ESPN disrespect is bad

[CAhawki]

My beef with the ESPN circle Jerk is this... I don't think I have seen a more blatant attempt to troll/discredit a program. Every other team can be picked apart at nauseum but holy crap the undertone for most of their broadcast yesterday morning was Iowa schedule and arbitrary rankings. And maybe that's their thing because they know Iowa fans will most likely engage.

 

[ANYCHawk]

I simply don't get it. I tried watching the Kardashians and the Weather channel - those shows seemed to be "unsatisfying"

I like ESPN. I like College Game Day, I like PTI and Mike & Mike. The 30 for 30 series is usually very good. Yes, most of them think the SEC is the best conference, because for most of the last decade they have been. They give a lot of coverage and props to B1G teams. Oh, and the ESPN commercials are great! I don't feel I have to agree with everything they say in order to enjoy watching them. They are just entertainers giving their opinions - opinions that come with all the human bias that all fans have. I can go to the internet if I want to do a bunch of analytical analysis (btw, I don't).

Questioning whether or not the Hawks are for real is an honest and fair question, given the last couple of years performance on the field. And, I haven't heard anyone say they're no good. If you want to hope ESPN goes away, go for it. Maybe National Geographic is doing a special on South American toads.

Having a cup of coffee, watching ESPN and posting on HR. It's a good Sunday morning!

Please read this:

Yes, it would have helped if the Hawks played better in the second half. But Stanford trailed for a good portion of its game and the headline is, "Stanford stays perfect in conference play.". Such a thinly-veiled attempt to gloss over their loss to Northwestern.

Iowa wins by 16 and never leads by less than that the whole second half and the headline is, "Iowa stays perfect with not so perfect performance."

Whether some of you want to acknowledge it or not, there is an overt attempt by the most powerful sports media company in America to frame the discussion and highlight Iowa's flaws while applying verbal makeup to the warts of the other top teams.

Don't be surprised if Okie State's win over a mediocre Texas Tech results in them jumping us in the polls.

"Who cares that they were down 17 at one point. Who cares that their defense gave up over 50. After all, didn't you see all those points they scored!?!?!"
Sincerely,
ESPS4ADHDN

and this

ESPN.COM Bias

Headlines say it all

Oklahoma State rallies on the road, shreds Texas Tech to stay perfect
OKST won by 17 points

#10 Iowa stays perfect with less than perfect victory over Maryland
Iowa won by 16 points

So if you don't get why it's not just OK and every here should just sit back and relax, well then you're a lost cause.

 

[GPRHAWK]

I simply don't get it. I tried watching the Kardashians and the Weather channel - those shows seemed to be "unsatisfying"

I like ESPN. I like College Game Day, I like PTI and Mike & Mike. The 30 for 30 series is usually very good. Yes, most of them think the SEC is the best conference, because for most of the last decade they have been. They give a lot of coverage and props to B1G teams. Oh, and the ESPN commercials are great! I don't feel I have to agree with everything they say in order to enjoy watching them. They are just entertainers giving their opinions - opinions that come with all the human bias that all fans have. I can go to the internet if I want to do a bunch of analytical analysis (btw, I don't).

Questioning whether or not the Hawks are for real is an honest and fair question, given the last couple of years performance on the field. And, I haven't heard anyone say they're no good. If you want to hope ESPN goes away, go for it. Maybe National Geographic is doing a special on South American toads.

Having a cup of coffee, watching ESPN and posting on HR. It's a good Sunday morning!

You could try watching a news channel. They don't have any biases or agendas like ESPN

 

[*hawksrock*]

ESPN is not a news outlet, they are a troll outlet. If they don't say anything outlandish, nobody tunes in. They gave the Espy Courage award to Bruce Jenner over the college BB girl with terminal cancer that raised $1.4M for cancer research.

This would be funny if it wasn't so sad! You really can't make $hit like this up! espn is a rotten attention whore that I avoid as much as possible, but they couldn't care less as long as I pay my cable bill................ Cord cutters are starting to get their attention tho!

 

[hawkeye122671]

I agree that we should not care what others think. I agree that if we just take care of our business, it will work itself out in the Conference Championship Game. With that said, Iowa is not only getting disrespected but I believe, purposely glossed over. For example, the ticker tape last night. All the top 10 teams, after their scores were displayed also had comments, stats or statements along with. Iowa, nothing....just a score. Why is that? My guess is that ESPN has chosen to downplay the Hawks by controlling the dialogue of what they actually release and say about Iowa. Bias? You bet your ass. ESPN knows that most tune in and sadly poll makers, admittedly in the past, depend on ESPN for their info. We win out, they will have to change their story.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Please read this:



and this



So if you don't get why it's not just OK and every here should just sit back and relax, well then you're a lost cause.

So, because of a couple of adjectives you hate ESPN? I think both of those headlines are accurate. The one about Iowa winning by 16 despite being less than perfect is accurate AND flattering. We were less than perfect and beat Maryland handily.

So, what's the problem?

 

[ichawk24]

ESPN grades:

game broadcasts: A
highlight shows: B-
talking heads, punditry: D-

 

[Hawk_4shur]

You could try watching a news channel. They don't have any biases or agendas like ESPN

I can't tell - was this sarcasm? News channels actually HAVE formal, planned bias.

 

[ANYCHawk]

So, because of a couple of adjectives you hate ESPN? I think both of those headlines are accurate. The one about Iowa winning by 16 despite being less than perfect is accurate AND flattering. We were less than perfect and beat Maryland handily.

So, what's the problem?

as I said lost cause.

 

[OmahaHawkFan]

For the life of me I can't understand how people don't understand that what ESPN says is picked up by recruits, the CFP committee, and just about every other media outlet.

Whether you want to admit it or not...what ESPN says has an impact.

Agree.

I was listening to a Hawkeye podcast and the person commented that some of the national sports guys will watch ESPN Gameday for their "research" because they don't have time to research every team and every situation so they get the cliff notes from ESPN. It is such an echo chamber.

 

[Omahawkeyeguy]

Iowa is an easy target for punditry. BECAUSE the back end of our schedule is perceived as weak, If Iowa drops a game in the next 4 weeks they can all say "I told you so". If Iowa wins out but loses in the CCG they can all say "I told you so" on the slim chance Iowa wins out AND wins the B1G, makes the playoffs, but is dismantled in the playoffs, they can all say "I told you so". If Iowa beats all the odds and takes advantage of the 1% chance by winning the National Championship, then they will have "shocked and surprised everyone". It is shooting fish in a barrel for the pundits.

 

[jaysonjohn2012]

What's going to sting is if Iowa during the very last game loses @ Nebby by 3 or in OT. Then those idiots at ESPN will attempt to discreet the entire season for guys who have worked their assess off.

 

[hansenhawk]

That's a good point a poster mentioned above. At some point (if we keep winning) Kirk has got to stick up for his team, say we can play with anyone rather than the usual, aw shucks, we aren't that great b.s. People do follow suit on that stuff.

 

[yerpHAWK]

A lot more undefeated teams this year. Now you can only end up with 4 power 5 undefeated teams, but to say we don't get jumped by a 1 loss Alabama, or Stanford/Notre Dame is not out of the realm of possibility. Even Memphis could end up with a decent resume at the end of the year(No way they jump the big 10) Hell, the only reason an undefeated FSU made it and wasn't jumped by b12 was because they won the championship the year before.

 

[GPRHAWK]

Please read this:



and this



So if you don't get why it's not just OK and every here should just sit back and relax, well then you're a lost cause.

That is some pretty damning evidence. I'm picturing Lionel Caffey telling at the ESPN big wigs, "Do you have an agenda against Iowa?!?!" ESPN, "You're God Dam right I do."

 

[DrewHawk33]

That's a good point a poster mentioned above. At some point (if we keep winning) Kirk has got to stick up for his team, say we can play with anyone rather than the usual, aw shucks, we aren't that great b.s. People do follow suit on that stuff.

That was me that said this. Can you imagine Urban telling the media last year, "Well we're not sexy and we've lost a game and I'm not really sure how good we are....but put us in the final four anyway."

Come on new Kirk review the tape of your interviews this year and step it up a little PLEASE!!

 

[LakeviewHawkeye]

A lot more undefeated teams this year. Now you can only end up with 4 power 5 undefeated teams, but to say we don't get jumped by a 1 loss Alabama, or Stanford/Notre Dame is not out of the realm of possibility. Even Memphis could end up with a decent resume at the end of the year(No way they jump the big 10) Hell, the only reason an undefeated FSU made it and wasn't jumped by b12 was because they won the championship the year before.

An undefeated Power 5 champ will never be left out for a 1 loss team. A 1 loss champ will never be left out for a 1 loss non-champ.

 

[BioHawk]

Iowa is an easy target for punditry. BECAUSE the back end of our schedule is perceived as weak, If Iowa drops a game in the next 4 weeks they can all say "I told you so". If Iowa wins out but loses in the CCG they can all say "I told you so" on the slim chance Iowa wins out AND wins the B1G, makes the playoffs, but is dismantled in the playoffs, they can all say "I told you so". If Iowa beats all the odds and takes advantage of the 1% chance by winning the National Championship, then they will have "shocked and surprised everyone". It is shooting fish in a barrel for the pundits.

In fairness, if Iowa loses in the regular season and/or the CCG then they will have been right. Even with all the negative opinions I don't think I've heard a commentator on ESPN say that if Iowa goes 13-0 they don't deserve to be in the playoffs. Of course, I haven't listened to all of them either so I'm sure there's somebody but it seems the majority feel that way.

 

[3boysmom]

I think that Iowa is going to have to have a season that they enter with high expectations and actually live up to them before we start getting any real respect.

 

[GPRHAWK]

That was me that said this. Can you imagine Urban telling the media last year, "Well we're not sexy and we've lost a game and I'm not really sure how good we are....but put us in the final four anyway."

Come on new Kirk review the tape of your interviews this year and step it up a little PLEASE!!

If we win the B1G and are undefeated and Kirk has to lobby for us over a 1 loss Bama, Stanford, etc. he will. He won't like it, but he'll do it. Starting to lobby before the season plays out would be the ultimate case of looking past the next game and would be very detrimental IMO.

 

[yerpHAWK]

An undefeated Power 5 champ will never be left out for a 1 loss team. A 1 loss champ will never be left out for a 1 loss non-champ.

Not likely, but not impossible.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

This whole phenomenon is very simple. All these talking heads are paid to give their opinion, as well as hype-up the blue-bloods and good underdog stories.

Mindset of the typical ESPN know-it-all:

1) Ohio St, Baylor, LSU, Clemson and others doing well when they all predicted they would do well - Talk about it on air a lot, because it shows how smart they are for knowing they'd be good.

2) Florida and Michigan having better seasons than expected - Talk about it on air a lot, because you want to appease those huge fan bases.

3) Mid-majors having great years (Memphis, Houston, Temple) - Talk about it on air a lot, because people like feel-good, underdog stories.

4) Traditional middle-of-the-pack team having an outstanding year and threatening to get itself into the CFP - Avoid subject at all costs. A Power-5 team having a great season that none of them expected, and many picked near last in the division, goes against their agenda. It's much easier to just not talk about them, hope to God they lose, and then when they do (which typically the odds are in their favor, although Iowa's schedule may look otherwise), then they get to boast about how they knew all along Iowa never belonged in the playoff talk, and they are so smart for knowing that.

Everyone everywhere knows that if Nebraska were 8-0 right now (having a similar schedule to Iowa at this point and similar pre-season predictions), the talking heads would be all over it (see #2 above).

Only one way for Iowa to get at them - keep winning.

 

[Hawk Williams Jr]

I agree what they say right now has an effect on our current position but it won't matter what they say after the B1G championship. I would bet everything I own that we will be in the playoff if we are undefeated after the B1G championship.

Would you be so confident Iowa would be in if all of the following happened:

Clemson finishes regular season undeafeted, winning the ACC.

Either LSU or Alabama win the rest of their games, including the SEC championship game.

Either TCU or Baylor finish regular season undefeated.

Stanford or Notre Dame win the rest of their regular season games.

Clemson would be in. LSU or Alabama would be in. TCU or Baylor would be in.

So, say the final spot is a choice between one-loss Notre Dame, and undefeated Iowa...
Are you confident Iowa would get the nod?

 

[GPRHAWK]

Yes I am.

 

[Hawk Williams Jr]

Yes I am.

O.K.

 

[herecomethehawkeyes]

I think that Iowa is going to have to have a season that they enter with high expectations and actually live up to them before we start getting any real respect.

Bingo!
Anytime there is expectations going into a season, things like 2010 happen.

 

[citizenHawk]

The irony in all of this is, the supposed media disrespect is likely one of the key factors in getting a team like Iowa in the proper mindset to keep winning, and do everything people are hoping for and talking about.

One game at a time is the only way to get the big opportunity in Indianapolis. At that point, and if they get to that point, there is no ignoring the implications and magnitude of that game--against what may likely be the #1 team riding a 20+ winning streak.

If Iowa wins that game, EVERYONE in college football will be talking about Iowa.

 

[herecomethehawkeyes]

The 30 for 30 series is usually very good.

I do enjoy their 30 for 30 series.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

My beef with the ESPN circle Jerk is this... I don't think I have seen a blatant attempt to troll/discredit a program. Every other team can be picked apart at nauseum but holy crap the undertone for most of their broadcast yesterday morning was Iowa schedule and arbitrary rankings. And maybe that's their thing because they know Iowa fans will most likely engage.

And ESPN continues today. Mike Hall of BTN tweets that Iowa will be a Top 4 team when the results are released Tuesday because of strength of record. Adam Rittenberg from the ESPN BIG TEN BLOG says that Iowa's close wins against Pitt and Wisconsin will hurt "compared to Clemson's dominance.".

Hall shuts him up by replying that you can't rip Iowa for 2 close wins to Pitt and Sconnie and not apply the same standard to Clemson's close wins against Louisville and ND.

 

[GPRHAWK]

O.K.

I do agree an impressive 1 loss ND would be the greatest possibility of us being left out if undefeated, but I don't think it would happen. B1G has too much influence. If all your scenario happens, I'd be willing to make a friendly wager that we'd get in over ND.

 

[Joes Place]

They continue to talk shit and I don't like it

Michigan grinds out a win against untanked Minny "Michigan is good they know how to win"

ND grinds out win against #21 Temple "ND knows how to win they are a playoff caliber team"

But

Iowa grinds out a win against #20 Wisky and we're still pretenders huh

It really IS bad. They spent the halftime show of Nebraska-Purdue bagging on Iowa's schedule TO DATE.

As has been noted in past threads, Iowa's SoS up to the past 2-3 weeks has been FAR better than MOST of the Top Ten. Baylor and TCU have sub-.500 opponents. Can't help it that Texas is a doormat this year, but is SUPPOSED to be a good team. A 'big name' from a decade ago is irrelevant when you get STFO by Iowa State....

Baylor and TCU need to be OUT of the Top Ten until they BOTH have more than ONE >0.500 opponent (Texas Tech, 5-4).

 

[CAhawki]

And ESPN continues today. Mike Hall of BTN tweets that Iowa will be a Top 4 team when the results are released Tuesday because of strength of record. Adam Rittenberg from the ESPN BIG TEN BLOG says that Iowa's close wins against Pitt and Wisconsin will hurt "compared to Clemson's dominance.".

Hall shuts him up by replying that you can't rip Iowa for 2 close wins to Pitt and Sconnie and not apply the same standard to Clemson's close wins against Louisville and ND.

They have a huge boner for us right now, and any publicity is good.

 

[ANYCHawk]

They have a huge boner for us right now, and any publicity is good.

Stewie Mandel formally of SI now of Fox has also joined in

 

[ANYCHawk]

Adam Rittenberg from the ESPN BIG TEN BLOG\/QUOTE]

to be fair he's ex-big ten blog he's national now.

 

[BioHawk]

Would you be so confident Iowa would be in if all of the following happened:

Clemson finishes regular season undeafeted, winning the ACC.

Either LSU or Alabama win the rest of their games, including the SEC championship game.

Either TCU or Baylor finish regular season undefeated.

Stanford or Notre Dame win the rest of their regular season games.

Clemson would be in. LSU or Alabama would be in. TCU or Baylor would be in.

So, say the final spot is a choice between one-loss Notre Dame, and undefeated Iowa...
Are you confident Iowa would get the nod?

Yes, they will. Because Iowa will have done something none of those teams have done and that is to beat either the number 1 team, or a top 5 team at the end of the season and still be undefeated. The Big 10 has 3 teams in the top 10 right now. Assuming one of them ends up undefeated then they are getting a team in the playoff. Period.

Beating an undefeated number 1 in November (or December) is a lot different than beating them in September. Teams have proven how good they are by the end of the year.

 

[SpartanHawk]

Ex Florida Gator Kevin Carter had some of the worst comments before the game yesterday on ESPN.... Said things like the following after Brendan Fitzgerald said they had one of the easiest schedules in the country.
- Big Ten Championship will be the first big test for Iowa and he thinks they will lose that game.
- There are no ranked teams on their schedule until they are in the championship game. (so... Wisconsin and Northwestern weren't ranked?)
- Memphis, Houston and Temple were equivalenced to Iowa then as undefeated team, and they haven't played anyone "relevant" yet.
- If they run the table, Iowa needs to have a strong enough win in the championship game to "make them relevant". Their complete body of work might not be enough to be good enough versus a one loss Pac 12 champ in Stanford, or a one loss SEC champ in Alabama, or if anybody is undefeated there's too many teams vying to get in. All of those other teams will get there before Iowa will,

Hmm... I wonder how he figures Stanford is better, when Iowa beat Northwestern who beat them, and it was only because a Washington State FG kicker missed at the end of the game that they don't have two losses now, and Washington State lost by more points to Portland State than they lost to Stanford! And beating an undefeated Ohio State or Michigan State team won't count? Granted the Stanford / Washington State game "escape" was later in the day, but I'm betting many like him are still voting Stanford ahead of Iowa despite that game that arguably they should have lost. Big time BIAS in my book there!
-

 

[CAhawki]

Stewie Mandel formally of SI now of Fox has also joined in

View embedded media

What is nice, a hand full of other national voices have championed our performance. I think the committee knows better then to take the words of the collective fuqery of ESPN.

 

[yerpHAWK]

The committee will look much more into these things, and use the actual information, instead of look at the name Iowa. Would be interesting to see if they did blind resumes. Not saying that couldn't be skewed either though. If you look at top 25 wins Iowa has 0. If you look at top 30 wins, Iowa has 3.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

It really IS bad. They spent the halftime show of Nebraska-Purdue bagging on Iowa's schedule TO DATE.

As has been noted in past threads, Iowa's SoS up to the past 2-3 weeks has been FAR better than MOST of the Top Ten. Baylor and TCU have sub-.500 opponents. Can't help it that Texas is a doormat this year, but is SUPPOSED to be a good team. A 'big name' from a decade ago is irrelevant when you get STFO by Iowa State....

Baylor and TCU need to be OUT of the Top Ten until they BOTH have more than ONE >0.500 opponent (Texas Tech, 5-4).

Top 4 of the big 12 haven't played anyone. If you take all 4 the 4 best wins are tenn, Minnesota, Texas tech and wvu. Now granted they all play each other in last month of season which will make for some interesting games. But up until this point their schedules have been pretty weak overall.

I get the Baylor and TCU love by the media because they expected them to be undefeated top 10. But I don't see how they can bash Iowa's schedule up until this point and give okie st a pass at the same time with 2 narrow escape victories over a bad Texas and poor k state teams.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Ha, alright I'll entertain this.

Would you be so confident Iowa would be in if all of the following happened:

Clemson finishes regular season undeafeted, winning the ACC. (And they should. If they lose to Florida State, that's gonna create problems for the champion of that conference.)

Either LSU or Alabama win the rest of their games, including the SEC championship game. (LSU being undefeated means they're in. Alabama winning out doesn't guarantee them diddly sh**. They'd still need Ole Miss to lose again. Otherwise, the Rebels will play Florida who could have 1-loss by the end...or drop one to FSU, before winning the SEC.)

Either TCU or Baylor finish regular season undefeated. (Only one will...and they also still have to play 1-loss Oklahoma. So does Ok State.)

Stanford or Notre Dame win the rest of their regular season games. (Stanford with their one loss will be a csb. Notre Dame still plays Stanford at the end of the year btw so that'll effectively be an elimination game. Stanford still has them, Oregon and Cal to contend with while the Irish got Pitt and Stanford as their remaining tough contests. Notre Dame's problem is, once again, that they're not in a conference. They will probably make an argument over a 1-loss team, but in spite of all their decent wins, that one loss to Clemson will be damning against a P5 team that wins a CCG and finishes undefeated.)

Clemson would be in. LSU or Alabama would be in. TCU or Baylor would be in.

So, say the final spot is a choice between one-loss Notre Dame, and undefeated Iowa...
Are you confident Iowa would get the nod?

And now we get to the end. The most likely hypothetical, if things worked out in our favor, ultimately (fingers crossed)....is that 12-0 Iowa faces 12-0 Ohio State. The Buckeyes are #1 and will probably remain a Top 3 team, if not #1 depending on how the CFP committee views them, as long as they keep winning.

So basically, Iowa winning the BTCG over a perceived #1 Ohio State team would mean that 13-0 Iowa would have the best win on any team's resume, including Notre Dame, and the CFP committee would be like "fk all your pessimistic bullsh** and overall body of work; THAT is their ticket to the big dance."

Therefore.....no, Iowa will not be left out of a playoff if they go undefeated AND beat Ohio State. They just need to actually go out there and do that, is all......


Now, the reason why I, personally, will accept those of you who want to play devil's advocate and say that it isn't impossible that an undefeated Iowa could get left out.....is because of certain things we can't control.

And that would be how Michigan State and Ohio State finish. Iowa NEEDS an undefeated Big Ten team from the East in order to have the best possible win on their resume, hypothetically speaking....

If Michigan State wins out, they will be highly ranked, but it may not be as great a perceived win as beating Ohio State, as unfortunate as that is. However, Iowa will still have the advantage of having beaten an undefeated team that beat what will most likely be the #1 team at the time they play, to win the BTCG. That will still be enough to put them over the top.

However, if MSU drops another game in there....say they lose to Nebraska before their game with Ohio State, and then wins out, OR Ohio State comes into Ann Arbor undefeated and Michigan hands them a loss, that could be a problem for the Big Ten as a whole...not just for Iowa.

If Ohio State or Michigan State lose before the BTCG and still go on to win it....who is to say they get in over one of the other 1-loss teams?

Of course wouldn't it be ironically f***ing funny that their argument is merited on having beat a hypothetically 12-0 Iowa team, in order to convince the committee that they belong?....and then they get in because of that?

All things considered though, and this is hypothetically speaking of course.........a 13-0 Iowa is in the CFP.

Deal with it.