It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Holds Its Breath

by Hawkeye State on Jul 6, 2009 7:54 AM CDT Comment 24 comments

Ruh. Roh.

No Comment. Yeah, we know about this. There's no confirmation from the coaching staff, so we're holding out on the story, but the internet sources aren't ones with a history of playing loose with the truth. Morehouse is also getting prepared; that's usually a sign to buy canned goods and head to the basement. Of course, we blame Hinton.

Wherefore art thou, Jacody? Remember the Jacody Coleman redshirt saga? As a refresher, about 2 months ago, backup MLB Jacody Coleman was stuck behind Pat Angerer and prepared to transfer, but instead decided to burn a redshirt season this year and compete for the position after Angerer's graduation in 2010. It was apparently resolved, only, no, it wasn't. Coleman is again transferring to a school closer to his home in Texas.

Losing a player is almost always bad for a program (Thanks, Captain Obvious! -- Ed.), but the Coleman transfer is especially damaging. Angerer hasn't exactly been a picture of perfect health, and there is no ready-made backup at middle linebacker. Our guess would be Troy Johnson moves over from the strong-side (we'd like to see Tyler Nielsen get a look, but he's too perfectly-sized at OLB), or Tarpinian becomes the all-purpose backup at both WLB and MLB.

We were working on two Assume the Position posts over the weekend: running back and linebacker. Needless to say, they are both in embargo for the moment.

Iowa Basketball: Catch The Fever! While UCLA demands its basketball ticket holders donate $500,000 to the university for the right to sit courtside, Iowa is thinking about running a blue light special:

Barta faces sort of a Catch-22 dilemma in that the team needs more fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on a regular basis in order to help it get better under coach Todd Lickliter.

But the problem is that many fans won't come to the games on a regular basis until the team gets better.

Unfortunately for Barta, Iowa has combined to lose more games (36) in the past two seasons than during any other two-year stretch in school history....

Barta has to give fans a reason to endure the bad weather and everything else that goes with attending an Iowa basketball game in the winter.

He has to make it cheap enough that many fans won't be able to resist not going, because after all, it's still the Iowa men's basketball team and it's still the Big Ten Conference.

Harty goes on to propose one of the dumbest things I've ever heard: Set a base price of $10 per ticket, only raise the price $1 for every win over 10. The Harty Party, who has apparently never paid money to see a game, doesn't realize that most fans purchase tickets long in advance of the day of the game. You want even more empty seats than last year? Tell people they can buy tickets now for $10, but could pay $15-20 for them in February. Fans (especially out-of-town fans) will buy their tickets now for games they might attend, and if the season goes south, stay home. Prices that low would also kill the market for low-level scalping; the typical single-game ticket holder might stand outside CHA in mid-January to get the $54 face value for his unused seats back, but is unlikely to do the same for $20. Combine the two, and you could see more empty seats than last season.

That's not to say a bargain-basement price doesn't make sense in one context: Ticket packages. Not only would lower ticket package prices increase attendance (package purchasers are local, and are more likely to attend even when the team stinks), but it could alleviate the unintened side effect of last season's decision to lower late-season prices. I know a number of long-time ticket holders who paid $27 per seat, only to watch the seat next to them go for $10 in February. Most of them have looked at the off-season carnage, expect more of the same, and are declining to pick up tickets for next season. Tell them they can buy those seats for $10 and I guarantee they'll change their minds.

Footnotes Iowa State WR Wallace Franklin hit with his third arrest in 15 months and kicked off the team. Cyclone Fanatic (which you may remember from breathlessly-worded punctuation-free posts about every Iowa arrest) doesn't mention it on the front football page and is more preoccupied with who will play running back for us. Tomahawk Nation posts the Vegas over/under season win totals; Iowa is at 8, which is exactly right. We missed this when it happened, but J Leman apparently signed with Carolina. Rock M Nation lampoons the Illini. And readers of my old blog will recognize this topic: The effect of the 2006 internet poker law on the field sizes at the WSOP.

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Wallace Franklin

Cyclone fans more concerned with Iowa Hawkeye football injuries than a rap sheet that looks like this:
March 2008 Interference with official acts and disorderly conduct.
May 2008 Interference with official acts.
July 2009 Public Intox

My question: Does this mean Franklin now has enough “credits” for an ISU bachelor’s degree in criminology?

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 9:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Even for a sports message board, CycloneFanatic is fucking insane

It really is one of my favorite places on the interwebs. They make teabaggers, birthers and Paultards seem rational.

Also, “Embargo” would be a pretty sweet name for a rock band.

by Bucketochicken on Jul 6, 2009 10:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

ISU fans being concerned with...

Jewel Hampton’s knee in July makes nearly as much sense as Pat Harty writing an article about basketball ticket prices in June.

I noticed Harty did not mention these dirty secrets:
a) Iowa has not won a post-season game (including Big Ten Tournament) since March 2006.
b) Iowa has not won a post-season game (not including Big Ten Tournament) since March 2003.
c) Iowa has not chosen to play a decent non-conference team at Carver since 2001 (a triple-overtime win against a very talented Missouri team). (I do not count the ACC challenge in this, as Iowa does not get to choose who they play).
d) The vaunted “Hawks Nest” student section has resembled an “Empty Nest” for a long time, as most of them would rather go to a bar and try to out-drink the football team.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 10:25 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Did we win an NIT game in 3/03?

My memory is foggy, but haven’t we been blown out by Michigan in each of the last two BTTs?

I know it wasn’t an NCAA tourney win, because I happened to be at the last NCAA tourney game we won – 3/01 over Creighton in Long Island.

C is a definite bummer. We’ve played some decent non-conf foes in neutral court tourneys, but that doesn’t do much to get folks excited about going to CHA.

I still think they should either give the students free tickets or make b-ball tix part of an activities fee or something. $5 shouldn’t be too much for students to pay, but if it is, they need to find ways to get students there anyway so that they can provide at least an illusion of a home court advantage. I know they’ve given away tickets a couple times over the past two years and each time there was a pretty good crowd of students, I think.

by RossWB on Jul 6, 2009 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

According to the "History and Record book"...

on Hawkeyebasketball.com, on page 76 of that pdf file,

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/history09.pdf

in March of 2003, we beat Valpo at Carver (this was with only like 24 hours notice, and the crowd was about 3000 people), and won at Iowa State in the NIT. We then lost to Georgia Tech back in Carver (only 9000 people in the place).

And yes, Michigan has beat us in the BTT the last two years, by 8 points in 2008 and by 28 in 2009.

The students signed up big time for season tickets in Alford’s first couple years (or maybe his second and third years?) because they thought we were going to be good. At that time, my dad and I were season ticket holders, and there was a possibility that they were going to increase the student section so much that they were going to leave some season ticket holders without tickets (especially if you did not donat much money, as my dad and I had not to that point).

But our student section has otherwise been nothing to be impressed about. People like to blame the fact that they are seated behind a basket. But, should it really matter? Up until the last year or two, there is no good excuse (in my opinion) for the kids not to show up. They’ve never had to pay more than about 100 bucks (or less) a seat FOR THE SEASON.

Now, with Lick’s brand of basketball and a sub .500 record, if you wanna go get your drink on instead, I can understand. But, at a university of this size, to start a season with a student section at or below 1500 kids is pretty crappy, IMO.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 11:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmm

Only 8 pts in 08? I could have sworn it was more than that, but maybe it was just such a hellaciously ugly game that the final margin seemed worse than it actually was.

The student seats do suck, but there are other schools that have student sections in lousy spots that draw far better than ours, so that excuse can only go so far.

And, yes, the student seats are dirt cheap and, yes, they probably should show up in greater numbers. While it would be nice if student tix would sell themselves they way they do at many other schools, we have to acknowledge the reality here, which is that the tix are not selling themselves. In that case, the athletic dept/marketing dept needs to work harder to sell them, either by offering free tickets or some sort of package deals (buy tix for 2 games, get tix for another game free?) or food-related specials (give away coupons to Pancheros or free pizza or something). The tix aren’t selling on the basis of it being “the thing to do” for students or because of the product on the floor, so they need to get a bit more creative. We do need to get students in there, because they’re (usually) the ones making the most noise, firing up the rest of the crowd, and actually making it a hostile environment for the other team. Without them, you have an arena primarily filled with retirees more concerned with beating the post-game traffic and making it home in time for the 10 o’clock news.

by RossWB on Jul 7, 2009 1:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

All freedom-lovers should be on high alert...

J Leman has apparently been kidnapped and replaced with a less threatening (and less awesome) government puppet cyborg:

Who the hell is Jeremy Leman?

http://www.panthers.com/team/roster/Jeremy-Leman/249bd2b6-2b67-4d3d-8dc2-c3c9a35dd32b

I find this out on the same day that I hear Robert McNamara died, and that we are “making friends” with Russia. I suspect there is a government conspiracy behind all of this. Does Sarah Palin have anything to do with this? I challenge the editors of this fine web-log to use their investigative powers to connect the dots and report back to us, the public.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 10:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I do like the fact

that, despite it being the beginning of July, Leman has already somehow racked up nine tackles.

I got more rhymes than Wade Lookingbill's got dunks

by Oops Pow Surprise on Jul 6, 2009 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think these are the 9 J Leman tackles:

avalanches

hurricanes

stingrays

Osama Bin Laden

SARS syndrome

blizzards

nuclear holocaust

West Nile mosquitos

Y2K

He tackled these problems, and because of that, we have not had to fear them recently.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 2:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You forgot one

Swine flu.

by TarHeelHawk on Jul 6, 2009 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I almost wrote...

swine flu, but according to the Iowa department of health, we had five lab-confirmed cases for the week ending June 20.

http://www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/common/pdf/flu/flu_report_24.pdf

I, for one, believe that J Leman would be more thorough in his eradication of the illness from within our borders.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Vegas Baby

Tomahawk Nation posts the Vegas over/under season win totals; Iowa is at 8, which is exactly right.

Do any of the other degenerate gamblers out there know which Vegas Sports Books will give you action on Iowa? Last year I tried just about every casino on the strip and could only bet on the LSUs, USCs, tOSU and Notre Dame type bandwagon teams. I guess Iowa wasn’t worthy to them. Anyone have any real answer to where I can bet it…please don’t guess if you don’t know. I’ll be out there at the end of July this year.

FREE ADRIAN CLAYBORN! It's a conspiracy and/or he was framed!

by CUNKNNK on Jul 6, 2009 12:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

as a side note

espn.com is reporting that fuckface is pleading not guilty to first-degree murder

by 2mannings1cup on Jul 6, 2009 2:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep.

Most Iowa newspaper websites had the same info earlier today.

I would bet it is mostly a legal maneuvering thing for now. Later, if they find out the prosecution has a ton of evidence and or witnesses, I could see him plead guilty.

Because Becker was released from the hospital mental ward only a day or two before the murder, I would hope even the most liberal judge would not buy the insanity defense.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If?

IF????
The room was full of students and ex-players. If they don’t have a dozen guys who not on can, but will gladly testify, I would be stunned.

July: New month, new team

by chitownhawkeye on Jul 6, 2009 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"...witnesses"

Other than the 20 people in the weight room who knew him and who watched him shoot Coach Thomas?

by rockyh on Jul 6, 2009 4:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Easy there, fellas.

While I agree that there will probably be plenty of witnesses, I would bet that the prosecution has not yet arranged any of their testimonies. They will probably only take the kids who weren’t ducking for cover and what not. You don’t want to give the defense any reason to question that stuff.

By the way, I am definitely thinking and hoping that this guy will be in jail for the rest of his life. I have taken a coaching class from Ed Thomas, and I have a pretty good idea what he meant to Parkersburg (and Aplington.)

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 6, 2009 4:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That picture is awesome

Is he giving the bird to that Maine defender?

DO YOU HAVE PRIDE, DANNY?

by ReadingRambler on Jul 6, 2009 5:40 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

More injury news...

Vandervelde needs surgery, although it doesn’t sound terribly serious. Hopefully he’s back by the Penn State game. Also, according to the Matt and Miller radio show, Dace has a hamstring injury, though no word on the severity.

To me, these injuries are more concerning (if they are more serious than they sound, at least) than the Hampton injury. Losing Hampton is a blow, no doubt, but I think the drop-off between him and the guys behind him is less than what we have at other positions. And, to me, I look at the RB situation this year and see parallels to 2005. Young and Sims had a grand total of 44 carries in 2004, but they emerged as very solid options in 2005, thanks in large part to a pretty strong offensive line. If the OL is as solid as we hope in 2009, I think we will be OK in the running game no matter who is back there… but injuries to potential/likely starters on the OL could really put a crimp in that idea.

by RossWB on Jul 6, 2009 6:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Very astute

observations…

The way I see it, Jeff Brinson has serious credentials as a H.S player and while that is not the same as Hampton’s having been through a college season, if the O-line is opening holes then a decent back will find a way to move the ball forward. However, I expect this (by this I mean Hampton’s possible injury and loss for the season or parts thereof) will open the door for something many people on this site have been beggin for…more passing on first down!

"When you don't know that you don't know, it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know." Bill Parcells

by StoopsMyAss on Jul 6, 2009 7:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

For Iowa,

passing on first down seems to work much better when we have established the run for about 20 minutes.

Also, if Hampton is out for a long time, I could see this season turning into a repeat of 2004, where we keep putting in RBs (and probably keep getting them hurt). I think/hope that Brinson and O’Meara have the muscle to play week-in and week-out in the Big 10.

But I wonder about the others (Murphy, Wegher, Jason White, Adam Robinson?). An interesting possibility is Brad Rogers, true freshman from Toledo, Ohio. He is listed as 5’ 10", and 225 lbs according to gohawks.com, and 5’ 9" and 230 according to scout.com. Scout projects him as a fullback, and says he runs too high (standing up), but that he can catch the ball on a pass. To me, he looks a little like a very young Shonn Greene (hopefully without the grade issues).

I always feel like, if we are going to run the ball as much as Iowa does, then our fullbacks are criminally under-used (KOK, I’m looking at you). So, maybe we could let Leppert, Morse, or Griswold actually run the ball into the line on occasion, rather than beg Big 10 defensive linemen to grab and or fall on Brinson’s legs an extra 4 times per game.

I don’t expect the fullback blast to break for 10 or 15 yards at a crack like it does when I fire up the Playstation, but it would be nice to find out if it could.

by WaterlooChazz on Jul 7, 2009 12:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't want to bag on Paki too much...

but unless he’s made a massive leap in the off-season, if we have to rely on him for anything more than spot carries to give the main RBs a breather, we are probably in trouble.

And 2004 was just a freakish season. I cannot imagine seeing another season where so many RBs go down with ACL injuries.

Wegher may not have the bulk to be an every-down RB in the B10, but I think he has more than enough to give us 5-10 carries a game or so. Rogers will be a RB at Iowa – at first, anyway. He came here because were about the only school offering him a shot at RB rather than FB, so I’m sure he’ll get an honest look there this fall.

I think we took the FB running plays out of the playbook after Big Edgar Cervantes was spectacularly unsuccessful on running plays in 2003. (And, yeah, I know he had a few good runs, but I seem to remember a lot of FB dives or off-tackle runs that went absolutely nowhere.)

by RossWB on Jul 7, 2009 1:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Hampton

Much ado about nothing?

Hmm.

by RossWB on Jul 7, 2009 1:13 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I heard Drew Tate slipped on the ice

and blew out his knee! O noes!

Internet rumors are internet rumors until the coach says “yeah, he’s broken.” Nothing in any reliable source. Nothing from anyone who isn’t an anonymous poster on a message board whose anonymous friend has an anonymous connection within the program.

TL;DR I call BS

by rockyh on Jul 7, 2009 11:04 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs