Stephen McDonald
It is an uncommon thing for any one in Iowa City to be jealous of anything that
comes out of Ames. Iowa State is a fine university and from all accounts Ames is a good
place to raise a family, however, if there is any single commodity that Hawkeyes seem to
have in abundance it is pride. As Paul Rhodes ran off the field on Saturday afternoon,
with two fingers extended high above his head, it was hard for some Hawkeye fans not to
be a little jealous. Paul Rhodes team played like they always do, over their heads,
passionate, and sloppy. It is a double edged sword for the Cyclone program under
Rhodes, the passion and joy that he gets his teams to play with is what drives them up
and down the field against a more talented defense, however, the lack of detailed focus is
what causes three redzone turnovers. Those turnovers are what kept Iowa alive until the
final moments. However, a James Vandenberg interception with little over a minute to go
sealed the Iowa State win, Paul Rhodes was (So) Proud, and the underdog Cyclones won
a game in Kinnick Stadium.
The first college football Saturday in places like Iowa City is a special event, and
the entire spectrum of humanity can be witnessed on the long walk to a stadium.
Tasteless and arrogant men in shirts that depict all kinds of sodomy against opposing
mascots, or shirts that read, “I’d rather shower at Penn state then cheer for the cyclones,”
flood the streets close to campus. They cling to thirty- packs of cheap beer and spout a
whole lot of nothing about the game they are about to watch. These men are like bugs,
never alone, and never appreciated. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, or
perhaps, further down the assembly line of age and class, young families often mothers
and fathers with children no older than ten throw around a football and tell legends of
long-ago Hawkeye moments. A college football Saturday will, at the same time, disgust
and embarrass you, and make you immensely proud of this weird, insular, and expensive
tradition we have cultivated in small college towns with big football. The worst things
about a college football Saturday are also its best things, binge drinking, fried food,
upsets, and sundresses. The walk to Kinnick on this most recent Saturday was a walk of
anticipation, and expression. About one in ten people were wearing red a gold, and about
one in ten people were wearing the wrong colors.
The Iowa State fan base is an interesting one in college football. Iowa State has
one of the smallest revenue streams of any ‘BCS’ program. Not to mention the fact that
Ames is one of the most isolated places in college football and it is no wonder that ISU
football does not have a reputation for dominance. But the knowledge of these
shortcomings is one of the things that make ISU fans so special. They are the opposite of
fair-weather fans; people who choose to support the cyclones do so, usually, under
obligation. Either they are alumni, or their parents were alumni. ISU as a brand is not
strong enough to attract casual fans with no particular tie, compared to the Hawkeyes
who are historically better and more nationally and locally relevant. But, for the most
part, cyclone fans are aware of this, and many of them will acknowledge these facts, it
doesn’t matter though. ISU fans cling to the yellow and red closer than most Hawkeyes
cling to the black and gold. Being a fan of the ‘little brother’ program in a state is harder,
more frustrating, less enjoyable on a day- to – day basis. But the payoffs, which are
fewer, are more exhilarating ten fold. When James Vandenberg’s last pass was
intercepted and the small but (so) proud ISU section erupted, those fans were
immediately aware of what they had done. In that final and fleeting instant, when they
realized what had happened, they were acutely aware of all the disadvantages, both real
and imagined that they faced. Financially, physically, all those little things that keep the
Hawkeyes above the Cyclones, they knew it. They felt it, and it suddenly didn’t matter
any more. Nothing mattered anymore, The little brother had won, and all the smug
asshole faces of the people who wear black couldn’t do anything about it.
For the Hawkeyes on the field, the future can only get better; I see no reasons for
this parade of futility to continue. There is too much talent at receiver position, and way
too much talent in James Vandenberg’s right arm for this offense not to start playing at a
high level. However, the Hawkeyes coaching staff could take a page out of the Cyclone
playbook. Playing with emotion, passion, and frankly fun could do good things for this
Hawkeye team. It is probably only a matter of time until the offense begins to play like
we expect it too, but until then I am a little jealous of what they have in Ames.