What would this board have been like between 1956 and 1979?

[Franisdaman]

The Hawkeyes had one NCAA Tournament appearance (1970 Sweet 16) between their 1956 Final Four trip and their return to the tournament in 1979.

What would this board have been like over those 23 looooong years?

 

[ScoutRefugee]

There wouldn't have been a board because there wouldn't have been many fans.

 

[EastIowaHawk]

The board would either have been a bunch of old bald guys or some 70s types with long hair and wide=bottomed pants.

 

[SSG T]

Considering the qualifications for getting into the NCAA tourney back then, I doubt there would have been major blow ups. I mean in many of those years, the Big Ten got 1 team in the tourney and you almost HAD to win the league title to get in, and that wasn't always enough. The 67-68 team tied OSU for the league title, OSU went to the tourney, Iowa didn't.

The NCAA tourney was a completely different animal back then.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

That era was a little before my time but Iowa still had a few decent teams back then.

The NCCA tournament in those days had a much smaller field. I think it wasn't until the mid to late 80s the field expanded to 64.

Oh, and Iowa football was so bad in those days that the basketball team would have been the bright spot. And, really, people didn't care about college basketball back then like they do today.

So, really, this message board may have had 3 participants.

 

[Lone Clone]

The Hawkeyes had one NCAA Tournament appearance (1970 Sweet 16) between their 1956 Final Four trip and their return to the tournament in 1979.

What would this board have been like over those 23 looooong years?

Iowa had some pretty good teams in that period, and some outstanding individuals. Some issues that would be discussed...

* It's 1957, and we're upset that everybody's making a big deal out of Iowa State beating Kansas and getting ranked #3 in the nation, because everybody knows the Big Eight sucks and that Chamberlin guy is tall but not talented;

* It's 1960, about this time of year, and we just learned that four of the five starters on the #5 rated Hawkeye team had been rules ineligible for the remainder of the year. My guess is that this would have set the meltdown standard that would still be unmatched.

* It's 1961, and we have just expelled sophomore-to-be Connie Hawkins because his name was linked to point-shaving scandal, even though he was never charged with anything and couldn't possibly have been involved. The board is not pleased.

* It's 1968, and we're bitching about having to play Ohio State at Columbus to break the league title tie and determine which team goes to the NCAA tournament.

 

[HerkysDad]

SLOW TO DOWNLOAD!

 

[Lone Clone]

Considering the qualifications for getting into the NCAA tourney back then, I doubt there would have been major blow ups. I mean in many of those years, the Big Ten got 1 team in the tourney and you almost HAD to win the league title to get in, and that wasn't always enough. The 67-68 team tied OSU for the league title, OSU went to the tourney, Iowa didn't.

The NCAA tourney was a completely different animal back then.

It wasn't that you almost always had to win the league. You did have to win the league. And the league had to be one of a few select power conferences. The only one of those that had a post-season tournament was the ACC, and I recall at least once when a team went undefeated until the title game of that tournament, was upset, and didn't go to the NCAA tournament.

I don't recall the terms "Sweet Sixteen" or "Final Four" being used in those days. This makes sense because for the major teams, they were in the final sixteen from the start. In '56, for example, Iowa only had to win twice to make the final four -- and both games were in the Fieldhouse.

At that time, the NCAA tournament was just starting to get recognition as the true national championship. Just a few years earlier, the NIT had that distinction in many circles.

 

[HerkysDad]

Iowa had some pretty good teams in that period, and some outstanding individuals. Some issues that would be discussed...

* It's 1957, and we're upset that everybody's making a big deal out of Iowa State beating Kansas and getting ranked #3 in the nation, because everybody knows the Big Eight sucks and that Chamberlin guy is tall but not talented;

* It's 1960, about this time of year, and we just learned that four of the five starters on the #5 rated Hawkeye team had been rules ineligible for the remainder of the year. My guess is that this would have set the meltdown standard that would still be unmatched.

* It's 1961, and we have just expelled sophomore-to-be Connie Hawkins because his name was linked to point-shaving scandal, even though he was never charged with anything and couldn't possibly have been involved. The board is not pleased.

* It's 1968, and we're bitching about having to play Ohio State at Columbus to break the league title tie and determine which team goes to the NCAA tournament.

I remember that Ohio State tiebreaker, but I believe it was at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, not in Columbus. But we would still be bitching about losing by four points.

 

[MarkRules]

I thought the 1968 tiebreaker game was at West Lafayette or Champaign, no?

Edit: Herky's Dad beat me to it.

 

[Lone Clone]

I remember that Ohio State tiebreaker, but I believe it was at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, not in Columbus. But we would still be bitching about losing by four points.

You are correct. I must have had the site confused with the site of the NCAA loss to Jacksonville two years later.

 

[IamHawkeye]

That era was a little before my time but Iowa still had a few decent teams back then.

The NCCA tournament in those days had a much smaller field. I think it wasn't until the mid to late 80s the field expanded to 64.

Oh, and Iowa football was so bad in those days that the basketball team would have been the bright spot. And, really, people didn't care about college basketball back then like they do today.

So, really, this message board may have had 3 participants.

Oh, they cared about college basketball, but they didn't get to watch games on TV except for a few of them.

 

[FranklinHawk]

Probably pretty slow with no PC's or smartphones

 

[EZ2BJZ]

Oh, they cared about college basketball, but they didn't get to watch games on TV except for a few of them.

I don't know. Baseball was still the biggest, most cared about sport at that time.

Plus, the interest in college sports back then isn't even close to what it is today. Sure, people cared a little and took interest, but nothing like what we have now.

 

[DanL53]

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...madness-how-1968s-game-century-forever-shaped

Long article on the beginning of television and college basketball. The shining moment of College Basketball may have come in the late 1980's when something like 6.5% of sports fans considered it their favorite sport. Since then, that number has dwindled to about half. And yes, there is some source for that but I'm not looking it up.

As to what this board would have been like, there would have been plenty of Hawkeye fans here. Maybe even more than we have today. You see, Iowa didn't have a pro-team. And Televisions only had three channels. Hawkeye sports were accessible by radio and many a fan spent winter nights listening to Jim Zabel.

As a kid, I did. And I watched my Dad scold Lute Olson for every missed free throw or scoring drought as if he could see the game. Clearly, he was an idiot.

Had this board been around then, I'm sure I'd be on it scolding idiot fans and rooting for coaches and players that I saw live from Miller, and on.

 

[IamHawkeye]

I don't know. Baseball was still the biggest, most cared about sport at that time.

Plus, the interest in college sports back then isn't even close to what it is today. Sure, people cared a little and took interest, but nothing like what we have now.

So this was before your time? You're showing it. Believe me people cared more than a little. I think you are confusing caring with TV, the web and so forth. Look up the Register's Big Peach" page covering the win that put Iowa in the first Rose Bowl.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

So this was before your time? You're showing it. Believe me people cared more than a little. I think you are confusing caring with TV, the web and so forth. Look up the Register's Big Peach" page covering the win that put Iowa in the first Rose Bowl.

You're probably right. But in fairness Iowa and Iowa State are the biggest sports attractions in Iowa, so that probably had a lot to do with it.

I'm just going off of what I've heard and read over the years as far as the popularity of college sports compared to today is concerned.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

Kind of off topic but if they had message boards in 70s Minnesota football fans would be like huskers fans now talking about the glory days in the 30s and 40s and how awesome their programis. when in fact currently they are irrelevant back in the 70s and stayed that way for last 40 years since.

 

[LuteHawk]

Here is a brief history of the number of teams invited
to the NCAA Men;s college basketball tournament

1937-1950....8 teams
1951-52.......16 teams
1953-74.......24 teams
1975-78 ......32 teams
1980-82.......48 teams

2011 to the Present.....68 teams

Personally, I believe a 48 team tournament would be
the best. It would be based on Conference champs
and eliminate the post-season conf. tournaments.

 

[Lone Clone]

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...madness-how-1968s-game-century-forever-shaped

Long article on the beginning of television and college basketball. The shining moment of College Basketball may have come in the late 1980's when something like 6.5% of sports fans considered it their favorite sport. Since then, that number has dwindled to about half. And yes, there is some source for that but I'm not looking it up.

As to what this board would have been like, there would have been plenty of Hawkeye fans here. Maybe even more than we have today. You see, Iowa didn't have a pro-team. And Televisions only had three channels. Hawkeye sports were accessible by radio and many a fan spent winter nights listening to Jim Zabel.

As a kid, I did. And I watched my Dad scold Lute Olson for every missed free throw or scoring drought as if he could see the game. Clearly, he was an idiot.

Had this board been around then, I'm sure I'd be on it scolding idiot fans and rooting for coaches and players that I saw live from Miller, and on.

In the

Here is a brief history of the number of teams invited
to the NCAA Men;s college basketball tournament

1937-1950....8 teams
1951-52.......16 teams
1953-74.......24 teams
1975-78 ......32 teams
1980-82.......48 teams

2011 to the Present.....68 teams

Personally, I believe a 48 team tournament would be
the best. It would be based on Conference champs
and eliminate the post-season conf. tournaments.

Originally, they were actually trying to find the best team in the country. That's why only conference champions were invited ..... if you aren't the best in your conference, you can't be the best in the country. Duh.

Now the purpose of the tournament is to make money and spike interest in college basketball.

What they SHOULD do is take a page from the high schools. Extend the tournament for 10 days and let everybody in.

 

[EastIowaHawk]

I remember back in the old days of Ralph Miller and up to Tom Davis' days and one of the Cedar Rapids TV stations televised all the Iowa basketball agaes.

 

[Lone Clone]

I remember back in the old days of Ralph Miller and up to Tom Davis' days and one of the Cedar Rapids TV stations televised all the Iowa basketball agaes.

No, they didn't. In the Ralph Miller days, the Hawks had one or two games televised a year. The 1968 playoff game mentioned earlier with Ohio State was not televised by any of the C.R.-area stations.

The huge breakthrough came when Lute was coaching. At that time, KWWL-TV in Waterloo telecast all the games. It was highly unusual, not only for Iowa but nationally. The station had a lot of trouble clearing it with NBC because Iowa had quite a few Thursday night games and that was a big night for network TV. Or maybe it was Wednesday. I know that one of the shows it often pre-empted was "Hill Street Blues."

 

[NI hawk]

No, they didn't. In the Ralph Miller days, the Hawks had one or two games televised a year. The 1968 playoff game mentioned earlier with Ohio State was not televised by any of the C.R.-area stations.

The huge breakthrough came when Lute was coaching. At that time, KWWL-TV in Waterloo telecast all the games. It was highly unusual, not only for Iowa but nationally. The station had a lot of trouble clearing it with NBC because Iowa had quite a few Thursday night games and that was a big night for network TV. Or maybe it was Wednesday. I know that one of the shows it often pre-empted was "Hill Street Blues."

No, they didn't. In the Ralph Miller days, the Hawks had one or two games televised a year. The 1968 playoff game mentioned earlier with Ohio State was not televised by any of the C.R.-area stations.

The huge breakthrough came when Lute was coaching. At that time, KWWL-TV in Waterloo telecast all the games. It was highly unusual, not only for Iowa but nationally. The station had a lot of trouble clearing it with NBC because Iowa had quite a few Thursday night games and that was a big night for network TV. Or maybe it was Wednesday. I know that one of the shows it often pre-empted was "Hill Street Blues."

Thursday -Saturday were the days Big Ten schools mostly played in the late 70's to early 80's.

 

[bigfridaynite]

I remember WHO had Drake games on all the time.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Seems like Iowa basketball in the decades of the 1990s and 2000s was worse. It used to mean that you were more than an above-average team if you played in the NCAA tourney.

 

[NI hawk]

I remember WHO had Drake games on all the time.

Me too .

 

[Row55]

Re the popularity of college sports and Iowa in particular, keep in mind that Kinnick was built in the 1920's to seat around 50,000. The Fieldhouse seated 13,000-ish after its last major refirb (and frankly that would be big enough today). In good years, they were both pretty full.

As far as fan bitching goes, there was a game at Kinnick when Podolak was playing and Ray Nagel was coaching, when I overheard a group of angry guys complaining about Iowa's offense, because they were great at moving the ball between the 20's but had a hard time getting points. I didn't understand why they were so worked up. Those guys would have fit right in here

 

[Scott559]

I don't know how much would be different if Internet had been available back in the day, Loyal, vocal fans have been around for as long as I can recall. My first experiences with Iowa forums was back in the Progidy, Aol, Eartthlink days, While the number of posters were smaller, you still had the same differences of opinion and passion, what has changed the most IMO is the amount of hostility towards other posters that has become common fare on today's forums.

 

[Lone Clone]

Re the popularity of college sports and Iowa in particular, keep in mind that Kinnick was built in the 1920's to seat around 50,000. The Fieldhouse seated 13,000-ish after its last major refirb (and frankly that would be big enough today). In good years, they were both pretty full.

As far as fan bitching goes, there was a game at Kinnick when Podolak was playing and Ray Nagel was coaching, when I overheard a group of angry guys complaining about Iowa's offense, because they were great at moving the ball between the 20's but had a hard time getting points. I didn't understand why they were so worked up. Those guys would have fit right in here

For the record, although a lot of the "official" stories say Kinnick originally seated 50,000, the correct number is 42,000. That's based on newspaper stories at the time and a photo that, the last time I checked, was in the Iowa football offices someplace.

 

[Row55]

OK, 42,000, Gonna guess that's the east & west stands with no end zone seating. That's still a fair crowd for a college sporting event in the 20's, in the Midwest.

 

[Lone Clone]

OK, 42,000, Gonna guess that's the east & west stands with no end zone seating. That's still a fair crowd for a college sporting event in the 20's, in the Midwest.

Oh, hell yes. It was big.

 

[hawkjt]

The 60's had some of the most exciting Hawkeye players ever. Super Sam Williams, Chris Pervall and George Peoples could really ball. In 1964-65 I remember listening to Zabel describe the holiday time game vs Walt Hazzard's UCLA team....think Iowa took them to OT......they started the UCLA run of titles that year.

 

[hawkcub]

No, they didn't. In the Ralph Miller days, the Hawks had one or two games televised a year. The 1968 playoff game mentioned earlier with Ohio State was not televised by any of the C.R.-area stations.

The huge breakthrough came when Lute was coaching. At that time, KWWL-TV in Waterloo telecast all the games. It was highly unusual, not only for Iowa but nationally. The station had a lot of trouble clearing it with NBC because Iowa had quite a few Thursday night games and that was a big night for network TV. Or maybe it was Wednesday. I know that one of the shows it often pre-empted was "Hill Street Blues."

I so remember that time frame on KWWL. It pissed my stepfather off so much. He wasnt a BB fan at all. Wasn't the announcer catch phrase OH MY.

 

[Scott559]

I so remember that time frame on KWWL. It pissed my stepfather off so much. He wasnt a BB fan at all. Wasn't the announcer catch phrase OH MY.

Bob Hogue perhaps?

 

[hawkcub]

Bob Hogue perhaps?

That name sounds familiar.

 

[VicHawkeye]

The sheer passion for Iowa Bball was at it's peek around the time of Bob Hogue and Sharm Shuerman, say around 1981. Children cried when Lute left.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

The 60's had some of the most exciting Hawkeye players ever. Super Sam Williams, Chris Pervall and George Peoples could really ball. In 1964-65 I remember listening to Zabel describe the holiday time game vs Walt Hazzard's UCLA team....think Iowa took them to OT......they started the UCLA run of titles that year.

This is the era in which I became a die hard fan. I for sure remember listening to that UCLA game. Gail Goodrich was the point guard at the time and I believe the game was played in Chicago, some kind of tourney. Basketball was huge then too. Fieldhouse would be full on a weeknight as well. Now we're looking at 6-8K on a weeknight, less if it's an 8 o'clock game. IMHO UCLA nearly ruined BB with their dominance back then. Everyone hated them and I still do to this day.

 

[soybean]

No, they didn't. In the Ralph Miller days, the Hawks had one or two games televised a year. The 1968 playoff game mentioned earlier with Ohio State was not televised by any of the C.R.-area stations.

The huge breakthrough came when Lute was coaching. At that time, KWWL-TV in Waterloo telecast all the games. It was highly unusual, not only for Iowa but nationally. The station had a lot of trouble clearing it with NBC because Iowa had quite a few Thursday night games and that was a big night for network TV. Or maybe it was Wednesday. I know that one of the shows it often pre-empted was "Hill Street Blues."

This. KWWL and Bob Houge.

 

[soybean]

I remember WHO had Drake games on all the time.

And Iowa State as well.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

Well Drake was a powerhouse from '67 to '71. They averaged 22 wins a year, went to the NCAA three times, gave UCLA all they could handle and never lost over 8 games in any one season. Iowa State stole Maury John after that '71 season and Drake more or less faded into oblivion.