Oops!!!

Sorry to be MIA!!!

I went to my parents' house for a bit. And I have a lot to be thankful for!

But I won't get into that because this is a football blog. So I'm gonna talk about football.

This weekend I watched Oklahoma State (12th) die a slow and painful death to unranked Oklahoma! Wooohooo! It was a spectacular shut out with some pretty fun plays! In the fourth quarter there was an 87 yard kick-off return for a TD that was pretty sweet. The dude (whose name I have no idea!) was weaving and even backtracked a bit at the very beginning. Fun to watch! Another sweet little deal happened near the end of the 4th quarter. Oklahoma fumbled, Oklahoma State picked it up and ran halfway down the field (I was scared they were gonna get a TD!!!) but when the OSU dude got tackled HE fumbled and Oklahoma recovered! It was so fun to watch! I can't believe I never used to watch football...I was missing so much!

I also watched WVU beat Pitt which was freaking sweet, seeing as they are (were) ranked ahead of the Hawkeyes. It probably doesn't matter that much now, but I enjoy seeing Iowa rise in the rankings nonetheless. As far as that game goes though, I don't remember much except that Pitt's coach sure does get angry. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, it makes me appreciate Captain Kirk that much more!

So here's to hoping that Iowa continues to look good regardless of the fact that they're done until we bowl!!!

Regular Season = OVER

Well, a shut-out finish with our back up quarterback is a pretty good last game present. Although both offenses didn't do much for me (honestly, it was probably the most boring game of the season...) I'm quite satisfied with the outcome. We came VERY VERY close to the perfect season (OSU really was almost a win, and I really don't think we would have lost to Northwestern had Stanzi not gone down). In celebration I've created this little video of highlights/memories of this season's games. I was thinking about waiting until the Bowl Game was over, but then I decided I was much too inpatient for that.



So I hope you enjoy my video. The quality of the vids kinda suck a lot, but I hope it portrays how I feel.

I really really really enjoyed this whole season. I'm so very glad that I got into football because even though I've wasted a LOT of time thinking about it and looking up articles, blogs and stats; it has definitely been worth it. I really think I can say that I'm now a fan for life.

GOOOO HAWKS!

The Final Countdown!!!

I can't believe the last home game is about to happen! Where did the time go?

What I'd like to see on Saturday: Gopher guts, Adrian Clayborn going for the kill, bones crunching, Hawkeye touchdowns, LOTS of picks by the Hawks and NONE by the rodents, crazy-ass plays and Vandenburg looking like the shit. No pressure boys, no pressure.

Also, here's something to ponder- those players are really tall. I'm 4'9.5" When I stand on a chair I am STILL shorter than some of those guys. Isn't it crazy the variety there is in the human race? Damn.

Okay, enough deep thinking.

I'm just going to put this out there. I'm absolutely positive I will be judged for it, but I guess I just don't care....

I've started recruiting for a midget football league. A tackle midget football league. These are the basics:
-5'5" and under
-co-ed
-it's an entire league, not just a team
-it'll be pro ball, but first I need sponsors.

Okay, so I'm totally kidding. I am NOT starting a midget football league, but I have been asking all my fellow shorties what position they would play if height wasn't an issue. I want ball time, so I chose running back, although it might be sorta fun to be a defensive lineman. I'd go for the sack every time. I'm just sayin... :-)

Go Hawks!

Well, I'll Be

I don't know shit about football, really. I mean, I've learned A LOT. But I lack a lot of knowledge as well as experience. In browsing other blogs and articles, I've discovered that I have almost no idea what the Hawkeye football program is like in general except for what I've seen this year.

Some things I discovered (so what if I really like lists?):

-Hawkeye fans are, in general, very classy. Although I've had a few rants about my not-so-sober peers in the student section; in general, fans of the black and gold seem to take what we get and be okay with it.

-Kirk Ferentz is not the best football coach in the world, but he's very endearing and is not like most other coaches out there. He matches up with the whole atmosphere of the state quite well. In my opinion, that includes valuing hardwork, realizing that life is not fair, and displaying a certain sense of humility.

-The team is irradic season-to-season. I knew about the Hillcrest dorm scandal including two players because I had friends somewhat involved...but I had no idea it was such a blow to the program. I think the integrity of people who in other ways seem to define the word was called into question. And really, the point I was trying to make in the second item in this list would be negated if the allegations of widespread conspiracy were true. But besides off the field conduct, it isn't as if our actual game was consistent either....

-Although never a national powerhouse, Iowa has been on the brink of greatness several times (including this season!) which makes it a fun team to love. When we lose, it isn't as heartbreaking (I think...) because we're proud to be where we are.

-While Iowa is NOT and never will be a "football state" (wrestling state? yes...) we ARE the Hawkeye state, and we LOVE the Hawks!

Ex-Soccer Player? Well, F--- You.

Actually, I'm not as bitter as my title implies. It stung a bit more that we were SO close, but I'm still so very proud of the Hawks.

-I'm IMMENSELY proud of Vandenberg. He did a great job. I can't believe the difference a week makes. Or maybe the fact that the plays today were designed for his strengths whereas last week he was sorta just thrown into an effort that didn't match him as well as it could have....Regardless, I'm interested to see his development after Stanzi's gone.
-I'm proud that Moeaki got to show a little of his stuff.
-I'm proud (as always!) of my man McNutt! He sure can get that ball, can't he?
-I'm proud of Clayborn for some seriously great pushing to get where he needed to be. Of course, I feel like he always plays that way, so it's nothing new...but still something to be very proud of.
-I'm proud of Edds. I heard his name more than once today, and I feel like I often forget about him.
-I'm proud of DJK. I mean, he kinda put us back in....
-I'm so so so so proud to be a Hawkeye! I'm proud of our "next man in" mantra. I'm proud of our perserverence. I'm proud of all of it. Better to lose in overtime than not get to overtime at all.

Go HAWKS!

Oh Pat Angerer, How I Love You.

He seriously said this (regarding Vandenberg):

"Every time he comes over to my house he's always running his mouth," Angerer said. "I've literally choked him unconscious before and he's gotten up talking trash. We're going to be OK."

OMG. Really? And my very favorite quote all year (regarding Jeremiha Hunter's blocked field goal attempt by UNI): "He's fat. I didn't think he could just that high. He must have did something to jump real high and blocked it!"

I love the dude. Don't get mad, get Angerer! :-)

My Non-Speculation Report

I'm not much of a speculator (I think I invented that word?); I guess I feel too amateur for that. It's probably a good thing for anyone who reads my blog. But I will say, I have a hard time believing we'll pull off a win against Ohio State. I was reading a commentary in the Daily Iowan today that basically was trying to rally the troops and remind people that the season isn't over and a loss is just a loss, but please...we lost Stanzi. He might be just like everybody else at Iowa (a second or third choice) but he's ours. And damn, has he done the job. The only thing that's predictable about him was his unpredictability. And I suppose his ability to come back like he never left the place. But really, I just don't see any sort of dominance without him.

I guess for me, it's the fact that his team was behind him no matter what. I am not feeling that way about this new guy. Vander-what's-it. I mean, chances are he hasn't had nearly enough practice time with the likes of DJK, McNutt, etc. I swear I even saw it during the second half against Northwestern...one of the receivers waving his hands in the air to let our new play-caller know he was open. Like that looks good at all. Oh, and he didn't get a pass. It's even possible there was a sack during that play. I honestly can't remember. Regardless...the team dynamic has changed immensely and I'm not real sure how it's going to play out. I guess I'm just going to have to do what I've been doing all along: sit back and watch.

jNWU, You've Done It Again

Actually, I don't even want to credit Northwestern with this one. It was the football gods, deciding that one year of luck/good fortune was enough for this Iowa team. It is a bit eerie to realize that Penn State and the great upset were one year ago this weekend...

However, let's get back to today's game. When I walked into Kinnick today I could feel the energy. It was like a pulsating, rapid-firing, invisible wave that had engulfed our stadium. But alas, it all came crashing down, and crashing down fast. The SUCK that happened when the crowd realized Ricky "The Manzi" Stanzi was down and not getting up too fast was almost audible.

Now, die-hard fan that I am, you might believe that I would be pissed and yelling obscenities. Not the case actually. I was very sad for Ricky. I had just met his parents (at my house!?!?!) and saw what genuinely nice people they are. So my first thoughts were about how they were feeling. Secondly, I think I realized two things the average intoxicated fans near me seemed not to even entertain. Ricky did not get hurt on purpose. Furthermore, the poor kid they put in to replace him was absolutely without question trying his very hardest. I've been telling people all day; no one goes out on the field contemplating how they're going to mess it up for their team. They are going out there scared out of their mind, and using every fiber of their being to do the very best job they know how to do.

So while I left the game disappointed that our winning streak was over, I was not pissed at the world, or at anyone really. I'm happy that NWU feels good about themselves, although I don't believe upsetting a team that lost their slightly irradic, but always adequate quarterback is as much of a defeat as say, outscoring a highly ranked, national championship hopeful (ahem, Penn State) team. But let them celebrate. I'm not here to steal joy.

I'm here to say that as a fan watching my first lost game, GO HAWKS! I still love you!

Northwestern aka jNWU

So I read other blogs. Probably blogs that are a little more legitimate than mine; and they refer to Northwestern as "jNWU" or "justNorthwestern." I don't know why they do that, but it kinda makes me nervous. Although I was pretty damn nervous about Indiana, and look how that turned out (oh Stanzi, and your heart-attack inducing games that have so far been wins in the end...) but really, are we trying to play with the irony gods here?!?! We don't have a very good record against Northwestern I am told (or I read for myself). However, we also have been playing a record-breaking season, so maybe old records mean nothing this year. Regardless, I wish I didn't read those blogs quite as often as I do. In everyday life (and in regards to most sports) I'm not very superstitous. Actually, I wasn't when I first became a football fan. I remember making off the cuff comments about winning games we hadn't played yet and being a great team and having other fans and players freak out at me. They went all apeshit knocking on wood and shushing me for simply verbalizing what I KNOW they had thought about. However, times have changed. Now it's me trying to block crazy thoughts from entering my conscious and not wanting to read what really amounts to just words.

And I thought I enjoyed this fan stuff.

Just Kidding!

Go Hawks!

Possible But Cheesy T-shirt Slogans

Don't ask me why I was thinking about this stuff. I don't even know.

"Hawks: Angrier than Angerer"

"StanziTime" or the variant: "Half-Time...Stanzi-Time"

"You've Been Sashed!"

"Clayborn=Slayborn"

And my personal favorite: "Bust A McNutt"

The Ultimate Fail

Stanzi may have thrown a hell of a lot of interceptions in a really short timeframe, but at least this didn't happen:



Poor kid. Clearly he felt terrible.

I guess I'm just happy that hasn't been Iowa yet. However, if that sort of thing WERE to ever happen, I'm confident we'd win. ;-) (I'm only partly kidding...)

GO HAWKS!

PS: I made a "Bust A McNutt" shirt and it is AWESOME. :-)