The Second Letter is Not Scarlet.

“Thank you very, very kindly, Mr. Holcomb. It seems to me that everyone is letting their superlatives run away with them this evening, but nonetheless, I want you to know that I’m mighty, mighty happy to accept this trophy this evening.

Every football player in these United States dreams about winning that trophy, and of this fine trip to New York. Every player considers that trophy the acme in recognition of this kind. And the fact that I am actually receiving this trophy tonight almost overwhelms me, and I know that all those boys who have gone before me must have felt somewhat the same way.

From my own personal viewpoint, I consider my winning this award as indirectly a great tribute to the new coaching staff at the University of Iowa, headed by Dr. Eddie Anderson, and to my teammates sitting back in Iowa City. A finer man and a better coach never hit these United States, and a finer bunch of boys and a more courageous bunch of boys never graced the gridirons of the Midwest than that Iowa team in 1939. I wish that they might all be with me tonight to receive this trophy. They certainly deserve it.

I want to take this grand opportunity to thank collectively all the sportswriters, and all the sportscasters, and all those who have seen fit, have seen their way clear to cast a ballot in my favor for this trophy. And I also want to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Prince and his committee, the Heisman award committee, and all those connected with the Downtown Athletic Club for this trophy, and for the fine time that they’re showing me. And not only for that, but for making this fine and worthy trophy available to the football players of this country.

Finally, if you will permit me, I’d like to make a comment which in my mind, is indicative, perhaps, of the greater significance of football and sports emphasis in general in this country, and that is, I thank God I was warring on the gridirons of the Midwest and not on the battlefields of Europe. I can speak confidently and positively that the players of this country would much more, much rather, struggle and fight to win the Heisman award than the Croix de Guerre.

Thank you.”

A stark contrast to the bullshit the university has been spewing, indeed.

has been bothering me. I don’t know anything about the people allegedly involved in this with one exception, KF, and I don’t know much about him either. But he does have 2 daughters, at least the one of them in college. If all (or really any) of this is correct, that he could have been involved in not helping this young women completely will shatter my confidence in him.

You start your rant with a very big IF and then at the very end say it may have been coached by a “bar” attorney. What other kind of attorney is there? Just admit this post is simply a temporary catharsis for what all Iowa fans are feeling. This thing has been investigated once before. It’s unknown whether those letters expose anything untoward that wouldn’t have been found the first go around.

Did KF set a precedence early on in his career with the dismissal of starter to be Bennie Sapp for – relative to those now at hand – small violations? Yes. Was the victim prevented or lately or implicitly/explicitly threatened by the administration if she chose to go law enforcement? No. Were her parents involved at the outset? Yes. Am I disappointed in the way this has proceeded? Yes. Do the events reflect poorly on the UI? Yes. Will the victim file a civil suit against the UI? Likely.

I’d say responsibility in the whole thing is unequivocally unclear. I’d like someone to stand up and claim that responsibility, fall on a sword and restore some semblance of honor, fairness and dignity to Iowa City. I’m no longer so sure anything more than patience is required. Maybe those three characteristics are still live and well.

I would like to say that this is the first Hawk site I have found with some kind of sanity (although I should expect good stuff from SB Nation). I spent the day at hawkeyenation and that turned into a giant clusterfuck, because everyone there insists that the University is just completely blameless. So thank you, and keep up the good work.

I agree about the insanity of Hawkeye fans. My buddy is always drunk on Ferentz kool aid liquor and talks about the 2002 season like it was yesterday and not 23 losses ago. He wants me to apologize to Ferentz now because today Ferentz today said he was clean, of course. “Stop being skeptical of the motivation of Iowa admins and Ferentz, they say the did nothing wrong, MOVE ALONG” Sorry, I am not.

Ferentz suspended the players after he was forced to sit in a meeting where it was discussed how multiple players of his were accused of gang raping a passed out teenager. Case over, FERENTZ IS INNOCENT!! He took away their football careers at Iowa but then the kids went on to harass the girl. Awesome, Ferentz is Super!

Looking the other way on this topic does not restore my faith in Kirk Ferentz.

He ignorantly screwed another one of his players by having him unknowingly clean up a rape scene and thus making him a possible criminal suspect by police into a sexual crime cover up. So in the infamous first meeting, it was not discussed where the sexual crime happened? If I was DJK or his family, I would hate Ferentz.

Every time a poll comes out that shows only the about 2/10 Americans think President Bush is good at his job. I always wonder who the hell these people are that still thinks W is swell but then I read people blame rape victims, defend a University for NOT contacting authorities when one of their female students wakes up violated, in a random dorm room covered in blood, and never finds ANY ounce of fault with Kirk Ferentz’s behavior of having one of his players accidently dispose of evidence.

I do not get it.

The image of Kirk Ferentz is that he is ethical,clean cut, trustworthy and good guy. It is regarded that he graduates kids, runs a clean ship and possess some high morality.

However, when evidence comes to light over and over that his program is not clean but full of felons. When the truth hits that the University totally Fd up a rape investigation and hushed it up so it would benefit Ferentz’s program, it is everyone’s fault but Ferentz’s. (I planned on inserting blame it on Drew Tate one liner here)

I am flabbergasted that a large portion of Hawk fans do not see any of this as a firing offense. Hell, I have never mentioned the laundry list of complaints that I have with the 05,06,07 ON FIELD product.

Bellanca, your insight is awesome. Thanks to this blog for holding University Officials accountable and demanding answers, not bull shit investigations of non investigations to cover their own asses in the media.

KF’s statements yesterday definitely made me feel better about his involvement.

(for Hoop)

Hold off the lynch mob:

Parrish said the mother only represents one perspective of how the investigation was handled.

"She’s only hearing second- and third-hand about what happened," he said. "You almost have to step back and take a look at her perspective."

Parrish said the general public should keep that in mind before they make accusations about the University.

"If they followed procedure and that procedure wasn’t good enough, post-Pierce, let’s change it," he said.

Parrish said he does not know yet if he will take any action to prevent Satterfield’s conversations with his coaches and athletic officials from being used in the trial. However, he said he does not expect the media frenzy surrounding the letters and regent’s investigation to hurt his case.

http://hawkcentral.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/NEWS01/80725003/1053

... that I could write a post which contained neither profanity nor a personal attack and that raised a legitimate question on the whole idea of certain aspects of civil suit compensation but was still worthy of deletion :)

Donny, +5
Your’s is probably the opinion of the majority of Iowa fans. Of course, we all have our head in the sand, too. I have enjoyed reading Bellanca’s previous diary entries, but man, this is just over the top. If Will Leitch was compared to “Jimmy Olsen on Percoset”, he has crossed over to “Ron Maly on windowpane”.

Thank you for writing. However, we are in a restorative - ‘ding-ding’ - quiet period. I usually explain why someone is wrong, or why, simply, he’s an asshole. Otherwise it’s just name-calling. But that’s just me. I see that you’re content to label without explanation. BTW, I think you’re right. I’m a bit of a snob, and I think I’m right and you’re wrong. I can’t help it. Remember, however, we’re in a quiet period. Frankly, I think I will stay in a quiet period for a while. Ding-ding.

Because I thought, actually, a quiet period is in order, yesterday I rose at 3:30 a.m., to drive up to NYC to see my daughter, drink prosecco at breakfast, check out the pre-fab architecture exhibit at the MoMA, see The Wackness at the Angelika on Houston and Broadway, and wonder, Why the fuck am I watching Ben Kingsley made up like Harvey Keitel?, and thence take the 7 train out to watch the 5 hour Met game with the Cardinals. A reasonably full day. My daughter is an over-achiever. Did I mention that she was a female college athlete? Probably not. That might explain my ill-humor about certain recent events. So, New York. City that I love. Moved there with $200 when I was 17. Dick Summerwill had to intercede when I went broke, and threaten his correspondent relationship with Manny Hanny. But that is way too personal. See? I disconnected the internet, as instructed. I am on an Even Keel. We’re on the road in NYC. It’s a travelogue!

Well.

If Casey McMillan were a baseball player, he would be Albert Pujols, who hit a 450 foot shot that hit the bleachers before I could say, “percoset”, or something, about 12:07 a.m. Thank god. Met fans are like Cyclone fans, only without the native Iowan IQ, and that funny north Iowa Scandinavian lilt. I was so happy to pile back onto the trains at 1 a.m. to stand cheek by jowl for the ride back to Times Square, and the 1 train up to the west side, where the hotel couldn’t find my reservation. (Candidly, and I am a snob, which has been noted, I’d rather drink beers in the bleachers in Harlem than listen to and watch human events at Shea. But, my daughter hates the Yanks. Her mom’s from Connecticut, which is Sox-land.)

And if there is justice in this world, and, frankly, I don’t think there’s been enough in Johnson County lately, but - ding-ding and all - it is expressed in Rick Ankiel’s swing. The background for the baseball challenged? After he blew up emotionally and couldn’t throw the ball over the plate, after looking like a preternatural Koufax, and disappearing by the age of 25, as some of you know, Ankiel asked the Cardinals for the chance to come back—as an outfielder. Having savaged him in the playoffs, they felt guilty enough to let him try. Of course it would never, ever work. Every one knows this.

Why? It has happened exactly zero times in human history that a major league pitcher, much less the next Koufax, hit bottom at 25 and came back and succeeded as a position player.

The pathos of Ankiel’s unraveling, though, was such, that I read everything I could about him, and taught my son (a righty I taught to hit lefty, of fucking course) the lessons of Rick Ankiel:

a. People, even the ones who like you, will use you if they can.
b. No one knows how hard it is to be alone doing a difficult job. They do expect you to laugh about it, however.
c. The games that we play are bigger than our simple selves. It’s the game, not our Selves, that we must remember to respect.

So a few years ago, my 14 year-old shortstop son and I hopped in the Bellanca, and, catching favorable winds, flew direct Appleton from Washington and landed and headed out to the Class A ballpark because Ankiel’s Quad Cities Midwest League team was in town and he was on the first step of his delusional reformation and return. He struggled a bit, that day, and we shrugged, and we flew down to Milwaukee for a game with the Nats, when pre-injury John Patterson was untouchable (have you heard from John lately? No.), and then flew out to Iowa City to pick up my dad and thence to Des Moines for a game at Gartner Field. As you know, other than football, baseball makes any human activity look stupid. We used to vacation via baseball.

Well, I can say, now, having seen Ankiel on the first step of his return, and last night, that he has the most violent, beautiful and level swing of any left handed hitter I have seen. And, btw, he hits fourth, protecting Puhols. Rick Ankiel is good enough playing center and swinging the lumber that his job is to make sure Albert gets pitches to hit.

Meanwhile.

The starter for the Mets last night was Brandon Knight. who in April was sitting on his sofa scratching himself and a) unemployed; b) 32; c) last pitching in the major leagues in 2002, when his era was 10.xx. He was signed off his sofa to pitch non-affiliated Independent League Class A. Then signed to the Mets minor league systems. Then assigned to the Olympic team. This is not a Ron Shelton picture, and Brandon is not Crash Davis. This is all happening truly right now.

Last night Knight was pitching to Pujols and Ankiel. He did okay. Miserable first inning, stronger each inning that followed. Four runs in the first, zero the following four. Today he was designated for assignment. He will head out to California because he’s on the U.S. Olympic team.

My point(s)?

1. As I said to my daughter, Have you ever seen such a cruel and enriching game?

2. Fitzgerald was wrong, there certainly are second acts in American lives.

3. If Casey McMillan played baseball, he would be playing first base for the Cardinals and be called “Albert”.

4. It’s time for someone at the SUI to ask for, and then practice, an opportunity for a second act.

Time’s up.

There very much are second acts in America lives. We need a second act in Iowa City

First off, an apology. I thought I had posted in response to DonnyDonovan’s comment “How do you really feel about Plaintiff’s attorneys” . Maybe that would have sufficed to offer an explanation for the “label”. I share his view.

There is something rotten in Iowa City, which we are all hopeful is resolved when all of the facts are gathered. I agree with your views on the U president. How she could drop the ball on this, knowing it was going to be a high profile case, is freaking unbelievable. Maybe she doesn’t get involved in a case like this,normally. But in her position, to not follow up with the people “supposedly” handling this case and make sure it was being done properly, is indefensible.

Where you lost me was in your over the top, almost spam-like attempts at sarcasm at HN.com, all in capital letters GO TEAM BEAT MAINE blah blah blah. The first one made the point, a dozen was ridiculous and annoying. Maybe you are right, and I’m wrong. I would like to gather as much information as is put out, and then decide for myself. Some of that information has even come from you, and maybe you do know more about this than a lot of other sources. I, like others, just think you are in too big of a hurry to rush to judgement.

I’m glad you were able to spend the day with your daughter. It was an awesome game, to be able to see live. I live in the Quad Cities, so I am aware of Ankiel’s journey. It is remarkable. My youngest daughter just graduated from Augustana College in May. To have a daughter in college during the times of such senseless tragadies of Blacksburg and DeKalb…to see on the local news that at this tiny, private college my daughter is going to, in order to increase security,call boxes have been installed every couple hundred feet…well, if I thought long and hard about it, I would surely go insane.

Thanks for sharing this travelogue, and I really mean that. You have a gift.