The week of pain continues with an excerpt from our old hated friend Pat Harty.
With just seconds remaining in what now might rank as the worst loss under Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, a distinguished member of the media said what most of you probably dread hearing.
He explained Iowa's startling decline by bringing up a depressing part of history. He said the pendulum had turned the other way, the way that has haunted this program off and on for years.
What he basically meant is that the Iowa program is fragile and when things turn bad, they sometimes spin out of control.
The Harty Party, of course, declines to name that member of the media or issue an exact quote, because that would be too easy. The Harty Party doesn't do "easy."
"My leg was feeling really good this week and then on Wednesday during practice I guess I tweaked it a little bit coming back from an injury I had," Stross said.
This might sound like an excuse, but the fact that Stross has been hampered by injuries for most of the season might have contributed to his emotional blunder. And perhaps he was just sick and tired of watching his team suck the life out of the homecoming crowd.
Seems like "the life out of the homecoming crowd" is an unnecessary modifier.
Regular OPS fans (read: my parents) may remember that I have a certain defense mechanism whenever I'm confronted with a Harty article (Harticle) that is as dreadful the season itself: The Pat Harty Avalanche. Run and hide.
WHEEEEE WE'RE HAVING A HARTY PARTY HAHAHAHAHAAAA WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
(muffled weeping, then a single gunshot is heard.)