection committee is starting to stuff the ballot box.

Northwestern probably figures the Motor City is its best shot at winding up in a bowl. The selection committee thinks the Wildcats are the only Big Ten team that might be willing to play in Detroit.

Taking all of this into consideration, my advice to Iowa's players is, keep your options open.

The last thing you want for Christmas is the Motor City Bowl.

Ken from Kanawha States His Opinion

I rubbed a nerve wrong during the World Series with Ken from Kanawha, who sent me this e-mail:

Dear Mr. Maly,

I would like to take offense to your blog regarding Joe Buck and the St. Louis Cardinals. I would like to remind you that Mr. Buck doesn’t do Cardinals games as he moved to the big stage —- some call it Fox Sports. Please refrain from saying anything bad about America’s Midwestern Team —- The St. Louis Cardinals. Must I remind you of the wisdom of the Media Com officials in the Des Moines area to televise Cardinals games rather than Cub ones?

Thank you for allowing me to be an American and state my opinion.

I am,

Ken from Kanawha

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I'm glad you wrote, Ken. Now I can tell you up-close and personal that Joe Buck [pictured] has a bad habit of upsetting me whenever I watch or listen to him do the play-by-play on a televised baseball game. Maybe it's just my imagination, but it always seems like Joe goes out of his way to rub salt into the wounds of the Chicago Cubs and their fans. I figure that goes back to when his dad, Jack Buck, was a Cardinals radio announcer. Joe now does a few Cardinals games on Fox/St. Louis. The only time I watch Fox/St. Louis when the Cardinals are playing the Cubs is if Chicago is ahead in a game. Even worse than Joe Buck on the telecasts is Al Hrabosky, the idiotic former Cardinals relief pitcher who was hit in the head one time too many by baseballs when he was a relief pitcher for St. Louis a century or so ago. By the way, Ken, say hello to my great friend from Kanawha, Paul Delger, whenever you see him next. Paul certainly has considerable more sanity than you].

The Last Thing Iowa's Players Needed Was the Motor City Bowl Looking At Them. Tempe, Ariz., On New Year's Eve Looks a Lot Better

Iowa City, Ia. -- I know precisely what changed Iowa from being a bad, terrible, awful, unproductive, underachieving, un-Kirk Ferentz-like, Minnesota-like football team into one that's going to a -- pardon the expression -- bowl game.

It happened the second the Hawkeyes found out that the Motor City Bowl was in the house.

Yes, sir, at the very time that word spread on the sideline that two representatives of the dreaded Motor City Bowl were frothing at the mouth and looking at them with strong binoculars, Iowa's players decided they'd better start acting like....well, Iowa players.

And Iowa players don't -- repeat, don't -- spend the day after Christmas in Detroit.

Detroit and the Motor City Bowl are for Northwestern and Indiana, not the place made famous by Nile Kinnick and Forest Evashevski.

*

I heard a rumor that the Motor City Bowl is so unattractive in the bowl lineup that the executive director said he had to be out of town one year when the game was played.

"Where will you be?" a guy asked.

"Using up my vacation in Grand Forks, N.D.," he said.

*

The Motor City is the last bowl in the Big Ten's pecking order.

I heard that the year Northwestern went to the game, several players said they preferred going home instead so they could spend the holidays with their families.

*

I could see how things developed in Iowa City.

The minute I arrived in the press box at Kinnick Stadium, I scanned the seating chart.

Two chairs had been assigned to guys from the Motor City Bowl.

I knew Albert Young [pictured at the right] wasn't going to like that.

I mean, Albert Young didn't come to Iowa to wind up his career in Detroit.

That's like telling Babe Ruth to hit his last home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Or telling Red Grange to score his final touchdown for Buffalo.

Anyway, Albert and the boys looked like Ohio State in the last half and the two overtimes in their 34-27 victory over Michigan State.

Albert and the boys were saying they could take that Motor City Bowl and flush it down the nearest toilet Ford Field in Detroit.

*

The way I look at it, the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., is where Iowa will --or should -- go after it finishes the regular season with a 6-6 record.

The Hawkeyes will lose Saturday at Northwestern, but then will close the regular season with victories at home over Minnesota and Western Michigan.

I think Minnesota and Western Michigan are still Division I. At least Western Michigan is.

Hey, I know this isn't exactly a murderer's row kind of schedule Iowa is finishing with, but a bowl is a sure thing for this team.

Bowls don't care who Iowa plays or beats. All they care about is how many fans Iowa brings. And Iowa always brings a ton of fans -- especially to warm places.

Oh, I know, teams with 6-6 records don't deserve to be in bowls. But you can't fight that. The Alamo Bowl chose Iowa -- well, the loyal Iowa fans anyway -- last year, and the Insight Bowl would be ideal for the Hawkeyes this year.

The game, which starts at 4:30 p.m., Iowa time, Dec. 31 in Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, matches the No. 6 team from the Big Ten against the No. 6 team from the Big 12.

No, the Big 12 team won't be Iowa State. That can't happen. I checked, and the Insight doesn't want the Cyclones, who will finish the regular season 1-11.

"Have you checked with the Motor City Bowl?" a guy asked. "They may need a team."

*

A couple of things you may not be aware of if you depend on the newspaper for your sports news:

Arizona State improved its record to 8-0 early this morning by rallying to beat California, 31-20.

The Sun Devils trailed at halftime, 20-14. But they got some magic potion -- maybe the same stuff Iowa got -- in the locker room and kept the good times rolling.

Dennis Erickson is Arizona State's coach. He's already been the coach for 102 collegiate the professional teams.

He usually stays one year, then takes the best deal he can get and leaves town in the back of a pickup truck after pissing off all the fans.

The thing I most like about Erickson came when he coached at the University of Miami. He always made sure his players got into a fight with the players from Notre Dame -- before the game began.

The Hurricanes would pick a fight with the Irish while lining up in the tunnel leading to the field.

Another thing I like about Erickson is that he wore a short-sleeved shirt throughout last night's game.

Coaching in Arizona is nice. Watching a game there is nice, too.

Another game -- one that finished at about 4 a.m. here -- saw Hawaii go 8-0 by rolling past New Mexico State, 50-13. Hawaii's Colt Brennan passed for 425 yards and six touchdow

Brennan thinks he might be a Heisman Trophy candidate. I know I think he's a Heisman candidate.

*

Whatever happened to the Colorado Rockies?

Bud Selig scheduled a World Series and the Rockies still haven't shown up.

Rev. George Mumm Gets His Elk

From Rev. David P. Mumm: "A few weeks ago my dad [Rev. George Mumm of West Bend, Wis.] and I went hunting. Attached is a picture of the elk he shot. At 82 years of age, and after 52 years in the ministry, this was the first time he ever hunted for big game. Quite a few deer over the years, but never an elk. Hunting elk was one of his lifetime dreams, so I was thrilled to be able to be with him when he got his bull." David P. Mumm is a former pastor at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Des Moines, and now is senior pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church in Machesney Park, Ill.

Just Like Lots Of Other Things In Hollywood, the Register Sportswriter Named Roger Dempsey In The Final Season Was a Phony

I was attending a Valley High School football game with my son and grandson two weeks ago when the subject of the baseball movie The Final Season came up.

Mark, my son, said a guy he worked with had seen the movie, and noticed that there was a sportswriter from the Des Moines Register in rhe cast.

"His name is Dempsey," Mark said. "Was there a guy named Dempsey who was a sportswriter at the paper?"

"Not unless Chuck Burdick was going by an alias," I said. "They must have made that name Roger Dempsey up, just like they make up a lot of things in Hollywood."

Since then, several other people have asked me if there was a sportswriter named Roger Dempsey at the paper in 1991, the year in which The Final Season is based.

I give them the same answer. There was no Roger Dempsey covering high school sports at the Register in 1991.

I haven't seen the movie yet [I know, I know, I'd better hurry before it leaves town and winds up in the DVD sale bin at Wal-Mart], so I can't remember for sure who was covering high school games at the paper in 1991.

I called Randy Peterson at the paper to see if he'd seen the film or if he could recall who was being assigned to high school games at the Register 16 years ago.

I knew it was long after foul-mouthed Brad Wilson and his familiar cigarette-holder departed the scene. And Chuck Burdick, too. Burdick preferred his cigarettes without a holder, and he liked his beer either cold or warm, and preferably out of a can, a bottle or a glass.

"I don't think it was me who covered Norway's baseball team," said Peterson, who spent the early part of his writing career as a high school and bowling writer before moving on to bigger and occasionally better things. "I haven't seen the movie yet either.

"I think it might have been John Naughton who was covering the high schools in 1991. Or maybe Dan McCool."

"Naughton sounds right," I said. "I'll use his picture in the column I write about Roger Dempsey. I like the hat Naughton is wearing [pictured on the right] in his blog in the paper."

Besides, Naughton shared a byline with the famous, talented, funny and rich Ken Fuson in the first big review of the movie that appeared in the paper.

So I figured he knew a lot about that Norway baseball team.

[NOTE: I call Kenny Fuson famous, talented, funny and rich because he once told me he wanted to be like me when he was growing up in small-town Iowa. Now I want to be like him. It's weird the way things change so fast].

Actually, I can't figure out Hollywood any more now than I could 50 or 60 years ago.

I can't understand why producers of The Final Season wouldn't just call the Register sportswriter John Naughton. Cool name if you ask me. Dan McCool would be a cool name in a movie, too [get it, cool McCool]. Why did they have to make up some stupid name like Roger Dempsey?

Probably because Naughton would have had to be paid. Like $100 or so. Or a $25 gift certificate to a Chinese restaurant in Cedar Rapids. Big deal.

Maybe if the sportswriter would've been called John Naughton the movie wouldn't have turned into a box office flop nationally.

Whatever, the role of Roger Dempsey -- who is called a "zany newspaper reporter" in one review [hell, maybe all Register reporters are called "zany." I even think Buck Turnbull was called zany once] -- is played by Larry Miller [pictured on the left], a 54-year-old veteran actor who hoped to make a career out of being a musician when he graduated from Amherst College.

He's been a standup comedian in addition to appearing as a character actor since 1978 in movies.

People who have seen The Final Season seem to like him. But that's only natural. Everybody likes Register reporters. Right, Kirk Ferentz?


*

I watched the second game of the World Serious [I'm joking....I know it's the World Series] last night, and now I wish I hadn't.

I know one thing. I'd like to take Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies and string him up to one of my river birch trees. Or at least beat him with a sledgehammer.

The guy had his head up his ass in the eighth inning when he got picked off first base by Jonathan Papelbon of the Boston Red Sox.

At a time when Rockies fans from here to Saturn were hoping Holliday would turn into the tying run, he embarrassed himself and the entire Rocky Mountain Nation by getting picked off by 3 or 4 miles [as shown in the photo above, courtesy of Yahoo].

"I wanted to cry," Holliday told reporters afterward.

I was already crying, you 240-pound piece of crap.

In the old days, Holliday would've been fined by his own team for that kind of idiotic baseball.

But those clowns are making so much money now that it would've made no difference. To them, $10,000 is a bus token.

Whatever, because the Rockies' offense has gone into a shutdown gear, the Series is over as far as I'm concerned.

Bring on basketball. I'm getting the DISH network installed at my place next week, so I'll be able to watch the Iowa games on all four of my TVs

I can't wait for the opener against Simpson.

I've got space in the family room for all of you. And there's none of that BYOL crap at my house.

Terrible Start, But the Rockies Can Still Win This Thing

Blame Colorado's 8-day layoff all you want.

The Rockies could have played Boston 24 hours after they swept the National League series against Arizona and they wouldn't have beaten the Red Sox last night in the first game of the World Series.

Josh Beckett and an offense that resembled the 1927 Yankees were the reasons Boston won, 13-1.

It was like men playing boys.

If the Rockies have to face Beckett three times in this series, they'll lose.

Take it to the bank.

But that doesn't necessarily mean Boston will win the series.

Indeed, I hope the Red Sox don't win the series.

But it's got to start tonight. And I think it will.

Colorado can't afford to go back home trailing two games to zip.

Don't forget, Curt Schilling is pitching tonight for Boston.

He's very beatable.

The last thing basetball needs is for Boston to win the series.

The last thing I need to see is Manny Ramirez win anything.

I'm sick of the whole Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees scenario.

I've been sick of it for a long time.

Actually, I'm also sick of Fox TV announcer Joe Buck. Every time I hear him, I think I'm watching another Cardinals game on the tube.

Now, that's depressing.

Give me a 4-3 Rockies success story in this series and I'll be happy all winter.

At least until the Cubs have to play another game.

Then I'll really get sick.

*

THE HEALTH BEAT

Former Register newsroom ace Cynthia Mitchell is at Methodist Hospital, room 716. She lost 22 pounds last weekend from a diuretc she was given and she's landed in the hospital with kidney problems. No other details.

*

THE CRIME BEAT

The University of Iowa isn't the only tainted football program.

Take a look at Michigan State, which brings its team to Kinnick Stadium for a game Saturday.

Spartan players SirDarean Adams, T.J. Williams and Jeremy Ware have been charged with unarmed robbery in the parking lot of a store, the Associated Press reported.

How about that name, SirDarean?

I wonder if Michigan State's players have a team pastor. If not, they may need one. Some good lawyers, too.

The players were arraigned yesterday in District Court on a felony robbery charge, according to court records. Williams also was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in the April 21 incident.

A pretrial hearing was set for Oct. 30 on the robbery case.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said in a statement, which didn't identify the players, that they have maintained their innocence. He said the team was notified in April about the case and has monitored the situation.

Dantonio said the players will remain on the roster and retain the opportunity to play. Adams is a starting linebacker, Williams a starting cornerback and Ware a reserve.

Dantonio evidently didn't say if the players would wear striped overalls and chains when they suit up in Kinnick Stadium.

Ingham County prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said the three players were charged in an incident that took place in a grocery store parking lot outside a nearby party.

The case was first brought to prosecutors in April, but was sent back to police for further investigation at least twice before a decision recently was made to bring charges, Dunnings said.

Unarmed robbery is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, but if convicted the three likely would face a lower sentence, Dunnings said. The assault and battery charge is punishable by up to 93 days behind bars.

*

World Series photo courtesy of the Associated Press.

This One's for You, Timmy. And Don't Forget To Wear Your Jockstrap

Today's column leads off with an e-mail I received from Timmy, who says he lives in Titonka:

Dear Mr. Maly,

My name is Timmy and I live in Titonka. I'm in fifth grade and would someday like to be a football player. I'm off to a good start because my dad bought me a jockstrap last weekend. If it happens that I don't get to be a football player, I'd maybe like to be a sportswriter. There's just one thing that bothers me about being a football player. I've noticed while watching high school and college games that the players sometimes hold hands with each other. They don't even wear gloves when they do it. Mr. Maly, the thought of holding hands with another boy makes me sick, so maybe football isn't for me. Can you tell me how that hand-holding thing got started on the football field? And tell me, too, if sportswwriters hold hands with each other when they cover football games. Thanks for your time.

Timmy In Titonka

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Timmy, it's good hearing from you. You seem to be able to use the computer very well, and you didn't do badly with your grammar. I suppose you used spellcheck when you wrote to me. Anyway, I appreciate your questions about football and sportswriting. As for football players holding hands, it makes me a little uncomfortable, too. I think it may have gotten started when George Gipp, a now-deceased Notre Dame player, got sick and was visited by coach Knute Rockne in the hospital. I hear that Rockne held The Gipper's hand for quite a while -- especially after The Gipper told Rockne, "Rock, when things get tough, tell the players to win one for The Gipper." Or words to that effect. Players and their coaches didn't hold hands much after that, but quite a few players held each other's hands. I think some of that was going on in Iowa's 0-11 season in 1973. I heard one offensive lineman tell another, "I need a friend. Hold my hand." I seriously doubt that any of Iowa's players were holding hands during the Forest Evashevski coaching era. I know damn well that Alex Karras didn't hold hands with anyone -- certainly not Evashevski. And I don't think Evashevski held hands with Tom Harmon when they played at Michigan. I haven't seen anything documented, but I can't believe that Nile Kinnick, Iowa's Heisman Trophy winner in 1939, tried to hold hands with quarterback Al Couppee. I guess the hand-holding has something to do with togetherness, team unity, bonding and all that stuff. I can get along without it, that's for sure. As for sportswriters holding hands, I've never seen it happen -- although I can't speak for what takes place after they leave the press box. Good luck in whatever you choose to do in the future, Timmy. Keep me posted on how things are going. And, don't forget, always wear your jockstrap when you play football].

*

Tough situation in San Diego and other parts of California because of the wildfires.

San Diego State athletic director Jeff Schemmel, coach Chuck Long, defensive coordinator Bob Elliott and offensive coordinator Del Miller were among 40 people on San Diego State's athletic staff who had to evacuate their homes. Schemmel said he thinks everyone's home is all right.

Long, Elliott and Miller have strong Iowa ties. All were assistant coaches with the Hawkeyes, and Long and Elliott were outstanding players for Iowa.

San Diego State's game Saturday with Brigham Young has been postponed until Dec. 1 because of the situation out there.

*

On the football field, things aren't going so well for Long and his staff.

Long is listed among the coaches Moving Onto the Hot Seat by coaches' hot seat dot com. Here's what the website says about him:

"Chuck Long –- 5-14 in 2-plus seasons at San Diego State -- is just not getting it done. There might be a reunion in Norman, Okla., next year with the return of Mike Stoops and Chuck Long to the Sooner fold."

Stoops, the brother of Oklahoma coach Bobby Stoops, is listed No. 3 among coaches on the hot seat. Mike is a former Iowa player who now coaches at Arizona.

Phil Bennett, a former Iowa State assistant now the head coach at Southern Methodist, is No. 6 on the list.

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, who has been a regular in the top 10 this season, is now No. 9.

This is what the web page says about him:

"Don’t you just love coaches that come after the media after a win (Ferentz and Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State come to mind) but are like lambs when they get clobbered. Purdue 31 – Iowa 6. What? Iowa is 3-5 and they have to win 3 of their next 4 to get to .500 for ’07. Is 6-6 what the Hawkeye fans expect from a guy that they are paying $2.5 million plus a year? If it is, then Iowa football is not Iowa football anymore."

*

Iowa State, with a 1-7 record, is on the waiting list in ESPN's Bottom Ten college football rankings.

Florida International, with an 0-7 record, is No. 1 in the Bottom Ten. The Northern Illinois team that Iowa beat in the first week of the season, has vaulted to No. 6, and Minnesota [which plays the Hawkeyes on Nov. 10] is No. 7.

*

I'm pretty sure Timmy In Titonka will be writing to me about all of this in a day or two.

No Computer, No Cell Phone, Just Lots Of Shoe Leather -- At 90, Paul Morrison Remains Larger Than Life At Drake

Paul Morrison still pounds away on a manual typewriter.

He doesn't know the first thing about a computer.

He doesn't drive a car.

He says he's the only guy in town who doesn't have a cell phone.

He has attended 634 Drake football games.

He's been at 69 Drake Relays.

He walks to work every day.

He rides a stationary bicycle for 15 minutes every morning at Drake Fieldhouse.

He's at his desk by 7 a.m.

Two Saturdays ago, he was with Drake's football team in San Diego. Last Saturday, he was with the Bulldogs for their game against Davidson in North Carolina.

Last year, he was with the football team in Jacksonville, Fla., on a Saturday, then was riding a dogsled the following Tuesday on Drake's basketball trip to Alaska.

He's worked with 10 athletic directors, 10 football coaches and 13 basketball coaches.

He's 90 years of age.

And still going strong.

Is that dedication or what?

"I'm here because I want to be," Drake's athletic department historian told me. "It's the everyday experience. I love being around the kids."

The kids are the athletes at Drake -- whether it's football, men's basketball, women's basketball, track and field, you name it.

Morrison had his 90th birthday in July, but says he's still "having an extended birthday celebration.

"Sandy has the idea of raising money to hire someone who will do what I do when I pass out of the picture," he said.

Sandy is Sandy Hatfield Clubb, who has done such a marvelous job of being the athletic director at a university that spends a lot of time these days fighting for recognition in a state where the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa have established a Division I athletic stronghold.

But, don't forget, it was Drake that won the mythical state men's basketball championship last season by beating all three schools, including UNI twice.

And, don't forget, it was Drake that went to the women's NCAA basketball tournament, despite suffering through an injury-plagued season.

Morrison goes back to when Drake used to play Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami and Northwestern in football. The Bulldogs teed it up with Iowa State every season.

He was arranging interviews for me with Willie McCarter, Dolph Pulliam and other members of the Bulldog teams that put coach Maury John and his Drake teams in the 1960s and 1970s on the map nationally.

Now he's working around, and with, coaches such as Steve Loney in football, Keno Davis in men's basketball and Amy Stephens in women's basketball.

"Amy is such a great motivator," Morrison said. "I tell those girls [on the women's team] that they pulled off four straight miracles last season. Because they had so many injuries, they had no business winning the Missouri Valley Conference postseason tournament here.

"But they did, and then they played Tennessee in the NCAA tournament at Pittsburgh. It was a matter of making up their minds that they could play."

Drake is favored to win the Valley's regular season championship this year. The odds are good that can happen, but the Bulldogs can't afford the ailments that sidelined so many of them last season.

Tom Davis finally brought a winning season to the long-suffering Drake men's basketball program last season, and now his son, Keno, is charge of keeping the good times rolling.

"This is a personal observation, but I've been impressed with the maturity I've seen in Keno since he was an assistant coach," Morrison said. "He has really grown into the job."

As for Loney, who accepted Clubb's offer to be Drake's football coach for 2007 when he was unable to land a job after being let out as an Arizona Cardinals assistant, Morrison has a dream.

"He's a great guy, and my hope is that he'll like Drake so much that he'll stick around beyond this season," he said. "Stranger things have happened, but I suppose in the end some NFL team will pick him up."

Morrison said one of his few regrets is that he doesn't get the opportunity to know Drake's athletes even more than he already does.

"Back in the old days, we traveled with 33 football players," he explained. "Now there are many more, and I just don't get to know 'em as well."

But it's fun trying. Morrison eats many of his meals in the Drake dining hall, where he gets to know as many students as he can.

He certainly knows the drill. He was a freshman at Drake in 1935.

That was the year I was born. I know how long ago that was.

*

FERENTZ: 'NONE OF US ARE (IS) HAVING ANY FUN RIGHT NOW'

A question asked at today's Kirk Ferentz football press conference in Iowa City was this: "There was so much talk after [last year's] Alamo Bowl about the renewed focus, change in attitude with this team. Are you surprised or disappointed it hasn't paid off when it comes to wins and losses this year?"

Ferentz said, "Yeah, you know, [the way] I'll answer that question nobody wants to hear. None of us are having fun right now. You know, losing ballgames is never fun. If it becomes acceptable, it's time to get out, whether you're coaching or playing.

"But from where I sit, really my focus always has been more on the intangibles, what a team is doing in terms of their attitude, what kind of leadership we're getting, those kinds of things. And, you know, I think this team's been outstanding that way.

"For me, and we'll talk about it after the season, but I've got a clear vision of where I hope we bottomed out, and we did bottom out, there's no doubt about that. I hope I can keep that date etched in my mind at the end of the season. I'm hoping we won't have to change. I'm optimistic we won't...."

[PERSONAL NOTE TO KIRK: You're not alone. None of us are [or is] having any fun either. I know I'm ready to have some fun Saturday. Are you?]

*

WHO-TV WINS EMMY FOR EVENING NEWSCAST

WHO-TV has been awarded a 2007 Emmy for “Best Evening Newscast” from the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Television Academy in Minneapolis.

The station won the award in head-to-head competition with KCCI and KQDS, the Duluth, Minn., Fox affiliate. The event marks the second time in three years the station has earned the “Best Evening Newscast” Emmy.

“The Emmy is affirmation of this station’s dedication to provide central Iowans with what they expect and deserve, which is the very best in local television news coverage,” said WHO-TV news director Rod Peterson. “Quality news programming is something every department and every staff member take very seriously at WHO-TV.”

The station previously won Emmy awards in 2005, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1993 in the small-to-medium market category.

*
Photo of Paul Morrison by Ron Maly. Photo of Maly and Morrison by Mike Mahon.

It's a Strange, Strange World We Live In

I've known it all along, of course, but every so often I'm reminded of it.

This is an absolutely bizarre world we live in.

I mean, only in America, 2007, can a football team have a 1-4 record, be buried in 10th place in the 11-team conference standings -- and still be hopeful of playing in a bowl game.

I'm referring to Iowa, of course.

The Hawkeyes are a bad team. We all know that. We've known it since the Hawkeyes lost, 15-13, to Iowa State -- another bad team -- in the third week of the season.

Now Iowa has a 3-5 record, and some of its fans think there's a chance the team can win its last four games, which are against Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota and Western Michigan.

Three more victories would enable the Hawkeyes to finish the regular season 6-6 and be--pardon the expression--bowl-eligible.

In the old days, fans of a team with a 3-5 record would be screaming, "Fire the coach!" and be looking forward to the basketball season.

Don't forget, one of the best teams in Iowa history -- Forest Evashevski's last Hawkeye squad that went 8-1 in 1960 -- didn't even go to a bowl.

Now there are bowls waiting for teams that win six games and lose six games.

The same thing happened last year, too, of course. Iowa didn't exactly strut into the Alamo Bowl with with its 6-6 record, but at least it went to the game in San Antonio -- and didn't play badly.

The Hawkeyes lost to Texas, 26-24, and finished 6-7. They went to the bowl after losing their last five Big Ten games.

Like I said, it's a bizarre world.

*

NANCY CLARK, DAVE STOCKDALE WILL BE MARRIED

A couple of good friends of mine -- Dave Stockdale and Nancy Clark -- will be married tomorrow in Miami Beach, Fla.

Dave is a retired sports copy editor and sports reporter at the Des Moines Register.

Nancy works as a sports copy editor there. She is a former sports columnist.

My very best wishes to Dave and Nancy, who are pictured at the top of this column.

*

I WISH I HAD BETTER NEWS ON THIS ONE

I'd like to have better news to report on Jerry Szumski, but I don't.

His friends tell me he's battling lung cancer.

The word from one of Szumski's friends is, "He has cancer in his right lung and lymph node(s). (I'm not sure if more than one lymph node is affected.) He does not have liver cancer, at least so far as CT, PET, and MRI scans show.

"He is going to Iowa City on Friday for a second opinion on how to treat his cancer (arranged by Nick, his physician son). Right now he's scheduled to start radiation treatment on Monday. He'll have five or six weeks of treatment, with radiation four days a week and chemo on Wednesdays....His cancer is not the small-cell kind, which is fast-growing, so that's something to be thankful for."

Jerry handled a number of jobs in the newsroom at the Register. Indeed, there was a time many years ago when the knuckleheads who thought they knew something about management erected a small TV studio in the newsroom.

Szumski was the anchorman -- sort of the Russ Van Dyke of the operation.

Like I said, sort of.

Thank goodness the TV idea didn't last long at the paper. I think the only reason for it was so the editor -- whose name I have forgotten -- could be in front of the camera occasionally.

Szumski also handled reporting and copy editing jobs at the paper.

*

MAYBE THEY MAILED MARY STIER ANOTHER WATCH

My grandkids' soccer games conflicted with the Register's 20-Year Club lunch yesterday at the Willow Creek Golf Club.

So I had to find out what happened at the 20-Year Club from others.

I wondered if Mary Stier, who recently either got a pink slip or quit as publisher of the paper, received another 20-Year watch.

"She wasn't there," a guy tells me. "Maybe they mailed her watch."

I think he was kidding.

Stier was given a watch a few years ago after she'd been at the paper only a short time. The ceremony was the biggest ass-kissing thing I've ever seen.

I wondered who spoke after yesterday's lunch.

"It was farm editor Jerry Perkins, and the topic was ethanol," a guy tells me. "It wasn't a very good turnout."

There probably were a lot of soccer games being played.

For a Long Time, It Had the Feel Of a Bigtime Upset

 

 

Ames, Ia. -- Oklahoma's football coaches and players had dodged a bullet, and they knew it.

"Fuckin' ugly," was how one Sooner phrased the Sooners' 17-7 victory yesterday over Iowa State.

That guy was one of the few who said anything as the players walked slowly into their locker room at the Olson Building on a gorgeous October afternoon.

It could have been a lot prettier for Iowa State had the players taken advantage of some chances in the first half against an Oklahoma team that obviously didn't come to play.

Iowa State, now buried in the Big 12 North's basement with records of 0-4 in the league and 1-7 overall, might have touched off one of the biggest shockers of this or any other collegiate football season by generating some offense.

The Cyclones could and should have led, 17-0, at halftime. Then we'd have seen if Bobby Stoops' Sooners would have been able to come back in front of a frenzied homecoming crowd of 49,511 at Jack Trice Stadium.

*

Stoops, who played at Iowa and was ready to accept the Hawkeye coaching job before it was given to Kirk Ferentz, knew his fourth-ranked Oklahoma team could have been had.

"Iowa State played a heck of a football game," Stoops [pictured] -- wearing his ever-familiar visor -- said as a ton of Internet, print and TV reporters jammed into some sort of equipment room that masqueraded as an interview room.

"Gene Chizik is doing an excellent job here. I have a long history up here in Iowa, so I knew the type of players they have. I knew they'd play hard and that they'd be disciplined. They sure did that.

"But I appreciated our players' character in the second half."

*

Although his team is outmanned Saturday after Saturday in the Big 12, Chizik is doing a marvelous job of keeping his players motivated.

They certainly haven't quit, and I've got to think they'll find some team [maybe a couple] among the four left on their schedule [Missouri, Kansas State, Colorado and Kansas] that they'll beat.

*

I take back what I said about Iowa State scheduling Oklahoma as its homecoming opponent.

The Cyclones' players, coaches and fans rose to unexpected heights on the day the grads returned to the campus on a classic football afternoon.

I especially liked the show the alumni band put on, even though I couldn't hear the music through the thick glass of the press box.

A hell of a job, everyone.

*

I admit it.

For quite a while, I had visions of Iowa State's 19-10 victory Nov. 14, 1992 over Nebraska at Jack Trice Stadium.

I was on the scene in the press box for that one, too, and I can remember Marc Hansen and I continually asking one another, "Do you feel it yet?" as the game wore on.

Just like in this Oklahoma game, Hansen and I had a difficult time believing an Iowa State team that was a heavy underdog could hold up against a powerful opponent.

Although it happened in 1992, I was sorry to see the upset opportunity vanish in the final minutes of the Oklahoma game.

*

Oklahoma's players obviously were listening to something other than Bobby Stoops' game plan on their headsets [pictured] as they got off their buses yesterday.

By the way, in the event anyone was wondering, players on No. 4-ranked teams get off the bus the same way players who are on unranked teams get off the bus.

Slowly.

*

Oklahoma is 3-1 in the Big 12 and 7-1 overall [with the loss to Colorado] as it heads into its bye week.

The Sooners are candidates for the national championship, but certainly must play better than they did here for that to happen.

Iowa State made them look pretty ordinary on both offense and defense for much of the afternoon.

Once again it was proven that there's not that much difference between the so-called best teams and the so-called poorest teams in any conference.

*

Jason Scales [pictured at the top], the former West Des Moines standout, tore off a hard-earned 48 yards in 22 carries to lead Iowa State's rushers.

He scored the Cyclones' only touchdown on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.

In all, Iowa State managed just 95 yards against the Sooners.

*

I asked a TV veteran what the deal is with Heidi Soliday, who has been off the air for a number of weeks at KCCI.

"It looks like they're trying to phase her out, but don't quote me," he said.

*

Every week, word continues to spread throughout the Big Ten that Ron Zook is in over his head as Illinois' coach.

That was proven again yesterday when the Illini blew a big chance to upset Michigan-- a week after they looked awful in a 10-6 loss at Iowa.

To say Zook is a master at being outcoached is ironic considering he lost last night to Lloyd Carr, who is far from being a coaching giant himself.

*

When I got home yesterday, I found out I'd missed a telephone call from Jim Rosborough.

Rosborough was Lute Olson's loyal longtime basketball coaching assistant at Iowa and Arizona.

But, shockingly, he was ousted from his job at Arizona last spring so Olson could make room on his staff for Kevin O'Neill.

Olson should have been ashamed of himself.

Rosborough is now in an administrative job at Arizona, away from the basketball offices, and called to say hello. His official job title is special assistant to athletic director Jim Livengood.

Roz is a good guy and said he'd call back again. I'm anxious to talk to him.

*


I like to kid Chuck Schoffner whenever I see him in press boxes on Saturdays.

He appears to have gone back to work fulltime again.

Schoffner retired a couple of years ago as the Associated Press sports editor for the state of Iowa, but quickly started blogging for the Des Moines Register.

Yesterday he was armed with his computer and was taking massive notes on the Iowa State-Oklahoma game.

"Are you practicing or are you doing a sidebar for the AP?" I asked him.

"No, I'm writing a sidebar for the Cedar Rapids Gazette," he explained.

The Gazette, rather unbelievably, no longer sends a staff writer to Ames for press conferences and games. Nor does the Quad City Times in Davenport.

I mean, where's Jim Ecker when we need him?

Eric Peterson, who left his job as a sportswriter for the Ames Tribune, wrote the game story for the Gazette and serves as a parttime "stringer" for the paper now.

Another sign of the belt-tightening that's going on with newsapers these days.

It's Friday, and I've Got Some Things On My Mind

For the life of me, I can't figure out why so many football players are arrested -- or should be arrested -- for beating the hell out of their girlfriends.

What satisfaction does a well-conditioned football player, who is having all of his college expenses paid because he has enormous athletic skills, get from punching his girlfriend in the stomach and/or other parts of her body?

Is there some sense of pleasure when a football player shows up at team meetings, practices and games and announces to his teammates and coaches, "Well, I beat the shit out of the old lady again last night?"

What prompts women to move in with, or have anything at all to do socially, with athletes who get their kicks by physically attacking them?

It goes on and on, from one campus to another. What is it here that I'm missing?

*

It's too bad the Cleveland Indians couldn't put Boston down for the count.

Now the American League series moves to Boston, where I expect the Red Sox to win the next two games and move onto the World Series.

Shame on you, Casey Blake and the rest of the Indians for letting last night's game get away.

You'll regret it all winter.

*

By the way, Blake -- the Indians' third baseman, who was born in Des Moines and grew up in Indianola -- is making $3,750,000 this season.

That, plus his postseason share, should be enough to buy Indianola in the off-season.

*

I know something about beards, and I think Blake [pictured, wearing the facial foliage] should shave his.

It makes him look older.

When you're already 34, there's no need to look older.

*

And I'll tell you another thing.

Even shaving couldn't improve some guys' looks.

I've seen all I want to see of Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox.

If I had to watch that clown play all season in Fenway Park or even on TV, I'd turn into a golf fan real quick.

He makes me sick.

*

Something I need to do: See The Final Season.

Before it gets farmed out to the DVD sale rack.

*

I didn't get through that long story in the paper this morning about the Quad City hockey team.

Actually, I quit after a couple of paragraphs.

I can stand a hockey story -- or a hockey game -- only so long.

All I can say is good luck.

I'm trying to stay positive today.

*

The more I think about it, Iowa can win Saturday's football game at Purdue.

Don't forget, it's the Big Ten -- a conference that's not very good this season.

Even though I'm trying my best to be positive, that doesn't mean I think Iowa State can beat Oklahoma.

By the way, whose idea was it to schedule Oklahoma as the Cyclones' homecoming opponent?

You're supposed to make Chadron State -- or at least some other team you can beat -- your homecoming opponent.

*

Let's see, what do we have now that the Des Moines freeway -- or is it I-235 now? -- is finished?

More noise, more trucks carrying hogs and cattle through town, more trucks period, more accidents, more traffic jams, more people from small-town Iowa rolling through Des Moines and not knowing which exit to take, more people from Des Moines rolling through town and not knowing which exit to take, more people jumping off the bridges.

So I suppose you're calling that progress.

If I'd had my way, they would have torn up the whole thing and built a park.

'We Are the Reason the Hawkeyes Win'

The latest message from Al Schallau:

Dear Ron,

I was the cause of Iowa beating Illinois last Saturday.

In the year 2000, my childhood friend Del Smith of Williamsburg, IA, and I made a pact to attend one Hawkeye football game together every year. Del now lives in Madison, WI, but he remains one of Iowa's most loyal Hawkeye football fans.

Since the 2000 football season, we have attended eight Iowa Hawkeye football games at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes' record is 7-1 in those games. We are the reason the Hawkeyes win. There is no doubt about it. Here is the evidence:

October 7, 2000 -- Iowa was riding a 13-game losing streak when Del and I rode into Iowa City for the Michigan State game. When we rode out, Iowa had a 21-16 victory over the Spartans.

October 21, 2001 -- Del and I were in Iowa City to watch the Hawkeyes beat Indiana, 42-28.

We missed in 2002, but the Hawkeyes won all their Big Ten games without us.

October 25, 2003 -- Del and I sat in the south end zone as Iowa beat Penn State, 26-14.

October 16, 2004 -- Del and I sat on the 35-yard line as Iowa beat Ohio State, 33-7.

October 22, 2005 -- This was our only loss, 23-20, in overtime to Michigan.

September 16, 2006 -- Del and I sat among some very obnoxious Iowa State fans as the Hawkeyes won, 27-17.

October 7, 2006 -- We attended a second game in 2006, and saw the Hawkeyes batter Purdue, 47-17.

October 13, 2007 -- Iowa was riding an eight-game Big Ten losing streak when Del and I arrived in Iowa City ready to flex our curative powers. This time we had seats on the 48-yard line on the east side. Iowa beat Illinois, 10-6, as the Illini managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

So, in October, 2008, when Wisconsin plays Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, the only question you need to ask is, "Will Del Smith and Al Schallau be attending the game?" If so, the Hawkeyes have an 87.5 percent chance of winning.

Best,

Al Schallau

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Next thing you know, Al, Kirk Ferentz will be asking you to participate in the pregame coin toss whenever you're in Kinnick Stadium again. You guys have obviously brought the Hawkeyes plenty of good luck].

The Next Time, Maybe Ray Nagel and I Will Show Up, Too

I see they had some fun yesterday at the Hayden Fry Football Complex in Iowa City.

What's the big idea, having a party like that and not sending me an invitation?

Kirk Ferentz -- generally a mild-mannered sort of guy in the interview room -- stepped out of character and was critical of columnists Sean Keeler of the Des Moines Register and Pat Harty of the Iowa City Press-Citizen at his weekly news briefing.

This hasn't been a pleasant season for the Hawkeyes, and Ferentz thought Keeler and Harty deserved to be flagged for piling-on because of a couple of recent columns.

We all know that coaches are thin-skinned -- especially when they're losing -- and, at places such as Iowa and Iowa State, they expect to be treated with kid gloves.

My Iowa City spies tell me that yesterday's happenings didn't exactly compare with the days more than 10 years ago when Hayden Fry tore into Jim Ecker of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, when Ray Nagel and I went public with what we thought of each other in the 1960s, when Hawkeye basketball coach Lute Olson and I regularly exchanged insults in the 1970s and 1980s or when Jim Walden and I crossed swords at Ames in the 1990s.

I've had some classics, of course. And I loved all of 'em.

But Tuesday's stuff in Iowa City was pretty mild compared to those.

The key to my verbal battles with Nagel, Walden and Olson was that I was present in the same room with them when they took place. Consequently, I had the pleasure of writing the stories covering those events for the next day's newspapers.

I also was on hand a couple of times when Walden ripped into Marc Hansen, and I called Hansen at his home to tell him Walden didn't think much of his writing.

The way I remember it, Hansen proceeded to tell me he didn't think much of Walden's coaching either

That made for nice stories the next day -- one reason being that I agreed with Hansen's assessment of Walden's coaching.

The disappointing thing yesterday was that Keeler was in Des Moines -- covering a Drake basketball press conference -- not Iowa City, when Ferentz got after him. He needed to be in the same room as Ferentz.

The word was out late last week that Ferentz had a message he wanted to unload on Keeler, so the columnist should have made sure he was present for the press conference.

If Keeler was reluctant to go, his bosses should have told him to go.

I'd have wanted to be on the scene to defend myself to Ferentz, and in print later.

Indeed, if I were Keeler, I'd have wanted to cover the Iowa-Illinois game last week in Iowa City rather than the meaningless Iowa State-Texas game in Ames.

The Illinois game came a few days after Keeler's controversial story about Drew Tate -- which Ferentz objected to.

I'd have wanted to be confronted after Saturday's game by Ferentz. Had that happened, I doubt Tuesday's incident would have happened.

But Keeler chose to stay away both Saturday and Tuesday.

Not good.

Register sportswriter Randy Peterson did the correct thing in writing about what Ferentz said about the columnists at Tuesday's briefing, but he made a mistake in not using Keeler's and Harty's names.

I got a preview of what was going to be in today's paper by reading Peterson's story late last night on the Register's web page.

The paper occasionally chooses to put in its print edition some of the comments made by readers in the web edition.

There were some doozies posted on the web until nearly midnight.

However, you won't find any of them in today's paper.

A number of readers tore Keeler a new asshole with their comments. Those that were used last night are included at the bottom of Peterson's web story.

Hell, I even got mentioned.

I guess I'll have to buy lunch for someone with the online handle "bjapsen," who wrote, "Where's Ron Maly or even Al Grady when you need them?" before saying that "Ferentz will have the last laugh when Gannett turns the Register into a newsletter...."

Grady was a Press-Citizen and Voice Of the Hawkeyes columnist who died several years ago.

Here's Peterson's web story, followed by the reader comments:

Iowa football: Ferentz takes exception with newspaper stories

By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

October 16, 2007
10 Comments

Iowa City, Ia. — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz spent as much time criticizing reporters today as he did talking about Purdue, the Hawkeyes’ opponent Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

He didn’t name anyone or the newspapers for which they work, but clearly stories appearing last week in The Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen bothered Ferentz.

The Register article quoted former Iowa quarterback Drew Tate on topics ranging from Iowa’s offensive scheme to the possibility of Tate someday becoming a member of Ferentz’s coaching staff.

“The article really wasn’t very complimentary, I don’t think, for our program, (for) how he was representing the program,” Ferentz said during his weekly news conference. “It got me thinking a little bit ... I wonder if the writer of the article contacted anybody else, other former players.”

Ferentz later added:

“It seemed like (the writer) focused in on one individual, so my next thing is, boy, maybe he was fishing or something, a little fishing expedition and what have you, and I think the author landed what he wanted.”

Tate, contacted last Wednesday after watching Iowa’s Oct. 6 loss against Penn State on television, said:

“I was like, ‘Golly, everyone’s dead, you know?’ It’s just crazy. The defense, they played well, they just gave up a couple plays here and there. The offense didn’t help them out because (it) doesn’t look like it knows what’s going on.”

Ferentz wondered about the timing of the story, published two days before a 10-6 win against Illinois ended the Hawkeyes’ eight-game conference losing streak.

“Pretty much all I could come up with is we’re going through a bumpy time, and we’re still right in the middle of it,” Ferentz said. “If you’re a columnist you’re trying to sell papers and trying to create interest, but from where I sat, it seemed like somebody trying to stir the pot and make something a little tougher and make it worse.”

Asked about the accuracy of the story, Ferentz said: “I don’t know, because I wasn’t privy to the conversation that took place.”

Fans also were critical after the Penn State loss.

“Where one week ago, things were as negative as I can remember them, this week, the talk has ventured into possible bowl destinations,” said Jon Miller, publisher of the Hawkeyenation.com Web site.

The Press-Citizen column criticized Iowa’s offensive line in the Penn State loss, while wondering why heralded recruit Dan Doering wasn’t playing more.

“I’d really encourage everyone to be careful about the expectations you put on players,” Ferentz said.

Doering, who may start Saturday after playing extensively against Illinois, was a five-star 2005 recruit, according to Rivals.com.

Iowa’s football media guide lists Doering’s high school accolades, including all-America selections by USA Today and Parade magazine.

“The article suggested maybe the coaches weren’t playing the best players or perhaps that player wasn’t producing,” Ferentz said. “As coaches, I think what we try to do is decide who gives us our best chance to have success offensively,
defensively, special teams, and based on exposure that we get, which I think (is) significantly more than most outsiders have.

“I don’t think we have agendas, other than trying to give ourselves the best chance to win.”

Iowa freshmen and redshirt freshmen are off-limits to reporters, thus limiting material for daily stories and columns throughout the course of a 12-week regular season.

“If I felt comfortable that (reporters) were going to stick to the stories and stick to what’s pertinent to the game or human interest stories — that’d be fine,” Ferentz said.

When asked if fans that are being asked to contribute large chunks of money for facilities improvement and tickets to games deserve more, Ferentz said:

“I’d agree to any (interviews) if I was allowed to read the articles before they were published.”

Today’s media critique was uncharacteristic for Ferentz, and he admitted it.

“Everybody has differences of opinion, that’s life, but I’m allowed to have them, too,” he said. “I don’t air them out too often, but every now and then I will.

“Today I got the last word — sort of. Believe me, I don’t believe that. I’m not that dumb."

Reader Comment Posted by: Prod
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:33 pm Keeler isn't exactly respected in the journalism community (to put it nicely), so Ferentz knew he was pretty safe in making a criticism of him. You won't see other sports editors around the state going to bat for ol' Seanny K., who is roughly average in talent as far as high school gossip columnists go.

His problem with Keeler is probably more of a long-term accumulation of frustrations with the Register's low quality drivel.

His problem with journalists questioning Doering's performance is a little more provocative with regards to journalistic ethics. There is a good argument to be made that it is unethical for journalists to attack an amateur athlete for a lack of on-field performance or lack of effort.

I think a libel suit will be filed at some point by one of these athletes, which will force courts to adjudicate the question of the public eye; that is, do non-paid student-athletes become public fgures and therefore submit themselves to a higher level of criticism? Certainly a paper claiming a player is not putting out full effort or is faking an injury would classify as defamation; it's just a matter of whether the paper would have a valid defense to that claim.

As for Keeler quoting out of context, the sky is still blue. Tate shouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Pot Kettle Posted by: An Iowan
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:33 pm
Ferentz doesn't like people commenting on how he does his job.
Ferentz comments about the way Keeler does his job.

P.S. Ferentz always says he doesn't read the papers. Hmmmmm

Reader Comment Posted by: BIG Hawk
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:26 pm
If there is one ex-hawk the DMR could call and lead his answers, they called him.
Miller did a nice follow up interview and held his hand.

Hardy questioned if Coach Ferentz was playing the best available, is he?
I think he was upset because that disrupts his type of coaching physique.

Let's face it, Iowa media gives softball questions to our University's coaches.

Where's Ron Maly or even Al Grady when you need them Posted by: bjapsen
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:39 pm
Ferentz has lots of points but he will have the last laugh when Gannett turns the Register into a newsletter.

Nobody reads newspapers any more so Witosky, a Wisconsin Badger at heart, and the rest of them are basically writing for losers like you and I and the five other people who post replies to this weak web site.

Go Hawkeyes. Beat Purdue

keeler Posted by: nowayout
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:53 pm
Keeler is a dog plain and simple, just trying to sell papers and start people complaining about the hawks.
Coach has every right to complain about this guy. Too many people get away with saying or printing whatever. Because some people are just plain dumb enough to think if it’s in print or I read in a paper it must be true.
That is exactly how are country has gotten into the mess we are in.
THINK ABOUT IT
“” Hey mister can you spare a dime for Iraq “”

Reader Comment Posted by: posseman
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:19 pm
No need to bring up a guys salary at all.

The point is, the Register, and in particular Keeler printed their same old crap and got called on it. If they can criticize, then they can get criticized. Turn about is fair play.

At least somebody finally sees how horrible this newspaper is

Gump Posted by: gitwitit
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:34 pm
Hey Gumpers-Ferentz states right in the article that he knows there will be backlash for him commenting on last weeks interviews with Tate. Read the article!

He has taken his fair share of criticism this year; the only reason he commented on the interviews in question is because he feels the columnist who did the interview made an extra effort to "stir the pot". Either Tate is lying or Keeler used a certain slant to make it sound like Tate had issues with the schemes and KOK; you can be the judge of that.

I'm glad that Jon Miller did a follow-up interview (Hawkeyenation.com) with Tate because it cleared up a lot regarding what was actually said during the interview. (Contrasted a lot of Keeler's interview)

Ferentz fully realizes that he is in a position that will be glorified when things are good and will be criticized to no end when things are bad. He handles it like a coach and leader should handle it. He is loyal to his coaching staff, players and the fans and that is why he is a perfect fit for the Hawkeyes. And regarding expectations; every year Ferentz states that his team is not as good as their rating. They need time to improve, etc, etc, etc! It is not his fault that people place those expectations on a young team!

Bandwagon Posted by: An Iowan
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:31 pm
Looks like coach ought to be upset with his former player, not the folks who reported it. Tate is a knucklehead.
Amazing how fast the complainers jumped back on the bandwagon. Rose bowl here we come!!!

Reader Comment Posted by: edward_nigma
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:53 pm
“Where one week ago, things were as negative as I can remember them, this week, the talk has ventured into possible bowl destinations,”

That pretty much defines Hawkeye fans

Where would talk radio be without them after the games.

But why didn't those papers go straight to source of they wanted the straight dope on Iowa.

Hey Tommy ...

Reader Comment Posted by: gompers
on Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:18 pm
Nice whining Captain Kirk.

You know what? When you're piloting the helm of a team that had high expectations going into the year, and you're not remotely close to meeting them, there is going to be some criticism. It's about time that the press stops handling Kirk like he's some sort of golden boy. Right now he's getting paid a WHOLE lot of money for producing a pretty bad football team.

As the highest paid public employee in the state, he's going to have to suck up some criticism.

Deal with it.

*

The Quad-City Times wasn't criticized by Ferentz, but here's what Eric Page of that paper [who actually interviewed Tate before Keeler did] wrote in his blog about yesterday's happenings:

By Eric Page

IOWA CITY — By now, you’ve all probably read about or heard about Kirk Ferentz’s conversation with the media Tuesday at his news conference. It was a monologue, really, more than a conversation. Regardless, the message was clear. Ferentz wasn’t happy about some things that were written about his team last week.

Ferentz called two columns into question — an opinion piece by the Iowa City Press-Citizen’s Pat Harty, in which Harty ridiculed the Hawkeyes’ offensive line play, and a Q&A with former Iowa quarterback Drew Tate by the Des Moines Register’s Sean Keeler. Ferentz had hinted Saturday after Iowa’s win over Illinois that the monologue, which I’ll call a lecture, was coming, so it wasn’t a real surprise. We the media had assumed it would be in response to the Tate interview, in which Keeler quoted Tate saying the Iowa offense was predictable with coordinator Ken O’Keefe calling the plays and that the young players in the program didn’t respect the veterans when Tate was a senior, among other things. So, the reaction to Harty’s column was a bit of a surprise. It was a pretty innocent piece, I thought, merely pointing out the O-line’s deficiencies and questioning why a blue-chip prospect like Dan Doering wasn’t seeing more playing time in his third year on campus. Ferentz was most upset about Doering being singled out, but I thought it was interesting that after that column was written, Doering made what basically was his meaningful-minute season debut and played well in the second half of Iowa’s win. That made Harty look pretty smart.

As for the Tate Q&A, I’m in a unique position on this one because I actually talked to Tate a few days before the Register’s story came out. We talked for an hour, covering many of the same topics that were so inflammatory in the Register’s story. Some of it was on the record, some of it was off the record. What was on the record, I published in a blog post last week. What was off the record will never be published. Having not been a part of the conversation that Keeler had with Tate, I don’t know what was said. Tate has since done another interview with Jon Miller of Hawkeyenation.com, in which he said the Register took his words out of context. Tate never said how is words were taken out of context, though. And Ferentz didn’t point out any inaccuracies Tuesday. He said instead that he thought Keeler was going fishing for negativity and that Keeler got what he was looking for in Tate’s inflammatory statements about the Iowa program. I resent that a little bit, because I too called Tate, and I wasn’t going on a “fishing expedition,” as Ferentz called it. I wanted to know 1) what he was up to in the CFL 2) if he was following the team’s struggles 3) what happened last year that started the eight-game conference losing streak Iowa was riding and 4) if he was surprised by the off-the-field problems the Hawkeyes were having. We talked about all that, as I said, some on the record, some off the record. What was on the record was what I published.

As for the whole “We can’t interview freshmen so we’ve resorted to calling former players” argument from the media, I don’t buy it. Yeah, not being able to talk to freshmen makes our jobs more challenging and, in some cases, less fun. It’s more of a challenge to quote Harold Dalton talking about Brett Greenwood’s game-clinching interception than it is to quote Greenwood himself. It’s hard to do a feature on Derrell Johnson-Koulianos when you can’t quote him or any of his fellow freshmen receivers on the depth chart. It is, but it’s not impossible. Yeah, it might not be the same award-winning stuff we’d produce with total access into these players’ lives, but sometimes not having quotes is a good thing — it lets us tell the story as we see it rather than counting on an 18-year-old to tell us how it is. And besides, Ferentz isn’t going to change his mind on this one, especially not when he’s on the defensive about what he perceives as reckless and irresponsible journalism. Arguing with him is only going to make the situation worse. Having called Tate, I can tell you I didn’t call him because I couldn’t talk to freshmen. I called him because he knows better than anyone outside the program what’s going on with this Iowa team. He knows what it’s like to be a struggling quarterback at Iowa, knows what it’s like to be on the field at Kinnick Stadium when the team is losing four in a row. That’s a good story angle, something I, and I’m sure Keeler, wanted to pursue and provide to our readers. Obviously he had a different conversation with Tate than I, and our stories were reflective of that.

I just think the whole thing got blown way out of proportion. It wasted 8 minutes of Ferentz’s news conference and much more time and energy of those who cover and follow the team. The story this week should have been Iowa beating Illinois, ending that eight-game Big Ten losing streak, and preparing for a tough game at Purdue and the Hawkeyes’ chances at making a bowl game and … really, anything else but this. I know readers think us reporters love nothing more than the negative, love when a coach draws a target on himself like Ferentz did Tuesday and makes it easy for columnists like Harty and Keeler to rip him. It’s just not true, though. I’ll take the positive story every time, but I’ll report the negative when I have to, and that's how 99 percent of us operate.

Heidi Soliday Was a Trailblazer, and Has Always Been a Professional

People at the paper are wondering about the disappearance of Heidi Soliday.

Hey, that headline this morning certainly got my attention.

I read a little closer, though, and they were just wondering why the KCCI sports director has been off the air for several weeks.

So I guess her family and other friends can relax a little.

When you start talking about the "disappearance" of a woman in a headline that stretches from one side of the business page to the other, you at first wonder if Heidi's picture might be on the bulletin board at Wal-Mart or something.

The paper made a big deal out of saying that the management at KCCI hasn't said anything about Soliday being off the air, and neither has Heidi.

Well, let's hope it's not a matter of Soliday being ill. If she's got a health problem, she deserves any privacy she might seek.

That said, let's look at this a little more.

First of all, I consider Heidi Soliday a professional, and I've have always had a professional relationship with her. I've worked with her in news situations and I've been on radio talk shows with her. I always felt she knew her stuff. I think I've treated her with respect over the years, and she's done the same with me.

Heidi is 54 years of age and was named the sports director at KCCI in 1990. If memory serves me, she succeeded Pete Taylor in the job. The opening occurred when Taylor, who was moonlighting as Iowa State's football and basketball play-by-play radio announcer, went to work fulltime in Iowa State's athletic department. He died several years ago.

Naming Soliday the sports director at Channel 8 was a bold move when it happened. TV sports, like newspaper and radio sports, was pretty much a man's game. Women were regarded as novelties -- and one of those novelties was Phyllis George, who spent a few years as a member of the CBS Sunday NFL in-studio team.

Frankly, I haven't missed Soliday on the air because I haven't been watching her sportscasts.

If I watch any local TV sportsasts, it's Keith Murphy on Channel 13. The sportscasts on all local networks have been cut back to about 90 seconds or 2 minutes, so there's not room for much of anything on them. But Murphy is clearly the best around here.

However, I've got to admit that at this stage of my life I watch ESPN more than I watch local sports on TV.

I do know that Channel 13 consistently ranks No. 2 behind Channel 8 when it comes to viewership. That's been the case, I think, since the Civil War -- or at least since TV was invented.

I've been told that KCCI could prop up a photograph of the late Russ Van Dyke on the studio desk and people around here would still watch Channel 8 over Channel 13.

I probably can't believe that all that many people have been turning from Channel 8 to Channel 13 at 10:24 p.m. to watch 2 minutes of Keith Murphy. But maybe they do.

Maybe Heidi's contract has expired. Maybe she's tired of working. Maybe she wants to go to the games instead of report on the games. Maybe she wants to be a normal human being and accompany her family to an arena sometime.

She's married to dental school graduate Dr. Robert Benson, and they have one child -- Jenkin Downey [J.D.] Benson.

Soliday has always devoted much time to charity. I've seen her work hard as the master of ceremonies at a number of Heart Association Light the Night walks in downtown Des Moines, and she has also devoted time to the Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the Leukemia Society of America.

If KCCI's management was tiring of Soliday and was dumping her, you'd think they could've written some sort of press release that said, "After 17 years as the sports director at Channel 8, Heidi Soliday has decided to leave the station so she can spend more time her family.

"Everyone at KCCI thanks Heidi for the strong reporting and on-the-air work she has done in her years as sports director."

We'll see what develops.

By the way, the sports news business in central Iowa certainly isn't flooded with women.

Nancy Clark, who had been one of two fulltime sports columnists at the paper, was recently dumped by editor Carolyn Washburn. Even though she had attracted a following and was being assigned to such high-profile things as football and basketball games involving Iowa, Iowa State and Drake, Clark was demoted to the sports copy desk.

Washburn has never gone public with a reason for the move. And, of course, Biz Buzz at the paper didn't ask her.

*

SEE WHAT THE PAPER MISSES WITH THAT SILLY 11:45 P.M. DEADLINE

It's hard to believe the paper went to press last night without having the result of the Colorado-Arizona National League baseball playoff, but it happened.

The Rockies, who have won an amazing 21 of their last 22 games, moved into the World Series with a 6-4 victory over Arizona in a game that finished long after the paper's ridiculous 11:45 p.m. deadline.

Now the Rockies will await the winner of the American League's Cleveland-Boston series.

*

GENE TAKLE WAS A STANDOUT RUNNER AT LUTHER

From a reader:

Some things you never read in the Register:

Gene Takle, one of the ISU professors who were part of a team that shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, won three national running championships at Luther College.

Takle won NCAA Division III championships in cross-country, the 3-mile run and the 6-mile run in 1965.

*

BAYLOR ASSISTANT COACH URINATES ON A BAR

Baylor athletic department officials said they are considering disciplinary action against an assistant football coach cited for urinating on the bar at a tavern.

The Associated Press reported that Eric Schnupp, Baylor's offensive line/tight ends coach, was not arrested but was issued a citation at 2:20 a.m. Sunday for disorderly conduct-reckless exposure at Scruffy Murphy's.

The citation is a Class C misdemeanor carrying a $258 fine, according to Waco Municipal Court.

Bartender Danny Severe said in Tuesday's editions of the Waco Tribune-Herald that the incident happened around closing time and that Schnupp apparently thought no one was watching him as employees were moving patrons out of the building.

Severe said an employee witnessed Schnupp urinating on the bar, and a manager told police officers who were there for an unrelated matter.

Severe said Schnupp had taken several shots of hard liquor, most bought for him by other people.

Schnupp had traveled with the team to Lawrence, Kan., where the Bears lost to Kansas, 58-10, Saturday. The team was back in Waco by 9 p.m.

Baylor associate athletic director Nick Joos did not immediately return calls Tuesday. But Joos told the Tribune-Herald that discipline would be handled internally.

"I can tell you that coach [Guy] Morriss is taking this issue very seriously," Joos said, declining to say what disciplinary measures are being considered.

Schnupp, in his first year as a coach at the world's largest Baptist university, played football for the University of Miami from 1995-2000 and previously coached at West Texas A&M.

[NOTE: Joos is a graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines and has worked in sports information offices at several colleges and universities, including Nebraska].

*

AND FINALLY.....

A reader says the following headline was on Page 2E of Monday's Iowa Life section in the Register:

Cornhole finds fans in Iowa

I have no comment on that. At least I can't think of any right now.

*

Photo of "sign of the times" at the top sent to me by Bud Appleby.

'Pitiful' Box Office Start for The Final Season -- 'Look for It To Quickly Appear In DVD Bargain Bins'; Husker Athletic Director Fired, Coach Next

The Final Season is obviously an overmatched movie.

It's already dying at the box office.

Quickly.

The Final Season -- which was filmed in Iowa and hoped to pull off a national box office upset -- was reviewed this way by Sujit Chawla:

"The baseball pic, The Final Season opened to an estimated $665K for a per screen average of a pitiful $658. Look for the film to quickly appear in DVD bargain bins."

I guess nobody invited Chawla to Cedar Rapids recently for free food and drinks at the national premier.

Oh, well. I wondered how the movie would do once it left Cedar Rapids and Clinton.

Here's Chawla's entire story on the Oct. 12-14 movie box office scene:

Tyler Perry once again proved he is a forced to be reckoned with as his latest film Why Did I Get Married? easily took the No. 1 spot at the box office this weekend, nearly doubling the nearest competitor. The other debuting films met with so-so results and there's a tight race for the runnerup spot.

The filmgoing audience showed once again that if Tyler Perry headlines a film, they're going to come out to see it. Why Did I Get Married? brought in an estimated $21.5M this weekend for a powerful per screen average of $10,691.

The opening was on par with Perry's first smash, 2005's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which opened with $21.9M and an even stronger $14,771 average. Unlike the last film with Perry's name attached, Daddy's Little Girls, which opened with a softer $11.2M, Why Did I Get Married? features Perry in a starring role. Throw in the popular Janet Jackson as a co-star and you've got a formula for success.

Dropping one spot was two-time box office champ The Rock in The Game Plan which fell only 30 percent this weekend to an estimated $11.5M. The 30 percent drop was easily the best hold in the top 10 this week, and its cume now stands at $59.4M. With the recent success of comedies featuring tough guys and cute kids, it seems only a matter of time before there's a sequel to Mr. Nanny.

Battling The Rock for second place were two films that were within $10,000 of each other this weekend. Currently sitting in third is the George Clooney starrer Michael Clayton. Expanding nationally from its successful debut last weekend, the Warner Bros. award hopeful took in an estimated $11M this weekend, for a solid per screen average of $4,385, bringing its cume to $12.1M.

Following closely on its heels was the Joaquin Phoenix/Mark Wahlberg thriller We Own the Night, which also debuted to an estimated $11M, for a per screen average of $4,179. When the actual numbers come in today, the 2-through-4 films could easily move around.

Falling 47 percent from its less-than-powerful opening last weekend was the Ben Stiller R-rated comedy The Heartbreak Kid which laughed up an estimated $7.4M this weekend, bringing its total to a disappointing $26M. Look for a final theatrical run in the $45-50M range, which is reasonable for a lot of films, but not for a Ben Stiller/Farrelly Brothers comedy.

Opening in sixth place this weekend was the historical sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Bringing back star Cate Blanchett and director Shekhar Kapur nine years after the success of the original Elizabeth didn't mean much for audiences as the film brought in an estimated $6.2M this weekend for a per screen average of $3,169. A run on early season awards could help the overall gross of the film, otherwise it may fade away quickly.

In seventh was the war drama The Kingdom which fell 53 percent from last weekend to an estimated $4.5M. Its total now stands at a shade under $40M. Adding a few hundred screens this weekend and crashing into the top 10 was Across the Universe which features the songs of the Beatles. The film took in $4M in its fourth weekend, according to estimates, bringing its total to $12.9M.

In ninth place this weekend was Resident Evil: Extinction, which took in $2.6M in its fourth lap around the country, bringing its total to $48M. And rounding out the top 10 was The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, which fell 42 percent from its soft opening last weekend to an estimated $2.1M. Its cume stands at $7M and it should end up in the $12-14M range with some hope for success on DVD. The only other film debuting this weekend was the high school baseball pic The Final Season, which opened to an estimated $665K for a per screen average of a pitiful $658. Look for the film to quickly appear in DVD bargain bins.

*

HUSKER DIRECTOR GONE, FOOTBALL COACH NEXT

Well, Steve Pederson was fired today as Nebraska's athletic director, and Husker fans wish football coach Bill Callahan had been shown the door, too.

I know it. You know it.

Nebraska's administration merely took the easy way out to appease fans.

The next to go will be Callahan whenever Nebraska has a new athletic director.

The strange thing was that both Pederson and Callahan were given five-year contract extensions recently.

You've got to wonder what went into that kind of thinking by the administration.

Now fans are hoping former football coach Tom Osborne, 70, is named the school's interim athletic director or even fulltime athletic director.

How about interim football coach or permanent football coach?

Iowa Wins a Game, So Giddy Fans Think About a Bowl; Indians Stick It To Red Sox In Early-Morning 11th; Callahan's Time Has Run Out At Nebraska

It's after 7 a.m. and I still don't have a paper.

I'm thinking about calling Laura Hollingsworth and maybe Mary Stier so they can tell me again that there aren't any problems in the newspaper business.

Hell, all I wanted the paper for was the CompUSA ad.

Meanwhile, I'm detailing some of the things that may or may not be in your paper -- if it ever lands on your doorstep -- while wondering whether Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan will get fired tomorrow or whenever this miserable season ends:

Drake committed a season-high seven turnovers in a 59-19 loss to a San Diego team that's ranked No. 1 in the Sports Network Mid-Major poll.

Drake [with records of 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Pioneer League] was No. 2 in the same poll, but right now I'll try to keep that a secret.

Mike Mahon, Drake's sports information director, tells me San Diego parlayed four turnovers into four touchdowns en route to its 18th straight conference game and 22nd straight at home dating back to 2004.

Drake had 401 yards of offense, but was its own worst enemy by committing turnovers on its first three possessions

“It was as frustrating a game as you can be around because we did some things moving the ball, but we just committed way too many turnovers,” said Drake coach Steve Loney. “We just didn’t execute offensively and that led to disaster.”

Drake senior Scott Phaydavong ran for 56 yards to move into fourth place on the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision career rushing list with 5,498 yards, surpassing Matt Cannon of Southern Utah who gained 5,489 yards from 1997-2000.

San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson, who leads the nation in total offense and passing efficiency, totaled 370 yards of total offense, including 305 passing with
five touchdown strikes.

“I didn’t feel like either of our quarterbacks got into a good rhythm and flow of the game,” Loney said. “There are things we just have to get better at.”

*

MY PHONE CALL PAYS OFF

UPDATE: My paper arrived at 7:18 a.m.

I guess I got publisher Laura Hollingsowrth's attention. She delivered it.

*

CLEVELAND'S 7-RUN 11TH INNING BEATS RED SOX, 13-6

One thing that I know wasn't in your paper was the story on the Boston-Cleveland baseball playoff.

So here it is:

The Associated Press reported that Trot Nixon spent 13 years in the Boston Red Sox organization while trying to prove he could hit left-handed pitchers.

That ought to be pretty clear to everyone now.

The longtime Boston outfielder snapped an extra-inning tie with a pinch-hit single, and the Cleveland Indians scored a record-setting seven runs in the 11th to beat the Red Sox, 13-6, early today and even the American League championship series at a game apiece.

"I think we all know how a player can cross over to the dark side, but I fully expect that I'm the enemy coming in here," Nixon said. "I was excited to finally get in there at 1:30 in the morning."

Actually, the game ended at 12:30 a.m., Iowa time.

Hopefully, everyone was doing something more exciting at 12:30 a.m. than watching Boston and Cleveland play a baseball game.

I know I was.

I was asleep.

*

AMTRAK RUNS THROUGH LINCOLN, SO CALLAHAN SHOULD GET ON BOARD

Then there's the suddenly-terrible football program at Nebraska.

They honored former coach Tom Osborne and his unbeaten 1997 team yesterday in Lincoln -- strange timing for what happened in the game.

Oklahoma State clobbered Nebraska, 45-14, in a game that had Husker fans calling for coach Bill Callahan's scalp afterward.

Callahan signed a five-year contract extension last month, but that didn't stop fans from hoping the administration could find some way to show him the door after what happened yesterday.

Some people not only want Callahan out -- they want athletic director Steve Pederson fired, too.

Pederson is the guy who hired Callahan after a long search.

Nebraska became the first team in the 118-year history of the football program to give up 40 points or more in the same season.

The Huskers have lost to Southern California, 49-31, to Missouri, 41-6, to Oklahoma State, 45-14, and have beaten Ball State, 41-40.

"I don't think you can coach in fear or coach like you're scared of something," Callahan told reporters in his postgame press conference. "I've been in this business 30 years. I sure as hell ain't going to start now."

Those aren't comforting words for the thousands of Nebraska fans who headed for the exits when the Huskers trailed, 38-0, at halftime.

*

IOWA WINS A GAME, FANS THINK ABOUT A BOWL

Iowa, of course, beat poorly-coached Illinois, 10-6, and Iowa State was nipped by Texas, 56-3.

It was good to see Hawkeye fans happy again.

It embarrasses me, though, to watch some of the idiots in the Iowa crowd storm the field after a victory.

I guess I'll blame it on all the Bud Light they consumed in the parking lot before the game.

But, hey, act like you've been there.

And Iowa has HAS been there. Many times.

A few crazies are even talking about this team, which has a 3-4 record, going to a bowl game.

With Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota and Western Michigan -- not exactly a murderers' row -- still on the schedule and with far too many bowls nowadays, I guess I'm not going to say it won't happen.

Don't forget, a team can go to a bowl game with a 6-6 record. Iowa proved it last season.

Whether there's a bowl game in Iowa's future or not, it was good to see people in a good mood again somewhere.

*

Illinois' Ron Zook is the poorest excuse for a major-college football coach since Jim Walden.

*

HEY, REDS FANS, DUSTY BAKER IS YOUR PROBLEM NOW

Some people who AREN'T in a good mood are Cincinnati Reds baseball fans.

They've got Dusty Baker as their manager for the next three years -- or until he screws things up so much that he'll have to be fired.

I'm guaranteeing one thing right now: The Chicago Cubs -- as hopeless as they are -- will NOT finish behind Cincinnati next season.

*

I SHOULD'VE LEFT IT ON THE DOORSTEP

ANOTHER UPDATE: I checked and there's no CompUSA ad in my paper.

I guess I'll have to call Laura again and tell her to get those advertising department people off their butts.

*

Photo of pissed off Nebraska fans courtesy of the Associated Press.

Milo Hamilton Back Home After Heart Attack, Angioplasty

Longtime Houston Astros radio announcer Milo Hamilton [pictured] -- sn Iowa native and a University of Iowa graduate -- was back home today after spending the week in a Houston hospital for treatment after a heart attack, the team's flagship radio station, KTRH, said.

The 80-year-old Hamilton began experiencing chest pains Sunday at lunch and went to an emergency room, where doctors discovered a clogged coronary artery. He underwent an angioplasty and had a stent implanted.

The heart attack postponed hip replacement surgery that had been scheduled for last Monday. That surgery will likely be delayed for 6 to 12 weeks.

Hamilton was inducted into the broadcasters' wing of the baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

*

My favorite blogger at the paper -- the one I wrote about a while back -- has a blog today that's not bad. Nobody has posted a comment about it yet. Hopefully, someone will do so soon. I think the bosses might be counting.

*

Speaking of blogs at the paper, folks in the sports section plugged Chuck Schoffner's blog about Iowa State's football team early this week on page one.

They probably thought it was a good blog, and I agree with them. Schoffner is a friend of mine who was a hard-working sports editor at the Associated Press before joining the Register's bloggers. They even called him a correspondent in a story he recently wrote. I hope that's a good thing.

I was hoping there'd be a lot of readers who responded to Chuck's blog about the Cyclones, but all I could find were two. After all, Chuck stayed up all night listening to the Cyclones on the radio, and he deserved better.

So I'm going to plug his stuff now, and I hope he gets a ton of responses to his next blog.

Schoffner is a good guy and a good writer.

Here's a copy of his blog about Iowa State and also the two responses:

Maybe a lot of folks didn’t stay with the Iowa State broadcast all the way through, but I did.

And what I heard was a team taking a step backward.

Yes, it sounded like the Cyclones played hard to the end. And they did get some offense going late. But that’s just it. It was too late. Tech was leading 42-3 before the Cyclones scored a touchdown. When the game was being decided, the offense hardly did a thing.

After the good start in Lincoln, the Cyclones stalled in Lubbock.

The thing is, they weren’t facing Ohio State or LSU. They were facing a team that gave up 49 points to Oklahoma State, 31 to UTEP and 24 to Rice.

But the Cyclones got beat up front. Tech sometimes rushed only three, but still put a lot of pressure on Bret Meyer. Iowa State’s pass protection has been much, much better this year, but it cracked in this one. The Cyclones didn’t hit 100 yards until the third quarter.

The defense held Tech below its season averages. But with the offense struggling, Tech operated with a short field part of the time. And the Red Raiders still hit too many big plays – sometimes on short passes that turned into long ones. Some of the touchdown passes sounded a little too easy.

The most deceiving number of the night was time of possession. Iowa State had a 9½-minute edge, but it didn’t mean a thing because the Cyclones weren’t scoring and Tech scored quickly. The Red Raiders had four scoring drives that took only four plays.

ISU fans had reason to feel encouraged after the Nebraska game. I’m not sure they can feel that way after this one. And now Texas will be coming to town in the throes of an unusual losing streak.

The Longhorns are 0-2 in league play for the first time since 1956. They’ve lost four straight Big 12 games dating back to last season. The Longhorns could be doubting themselves or ready to take their anger and frustration out on someone.

It’s OK to hope for the former. But the Cyclones had better be ready for the latter.

2 Responses to “A step back”

Clones are going to take a beating on Sat. That’s not news.

The news a far as clone fans should be concerned is that their coach from last year, is now coaching the defense on the #5 team in the nation! Way to go Mac!

Don’t be surprised if Mac is the next head coach at Miami (Hurracanes).

- RoboHawk

October 10th, 2007 at 11:14 am

[…] Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMaybe a lot of folks didn’t stay with the Iowa State broadcast all the way through, but I did. […] - dating » A step back

*

Hey, Dan McCarney at Miami. Sounds great to me.

*

I'm thinking about calling Kenny Ploen and Ryan Driscoll to see how they feel about Iowa's football season. On second thought, I've got some leaves that need raking.

Iowa's Lickliter: 'Bob Lee, a Brickmason, Taught Me When You Do a Job, You Put Your Signature On It. You're Dependable....'

Here's what first-year coach Todd Lickliter and his players said today at Iowa's basketball press day in Iowa City, courtesy of Steve Roe of the University of Iowa sports information office:

COACH TODD LICKLITER: I'm very pleased to be here and I appreciate each one of you being here, also.

I thought I'd share a few thoughts with you and some observations, and then obviously open it up for questions. A few thoughts. A very good friend of mine years ago told me, if you want to see further than others, then you'll need to stand on the shoulders of giants. I thought that was great advice.

And as I think through my career, my family, they are giants. I couldn't be more fortunate. And so I've got, I think, something to relate to as I look and I say, okay, what are we looking for in a place. And I think it comes down to many, many aspects, but the most important resource is people.

And my observations of the State of Iowa, the Hawkeye community, the University of Iowa is that we have outstanding people, and that will make it possible to have success. If we're going to be successful, it's going to be because we've got the right people around us. And from the day that I accepted the position throughout each day, I've steadily been impressed with the kind of support we have.

In our office alone, Pam Culver, Shelly Deutsch, they are terrific. They have helped me in every way imaginable. They are loyal. They love the Hawkeyes. What a great way to be introduced into your office, to have that kind of support, that kind of team work.

I'm constantly talking to our guys about team work. It's so nice to be able to point to the Hawkeye community, to this building, our staff, our administration, other coaches, and say, this is the way that you act when you're a great teammate. In our office alone, Justin Wieck who played us, he's with us as an intern. What a tremendous resource he is. Jerry Strom, a tremendous resource and very loyal. The staff that I brought with me, LaVall Jordan, Joel Cornette, Chad Walthall; I'm enthused by what they offer, and I'm encouraged.

We of course know that we have a challenge ahead of us, but we are not looking very far ahead. We're trying to take care of today. I've told them, you cannot win a championship today but you can do what champions do today. We have tried to diligently put into place the culture that we want, and that is team first. We've done that through our offices now. We've taken down all individual shots except for Adam Haluska, he has one up. I think when you're the captain of the all American team, then you deserve to have your picture up and if you graduate.

After people graduate, I don't mind putting their individual picture up, but until that time, I think it should be team. We have our championship teams on the wall. I want our guys to recognize and see that. We want to pursue championships; I want them to see the Iowa history. We've done the same in the locker room. We've taken down individual shots and replaced it with Hawkeye. I think if we can develop what we call a team ego, which I respectfully have taken from Bill Russell, where Bill derived their sense of satisfaction through the accomplishments of the team; I think as I reflect back on a team that was coached last year, picked sixth in the league and remained in the top 10 for 16 straight weeks, a lot can be done when you pull it together as a team. What a beautiful aspect of sport. You know, you don't have to have individual gold medal winners to have a championship team. If they complement one another, if they will understand one another's strengths and if they set their goals and priorities properly, we're going to try to do that.

The next thing we've been trying to do in two hours a week, is try to establish an identity. I really want a team that shares the basketball. I really want a team that values the basketball and we've tried to encourage that with ball handling and with emphasis and I really want a team that defends together and with great purpose, and understand that if it hurts doesn't hurt that much that they quit but it hurts that the other team scores. We're trying our best to establish that. We are a team that makes it very difficult for our opponent to score, and we get the shot we want when we want it.

It's much easier said than done as it always is, and that's why I coach and don't play, and I can talk about it a lot easier than I can do it. But I've seen it done, I believe in this group. This group has been eager, they are proud to be here at the University of Iowa and I am very encouraged by them.

With that said, I think that's some insights that I have, and I have probably left people out. I just think of Steve Roe and Phil Haddy and our administration. I think of John Streif, there cannot be a greater Hawkeye. What a tremendous person, and it is to encouraging to work in this kind of environment and it makes you and that's not to mention all of the Hawkeyes I see, not only in the State of Iowa but in airports and throughout the country that just have a great desire for us to succeed.

It really adds to your motivation to know that people care so much, and they not only care by what they are saying, they care by their actions and that's what you'll see at the University of Iowa and in this department. And I have some comparisons. I've been at other places, I've been at good places, and this is a great place. So we're excited to get started. If that is good enough, Phil and Steve, I always look over, they give me direction, then I'll open it up and answer questions.

Q. Your talent level is not barren, is it?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: I don't think so, no. I think that you measure your talent a lot of different ways, and I like this group. As I said last year, we were not picked at Butler, and I am not predicting anything, but our level of talent and ability was questioned, but they didn't evaluate it in every way. I see some things in this group that could be special. We've just got to do it every day.
Do they need help? Yeah, that's part of our job, too. We want to go out and get them help. It won't be for this year but we're going to go out and work and see if we can get them some help.

Q. The attitude being a strength, what other strengths do you see far as what people will notice on the floor?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: You know, I think that's a great question because every day you're trying to evaluate strengths. Some days you think you see something and the next day they will comeback and you don't know whether they which day they are tricking you because you'll see a guy do some special things and the next day he'll struggle a little bit.

I think part of that is the learning curve that's going on right now. And so, I think that what we've got to do is assess their strengths within what we want to do. And so it's kind of hard for me to say, I believe they are Big Ten players, I believe that they have the talent to play at this level.

But as I told them the other day, I don't want them to think that they are on scholarship at Iowa to play basketball. I want them on scholarship to play Hawkeye basketball. Well, what's that going to be? That's my job to implement that, and I've talked to them quite a few times and said, what we are trying to do is get to the point where they are unconsciously confident. There's a few steps in there and we are working through those steps right now.

So in that context, I don't know that I can say that this guy's strength is that. We have to see them together and we really haven't had the opportunity to do that.

Q. Do you feel like you have 11 freshmen?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: When you say that, it's like your question, is there something wrong with freshmen. I think a better way to put it would be, is it new. Yes, it's new. Not the game of basketball but what they want. But their eagerness to do it is so encouraging. So I am encouraged by that.

Q. Do you see the seniors being in a leadership role so far?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: You know, it's interesting, too. I think that we need to know where we're going and what needs to be said and what direction we need to go, and it's that culture.

So we need to know, okay, are we following in the right direction, are we leading the right direction. I've never been one to say, this certain individual is the leader. I think that we can all lead.

I tell them often, you lead by serving. Do what's right, get out in front, pull everybody along. So our leaders today might be another leader tomorrow. We're all capable. I think it will be much easier on all of them when they fully understand how we want things done and where we're going.

But I think there's a greater sense of urgency with seniors. But I try to explain to the underclassmen, you're going to be seniors one day and you're going to want help. You're going to want help from the juniors, the sophomores, the freshmen. So if you're going to ask that when you're a senior, please give it now, let's not wait, I think that's only right.

Q. Question on low turnovers at Butler?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: You know one thing I do, is there's been a practice at some schools at some places. I went to an NBA practice where individuals have the basketball, either managers or other coaches have a basketball ready. If the ball goes out of bounds, they throw that one back in and go get it. I think that's a bad lesson. I want our players, if they don't want to have to go chase a basketball, they keep it on the court. If they throw it up in the stands, then I think they ought to go get it.

I also think that just the idea that they should be in charge. When we have the basketball, we should determine what we want to do. And it takes a certain technique which we teach. It takes certain skill, and then it takes a mindset as to this is how we want to play the game. We want to determine that.

And I think I can speak a little bit from experience. I don't think they have to blindly follow. I think they can see last year's Butler team was the only one in the nation that averaged under double digit turnovers. It had a lot more to do with them. I've told our team, our guys are fully capable of doing that. I don't think there's any question.

Q. Now that you've been here a while have you had a chance to check it out a little bit?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: I don't think they really want to. I think Iowa has a great way in itself. What I would like to do is see if some ideas that I have and some things complement what Iowa already has.

I've said we're building, we're not rebuilding. We're just trying to do a little bit of renovation, put our touch on it. It's such a great place and it's already got so many positives in place that, you know and I won't say, and in no way am I being negative towards what our guys did at Butler and what Butler was; it's a special place, also.

But I'm hoping that we can play here a certain way and at the very highest level and that we can do it with the same kind of character, same kind of team spirit that I think would make Hawkeye fans proud.

Q. If you had a game tonight, who would start at point guard?
COACH TODD LICKLITER: I don't have a game tonight. You know what's nice is, I don't have to do that.

It's great, you know, if you did that, if you thought about, okay, if this happened today, then what would I do? I'll spend too much I'm on that, on that hypothetical can and not on what I really need to do.

I have no idea to be honest with you. I do know a few guys that wouldn't. (Laughter) You want me to go through those guys? You understand what I'm saying? And I recruit this way, too. I don't really like numbering people. I don't like to say you're only going to do this. We like versatile players. But we will have a group that we expect to rebound more than the other and we will have a group we expect to handle more than the others.

I've been fortunate in my career that I've had two guys on the floor at one time that could both be what can he considered points at handle, sometimes three and that would be ideal.

Q. Any concerns?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: I really haven't thought about concerns with them to be honest with you. That means I was thinking something was going to go wrong.

I think if we were going to label it concern, I just want to be far enough along in what we do that we can be successful when the challenge comes. You know, we've got a month from now. Do we have to be what level do we need to be at at that time; how far along can we get. And so much of that is their, not just willingness, but eagerness, to be a team and to believe.

And I've got to tell you, I asked them to come back in condition, I didn't tell them what they had to do. And when they got back here, they were in condition, every one of them. I've asked them to do other things and I watched a little bit of Lisa's press conference and she was looking around for some wood, I heard her say knock on wood, and now I'm looking around. They have not been late for anything they have done, morning, afternoon, whatever. There is a real feeling that they should be dependable and they should be considerate and that's a great starting point.

Q. On the other hand, general surprises, would that be in that general area you've just been talking about?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: Again, you'd have to be worried about something going wrong. I really didn't ever think of that. I assumed they would do it, and now when they do, I want to make sure that they are appreciated for it because I know out there it's not always happening much I don't know if I would be pleasantly surprised but I'm appreciative.

Q. You have not mentioned the name of any players yet. Is that intentional?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: Is it calculated or is it? No, it's not calculated. I don't know. I wouldn't know where to start and how to end and how would we start on one guy and end on you know, I've thought about that from time to time as I've gone through it. And it seems like last year, and I mentioned last year a few times and I apologize for that.

It's what I have to draw on, but other teams, not just last year, but other teams, people have voiced the guys who have cored and the guys who have rebounded and all that. And I'm going to tell you that the best teams I've had, eight through 14 were the best 8 through 14 guys in the nation. That was the key.

I'll give you an example. When we got beat in the Sweet 16 by Oklahoma. We had a young man that played about ten seconds in the three NCAA games. When we got beat, every person in that locker room to a man thanked that individual because he's the one that set a tone that was professional that made that possible. He was one of them anyway and it was very important.

I think that it's so hard to single people out in a team sport. We will, at times. You'll see things. We need to do that, but right now, we're really focused on the whole.

Q. About your coaching philosophy, who or whom did you draw a lot of your ideas from to take it to the program?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: How do I single out somebody, that's pretty hard. I know I'm going to leave somebody out if I say, because I've been so fortunate. I've been around such great people and I guess just off the top of my head, the love for the game that my father had, I grew up with. He would bring home reel to reel for me when I was in fourth grade and I would watch it not knowing what I was watching but it was fun.

And then Barry Collier, who is just a terrific guy who really laid the foundation for me and helped me with the values part of it and what we felt was important. I watched him coach and I appreciated him; all of the coaches I played for.

And I would be very remiss if I didn't mention, and I think I've mentioned it every time, a man I worked for by the name of Bob Lee, who was a brickmason. He taught me when you do a job, you put your signature on it: You're there, you're dependable, and you always stand by your work. I don't know if I've ever learned anything more valuable from any coach or any other individual than him.


Q. You mentioned Bill Russell.

COACH TODD LICKLITER: There was a story he spoke to the Boston Celtics and he told them, "My ego is bigger than all of yours." He said, "Difference is my ego is a team ego. If the team does well, then I feel good."

I think we all fight that but it's also the most beautiful part of it when it comes together in my opinion that that team can meet challenges together. I think that's a wonderful thing. And when you feel that self satisfaction for sacrificing for the guy next to you, what a great feeling that is.

Q. About being in a fishbowl? How do you feel about the people, and fans, of Iowa, and connecting with them?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: You'd probably have to ask them I guess. For me, I've been humbled by it to be quite honest with you. I greatly appreciate the desire they have for the Hawkeyes to do well, and the way that they feel about it and the support that they have.

And I really believe this: That because I love the game, I've been fortunate; if we were to play, and no one were to know, we'd try to win and we'd put everything we had in it and we'd love it. But when you add into it, that this has such a loyal, passionate following, to me that adds great incentive and I'm excited about that.

So it's really nice to be quite honest with you. And I've told people, I don't know everything that's appropriate, but Lute Olson stopped me this spring and he just talked about his appreciation for the University of Iowa and the State of Iowa and the fans. And it's been quite a few years. So I was really impressed with that, and he's called me since.

So I know that it has a bearing on the people that are involved in a positive way.

Q. Do you worry about tempering expectation in that regard; kind of a big picture thing?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: Well, how do you temper expectations when you have a scoreboard? That seems impossible to me.

What you need to do, though, I think is be able to know the challenges out there, but focus on what's at hand and so my expectations would probably be the same as everybody else's, but I would just be more apt I think to take them as they come.

Q. How is Jeff Peterson in practice?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: Two hours a week, you know, he's done a great job. I've been really impressed with him. Terrific kid.

Q. When you bring in a lot of these players do you really stress the value of the possession of the basketball, how does that transition and how are you able to accomplish that is this?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: I think consistency, being persistent with it. You have to give people the overall idea of what we're about. It's the idea that we're here to play Hawkeye basketball and uphold that and what that is.

These guys, yeah, they are big scorers but if you ask any of them what you want to do, I've asked many groups, who is the leading scorer last year, six months; they can't tell you. But I guarantee you they can tell you who the National Champion was and guys understand that. It's the self sacrifices, the opportunity to compete for championships where guys, they will make sacrifices for that.

And we need guys to score, there's no problem with that. And I'm not a guy I'm opportunistic, if you can score it without passing it and lay it in, beautiful, do it. But just have enough poise and have enough strength to get the shot we want. Shoot the shot we want.

Q. In your evaluation process, how heavily will you lean on players?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: I think they will completely pick the starting spots, not by vote or vocally, but by what they do. I'm just going to watch them. It's the same everywhere I go. If you're going to play minutes, you're going to earn them. And we'll just let it go. Every day in practice, we'll get to see and we'll get to evaluate, and they will pick all that.

Again, I think there's a lot to be said about what many people think is important, starting five, leading scorer. Those things are all nice but ultimately it's the group of individuals that play the best together and meet the challenge that, you know, will be recognized.

Q. Who do you need big contribution from for Iowa to have a successful season?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: One through 11. And I mean that sincerely. We need a big contribution every day. We need guys coming here committed, guys who don't take days off, guys who I think when you're challenged and you're stretched, you get better. And so we really don't want to be overly we don't want to compete for position in practice. We want to compete and challenge one another in practice so that at the end of the day, we say, hey, we've done our part as a teammate to make one another better.

And we've talked a lot about team and all; cohesiveness. I think cohesiveness is a bad thing if you have underachievers. What I mean by that is you don't want guys that excuse one another because they like one another. I want cohesiveness with high achievers, high expectations, and that will hold themselves and one another accountable.

So I need big contributions from all of them, including the coaching staff. I'm telling you, it's incredible that you can point to other staff members, other Hawkeyes and say, this is the way a team acts; look what they are doing; look at the service they provide; look at the unit; look at the passion; we need to mirror this. It's something I don't think we should ever take for granted here.

Q. Since you put up the team pictures, will you have the uniform with the name on the back?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: Well, I'm really glad you brought that up because it gives me a chance to explain something. I'm a little concerned. I didn't order the uniforms. The uniforms were already ordered and I didn't realize it last spring. The numbers are high on the back of the uniform. Leaves a small space. But that might be good. Maybe we'll just have a small last name on the back there, you know.

I think you should be proud of both and we want the names on the back but we have run into a bit of a problem with the uniforms already made, the numbers bigger and higher, and now we've got a small space. We're working through that. Short of I'm not going to write them on there, but we're going to see if we can get them on there somehow.

Q. Is there any kind of, as you say, renovation things, when you try to renovate and rebuild?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: We're not rebuilding. I just think we'll sell these guys out. All we're trying to do is put our touch on it and add to.

And I really believe that this team has bought in and said, yeah, if we can do some of these things; we already do some really good things, but if we add to your techniques, your vision for this, it will be a plus for us. And I appreciate that.

You know, you mention the mid-majors, and we always said, there are mid major leagues, because that's what people but we never felt like we were a mid major team. And I think that's the way that these great teams that you're mentioning are. You know, it's the caliber of player; it's the system, all of these things that come into it. So I respect every team that we'll play.

Q. Do you embrace that everybody seems to be so good, is that something that you want, challenges like that?

COACH TODD LICKLITER: One thing I will say is coming from that, I'll know what's going on in that other locker room. I know how they are feeling and I do believe, and I've spoken to this.

HAWKEYE PLAYERS

Cyrus Tate:

On Coach Lickliter’s team philosophy:

“He emphasizes the team over the individual. There’s no such thing as an individual player and Coach is really focusing on that with us. It’s a good thing for our team because there is no one individual.”

On the possible clean slate:

“I’m eager for the season to start. I think we worked really hard this summer and now we just have to come together. When Friday comes (practice starts), I think we should be ready.”

On the possibilities for this year’s team:

“I think our possibilities are good. We’re still the same team from last year, only with a new coach. We have to focus on our offense, on our defense and what Coach Lickliter really wants us to do.”

On Coach Lickliter’s expectations:

“He really wants us to defend and to be one of the best defending teams in the nation. That starts from within and we really have to focus on what he wants us to do.”

On incoming freshmen:

“It should be everybody on our team contributing, and I think everyone can make an impact. Everybody knows their role, what they should be doing. Coach told us to be confident if there’s an area of our game that we’re not good at; and that is something that our team is learning to do.”


Justin Johnson

On Coach Lickliter’s team philosophy:

“He tells us every day that it’s all about the team, all about the fist. He points to his fist and tells us how we have to come together. He doesn’t point anybody out. He just tells it like it is.”

On the transition to a different coach:

”I’m really happy about what’s going on. Everything is going smooth. We just have to work harder and do things better.”

On his impressions of Coach Lickliter:

”He’s impressed me since day one, since he’s been here. He’s just one of those smooth guys that is easy to get along with. You can walk into his office and just talk, and that goes the same with all the coaches.”

Seth Gorney

Adjusting to new coaching staff:

“I would say it hasn’t been either, it’s just different. Trying to learn a new system and everything; just trying to get acquainted with who the coaches are and how they run things. It’s been a challenge, but it’s been fun.”

How things have changed:

“We haven’t really done too much yet. We’re learning a lot about defense, how to play his style and everything. That’s been the biggest change I think so far.”

On watching Butler:

“I watched them last year when they played down in Disney World, and they won the tournament and it kind of caught me off guard. Ever since then I’ve followed them when they were on TV. Just from last year, they didn’t have a guy over 6-7, so he’s kind of changed it to adjust to us as well and trying to get us involved and keeping us inside and letting us come out and shoot as well.

The defense he has given us this year is how to play certain situations. Like if a ball-screen comes, how to defend it; if a down-screen comes, how to defend it. If your off the screen and help-side and how to help defend that and what to look for. It’s more like every situation we’re going to cover, rather than just certain aspects.”


Tony Freeman

On Coach Lickliter’s coaching style:

“Coach will tell you what to do and show you how to do it. It’s up to you to receive that message as an individual and get better.

That’s the best part of the game to me, making people miss and deflecting the ball on defense. On offense, from what I see, it’s structured, but once that structure breaks down its pretty much freelance, what kind of skill you physically possess and develop as an individual. I’m real excited for this year definitely.

Success this year, in my mind, is not losing at home. Top three in the Big Ten is a goal. I know you guys probably look at it and say that’s not going to happen. But, in my mind and the team, I see from last year to this year, everybody’s focused. With the personnel that we have and Coach Lickliter, it is very possible for this year’s team.”

*

Photo courtesy of of www.HawkeyeBasketball.com

Getting To the Heart Of the Matter

I see that one of my favorite doctors, Marnix Verhofste of Des Moines, performed what I'd call a successful, very delicate surgery recently.

The surgery was done on Grant Stout [pictured at the right], a former Northern Iowa basketball player.

I know a little bit about Verhofste [pictured at the left], a native of Ghent, Belgium, who works for the Iowa Heart Center, and I think he's among the very best anywhere in the world.

Matt Coss of the Waterloo Courier writes:

"Grant Stout experienced no warning signs of heart trouble.

"No discomfort in his chest. No shortness of breath. No lightheadedness.

"As the former Northern Iowa standout went in for a mandatory physical last month in Germany, in preparation for his professional basketball career, the 22-year-old expected a routine checkup -- just like the one he had a week earlier in France.

"But when a doctor performed an ultrasound, he located a tumor -- about 2 centimeters in length -- in Stout's heart.

"'I knew he wasn't making it up because I could see it on the (computer) screen," Stout said recently in a phone interview with the Courier. 'I was definitely bummed and concerned, but there wasn't anything I could have done about it.

"'Luckily, I was fortunate that I was sent to Germany because the physicals in France and here (the United States) are pretty basic. In Germany, they are a lot more thorough."

"Stout went to a German hospital and had a second opinion. They agreed with the diagnosis.

"'They told me I could maybe go another five years and not have any problems, or maybe in a week or two something could go wrong," said Stout, who had been playing in Germany for five days.

"The 6-foot-8 forward flew home the next morning. He met with UNI's team doctor, Dan Glascock. After explaining the situation, Glascock called the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and Des Moines hospitals to see which surgeon should handle the surgery.

"Days later, on Sept. 20, Dr. Marnix Herhofste in Des Moines performed the operation.

"By having the non-magliant tumor removed, Stout prevented heart damage, a potential stroke or blood clot.

"'Looking back, it turned out to be better that I went to Germany,' he said. "A lot of times people have strokes from this because they don't know they have it and they don't get an ultrasound."

Doctors are still uncertain how long the tumor was in Stout's heart and what caused it.

"'It could have been in there for 10 years," Stout said. "They are still trying to figure that out....'"

*

Headline in today's paper:

Scouts: Hawkeyes lack game-breakers

It only took three reporters to figure that story out.

Hey, tell me something that's new.

Hawkeye fans have known there are no game-breakers on the roster for more than a year -- dating back to the 38-17 loss to Ohio State last Sept. 30.

*

People tell me one of the biggest problems with women's basketball at the University of Iowa is apathy.

If parents and other relatives of the players didn't show up for the games, there'd be no fans in the stands.

It's like that old deal where you call the ticket office and ask, "What time is the game tonight?" and you're told, "What time can you be here?"

Lisa Bluder, who is in over her head as the Hawkeyes' coach, would be smart to keep it that way.

Sometimes having your team be a secret is a wise thing.

In This Guy's Scorebook, 'The Final Season' Is One Big Strikeout

I was afraid this would happen.

Just when a few self-appointed critics in this state were falling all over themselves in getting people to say the movie "The Final Season" might be a smash hit, along comes a smart-ass guy named Kirk Honeycutt in Los Angeles who says the Iowa-based film is a flop.

The Reuters writer says, "The filmmakers' love for baseball shows in every frame of 'The Final Season.' What doesn't come through is a love for good drama. Poor writing, an indifferent production and sincere but often wooden acting make 'Season' one big strikeout.

"The film may score fans in home entertainment, but its theatrical outlook is poor despite Sean Astin ("The Lord of the Rings") in the dual role of the film's hero and exec producer.

"This is yet another 'based on a true story' sports picture. A high school baseball team from Norway, Iowa, a town of 586 people, won 19 state championships in 22 years. Then in 1991 -- destined to be its final season as Norway was to merge with a neighboring school district because of state cutbacks -- a new coach named Kent Stock took over and drove his players to win a final championship, the school's 20th.

"Which leaves writers Art D'Alessandro and James Grayford with a great ending but no story. So they invent a false conflict between the coach and his kids, a player from Chicago with an attitude, a perennial naysayer, a political battle between the townsfolk and school board, a couple of lame romances and even a bus driver with a heart problem to fill in the gaps between the games. The film thereby misses its real story -- the dying of small-town American life and the role of school sports in such communities.

"Astin stars as Kent Stock, as assistant coach the year before, who took over from legendary head coach Jim Van Scoyoc (Powers Booth). Van Scoyoc actually left not because of an evil school board's refusal to renew his contract, but to take a dream job as pitching coach in the Detroit Tigers' farm system. The movie then portrays Stock as a former girl's volleyball coach, who is therefore greeted on his first day of practice by a dugout filled with volleyballs.

"Despite the loss of several players, Stock pushes his players to win enough games to make the playoffs. Along the way, he finds time for a very PG-ish romance with Rachel Leigh Cook, playing a state official promoting the school merger. The central focus among the players rests with Michael Angarano, a surly catcher who sneaks smokes and throws off attitude, the result of the death of his mother and inattention of his dad (Tom Arnold in little more than a cameo).

"The dialogue throughout is cheesy and often without subtext. Baseball action, staged by director David Mickey Evans, is routine and lacking in excitement. The only actor who shows much life is Angarano, though his rebel-without-a-cause routine is a tad old...."

Whether Honeycutt's scathing review throws enough rain on the Norway parade to ruin the box office take when the movie opens nationally later this week remains to be seen.

Earlier this week, the Des Moines Register wrapped itself around the movie ['A MUST-SEE' headline in embarrassingly-large letters on page one] as though it was the second coming of "Field Of Dreams" -- the 1989 blockbuster that was filmed in Dyersville.

I'm not going to fault Ken Fuson, who shared a byline with John Naughton in covering the premier of "The Final Season" for the Register.

You know how I feel about Kenny Fuson.

He's got Pulitzer written all over him.

Now that publisher Mary Stier has even rather mysteriously abandoned ship, Fuson's writing may be the only thing that can save the Register.

But Kenny probably was out of his element in reviewing "The Final Season."

Unless his review of "The Final Season" was one of his humor columns.

The paper needed to bring Joan Bunke out of retirement. They could have propped up a photograph of her in the middle of the Cedar Rapids theater where the premier was shown and she'd have authored a review that had some merit.

In this era of "Tell Us How Beautiful It Is In Iowa" journalism [the State Fair, the bicycle ride, the art show, the downtown farmers' market] in Des Moines, Fuson and Naughton had no choice but to rave about "The Final Season."

If they'd have written that the movie was a dud, Carolyn Washburn would have sent them out the back door to work for the Indianola paper.

"It was a home run," Fuson and Naughton said in their first paragraph.

Then they told how much the governor liked the movie. The governor's wife, I guess, liked it, too.

What the hell did they expect the governor and the wife to say, that it was a lousy movie?

Chet Culver is going to jack-off over a movie filmed in Iowa so more film companies come to our state and spend money.

By the way, those companies don't drop as much coin in our state as they should.

Shame on them.

I hear there are some folks in eastern Iowa who turned their farms and homes over to "The Final Season" producers for filming, then got little or nothing in return.

Not even a lousy ticket to the movie.

I haven't seen "The Final Season," but one problem with it is that the producers are giving us Tom Arnold and we needed Justin Timberlake.

Arnold, a native of Ottumwa, is a hack whose main claim to fame is that he once was married to the ridiculous Roseanne Barr.

I remember covering football games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City when reports would be spreading that Barr and Arnold were sitting -- or making fools of themselves -- in the grandstand.

The big question always was, "Did Roseanne lift up her dress so she could show fans the tatoo on her ass?"

Believe it or not, Iowa was winning games in those days, I think.

"The Final Season" has Tom Arnold, "Field Of Dreams" had Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster.

That's like comparing the Midwest League to the bigs.

"The Final Season" will likely do all right in Cedar Rapids and maybe even Clinton, if there's still a movie theater there. Hell, maybe it'll do just as well in Clinton if there isn't a movie theater there.

"But how's it gonna do in Minneapolis?" a guy asked me yesterday.

"Or Boise," I said.

I'm afraid "The Final Season" might wind up in the same category as "Dribble," a movie Pete Maravich, Ron Gonder and I starred in a number of years ago.

Maravich's basketball skills just couldn't keep up with the acting abilities that Gonder I displayed in front of huge crowds at Regis High School in Cedar Rapids.

I think I got $100 for my appearance. In those days, I looked like a young Clark Gable. Of course, it cost 16 cents to get into movies then.

The film quickly moved to drive-in theaters across America when it became obvious that Maravich should play basketball and keep his acting a secret.

The trouble now is, there are no more drive-ins -- unless that one near Newton is still in operation.

So I don't know where "The Final Season" will wind up after it leaves Cedar Rapids.

Maybe on YouTube.

And the Winner Is....

This message comes from Al Schallau:

To Ron Maly:

I am today presenting the 2007 Golden Fleece Award to coach Kirk Ferentz in recognition of his $3 million salary for which he has produced zero Big Ten Conference wins in the last 12 months.

Oct. 7, 2006 was the last date on which the Iowa Hawkeyes won a Big Ten football game.

The Hawkeye football problems can be summarized in two words: Poor Recruiting.

Why have Iowa's recruiting classes that enrolled in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 gone from bad to worse to terrible? Reasons:

1. Coach Ferentz damaged Iowa's recruiting very badly with his annual January bullshit that he could be leaving Iowa to become a head coach in the NFL. That annual charade started in 2003. He had a grand total of one interview for an NFL head coaching job, which was with Jacksonville in January, 2003. After Jack Del Rio showed interest in the Jaguar head coaching job, nobody else had a chance. But Coach Ferentz and his agent used that phony bullshit every January, which resulted in Ferentz getting a $3 million per year contract through 2011. For that he will get the Golden Fleece Award for 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 as well.

2. Coach Ferentz's steadfast policy of redshirting almost all true freshmen was and is CERTAIN to cause the best blue chip recruits (the five-star lads) to choose other big time programs that regularly allow freshmen to play first string from day one (like USC, Ohio State, and Florida). Last week it was reported that the Florida Gators have played 25 true freshmen already in 2007.

3. The bigger problem is that when Iowa's redshirt freshmen begin their second year, they are NOT experienced Big Ten football players. They are second year rookies and sometimes play that way. USC and Florida and Ohio State don't have that problem. Their second year players (sometimes called sophomores) are experienced college football players. Ron Zook at Illinois is playing true freshmen. The Illini football program is on the escalator up, while the Iowa Hawkeye program is on the express elevator downward.

4. RECRUITING COORDINATOR: Tight ends coach Eric Johnson was appointed as recruiting coordinator in 2003 and is now in his fifth year in that position. Those are the exact years that Iowa's football recruiting has gone from mediocre to terrible. I hope the Hawkeyes have a new recruiting coordinator very soon.

5. ASSISTANT COACHES: I hope, hope, hope that on Monday, November 19, 2007, the headline will read: "Kirk Ferentz Asks For Resignations Of All Assistant Coaches." Iowa needs to clean house and bring in a whole new group of assistant coaches in January, 2008. In that month, there will be several dozen NFL assistant coaches who will be looking for jobs after their head coaches are fired. That happens every January. Iowa should grab up about six of those assistant coaches from the NFL.

Iowa might (repeat MIGHT) win two Big Ten Conference games in 2007, and in 2008 it is not going to get any better. Illinois and Indiana will be much better in 2008, but the Iowa Hawkeyes will not be. Big changes are needed.

Best,

Al Schallau

*

And there's more....

Ferentz is listed third by www.coacheshotseat.com among guys on the national hot seat. First is Arkansas' Houston Nutt and second is Arizona's Mike Stoops, a former Iowa player and assistant coach and a brother of Oklahoma's Bobby Stoops.

Here are the top three:

1. Houston Nutt, Arkansas - When a banner is flying over the stadium you are coaching in that says "There's Nuttin like being 0-2 in the SEC" you know you are in trouble, and Houston Nutt you are in trouble! The season, and in fact, the career of Houston Nutt rides on the next two football games. Auburn at home and Mississippi on the road. Lose both, and it will be time for Houston to get the movers on the phone. Destination: Ft Smith, Arkansas?

2. Mike Stoops, Arizona - "Turn out the lights, the party's over." Southern Cal in the Coliseum is next, and a pissed off Trojan team to boot. I would go ahead and apply for an Oklahoma driver's license, so you can hit the ground running when you rejoin brother Bob's staff. No doubt, Mike Stoops can coach some defense, so that bodes well for the Sooners in the future!

3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa - He is 15-16 since the Jan. 1, 2005 win in the Citrus Bowl against Nick Saban's last team at LSU. Ferentz made over $2.5 million dollars last year, under a bonus plan in his contract, and that is like $10 million if you live in California. If we had that much money would be working? Not a chance in hell, so it is no surprise that Ferentz has quit coaching the Hawkeyes. If he doesn't want the job, Iowa could hire a top-flight coach for a lot cheaper, and they might just do that if this keeps up. If you don't want to coach Kirk, give someone else that does want to a chance. Ferentz's career record at Iowa: 57-46 (.553). That's just not good enough for Iowa, and no doubt we are not the only people thinking that.

I Couldn't Keep My Promise. Now I'm Paying the Price. Again.

I remember writing several weeks ago that the baseball season was over for me because the Chicago Cubs had either blown yet another game in the horribly-bad National League Central or manager Lou Piniella had done yet another dumb thing.

I should have left it at that.

I couldn't stay true to my word.

Foolishly, I watched the Cubs' postseaspm series against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- and I even stayed awake until 12:45 one morning to see yet another loss.

The Cubs went quickly, just as you'd expect from an organization that's been breaking the hearts of fans for 99 years.

They were no-shows in the series. They hit a paltry .194 in the three games.

Aramis Ramirez, supposedly a power hitter, wouldn't know the outside corner from the white whiskers on Piniella's chin. He was 0-for-12, with five strikeouts, in the series.

Alfonso Soriano, the Cubs' $136 million outfielder, was 2-for-14 in the series. Cliff Floyd was hitless.

Next season will be the 100th that the Cubs have played without winning a World Series.

*

But the Cubs drew record crowds at Wrigley Field.

I can't help it that the fans are so dumb.

I'm dumb, too. I didn't have the good sense to quit watching them on something called TBS.

*

Speaking of TBS, I'm wondering where the network found play-by-play announcer Dick Stockton again.

I thought he was doing bowling these days.

After listening to him for three games, he should be.

It got so bad for me last night that I put the TV on mute and turned on Pat Hughes and Ron Santo on KRNT-radio.

*

That was a bad idea, too.

I feel sorry for all the suffering Santo has gone through in his life, but I fear his life was cut short by another several months with what happened in this series.

*

This was the end of the line for the Chicago Tribune as the Cubs' owner.

The last year was just like the newspaper business.

Dead.

*

The Tribune says an unnamed sports-talk host called the Cubs a national embarrassment.

So who's saying the guy is wrong? Not me.

*

Frankly, I'm glad Piniella took Carlos Zambrano out of the first playoff game--a 3-1 Cubs loss--after six innings and 85 pitches.

Now his arm will be rested for the first spring training game next winter in Arizona.

*

They say there's no guarantee Cubs general manager Jim Hendry will be back next season.

I can see why. Hendry is a nice guy, but he'll always be identified with another Cub team that didn't know its ass from strike three.

*

Pitcher Kerry Wood might not be back either.

He's thinking of buying a condo in Des Moines so he can start another comeback at No-Name Ballfield.

*

Regardless, it was lots of fun watching Piniella make money while trying to finish his career on an upbeat note after managing at Tampa Bay.

After last night's game, Piniella said this was just the start for the Cubs.

The start of what?

More bad news: Piniella still has two years left on his Cub contract.

*

At least Tom Kroeschell had a football game he could go to so he didn't have to watch the pitiful Cubs lose another playoff game and series on the tube.

I sure hope they didn't make him suffer by putting the 5-1 loss to Arizona on TV in the press box at Lubbock.

*

I don't wear neckties to church much anymore, but I'm planning to put on my Cub tie today.

It's the one with the Norman Rockwell painting on it.

It's my way of saying wait til next year.

That's what you call being sick.
*

Norman Rockwell's painting of the Chicago Cubs -- which is on Ron Maly's necktie today -- courtesy of Rockwell and Google. Maly thinks the painting pretty much tells the story of the Cubs' playoff series with Arizona.

Paul F. Morrison Legacy Fellowship

Another day, another honor for Paul Morrison.

Drake is calling it a "special celebration" today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the north plaza of Drake Stadium.

"Please join us when we will honor Paul Morrison on his 90th birthday, and Drake's 1957 Sun Bowl team during homecoming," athletic director Sandy Hatfield Clubb told Bulldog fans in a letter.

The homecoming football game against Butler starts at 1 p.m.

"Ninety-one years ago, Paul F. Morrison began his love affair with Drake when his parents, Leonta Starzinger Morrison and Marion Morrison, expecting their third child, strolled the Drake campus as members of the Drake class of 1906," Clubb said.

"Modest in stature, yet mighty in his impact on Drake, Paul left the campus only to serve his country in the U.S. Army.

"The 1939 Drake journalism graduate has been the director of the Drake news bureau, sports information director and athletic business manager. He formally retired in 1986, but he has volunteered for the athletics department since the day after he retired.

"Paul has served on the Drake Relays executive committee since 1946. He is known across campus, throughout the community and among alumni worldwide as the guy who holds countless athletic statistics in his head, corresponds faithfully with Drake letterwinners, works at evry athletic event and even delivers the mail around campus, all because he loves Drake University and its people.

"This year, we are honoring Paul, his 90th birthday and his extraordinary service to the university by creating the Paul F. Morrison Legacy Fellowship. This endowed fund will support a staff position to assist Paul in his work as Drake's athletic historian and will continue this important legacy when he truly retires.

"Paul Morrison is a powerful connection among's Drake's past, present and future. Few people have had the impact on our university that this delightful, dedicated and humble individual has had...."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: This couldn't happen to a nicer man. I've known Paul Morrison [pictured] for more than 40 years, and he is tone of the nicest guys I have every known. I hope he's on the Drake scene for anothr 90 years].

Iowa's Recruiting Falters; Al Schallau Says It's 'Atrocious' That Ferentz's Teams Are 1-38 When Trailing After 3 Quarters

Iowa and Southern California football fan Al Schallau writes about how he thinks the Hawkeyes' recruiting has taken a nosedive in recent seasons:

"Ron,

"Is it permissible to say in public that the Iowa Hawkeyes' recruiting classes that enrolled in September, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 have been in the bottom one-third of the Big Ten?

"I am worried about whether the Hawkeyes can win three more games this season. As long as we have to rely on the leadership skills of Jake Christensen at quarterback, we are in trouble.

"On the Big Ten Network broadcast of the Indiana game, they gave us this statistic: During the Kirk Ferentz years, Iowa has a record of one win and 38 losses when trailing after three quarters. That is the most atrocious statistic in the history of college football.

"The bigger problem is that next year will NOT be any better. From the 2007 team, the Hawkeyes lose Albert Young, Damian Sims, Tom Busch, Charles Godfrey, Adam Shada, Mike Klinkenborg, Mike Humpal, and Ken Iwebema.

"Those are the Hawkeyes' best players. Their 2008 replacements will NOT be better than those named above. The real recruiting pain will come when coach Gene Chizik and Iowa State start beating out the Hawkeyes for some prize recruits from Iowa high schools.

"ASSISTANT COACHES: Iowa Hawkeye fans think it is wonderful that coach Ferentz has kept his assistant coaching staff almost completely in tact for nine years. What that means is that no major universities have offered head coaching jobs to any of those assistants. That speaks mountains.

"Pete Carroll at USC loses at least two assistant coaches every year. But he usually replaces them with new assistants who are even better. Coach Carroll knows that every January, several dozen NFL assistant coaches are put out of work when their head coach is fired. So USC grabs up those out-of-work NFL assistant coaches. Iowa has never done that, and shows no indication that it ever will.

"Indiana and Illinois football programs are dramatically turning upward. Meanwhile the Hawkeyes will have to keep scheduling non-conference cupcakes to win six games per season. That is distressing.

"Of all the players recruited by coach Ferentz during his nine years as Hawkeye head coach, not one quarterback, not one running back, and not one wide receiver has been drafted AT ALL by any NFL team.

"In the 2002 draft, Ladell Betts and Kahlil Hill were drafted; and in 2001, Kevin Kasper was drafted. But all three were recruited to Iowa by coach Hayden Fry and his staff.

"Best,"

Al Schallau

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: I've never been big on those lists the nation's recruiting gurus [and there are a number of them] put together about recruiting. Over the years, Notre Dame has always seemed to lead or almost lead every recruiting list. Look at the Fighting [really?] Irish now. Coaching genius [really?] Charlie Weis has taken them to an 0-5 record, going on 0-8. It's evident Iowa's recruiting has fallen off in recent seasons. The Hawkeyes have been paying the price for that this year and last. Ferentz is in his ninth season with the Hawkeyes, and I'd guess a few other coaches would say he's probably stayed too long at a place like Iowa -- where it's never been easy to recruit. Hayden Fry, who preceded him in the job, was a special coach. He stayed 20 years, but his program began slipping when retirement loomed. Iowa is certainly not the coaching graveyard Iowa State is, but I went through a 19-year period when no Hawkeye team had a winning record. So I know what walking through what at least a mini-coaching graveyard feels like. I stumbled through it with Jerry Burns, Ray Nagel, Frank Lauterbur and Bob Commings. Fry finally upgraded the facilities and got Iowa on the right track. I don't like saying this, but when the NFL came calling a few years ago, maybe Ferentz should have jumped. But he stayed, and he [or his agent, or both] were able to get a tremendous salary package out of Iowa that would make some NFL coaches water at the mouth. There are no easy answers to why Iowa has fallen on hard times, but the immediate future doesn't look promising. Jake Christensen doesn't appear to be the next coming of Kenny Ploen, Randy Duncan or Chuck Long. I remember late last season when fans were screaming, "Bring in Jake!" when Drew Tate was screwing things up and blaming his offensive coordinator and his receivers. Well, now Jake is their quarterback. I guess outcoaching the guy on the other side of the field is no longer something that can be done, so Iowa is going to have to upgrade its recruiting, perhaps take a long, hard look at the coordinators on the coaching staff and suffer through some difficult seasons for a while. It doesn't sound like much fun to me, but -- like I say -- I've been through stuff like this before. Don't forget, Frank Lauterbur held the umbrella over me when I took notes on the rainy day he got fired during the 0-11 nightmare in 1973.]

*

NILE KINNICK, RANDY BRUBAKER

This e-mail is from Samuel T. Goodrich of Iowa City, and it's in reference to the recent columns in which I've written that the two sculptures of Nile Kinnick at Kinnick Stadium don't look like the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner:

"You are right, but I guess that's what they call 'artistic license.' . . . But here's what pisses me off -- the Register saying he died when his plane 'crashed' into the sea. He made a perfect controlled landing, according to the pilot who witnessed it. . . . Is Randy Brubaker really the Register's managing editor? I didn't think he knew what he was doing as the Iowa City Press-Citizen sports editor."

Samuel T. Goodrich
Iowa City

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Here's what it says in the "Papers Of Nile C. Kinnick:" "Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. died on June 2, 1943, after his plane developed mechanical difficulties and was ditched in the Gulf of Paria. Neither the plane nor his body was ever recovered. Nile Kinnick was twenty-four years old. [It was] reported on January 29, 2003, that Kinnick's F4-F Wildcat plane had been located -- but not salvaged -- five miles off the coast of Venezuela by the brother of a Kinnick teammate." Regardless of what happened to Kinnick's plane, his loss was devastating. He was a Phi Beta Kappa student at Iowa, as well as the only Heisman Trophy winner this state has ever produced. His Heisman speech at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City was the most eloquent in history. For my "Tales from the Iowa Sidelines" book, a man who had been a close friend of Kinnick told me Nile had no formal speech prepared for the Heisman ceremony, but "scratched out the ideas for it on the back of his airline ticket." The young Kinnick was regarded as someone who could someday be governor of the state or perhaps president of the United States. As for Samuel T. Goodrich's question about whether Randy Brubaker is managing editor of the Des Moines Register, the answer is yes. I have no interest in knowing about how bad he was in a previous job or is in his present job].


*

BELITTLING NEWS REPORTERS

From time to time, I have been critical of the comments that newspapers -- notably the Des Moines Register -- allow to be printed on their Internet versions. A columnist or a reporter can write what appears to be a harmless story, then a reader who is identified only by a nickname can ridicule not only the story or column, but also the Register writer.

For instance, sportswriter Randy Peterson wrote the following, shorter Internet version yesterday of the story he had in today's paper about coach Kirk Ferentz and his disappointing Iowa football team:

Iowa City, Ia. — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz keeps a cool public persona — even when the questioning sometimes borders on tough.

Uh coach, a questioner asked at his weekly news conference today, is it fair to call the program unstable right now?

This is one of those times former Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry would have blistered the questioner.

Not Ferentz.

“Call it whatever you want,” he said politely. “I mean, all I know is we lost Saturday, we lost the Saturday before, and the Saturday before.

“You know, we won the first two. You can call it whatever you want.”

The state of the program is in black-and-white — no Big Ten Conference wins, two conference losses in a row this season, and five before that.

Is this a program in trouble heading into Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game at also-struggling Penn State?

“The state of the program right now is that we need a victory,” tailback Albert Young said. “It’s that simple.”

Read more of this story in tomorrow's Register

As of late last night, 14 people had been allowed to comment on the Internet version of the story. Those 14 comments were deleted from the story on the Internet this morning.

Here were some of the comments late last night from readers:

Reader Comment Posted by: ADC
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:29 pm

Is it just me or was that a complete waste of a story. Stupid questions quoted and very little insight.

C'mon Randy, you can do better than that story.

I think that I would rather read a sports story about a Middle School Tetherball Tournament that waste my time with this story.

There goes 2 minutes I'll never get back...

Reader Comment Posted by: Christian - DM
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:39 pm

A few of you obviously can't read. At the end of the story, it says "Read more of this story in tomorrow's Register." So...is it a brief, simple story? Yes. My guess is this was written shortly after the weekly press conference, and it's just a little tease. I'm sure there will be more out of today's press conference coming tomorrow...and probably the rest of the week.


Reader Comment Posted by: getrealdog
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:29 pm

Some people who don't have anything invested in the hawks love to talk out the side of their mouth. They don't buy tickets nor do they buy the gear or do they support the team. Hey idiot is he worth his paycheck? Lets see>>>>
Kinnick sold out game after game @ $50.00 per ticket thats $3.5 million per game. 70 televised football games and still counting, numerous bowl games that pay 1 or 2 million to the school just for showing up. And guess what all that money goes to support all the other sports at Iowa.
The list goes on and on. So I ask you is he worth his paycheck? Yes - Will Iowa get it together? Certainly -Long before the other major college program in the state does. As for recruits you take your chances, one never knows if a champion high school football player can make the transition to the college ranks. One last thing the coach has nothing to do with who we play and when.
So I guess you really are clueless when it comes to numbers and paychecks (must come from your pay scale of $6.00 per hour)
Did your moma have any children that had a clue?????

Reader Comment Posted by: Stormn
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:23 pm

iowasperson1... why are you messin around with a blog.... shoot the SOB.


Reader Comment Posted by: iowaperson1
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:36 pm

Here's some good questions:

"Coach, given last Saturday's outcome, is it fair to say that this team is in a tail spin? ASK ME AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND THEN I WILL LET YOU KNOW.

"Having been an offensive line coach as an assistant, why did the O-line give up 9 sacks? DUH WE PLAYED A BETTER TEAM.

"Coach, are we going to win any more games this year, besides Western Michigan? ASK ME AT THE END OF THE YEAR.... Good follow up to this one..."Why are we playing Western Michigan at the end of the year?" BECAUSE WE DID NOT PLAY THEM AT THE START OF THE YEAR.

"Coach, what's wrong with the recruiting aspect of the program?"NOTHING WE ARE STILL ABLE TO PUT ENOUGH PEOPLE OF THE TURF... "Do you think we have a problem with Depth?" NOTHING A FEW WINS WONT HURT.

"Coach, do you think that 2 wins is worth $1.85 million, based on 237K you're paid per game?" ...DONT FORGET THEY TAKE TAXES OUT.

do you really think he cares what we uneducated arm chair quarterbacks think??? he answers to barta and the big buck money givers who talk to barta. why waste your energy taking pot shots at the team.

if you dont like it dont go to the games, dont listen to the games,sell all of your hawk gear, dont buy tickets, dont post in the blogs. find something better to do besides dwell on on iowa city.

Reader Comment Posted by: RunningD
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:22 pm

Wow I am surprised that was even an article. Must have been a slow news day.

A story about the questions he is getting asked, and the one they quoted wasn't that hard hitting.

"Uh coach is your program er, well I mean could it be unstable?"

Was that reporter from Iowa City High?

Reader Comment Posted by: toddyrich
on Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:14 pm

WOW, great story

Someone asked Kirk a question, and ya know what he didn't even get mad

Captivating Journalism

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: For the life of me, I can't figure out what the newspaper's editors hope to gain by printing responses like that to a reporter's story. If that's the "robust conversation" the paper says it allows and is looking for, I'm a member of the Supreme Court. Peterson is a gamer who worked his ass off in Iowa City all day yesterday, then he and his family had to read comments on the Internet from idiots who don't even have to be identified correctly. It's like having "2 Cents Worth" in the sports section of the Internet. It's embarrassing to the reporter and the newspaper and a ridiculous waste of time and space on the Internet].

*

Meanwhile, I'm going to take a nap. The Cubs' game doesn't start until 9 p.m. and won't finish until well after midnight. That means it'll be over too late to be in tomorrow morning's paper because of deadlines that have gotten earlier and sillier. I need to watch the game myself so I'll know how it came out.

*

Photo of Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen being sacked by Indiana's Greg Brown courtesy of the Associated Press. Charlie Neibergall shot the picture. Christensen was sacked a horrible nine times by Indiana.

Cheer Up, Hawkeye Fans: 80-Year-Old Joe Paterno Uses a 1960s Playbook, And Ferentz Has His Number. So Maybe Beleaguered Iowa Will Again Win, 6-4

As you already know, the editors of this web page go far and wide to get the best columns and stories available.

Today is no exception.

For the thousands of you who are waiting for some inside information on Penn State --Iowa's opponent Saturday at State College, Pa. -- you've come to the right place,

Here's what you need to know about the Nittany Lions and the game:

By Our Pennsylvania Correspondent

(The writer is a Cedar Rapids native currently exiled in Pennsylvania)

Take hope, Iowa fans. Your next game is against Penn State.

In the annals Penn State football, Oct. 23, 2004 stands as a singular embarrassment.

Final score: Iowa 6, Penn State 4.

And the score was not indicative of the true disparity in the game. Confident that Penn State was so offensively inept, Iowa handed the Lions a two-point safety to give the Hawkeye defense 20 more yards to work with in the fourth quarter. For the 100,000 Penn State fans in Beaver Stadium, the calculation proved to be maddeningly correct.

That day and that score could be a foreshadowing of Saturday’s contest between Iowa and Penn State in Happy Valley.

Penn State (3-2, 0-2) has a good, but not great defense. On offense, Joe Paterno uses a 1960s playbook and might struggle to score points. Strangely, that could be part of Paterno’s master plan. I’ll explain later.

What you should know is that history says if Iowa manages a relatively meager 17 points, the Hawks have a better chance than you think of winning a sixth straight game from PSU.

Here is a startlingly observation making the rounds on Penn State fan message boards:

Holding opponents to 17 or less points is generally a good thing. At Penn State, often it is not good enough.

Consider:

-- From 2000-2006, Iowa held opponents at 17 points or less 35 times and lost only two of those games (33-2).

-- In that same period, Penn State held opponents to 17 points or less 38 times and lost 11 of those games (27-11).

There is no other major college football team that comes close to that mark. In the Big Ten, Ohio State is 52-3 when hold the opposition to 17 or less; Michigan is 39-2, Illinois is 15-2, Wisconsin is 34-2, Michigan State is 20-5, Minnesota is 30-0, Northwestern is 17-1. Purdue is 28-6 and Indiana is 7-0.

Want to go national? Under that 17-point circumstance, Florida is 45-1, Alabama is 43-5, USC is 40-3, LSU is 52-4, Florida State is 42-4, Nebraska is 45-1 and Iowa State is 25-3.

From 2000-2006, Penn State is 3-30 when the Lions score 17 or less. As I said, if Iowa puts 17 on the scoreboard, recent history says the game is over.

Behind the Lions offensive, non-offensive number is the man who built Penn State football into a powerhouse that he has been tearing down since 1999: Joe Paterno.

Here’s the promised explanation: Paterno believes defense and special teams win football games. Offenses lose football games. It’s a philosophy from the 1960s that has become the legend’s guiding principle in the 21st century. What it fails to recognize is that Penn State no longer has vastly superior talent as it did in the era of no scholarship limits.

Since 1999, Paterno has been about the extreme execution of that philosophy, appointing his son, Jay, as one part of a two-headed play-calling system with former Florida coach and PSU alum Galen Hall as the silent cranium. Junior believes in his father’s system and sets out to call plays accordingly.

Paterno’s overall record at the start of the 2007 season was a terrific 363-121-3. Since 2000, Penn State’s record is a mediocre 46-38, including a marvelous 12-1 record in the 2005 season when the singular talents of senior quarterback Michael Robinson could not be contained by Team Paterno. Mixed into that recent record is a long steak of impotence versus quality Big Ten opponents including Iowa (1-4), Michigan (0-5) Wisconsin (2-4) and Ohio State (2-5).

It’s not that Penn State doesn’t have offensive talent on this year’s squad.

The Lions group of wide receivers (Deon Butler, Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood, Terrell Golden and Chris Bell) might be among the best in the conference. Tight End Andrew Quarless will play on Sundays. Senior Quarterback Anthony Morrelli has rifle arm. Senior running back Austin Scott was among the more sought after recruits in the county when he came out of high school.

But the Paterno play-calling system is based on the belief that if you pound the tailback up the middle enough times, something good just might happen. It’s not “three yards and a cloud of dust” because there is some passing. However, the system further holds that if your throw the ball between the hash marks, something very bad will happen.

Ferentz and Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker (and most other PSU opponents) figured that out long ago. The Iowa defensive game plan from 2003 won’t have to be modified much. The Iowa coaching staff surely laughed when reviewing PSU’s recent performance in Ann Arbor. It was a horrific offensive showing against a not-so-good Michigan team. Penn State managed 3 field goals. Those 9 points are more indicative of PSU’s offense that the 33 point per game average, most of which was padded in the three early cupcakes on the 2008 schedule.

Penn State’s offensive predictability has helped opponents limit scoring opportunities force mistakes. Morrelli has completed 58 percent of his passes, but most of short passes to the wings that gain a yard or lose 5 and he has a penchant for turning the ball over at critical times. His wide receivers run few deep routes that can threaten or even stretch a defense. Scott gets hammered running into fronts with 7 or 8 men in the box, and he has become a fumbler. Back-up running back Rodney Kinlaw is smallish and, since knee surgery a few seasons back, poses no breakaway threat.

Penn State fans cleave onto the faint hope that Paterno will play slightly more aggressively on offense at home versus a Big Ten foe than he does on the road.

If not, the question Saturday might be can Penn State’s defense score two touchdowns?

The answer: Probably not.

The defensive line is good, but young. Sometimes they flash strength and quickness. Often times they get rolled by offensive lines. Buffalo and Michigan both has success attacking the right side of the Lion defense.

The linebackers are very good. Senior Dan Connor is a player. Junior and former Iowa recruit Sean Lee is not far behind him, but there is a growing trend by opponents to run right at Lee.

The defensive backs were thought to be a strong point on the defense. The star of that unit, Junior Justin King was exposed as less than stellar however in a win over Buffalo (yes, Buffalo!) and the loss at Michigan. The other corner, converted running back Lydell Sargeant, is still learning the position.

Penn State’s kicking game is average. The punter is a freshman. The place kicker is seldom able to make anything beyond 40 yards. A.J. Wallace is a threat on kick-off returns. Williams took punt return back for a score against a pathetic Notre Dame squad.

In back to back weeks (Michigan and Illinois), Penn State has been leaderless on the field.

The Penn State-Iowa matchup has the makings of a repeat of 2004.

Disheartened, Penn State fans are fully braced for yet another embarrassing Saturday and many wonder how many more there are to be endured before JoePa leaves the sideline.

GAME NOTES: Ferentz owns Paterno, winning five in a row, and is 5-1 overall vs. Penn State …Paterno, who turns 81 in December, has been at Penn State since 1950, when he came to State College as an assistant to Rip Engle. He succeeded Engle as head coach in 1966 … Since 1966 Iowa has been coached six men: Ray Nagel (1966-1970), Frank Lauterbur (1971-1973), Bob Commings (1974-1978), Hayden Fry (1979-1998) and Kirk Ferentz (1999-present)...Paterno has one more year left on his current contract …He said he might want to coach another four or five years … Both he and friend Bobby Bowden won’t retire gracefully. Citing Bear Bryant’s death just months after his exit from Bama, Paterno and Bowden have said after retirement they fear there is only one more “big event “… Ferentz grew up in a Pittsburgh suburb and his name appears on some fan “wish lists” for Paterno’s successor ... The wildest game in the series was Iowa’s 42-35 overtime win in Happy Valley in 2002. That’s the game after which Paterno rather infamously chased down and grabbed the referee as they were leaving the field … Penn State students bought up their allotment of more than 20,0000 season tickets this year in less than 50 minutes.

PRE-GAME NOTES: If you are going to the game, take some time to visit downtown State College, a 15-minute walk through the campus to College Avenue on the southern edge of the campus. State College and Iowa City have many things in common as quintessential college towns…Penn State is famous for its “Creamery” where ice cream is the main course. It is located a few blocks west of the stadium. If you go, you’ll know you are close when you see the long lines.

SLIGHTLY OFF-TOPIC NOTE: Keep your eye on former Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill. His Buffalo Bulls team is much improved and well-coached. If Gill can win even a few MAC conference games there, he’ll be a hot coaching prospect.

*

Photo of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno courtesy of Google.