Clemson isn't a good comparison at all. The ACC actually has ALOT of good basketball teams. They could even play poorly and still beat Ohio State, Minn, PennSt, Nebr, Illinois, Rutgers. Clemson is good and playing well, but might be the 7th best team in that conference. Just like Iowa's football team getting a great break with a weak schedule, plus their two toughest opponents had a transition of new coaches. Oh joy, can't wait to read/listen to all the drooling for weeks when they're a 1 or 2 seed in DesMoines. Another break. Oh well. Lets just beat OU! I'm going to try and not talk about our rival for a while, its making me nauseous.
Soundoff
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Clemson isn't a good comparison at all. The ACC actually has ALOT of good basketball teams. They could even play poorly and still beat Ohio State, Minn, PennSt, Nebr, Illinois, Rutgers. Clemson is good and playing well, but might be the 7th best team in that conference. Just like Iowa's football team getting a great break with a weak schedule, plus their two toughest opponents had a transition of new coaches. Oh joy, can't wait to read/listen to all the drooling for weeks when they're a 1 or 2 seed in DesMoines. Another break. Oh well. Lets just beat OU! I'm going to try and not talk about our rival for a while, its making me nauseous.
Andy said...
When I see a kid with a Hawkeye jersey, I say "Oh."
When I see a kid with a Cyclone jersey, I say "oh, that kid's parents must be Cyclone fans."
also...
Cyclones are blue highways.
Hawkeyes are Interstate 80.
Basically said Iowa is king in this state.
When I see a kid with a Hawkeye jersey, I say "Oh."
When I see a kid with a Cyclone jersey, I say "oh, that kid's parents must be Cyclone fans."
also...
Cyclones are blue highways.
Hawkeyes are Interstate 80.
Basically said Iowa is king in this state.
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During the football season I couldn’t stand the love fest between local sports media and iowa football so I unplugged. I quit listening to KXNO or watching Sound Off, I stopped following Murphy, Andy Fales, KXNO, and Sound Off, unliked all of them on Facebook. I thought it would be too hard, I would miss some breaking news about the Cyclones, I didn’t. I get all my updates on Twitter from Cyclone Fanatics and others that I follow. While in the car I listen to ESPN, Rich Eisen, Dan Patrick, and I stream the Jay Mohr show. I don’t miss the backhanded compliments, the trolling, or all the hawk love. So I don’t know what was on Sound Off last night or what was said by Andy Fales on Whats Bugging Andy but it's by choice. You don’t have to listen, I haven’t for a few months now and it's great.
Used to follow SoundOFF and occasionally listen to Murph & Andy but will no longer be doing so after last night and have also unliked/unfollowed them on Facebook and Twitter. Fales' rant sounded like it was written by Jon Miller or put on BHGP instead of a Des Moines NBC affiliate.
I don't really get his point either. Iowa has more fans than Iowa State. We already know this. It's been true for a long time. But it's January and he thinks all the young kids in Iowa will burn their ISU gear and beg for Tigerhawk logos? 90%+ of college basketball fans - at least the casual type that will flip their affiliation between ISU and UI - don't pretend to care until March.
Iowa (or Iowa State, or any team) could win every game until March, win the Big 10, get the #1 overall seed, and lose to the 16 seed or even to the 8 seed in the first weekend, and their season would be viewed less positively than an 11 seed that snuck into the tournament and made the Final Four. That's just how this sport works.
This seemed like something Fales had been wanting to say for a while because he dislikes Iowa State fans. I don't really doubt that is true; I just thought that his position as a sports journalist for both KXNO and WHO would hold him back a little from blasting out that opinion. Guess not. I won't miss him, but I will miss Keith Murphy, who I have long enjoyed as a sports journalist.
I don't really get his point either. Iowa has more fans than Iowa State. We already know this. It's been true for a long time. But it's January and he thinks all the young kids in Iowa will burn their ISU gear and beg for Tigerhawk logos? 90%+ of college basketball fans - at least the casual type that will flip their affiliation between ISU and UI - don't pretend to care until March.
Iowa (or Iowa State, or any team) could win every game until March, win the Big 10, get the #1 overall seed, and lose to the 16 seed or even to the 8 seed in the first weekend, and their season would be viewed less positively than an 11 seed that snuck into the tournament and made the Final Four. That's just how this sport works.
This seemed like something Fales had been wanting to say for a while because he dislikes Iowa State fans. I don't really doubt that is true; I just thought that his position as a sports journalist for both KXNO and WHO would hold him back a little from blasting out that opinion. Guess not. I won't miss him, but I will miss Keith Murphy, who I have long enjoyed as a sports journalist.
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Andy makes it sound like our season is over. It is so far from over. Iowa is playing hot right now but can they sustain that? Next, more Iowa high school students are choosing ISU than ever before (many, many more than U Iowa) and I don't think that is because the parents are ISU fans as Andy says it. Andy is trying to get under our skins and it is working. Let it die and he won't make any more.
That was kind of a weird one. I think Andy is great, but I'm kind of confused about his whole line of reasoning that winning makes Hawkeye fans. I mean, they're great in both main sports this year, and where are all the fans? Maybe I need to rewatch.
It's funny - I always see a kid in hok gear and think, "wow, that kid's going to have some expensive therapy in a few years" or "someone should call Human Services because clearly that child is being put through some sort of mental abuse in their 40+ year old mobile home along with the 17 cats and a parrot that squawks 'go hoks!' non-stop." No self-respecting parent would ever allow their offspring to be seen in black and gold, unless they were from Pittsburgh.
That was odd. Not sure what the take home was. My three guesses:
1) I was trying to read into it that maybe Iowa State has been closing the gap with Iowa in terms of brand recognition since Iowa hasn't been winning much in the past 5 years, but now that Iowa is having success the momentum is back with them. ISU is also at a turning point with new coaching regimes in place, and the basketball season hasn't been the fairy tale season it was "supposed" to be yet (he didn't mention this last point, but I feel it to be true).
2) Maybe pointing out that it is supposedly easier to be a hawkeye fan than a Cyclone fan. No big surprise there.
3) Finally, stretching that Iowa consistently delivers, while Iowa State ends up consistently disappointing.
Whatever it was, it was strange. I usually like Fales and would like him even if he came out as a hawkeye fan. He usually provides decent perspective on situations. This segment would be more bearable if he did it with his usual humor, but it came off as "this is how it is and the way it should be". I'm not looking forward to the predictable show today on KXNO where they will act surprised that ISU fans are upset with the segment. ISU fans will also be looked at as more irrational than other fans for not accepting a media members opinion as the truth.
1) I was trying to read into it that maybe Iowa State has been closing the gap with Iowa in terms of brand recognition since Iowa hasn't been winning much in the past 5 years, but now that Iowa is having success the momentum is back with them. ISU is also at a turning point with new coaching regimes in place, and the basketball season hasn't been the fairy tale season it was "supposed" to be yet (he didn't mention this last point, but I feel it to be true).
2) Maybe pointing out that it is supposedly easier to be a hawkeye fan than a Cyclone fan. No big surprise there.
3) Finally, stretching that Iowa consistently delivers, while Iowa State ends up consistently disappointing.
Whatever it was, it was strange. I usually like Fales and would like him even if he came out as a hawkeye fan. He usually provides decent perspective on situations. This segment would be more bearable if he did it with his usual humor, but it came off as "this is how it is and the way it should be". I'm not looking forward to the predictable show today on KXNO where they will act surprised that ISU fans are upset with the segment. ISU fans will also be looked at as more irrational than other fans for not accepting a media members opinion as the truth.
Love how he says he's not putting anybody down, it's just the way it is. Nope it's just your biased opinion and it seems like you've just been waiting for an opportunity to spew it. Good news is that its way too early for halk turds to be taking victory laps just like its way too early for ISU fans to throw in the towel and count the season as a failure.
So much can change between now and March yet a lot of people talk like the season is practically over. Iowa fans are setting themselves up by talking so much **** and I really hope they keep it up. It will just make their collapse and our rise that much sweeter if they both happen.
So much can change between now and March yet a lot of people talk like the season is practically over. Iowa fans are setting themselves up by talking so much **** and I really hope they keep it up. It will just make their collapse and our rise that much sweeter if they both happen.
I'm about 50-50 on the things that bug Andy. Even when it's pro-Iowa, I can usually appreciate some of the humor...but I think the emphasized part is the vibe that got to me on this one.
I've worked closely with most of the local sports media ( a real humble brag, I know). Most of them truly don't care either way. They appreciate the state's love for sports and know all fanbases have a large portion of *****. Fales was trying to get Cyclone fans worked up. Seems like a bit of a cheap shot given how the basketball season has gone thus far. But whatever, it's WHO in Des Moines, IA.
The sure sign of a dumb fan is when they think the local media is decidedly against their team and for the rival.
That said, Sears is a total Hawk ******. Even Hassel, who we know is a diehard tavern hok, kept it pretty balanced when he was at WHO. Sears is completely incapable of not coming off like he's in high school.
The sure sign of a dumb fan is when they think the local media is decidedly against their team and for the rival.
That said, Sears is a total Hawk ******. Even Hassel, who we know is a diehard tavern hok, kept it pretty balanced when he was at WHO. Sears is completely incapable of not coming off like he's in high school.
When they finish 4th in the b10 and we finish 2nd (and best #1 tonight), will his tune change? Most likely. It's always that way with those guys. Please the masses. ISU has the most grads coming out of the state, and ISU will be the most popular school in the state in a few years. Sound off can't stop that.
Well said. This is the media we're talking about. Their job is to cover good stories and bad stories. Not the in between. Iowa has had a lot of success lately. Their football team finished top 10 and their basketball team is on a roll. That happens to coincide with the demise of Paul Rhoads, the departure of Fred Hoiberg, and a much heralded Cyclone basketball team that so far hasn't lived up to their preseason expectations.
If you take what Fales said personally that's on you. He's just stating the obvious right now. It's a tough time being a Cyclone. Hopefully the basketball team will rebound with a big win tonight and start to change the narrative.
I'll take what this guy is having. No way Iowa finish any less than second with the weak Big 10 and already beat the better teams when deflated.
And I'd love to see us get back up to #2, but the road looks a lot harder than we once thought. Plus we already laid a few eggs to start a huge disadvantage.
I think some of the hate towards the media come from fans like this that expect WAY to much from the Cyclones, and think the Hawkeyes will suck no matter what.
I think its the fact that football, in all honesty, runs the sports world. When the team consistently goes 3-9, 2-10 its hard to get behind them. Add in now that Iowa is higher ranked and having a great basketball season (as was the case for most of our childhoods for both sports) its only increases their brand. Football needs to be good is what it comes down to. I have heard a former ISU basketball coach say that this state it 70% Iowa fans.
I do agree with most of what you say, the only part I didn't like about his segment, and the bolded in your post, is that he declares Iowa's supremacy in basketball based off 1 week of them being higher ranked and better. One week in how many years? And you have to make the proclamation right before we have a run of huge games and can easily take them back over?
Sorry, kids aren't only watching this one week of basketball and making a lifelong commitment to one of the two teams. Always remember the 3rd week in January 2016!
Because we're going to fall to number 20ish this week? We've been ranked for 3 straight years and are favorites against the #1 team in the country right now. It's not a tough time being a Cyclone basketball fan right now