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Other old Hawk fans: When did it 'Jump the Shark' for you?

JRHawk2003

HR King
Jul 9, 2003
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Started going to football and basketball games in 1975. Commings era, Field House, Lute, Ronnie Lester, Hayden, Rose Bowls, etc. Lived through it all.

I dont mean you quit following at all, but quit living for it. I lived for those Saturdays for a long time. I still go to some games, but the Proctor stuff and BF stuff just remind me.
 
It was probably in my late 30s when I realized that there was enough in this world to bring aggravation, I wasn't going to let 18-24 year-olds dictate my emotions. prior to that, a football loss would leave me in a bad mood for a week, but after that point, I would be over it by the time we got home from the game. I really think it was as my kids got older they brought their own challenges to life.
 
Started going to football and basketball games in 1975. Commings era, Field House, Lute, Ronnie Lester, Hayden, Rose Bowls, etc. Lived through it all.

I dont mean you quit following at all, but quit living for it. I lived for those Saturdays for a long time. I still go to some games, but the Proctor stuff and BF stuff just remind me.
Won’t worry a second about proctor. Started going to games with my dad dragging me and my brother to kinnick and the fieldhouse in the 60’s. Fball was sad - we went a couple years without seeing a home win.
Then bball got good, then real good and fry came as i was leaving ui.
Still have season tickets and make it up for 2-3 games a year. Game trips fun to catch up with family and friends and go to most bowls - especially in fla.
I’m a realist. Iowa is a 8-4 program plus or minus 2 depending on schedule, injuries and breaks. Someday the moon and stars hopefully align in one of sports but if not they’ll keep me entertained.
 
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I’m in the same boat. It’s a combination of me getting older/having a different perspective + Alford killing Iowa basketball for me. With the greed running rampant in college football the end is near on that front as well. I’m not playing the game of adding BTN and ESPN to my Sling subscription just to watch Tommy Boy field the most ineffective and frustrating offense I’ve seen in 42 years of watching Iowa football. There are other options for my Saturday afternoons.
 
I think that is one of the factors in why Iowa Basketball is not what it was at one time in the public consciousness
If we had some NCAA success all would be forgiven.

Lute took the Hawks to a Final 4 and Sweet 16...and Big 10 title.

Haven't matched that since....Dr Tom's first year and 2 Sweet 16'S excluded.

But that was a generation ago....
 
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If we had some NCAA success all would be forgiven.

Lute took the Hawks to a Final 4 and Sweet 16...and Big 10 title.

Haven't matched that since....Dr Tom's first year and 2 Sweet 16'S excluded.

But that was a generation ago....

Haven’t won a regular season B1G title in 40 plus years will do that.

As to the OP point, Iowa hasn’t jumped the shark for me - I still subscribe here, split tickets, donate to Swarm - but when I hit the mid-40’s, other interests came up and you get some perspective from life events, or at least I did.

I still really enjoy my 12 Saturdays a year though. As to Iowa basketball, meh.
 
Started going to football and basketball games in 1975. Commings era, Field House, Lute, Ronnie Lester, Hayden, Rose Bowls, etc. Lived through it all.

I dont mean you quit following at all, but quit living for it. I lived for those Saturdays for a long time. I still go to some games, but the Proctor stuff and BF stuff just remind me.
when they got butt ****ed in the rose bowl by stanford. seasons are much more fun when you meme and troll the whole season.
 
Haven’t won a regular season B1G title in 40 plus years will do that.

As to the OP point, Iowa hasn’t jumped the shark for me - I still subscribe here, split tickets, donate to Swarm - but when I hit the mid-40’s, other interests came up and you get some perspective from life events, or at least I did.

I still really enjoy my 12 Saturdays a year though. As to Iowa basketball, meh.
I like Fran...I like the brand of basketball he produces....when it works. It's a thing of beauty.

What's frustrating in the Fran era is you get sucked in by the good/great performances....and then the team lays inexplicable turds. Richmond last year was a serious nut punch.

Defense....usually the culprit when that beautiful offense misfires. Scored 83 last night and lost by 9 to a horrible team. Frans "turds" are enormous....in addition to the lack of NCAA success.
 
If we had some NCAA success all would be forgiven.

Lute took the Hawks to a Final 4 and Sweet 16...and Big 10 title.

Haven't matched that since....Dr Tom's first year and 2 Sweet 16'S excluded.

But that was a generation ago....
that Final 4 covers a lot of warts for Lute...that Big Ten Championship team lost its first NCAA game to...Toledo. Then there are the losses to Idaho and Wichita State...

Dr. Tom bought a decade of goodwill out of his 1st team with 9 NBA players that blew a 21-point lead to go to the final four...

I stopped rooting for the players when I graduated*...I cheer for the uniform and the helmet...

*the exception being Jess Settles who was a freshman when I was a senior...I rooted for him for the next decade...
 
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When my own kids started competing in youth high school and now collegiate athletics my dedication and interest naturally waned.

The nepotism that at one time or another infected mbb and football nudged this along as well
 
I’ve always viewed it as an expensive, slightly obsessive hobby. Hasn’t changed too much.

As I’ve aged, I’ve gotten less upset about losses and I really have given up caring what other fans or other fanbases think about Iowa- for some reason that used to bother me when I was younger (making sure Iowa was “respected”)

As time goes on, you realize Iowa is what it is in the college sports ecosystem: a consistently good, sometimes very good, but seldom great program in most of the big, televised sports. That’s enough to make the games and tournaments compelling for me.
 
I’ve always viewed it as an expensive, slightly obsessive hobby. Hasn’t changed too much.

As I’ve aged, I’ve gotten less upset about losses and I really have given up caring what other fans or other fanbases think about Iowa- for some reason that used to bother me when I was younger (making sure Iowa was “respected”)

As time goes on, you realize Iowa is what it is in the college sports ecosystem: a consistently good, sometimes very good, but seldom great program in most of the big, televised sports. That’s enough to make the games and tournaments compelling for me.
Same for me. I've never lived/died over it but have always enjoyed it. I like the competition, knowing the players, the highs and lows, but it's still just entertainment. Too many other things that I care more about.
 
Basketball was Lickliter. I remember a time during the Tom Davis era where I would get actual goosebumps during the day knowing a game was on later that night and all of a sudden I just didn’t care. It was weird the last couple years because I got roped in late and crushed without getting to enjoy the ride

Football was still big until I moved out of state. There were other things going on but it’s a lot different when you’re not surrounded by people bitching about the hawks all the time
 
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Basketball for me was Alford, I knew a lot of people around Iowa City close to the program. He really is a scumbag and I never really recovered. I still like watching them play and chher for the young men. Last 5 years has been fun but I don't care like I did when I was young. I miss a lot of games these days.

I still love Football but don't let it bother me when they lose anymore. Kirk is great and I love the way they never seem to give up and always play with heart. I don't go to games anymore because of a lot of the fans, the bitching and moaning about every little thing got to me. Especially when most of the complainers don't know WTF they are talking about. Still enjoy getting together with friends and watching the games though. Saturday should be fun.
 
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