Fred Barr can’t help himself. He’ll be walking through the mall or sitting in a restaurant and see someone wearing Iowa State gear. He’ll hit them with a “Go Hawks!”
It’s not vicious but it’s pure. The sight of anything Cyclone sets him off.
“I do not like anything about them,” he said.
Barr made a name for himself as a member of coach Kirk Ferent’s first recruiting class at Iowa. He also drew attention as a person who spoke his mind, which included saying he hated Iowa State the week of the Cy-Hawk game. A decade and a half later, not much has changed in that regard.
The Florida native has mostly lived in the state since he arrived on Iowa’s campus in 1999. He fell in love with the place and admits that even the Cyclone fans are good folks.
“I stayed out here because really the people are beautiful compared to any other place I’ve ever been to. It’s all about who you are as a person. I appreciate that because it’s genuine. They don’t base their opinion of you on material things or money or what can you do for them. And they’re so helpful,” he said.