Norm Parker starting his well deserved retirement. First off, I will miss the old guy. We took for granted our great defenses, until we had a mediocre one this year. Secondly, will it be an in-house hire or an outsider? How long til Mike Stoops is the name? Or maybe Buddy Ryan would like to make a comeback. No matter who it is, he will have big shoes to fill. Long live the great Norm Parker!

What a roller coaster of a week for our QB one this week.  His team loses in overtime on the road in a game for the Rose Bowl.  He is given universal praise for his performance.  He has to prepare for Senior Day against a heated rival, and have a potential berth in a BCS game in his hands.  Then to go along with all that, this happens:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20321549,00.html

I hope he has the moxie to put the whole week behind him and deliver us a victory.

In America, we have laws. Laws against killing, laws against stealing. And it is just accepted that as a member of American society, you will live by these laws. In West Canaan, Texas Iowa City, IA, there is another society which has it's own laws. Football is a way of life. - Jonathan "Mox" Moxon James Van Der Beek Vandenberg

There is no Minnesota.

There in no Bowl Game.

There is only Northwestern.

Looking around blogs and article comments, many of our fellow Hawkeye fans have lost focus.  We have done the exact opposite of what our Captain Kirk teaches.  Next game is the only game.

We are not Ohio State.  We are not Penn State.  We are not Florida.  We are not Alabama.  We are not USC.  We do not get respect on paper.  We do not get respect going undefeated.  We do not get respect even when we have earned it.  We only get respect when we have earned it and shoved it up the critic's ass. 

My favorite part of the Indiana game was the last touchdown drive.  Indiana knew that we were going to run.  Everyone knew we were going to run.  And run we did.  Brought back flashes of seeing Freddie Russel killing other teams hopes at 5 yards a clip.  Reminded me of Shon Greene breaking spirits and bones between the tackles.  That was Iowa football. 

We are the team of killing you in the 4th with the run.

We are the team of bending, but not breaking defense.

We are the team who will outplay you on special teams.

We are the team who makes the least mistakes.

We are the team who's best trash talk is a simple "scoreboard"

We are Iowa.

We are playing Northwestern on Saturday.

Nothing else matters.

So, I live in the DC area and am listening to the Tony Kornheiser radio show.  One of his guests today was Pam Ward.  Two words for her; FUCK HER!!  And not in the carnal knowledge sort of way.  This is basically what she said:

- The Big Ten is a mediocre conference (those were the actual words)

- Iowa is good for a Big Ten team this year

- When asked which is the best team she has seen this year, she was like "uhhhhhhhhhhh" until Kornheiser said either in person or on TV

- Basically called Iowa lucky, and thats it

- The SEC and Pac 10 are God's gift to football

So, I guess since Pam Ward said it, it has to be true.

Oh well, lets do it like Kirk: This week, this game.  It will all work itself out in the end.

Or do it like a farmer: Keep plowing forward.

Or maybe we should do it like a gay porn star: Fuck them all in the ass

Go Hawks!