You know the rules by now... I’m going to ramble on about something in Iowa sports only to trick you into giving me questions for tomorrow’s mailbag. You can throw them in the comments section or send them directly to me on Twitter (@JerryScherwin) or use the hashtag #HelloJerry.
I’ve had one hell of a season “trying” to manage my expectations on this Iowa football team/overall program/coaching staff/roster of young but intriguing talent/play calling. I sincerely apologize to you all for that. If there has ever been a season that has displayed the core of my flip flopping nature, it’s this one.
I don’t want to be this way... I just can’t stop it.
I continue to be tricked. I overlook major blemishes in hopes of the lipstick transforming the pig into a beautiful football beast. I keep buying into blabbering coach speak because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
I need help!
Just look at the roller coaster ride I’ve refused to get off of during this season alone (all from The Pants Party):
After the Iowa State overtime win, I was cautiously excited about the prospect of the Big Ten season (despite the major problems with the three-and-a-half quarters of pretty poor offensive football). Fast forward to the Penn State game and I 100% believed in my heart (my heart is very stupid) that Iowa could and would win 10 games. After the Northwestern debacle, I declared that from here out, “I will always assume that Iowa will win just enough games to get to a bowl game” (that lasted a whole week). While it was nice to beat Minnesota (and their annoying little elf of a coach, P.J. Fleck) and keep our pig, I kept telling myself that it was just a mirage. A painted Looney Toons set piece that gets me to take one more step right off Buckeye cliff...
But then, that didn’t happen. INSTEAD, WE BEAT OHIO STATE 55-24 AND LOOKED LIKE AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE WITH A ROSTER FULL OF YOUNG TALENT HITTING THEIR STRIDE ALONGSIDE THEIR ROOKIE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR WHO FINALLY TALKED HIS HEAD FOOTBALL DAD INTO LETTING HIM USHER IN THE FUTURE OF THE IOWA OFFENSE WITH A POSSIBILITY OF STILL WINNING THE BIG TEN WEST AND IF I KNOW ONE THING, IT’S THAT ANYTHING IS POSSSSSSSIBLEEEEEEEEE!
For once, Iowa was the Roadrunner. Kiss that stupid Coyote goodbye and good riddance. While he had all the potential in the world, all of the best plans (in theory) and years and year of (failed) experience behind him; he still somehow kept falling short.
Not anymore. With a dominating 55-point performance against Ohio State and a brand new Patriots-style offense that featured scatter backs and huge tight ends we could do all things!
...lolz.
We’re still the pig (lipstick be damned). We’re still the Coyote (plans be damned).
I’m tired of believing that this time, is the time the product is going to change. I’m tired of being a fence riding fool that is way too emotional when it comes to his Alma mater’s football team.
I love Iowa athletics, but I’m almost 30-years old. I can’t live like this anymore.
So, consider this my official Hello Jerry BHGP New Years Resolution/Intervention. Maybe some of you can join this process with me. We can call our journey “Finding Balance: We are NOT Fence Riding Coyotes”.
Together, we can learn to be fair. Together, we can learn how to view this Iowa football team through our very own version of [redacted] colored lenses (minus the enlarged soap box he lives on). Together, we can learn how to really think about what Ferentz and company will face and how they have performed in similar situations in the past before escalating our now tempered expectations.
We can do this together, folks. Remember, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!
(Disclaimer: This does not include Fran McCaffery’s basketball program. I will go overboard on my predictions, projections and expectations. Yes, I realize I’m addicted to sports pain).
Send in your questions NOW! You can hit me up in the comments section of this post. You can leave them on the BHGP Facebook comment section as well. Or, if you’re feeling kind, follow me on Twitter @JerryScherwin and send in your question to me direct using the hashtag #HelloJerry.
For those without Twitter and Facebook and still have an AOL account, you can email them to at jerome.scherwinjr@gmail.com.
We’ll be running these on Thursday so get ‘em in folks.
Love you all,
#HelloJerry