SB Nation User Blog: Hawkeye State

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Shoots Bottle Rockets

Hawkeye State — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:56:24 -0000

J Leman? J Leman.

Happy Independence Day, everyone.

In Defense of the Manzi

Hawkeye State — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:34:01 -0000

Who you callin' unproven?

Earlier this week, Matt Hinton a/k/a Dr. Saturday wrote another of his typically interesting posts on the dearth of quarterback talent in the SEC and nationwide. In it, he placed BCS starting quarterbacks into four categories: Proven, Viable, New, and Not Viable. The Big Ten breakdown:

Proven - Darryl Clark, Juice Williams, Terrelle Pryor
Viable - Dick Stanzi, Adam Weber, Dustin Sherer
New - The MSU quarterback shuffle, Mike Kafka, Tate Forcier, Joey Elliott
Not Viable - The Ben Chappell Experience

Hinton knew he was going to catch some heat:

"Not viable" here is reserved for returning starters who were so bad it's inconceivable that they could ever lead a successful offense (see specific assignments for each category here; Ricky Stanzi fans, my e-mail is on the sidebar).

I don't need no stinking email. I gots me a blog, mothafucka.

Let's go to the blind taste test. For your consideration, five Big Ten quarterbacks:

Player	Starts	Record	Rating	Yards	YPA	TD	INT
A	10	8-2	146.50	1311	7.95	12	4
B	7	4-3	120.67	1389	7.27	6	5
C	12	5-7	138.09	3173	8.33	22	16
D	11	8-3	134.85	1956	7.70	14	9
E	13	7-6	126.93	2761	6.73	15	8

Two of those quarterbacks are "proven," and the other three are "viable". Can you sort it out? Yeah, me neither.

I understand Dr. S's need to put together a rating system for the post he was writing, but it's awfully goddamn arbitrary when Player A (Terrelle Pryor) throws for just 131 yards per start, puts up a nearly-identical record as a starter (with a far more talented supporting cast by Rivals/Scout standards, which we all know is gospel), shows no significant advantage in any other category, and still gets a higher ranking than Player D (The Manzi). Even if you throw in rushing yards (which is a little skewed because, you know, these are quarterbacks and they get sacked and stuff) and calculate total offensive output, Stanzi actually outgained Pryor by 34 yards last season (and did this, which Pryor didn't). The only thing Stanzi doesn't have over Pryor is OMG HE'S TERRELLE PRYOR.

STANZI CAN'T WEAR WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY WHAT

That's to say nothing of the fact that Player B (Dustin Sherer) was lumped in with Stanzi and Adam Weber (Player E), despite the fact that he has all of 7 career starts, is behind Stanzi and Weber in every meaningful statistic, and is on a team that limped through the second half of the season, squeaking by a demoralized Minnesota and cupcake Cal Poly at home before being disemboweled by Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl.* If there's a separation to be made, it's between Sherer and the rest of the pack, not between Stanzi and Pryor.

I'm not saying Stanzi is "proven" or that Pryor is "viable"; those are arbitrary terms with plain English definitions that may or may not apply to each player. I'm saying that any distinction between the two - or between Stanzi and Weber, for that matter - is skewed by something other than numbers (in fact, with two full years of relatively consistent performance that is arguably better than both Stanzi and Pryor, Adam Weber might have an even stronger case for "proven" status). If the classification is based on statistical performance, those three belong together, whatever the label might be.

* -- I'm not going to quibble about Player C, Juice Williams, even though we all know that Juice Throws = Illini FAIL, because Juice truly is a proven commodity at this point.

Get it? Juice? Commodity? Well, Mortimer & Randolph approve.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Loves You, Baby

Hawkeye State — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:18:48 -0000

What the hell are you doing here? NEW WILCO NEW WILCO HOLY HELL YES IT'S NEW WILCO!!!!!!

(Yes, they are the only band that can make me write like Brewster.)

The "Guy Rucker Award for Living as a G" was presented to J.R. Angle at an earlier ceremony Todd Lickliter announced that Jarryd Cole received the Chris Street Award for 2008-09:

Incoming junior forward Jarryd Cole was named recipient of the Chris Street Award for the 2008-09 basketball season.

The Chris Street Award is presented annually to a Hawkeye player, or players, who best exemplify the spirit, enthusiasm and intensity of Chris Street.

"Jarryd was presented this award in the presence of his teammates and coaches before we left for our summer trip," said Coach Todd Lickliter. "Jarryd is appreciative of the honor and understands the significance of receiving this very special award."

Yes, the Chris Street Award is so special to Lickliter that he forgot to mention its recipient until five weeks after he gave it out. More importantly, is it time we start discussing the obvious bromance between Lick and Cole? I know he recovered from an ACL tear and all, but back-to-back captaincies and the Chris Street Award to a guy who averaged 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game? Either Lickliter has a mancrush on his backup center, or Cole has incriminating pictures IT'S THE INTERNET LET'S SPECULATE.

Look away, nothing to see here UI assistant athletic director Fred Mims, who has previously sent us a cease & desist letter (he's the reason why you can't get Stanzi shirts anymore) and is completely incompetent, denies the recent spate of alcohol-related football arrests is a sign of an epidemic:

"It’s not an epidemic in any sense," Mims said. "What we have is we have some people making poor choices."

Since mid-April 2007, 26 Iowa football players have been arrested or issued citations. Twenty of the players had charges or citations related to alcohol or drug use/possession.

Nine players were arrested for public intoxication, five for drunken driving and five were cited for underage possession of alcohol. Two were charged with drug possession. One player was charged for underage possession and public intoxication in another incident....

Mims rattled off a litany of alcohol programs aimed at student-athletes. In 2007-08 all new football players were required to attend an orientation that included high-risk drinking and take an online course on alcohol before arriving on to campus. The department brings in speakers who talk about alcohol and poor choices.

"I don’t know how much more programming one can do," he said. "We have probably one of the more intrusive programs in the country."

Yeah Fred, nothing grabs an 18-year-old football player's attention like an online course on the dangers of alcohol, taken before he hits campus and realizes he can drink for free in any of the 30-some bars within walking distance of his dorm room. What's next, pamphlets?

Look, a vast majority of students at Iowa drink, whether they are of legal age or not. Of that number, a significant percentage get a ticket or a night in jail at some point. It's the ecosystem of Iowa City: The students come to town and spend their parents' money in the bars, walk out of the bars at 2:00, do something stupid in the presence of the 147 cops on patrol, and give more of their parents' money to the city in the form of a possession ticket or public intox fines. When you happen to be the size of a compact car and do something stupid, you stand out to the aforementioned 147 police officers even more. Is there an epidemic of alcohol-related football arrests? Not any more than there's an epidemic of alcohol-related arrests of the student body as a whole. But that's not to say there's not an epidemic.

Caring Is Creepy, Part 1 Captain Kirk picked up a commit from Harlan defensive end Matt Hoch yesterday. Hoch (3* Rivals, 3* Scout, ESPN 150 watch list), who was being pursued by ISU, Kansas State, Mizzou, and Stanford (Suck it, Bowlsby!), is the eighth commit of the spring; in contrast, at this time last year, Iowa had exactly one commitment. He is also the seventh commit to project into the defensive front seven, a high number for a year where Iowa has just 18 scholarships to distribute. Hoch's brother is an offensive lineman for Mizzou.

Caring is Creepy, Part 2 Ben Brust, a 6'2" shooting guard from Chicagoland, visited Iowa City yesterday, and said his decision could come as early as today. Brust has narrowed his choices to Iowa, Northwestern, and Butler, but apparently Iowa has a silver bullet in Cully Payne:

Brust and incoming Iowa freshman Cully Payne are friends from the Chicagoland area. That could aid Iowa’s chances of landing Brust.

"It’s definitely nice having Cully around because I’ve known him for a while," Brust said. "It’s someone I can trust, it’s someone I know is going to tell me the truth and will be around for three years at Iowa, if I choose to come here."

It's hard to get excited about Iowa basketball right now, especially when we're fighting Butler and jNWU for recruits, but at least it's a start. Right? RIGHT?

Footnotes Indiana finishes the renovation of the north end zone of Memorial Stadium; before kickoff, players will emerge from the new tunnel into the north end zone to find that nobody cares about Indiana football...Joe Sports Fan counts down the 7 worst sports movie endings of all time; after reading their logic, I can't disagree with #1...The Inimitable Mr. Swindle (which sounds like the latest Brad Pitt vehicle) gets his ass handed to him at ping pong.

We've always enjoyed the Palestra report in the aftermath of Iowa's 55-0 shellacking of Minnesota. ...

Hawkeye State — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:34 -0000

We've always enjoyed the Palestra report in the aftermath of Iowa's 55-0 shellacking of Minnesota. We don't know if it's the melancholy ramblings of Gopher linebacker Steve Davis or the way that the reporter looks like a hostage in the Metrodome, but it's damn near perfect. Still, there was something missing, something that we added over the weekend...

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Moonsaults Off The Top Rope

Hawkeye State — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:36:47 -0000

Go Tell It On The Mountain About one year ago, the Everson/Satterfield coverup allegations went from "smoldering embers" to "towering inferno" when Sally Mason disclosed that a box of related documents (including the infamous letter from the victim's mom) were withheld from investigators pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Of course, the vast majority of the redacted documents had nothing to do with FERPA, which was designed to protect student's grade reports from public disclosure. When grilled about this expansion of FERPA to redact documents not remotely within the law's scope, Mason caved:

The original thinking that federal law known as FERPA, designed to protect student privacy, prevented the letter from being shared with our Board of Regents leadership is just not tenable. There is no excuse for the failure to turn over those letter as part of the investigation that you directed the Board of Regents office to conduct in the wake of the report of the assault.

I will make it clear to all member of my administration that our obligation to maintain the privacy of student records should never be interpreted as preventing us from sharing information that you request in pursuit of your governance responsibilities.

Mason proceeded to can UI general counsel Marc Mills like he was tuna for withholding these documents, and rightfully so; the wholesale concealment of douments on FERPA grounds, just because said documents include a student's name, is incorrect, and any general counsel worth his salary would know it.

The reason we're reopening this can of hell? Apparently Iowa isn't the only one hiding behind FERPA:

The Columbus Dispatch has done some yeoman's work in recent months examining the increasing veil of secrecy placed over the activities of ostensibly public -- and therefore FOIA-vulnerable -- athletic departments. ADs now use FERPA, a law narrowly tailored to prevent the release of student grades and transcripts, to shoot down or bowdlerize public information requests of all varieties.

MGoBrian is right. Marc Mills' argument could very well have been "everybody else is doing it, so why can't we?"

Across the country, many major-college athletic departments keep their NCAA troubles secret behind a thick veil of black ink or Wite-Out.

Alabama.Cincinnati. Florida. Florida State. Ohio State. Oklahoma. Oregon State. Utah. They all censor information in the name of student privacy, invoking a 35-year-old federal law whose author says it has been twisted and misused by the universities.

Former U.S. Sen. James L. Buckley said it's time for Congress to rein in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which he crafted to keep academic records from public view.

A six-month Dispatch investigation found that FERPA, as it's commonly called, is a law with many conflicting interpretations. And that makes it virtually impossible to decipher what is going on inside a $5 billion college-sports world that is funded by fans, donors, alumni, television networks and, at most schools, taxpayers.

Brian goes on to discuss the NCAA's newest method of preventing document disclosure: Keeping documents that would otherwise be available to the public pursuant to a FOIA request on a secured server to prevent pubic disclosure. By keeping them on an NCAA server, the Indianapolis-based Leviathan claims, these documents are the property of the NCAA rather than the schools, and therefore not subject to state public institution disclosure laws. Brian's conclusion is absolutely correct: If the NCAA wants to conduct its business under the same veil of secrecy that the NFL and MLB do, it should be paying the same taxes those leagues do.

RIP, Billy Mays Is it wrong that this means more to me than Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett combined?

Caring Remains Creepy Iowa picked up 2010 recruit #7 over the weekend, in the form of 6'5", 260 lb. Wisconsin defensive end Mike Hardy. He turned down offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue and Iowa State. He was also the state discus champion, so he should have no trouble picking up Norm Parker's controversial "spin around with your arm extended and smack the opposing lineman until he's senseless" pass rush technique.

Not Mike Hardy

We knew Mike Hardy was disappointed in his brother's championship match DQ win over CM Punk at last night's pay-per-view, but we never imagined he'd leave the family business to pursue a career in the Big Ten. We're glad to have him, though it remains to be seen how the Twist of Fate will translate to the football field.

As for Wisconsin losing an in-state recruit (which never used to happen), Hardy's defection could be due to the fact that nobody wants to go to their games anymore.

Footnotes David "El Presidente" Palmer will transfer to Northern Kentucky for his senior season. Let's hope he gets a fairer shot than he did here...Phil Steele, he of the VHT, predicts Iowa will play Alabama in the Capital One Bowl. As you know, Phil is always correct, so order your plane tickets now and beat the rush. If you want to start getting prepared, I suggest you start here...Chuck Long is pulling a George Costanza on San Diego State, though, to be fair, it's not really his fault.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Eulogizes

Hawkeye State — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:03:12 -0000

(Note: INPIYL2I will return to its usual self on Monday -- HS)

RIP, Coach Thomas The horrific, senseless murder of Coach Ed Thomas has dominated the Iowa blogosphere over the last few days. Here, a compilation of the eulogies from friends of the BHGP.

As usual, nobody does it better than Marc Morehouse:

Your high school football coach puts expectations on you that run out after the last time you take off a helmet. Or do they? Your coach’s expectations stay suspended in your life. Don’t try, do. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Morehouse, wake up (film put me in a coma, sorry coach Weitz). It might be simplistic or naive, but your coach’s expectations are still there, at the base, in the work ethic.

Ed Thomas clearly understood this. Something like 90 percent of the male students at Aplington-Parkersburg go out for football, big and small and fast and slow, doesn’t matter. A-P hasn’t been the dynasty it is because 11 kids do all the work every season. Ed Thomas brought everyone in. He was the face of the town after last May’s killer tornado.

He was a "coach," in the highest sense of the word.

In football, the weightroom is the family room. You grow there. You kid, push and cheer each other there.

Wednesday, Ed Thomas was murdered there. A father was taken while tending to 30 members of his family.

Mike Hlas:

Ed Thomas Field. "The Sacred Acre." As much as anywhere in town over the years, it’s the place that has given Parkersburg its sense of community.

Falcon football has been about winning, absolutely. But it’s been about how the things that make people true winners. Wow, was that ever evidenced after the tornado, when the team and its town fought back like state-champions.

"You get beat up, battered," Thomas told the New York Times last fall, "but you get back off the ground."

Thomas, who lost his home in that tornado, spent the last year of his life helping kids and an entire town get back off the ground. He succeeded marvelously.

Then a madman with a gun shot Ed Thomas dead Wednesday morning in a weight room, before several A-P students.

It was a cold-blooded reminder there are much-worse things than tornadoes in this world.

Scott Dochterman, on how Ed Thomas might have singlehandedly saved Parkersburg from death by consolidation (a legitimate concern in small-town Iowa):

Where would that town be today without Ed Thomas? Certainly the school district moves all home football games to Aplington. Maybe the school district decides to build a new high school at another location. It’s not that far-fetched that the school district would have considered combining with another nearby district.

Maybe many in the town decide to move away to other communities, possibly the Cedar Falls-Waterloo area. Instead, Thomas demanded the high school remain in Parkersburg. He picked up debris and glass shrapnel on the football field and demanded the school play its first game following the tornado at the "Sacred Acre."

From cidsports:

Sadly, society saw a lost 24-year old throw his life away, along with the life of a beloved man, who inspired so many that he meet or those who were able to learn from his story in Parkersburg. It is sad that there is so much hatred or anger in the world today.

May we find peace. May our prayers and thoughts remain with those impacted and touched by this tragic day and this tragic event. Ed Thomas was a fine man and much more to those who really knew him.

Hlas also did some digging, and found an interview Thomas gave in 2005, an essay Thomas wrote after last year's tornado, and a New York Times piece on the aftermath of the 2008 storm.

We are now two days removed from the shock of Wednesday morning, and it's still as stunningly sad as it was when we first heard the news. There is nothing I can write to fill the void; any further attempts at summing up the life of a great man just feel like futile attempts to add words to an unspeakable tragedy that needs no more context. It's that old Wittgenstein quote: "Whereof one cannot speak, one must be silent." Godspeed, Coach.

With the death of Ed Thomas, not to mention the events of yesterday, this week has been depressing as hell. So let's wrap things up with a song so staggeringly simple, depressing, and beautiful that the mere anticipation of its performance made Dave Letterman sound like a kindergartner with a speech problem. Come Pick Me Up is, in fact, so plaintively depressing, so brutally honest in its assessment of heartache, that it borders on comical (in an ancient bootleg of Adams' first performance of the song, the crowd actually laughs at the chorus).* In the wake of all of this, maybe what we need more than anything else is a laugh from the bottom of the well.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

* -- It's also the single greatest whiskey drinking song I've ever heard. So if you prefer a stiff Jack Daniels to a laugh, feel free to join me.

ESPN's E:60 Goes to Parkersburg

Hawkeye State — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:26:56 -0000

[We're re-running this story from September. We couldn't stand having that mugshot at the top of the page any longer. Much better to have a reminder of how beloved Ed Thomas--the coach, the teacher, and the man--truly was.--OPS]

We, like every other self-respecting blog, take an occasional shot at ESPN. That being said, we have to give credit where credit is due. If you don't have chills down your back and a lump in your throat while watching this E:60 segment on Aplington-Parkersburg football in the aftermath of this spring's tornado, you probably don't have a soul.

Assume the Position 2009: Safety

Hawkeye State — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:51:59 -0000

It's about that time again. For the next three months, BHGP will be previewing this year's Iowa Hawkeyes, position-by-position. Naturally, as the earth revolves around the sun, things will change. Therefore, we're starting with the position where we are most certain, and ending with the position of which we are least certain. To date:

1. Quarterback
2. Offensive Tackle

Tonight: Safety

Sigh.

The Starters

FS: Brett Greenwood (#30, 6'0", 205, Junior) - Much like when we previewed Jake Christensen last year, let's not let the debate over Greenwood's relative quality as a safety obscure the fact that he has no challengers.

But what a debate it is. Greenwood, a former walk-on entering his third season as starting free safety, has caused more disagreement. Fighting out of the red corner, Marc Morehouse:

A lot of internet folk are down – way down — on Greenwood. The complaints range from bad angles to missed tackles to few big hits. I’m still throwing it out there for concrete examples. I know there are missed tackles, but I can’t think of one from Greenwood that led to a loss or a big play. I’m not saying that example isn’t out there, though. None jump out at me.

Greenwood’s first start — at Penn State in 2007 — was tough. That one stood out. He had a lot of "teaching moments" during his first season, when he made the transition from walk-on. Last season, Greenwood was one of Iowa’s most improved defenders. He finished tied for third on the team with 68 tackles last season, two picks and six pass breakups.

I’m not saying he’s an all-American, but Greenwood is a plus for Iowa’s defense, perhaps an all-Big Ten candidate next season. He didn’t make the same mistakes he made in 2007. Follow that growth, he should be a year better this season.

We can argue now. Bring specifics and, please, be respectful.

The man wants specifics. Mr. Pow Surprise?

There was Pittsburgh:

On Pitt's first and third touchdowns, both long runs snaking through the Iowa secondary, FS Brett Greenwood was caught laughably out of position. The first run was especially egregious, as one unremarkable juke move left Greenwood with two broken ankles and utterly incapable of laying even a hand on the rusher five feet in front of him. Greenwood hardly made his presence known against this first tough opponent of the season (notable exception: saving a 20+ yard run with a dive tackle on McCoy's ankles in the second half), and we're thinking the comparisons to Sean Considine and Derek Pagel can wait until Greenwood cuts down on the mental errors that were famously absent from his predecessors' play.

Then there was Indiana:

Indiana found success by attacking one member of the Iowa defense, and only one. Regular readers of BHGP know exactly who the lone weak link of the defense is: FS Brett Greenwood. Being that this is--for all intents and purposes--the same ultra-conservative Iowa defense that Norm Parker was trotting out in 2002, offensive coordinators should know exactly what to expect Iowa defenders to do on 1st and 10 or 2nd and reasonable by now.

That in mind, it's clear what quarterbacks need to do to have success passing against Iowa--find Brett Greenwood, then throw at him. INSTANT SUCCESS. Don't be fooled by Greenwood's pick in the first half--he was merely the closest player to a tipped ball. I can't recall a single good play in coverage by Greenwood all week long. Iowa has multiple strong safeties who are capable of starting. You're telling me none of them can shift over to FS? Hard to believe.

And that's not mentioning the multitude of sarcastic "Nice Tackle" comments we heard/read throughout the year. To ask for specific instances of his ineptitude is merely asing us to select individual blades of grass from the outfield at Wrigley.

Greenwood's problem is not a lack of effort; you don't walk onto a BCS-conference program and start as a redshirt freshman unless you (1) went unnoticed because you played your high school ball in Gabon, or (2) worked your ass off. Nobody questions his commitment. It's just that, in Iowa's defense, a safety has to be in ideal position, tackle well, and stop the run. Too often, Greenwood doesn't.

Morehouse makes one unquestionably valid point: If the rest of the defense wasn't as good as it was, the spotlight on Greenwood's shortcomings wouldn't have been nearly as bright. The fact that we can spend so much time examining the shortcomings of a safety only proves the point that he was merely mediocre on a defense full of stars.

There is no real challenger to the throne, and (despite missing the spring with a shoulder injury) Greenwood will almost certainly be the starting free safety throughout 2009. We hope this season is his Great Leap Forward. If not, expect more of the same, both on the field and in the comment threads.

SS: Tyler Sash (#9, 6'1", 210, Sophomore) - Tyler Sash, on the other hand, firmly entrenched himself as the designated guided missile on the Iowa defense early last season and only improved from there. Sash, a universal 3-star recruit from Oskaloosa, finished last spring as the third-string strong safety. He rocketed from there, earning the starting spot over senior Harold Dalton by week 2 and recording 10 tackles in week 3 against Iowa State. After a minor step back against Pitt and a nagging injury that kept him out against Northwestern and limited him for Michigan State and Indiana, Sash became a force over the middle, destroying receivers and crashing through holes in the line. It was Sash's interception of Daryll Clark that triggered the game-winning field goal drive. It was his interception and return against Minnesota that set up the final score. It was Sash's first interception against South Carolina that unleashed the tsunami. By the end of the season, quarterbacks didn't want to throw his direction, and receivers didn't want to be in the area when their quarterbacks did.

It's not that Sash was mistake-free; he was equally responsible with Greenwood for the second touchdown against Pitt. But where Greenwood tackled (or, too often, didn't), Sash HIT. Where Greenwood defended, Sash jumped routes. Greenwood was competent; Sash was dangerous. It's why Sash plays strong safety, to be sure, but it's also why Chris Smelley made it his New Year's resolution to keep the ball as far away from him as possible.

Sash also missed spring practice with a shoulder injury, but is by all accounts good to go for the fall. It's an understatement to say that is great news; one more year of development, and Sash has the ability to join the pantheon of Iowa safeties.

Should See the Field

David Cato (#31, 5'11", 205, Sophomore) - Cato (Arlington, Texas; 2* Scout, 3* Rivals) was pressed into service on special teams and in spot duty as a true freshman, and responded well. He recorded 4 tackles in mop-up time against Minnesota and forced a fumble against Illinois.

Because of Sash's injury, Cato was the de facto starter at strong safety during spring practice. Both Phil and Norm Parker praised his performance, but he was unable to break out of the starter's shadow. Unfortunately, because he was not redshirted, he is in Sash's graduating class, and will need something to break his way if he is to assume the top line. In the meantime, expect more of the same from Cato this year.

Jack Swanson (#40, 5'11", 195, Freshman (RS)) - Another product of Iowa's recruiting connections in the Sunshine State, Swanson (3* Scout, 2* Rivals) used his redshirt season to add 15 pounds and grow a killer goatee. Much like Cato, he was pushed into starting duty during spring practice because of injuries and transfers, but there is no indication he is seriously pushing Greenwood for the starting spot. He's a classic Ferentz-era Florida recruit: Somewhat lacking in stars, but high in those other things Iowa looks for. Swanson was first-team all-state as a senior, ran track in the spring, and was solid in the classroom (he's majoring in computer science). Barring injuries, he'll enter the season as Greenwood's backup.

Adam Robinson (#32, 5'10", 205, Freshman (RS)) - Robinson was recruited as a halfback (he played behind Jordan Bernstine at Des Moines Lincoln) and was recruited as such. At some point during his redshirt season, he was converted to safety and could enter the mix. Given the position change, however, significant non-special teams playing time seems unlikely.

It's Not Plagiarism If You Link To It Selects Antonio Ramos

Hawkeye State — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:46:05 -0000

Joe Fermino Is an Undrafted Free Agent Our friends at Hawkeye Hardwood, the only Iowa basketball message board we bother reading, have tackled the most interesting of off-season projects: An 8-team fantasy draft of post-1970 Hawkeyes. The first round shook out as follows:

(1) Roy Marble (of course)
(2) Ronnie Lester (probably the only other potential first pick)
(3) Acie Earl
(4) Fred Brown (love him, but there's a better point guard on the board)
(5) Andre Woolridge (yeah, that one)
(6) John Johnson
(7) Greg Stokes
(8) B.J. Armstrong

Other recent notables: Jess Settles went mid-second round, Reggie Evans, Greg Brunner, and Adam Haluska went in the third, Jeff Horner and Ricky Davis made it into the fourth, and Matt Gatens kicked off round six. Generally well-researched and well-explained (though Greg Brunner was a real stretch), in marked contrast to what we do.

They May Take Our Appendicies, But They'll Never Take Our Freedom Matt Gatens had an emergency appendectomy over the weekend and is out indefinitely. And, by "indefinitely," we mean about a week:

"On Saturday night about midnight he started having stomach pains and he tried to sleep it off," Mike Gatens said. "He came over about 6 o’clock (Sunday) morning, and I kind of figured that’s what happened.

"We went to the hospital, he was in surgery from 11 to 1 and had it taken out."

Mike Gatens said Matt Gatens will be out at least a week from the Prime Time League....

"He won’t miss that much. He’ll play in a week or so," Mike Gatens said.

Good to hear everything went well, and we wish Matt a quick and painless recovery.

Footnotes The Rivalry, Esq. has succumbed to the offseason doldrums and began a list of the Top 80 Reasons to Love the Big Ten. Vastly underrated at #79? The Big Ass Turkey Leg. Shonn Greene and Matt Kroul spend a night on the town with Mark Sanchez. Ed Orgeron says "LEMSDAY," regardless of age or gender. John Daly wants you to cut the music so he can talk to the ladies.

Tim Brewster Meets Recruits

Hawkeye State — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:31:20 -0000

- Tim Brewser meets with a group of recruits on the field at Kinnick North-Northeast -

   So, did you see the new locker room?
   Yeah, coach. It sure is impressive.
   Everything is upholstered in leather and smells like Burt Reynolds.
   Our tour guide said you could fit every Gopher season ticket holder in that room. Is that true, Coach Brew?
Oh, Clarence. You could WIN FIGHT TRY GOPHER BEST HATE LOSING EXCLAMATION POINT fit the extended family of every Gopher season ticket holder in that locker room. Second cousins, even.
Well, it sure is impressive, Coach.
You boys have any questions for the Old Brew Coach?
I guess we know about the program's history now, Coach. You even took us to see the fake national championship trophy Minnesota had made for its part in a 4-way split national championship during the Eisenhower administration.
Don't tell our fans that we split that championship with Iowa. They'll go crazy.
What I'm saying is, we know all about how Minnesota football used to be relevant. What we don't know much about is your history, Coach. For instance, what is your coaching record?
113-61-1
   Ahem.
Bless WIN FIGHT GOPHER you.
Are all those here at Minnesota?
No. I used to coach the Denver Broncos.
Ahem.
I'm sorry, my secretary apparently has allergies.
No, coach, I don't have allergies. Can I talk to you for a second, in private?

You have to stop lying.
I'm not WINNING TRYING COMPETING SUCCEEDING EVER GOING TO BEAT IOWA lying!
113-61-1? We've been through this. You're 8-17.
THAT GAME NEVER HAPPENED.
Fine, 8-16. And you never coached the Denver Broncos.
Stop taking me out of context. All I'm saying is I have worked with some great coaches, like Mack Brown and Mike Shanahan.
Then why don't you just say that?
I can't fit that in 140 characters.
One: Not everything you say has to be Twitter-compatible. Two: That's less than 140 characters.
Not after including 80 exclamation points.
OK, so you claim I have taken your words out of context. I'm going to read a list of things you've told recruits over the past month, and you tell me what you meant to say.
"I won the Super Bowl."
I coached tight ends for a guy who won the Super Bowl before I started coaching tight ends for him.
"I recruited Vince Young."
I took Vince Young's SAT test for him.
"I am the NHL all-time leader in goals scored."
I once went to a Blackhawks game.
"I was the inspiration for the character Captain James T. Kirk."
I bought a teleportation device on eBay.
"I wrote Lady Chatterley's Lover."
In college, I had a beard like D.H. Lawrence.
"I am Benjamin Disraeli."
I know a very good lawyer.
"I kidnapped the Lindbergh baby."
My nephew is a pilot.
"I know where Jimmy Hoffa is buried."
Goodfellas is my favorite movie.
Coach, those are not examples of me taking your words out of context. Those are examples of you lying about your credentials. You have to stop doing that.
Now - I can't believe I'm saying this - how's about I finish this recruiting tour for you, and you can go back to your office and Twitter?
No need. I have a staff member taking care of the Twittering today.

- Meanwhile, in a windowless room deep in the bowels of TCF Bank Stadium,
lit only by the unnatural green glow of an Apple IIe monitor -

Awesome day of camp!!! Over 400 kids at the U today competing like crazy!!! Another big day tomorrow!!! Do YOU love Gopher Football?!?!?!
Can't wait to watch the Bigs compete!!! TCF Bnak Stadium is wowwwing recruits on a daily Basis!!!! Go Gophers!!!!!
Eric Decker has got to be one of the Best Athletes in the Nation!!!!!!!!! He hates Losing more than he loves Winning!!!! Compete!!!!!!!!
Someone please let me out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!