Pollard: Iowa State fans left their mark on Memphis

**Skidoosh** · 01-02-2013, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by cyclonestate

I guess football players are a lot different than female basketball players.

\thread

**Beerbrat** · 01-02-2013, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by jsb

Rhoads preaches the same things with his players.

I wish fans would treat the bowl trips as vacations with a football game thrown in. We had a great time and I'm not going to let a football loss ruin it for me. I suspect that many won't either. As far as the trip goes, it was about as cheap of a trip as a person could take.

I sure hope the Liberty Bowl goes Big 12. It's a fantastic venue and a great city. It's drivable from Iowa thus making it very affordable. The weather kind of stunk this year, but I would guess that the chances of a pretty warm sunny day are not bad.

Couldn't agree more with this. To say the players didn't care is idiotic. We had a blast hanging out with all the Cyclones while also seeing some of the sites. It is a vacation where you know quite a few of the other people taking the same vacation which makes it even better.

**j4state** · 01-02-2013, 07:16 PM

Would return to Memphis in a heartbeat. Besides three quarters of a football game and some cold NYE rain it was a phenomenal trip.

Have to trade out the Pinstripe for the Liberty. B12 #7 vs SEC #8. Makes too much sense.

**Palmer** · 01-02-2013, 07:36 PM

if it was left up to Cyclone fans...we would be winning BCS games every year.

Cyclone fans brought it....too bad the team didn't.

**Tre4ISU** · 01-02-2013, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by cyclonestate

Had a great time in Memphis. However, as excited as I was for the way our fans more than lived up to their part of the deal, I was incredibly disappointed in the way our players didn't live up to their part of the deal. I'm generalizing here, but a lot of people of modest means spent a great deal of money and traveled hundreds of miles to cheer for a team that just didn't seem to care nearly as much.

One of the things I love about Fennelly is how he is constantly preaching to his players what a privilege it is to get to put on the ISU uniform and play before the most dedicated fans in the country. I guess football players are a lot different that female basketball players.

They smell lots better.

**00clone** · 01-02-2013, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tre4ISU

They smell lots better.

Which ones?

**capitalcityguy** · 01-02-2013, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by clonedude

We don't want the Liberty Bowl as a Big 12 bowl if we can help it.

Every single year as I watch the New Years Day bowls all I'm reminded of is just how awful the Big 12 bowl lineup is. It's just dreadful.

I would think we can do better than the Liberty Bowl, but who knows? All those warm climate bowls look MUCH more appealing to me.

....and you can add another $500 - $1,000 to your travel expenses to those other bowl trips you have dancing around in your head.

**NorthCyd** · 01-02-2013, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by cyclonestate

Had a great time in Memphis. However, as excited as I was for the way our fans more than lived up to their part of the deal, I was incredibly disappointed in the way our players didn't live up to their part of the deal. I'm generalizing here, but a lot of people of modest means spent a great deal of money and traveled hundreds of miles to cheer for a team that just didn't seem to care nearly as much.

One of the things I love about Fennelly is how he is constantly preaching to his players what a privilege it is to get to put on the ISU uniform and play before the most dedicated fans in the country. I guess football players are a lot different that female basketball players.

What a bunch of crap. There is a lot more to a game than simply wanting it. Talent, game plan, and execution all matter. Don't pretend to know the players heart and desire. Perhaps Tulsa is a better team than any of us want to admit, and we won the first time because we benefited from home field advantage and playing them early in the season when we were at full strength. Somehow people forget that was a 1 possession game in the 4th quarter when we played them the first time.

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, I'm going to give the coaches and players the benefit of the doubt that they know how much this meant to the fans after seeing how we showed up in droves. I bet quite a few of those guys felt pretty bad letting the fans down after that game.

**jsb** · 01-02-2013, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by NorthCyd

What a bunch of crap. There is a lot more to a game than simply wanting it. Talent, game plan, and execution all matter. Don't pretend to know the players heart and desire. Perhaps Tulsa is a better team than any of us want to admit, and we won the first time because we benefited from home field advantage and playing them early in the season when we were at full strength. Somehow people forget that was a 1 possession game in the 4th quarter when we played them the first time.

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, I'm going to give the coaches and players the benefit of the doubt that they know how much this meant to the fans after seeing how we showed up in droves. I bet quite a few of those guys felt pretty bad letting the fans down after that game.

Talked with a player and a coach on Tuesday and they felt bad. Obviously didn't see all of the players after the game, but those wandering around the hotel didn't look to be having a ton of fun on New Year's Eve.

**cyclonestate** · 01-02-2013, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by NorthCyd

What a bunch of crap. There is a lot more to a game than simply wanting it. Talent, game plan, and execution all matter. Don't pretend to know the players heart and desire. Perhaps Tulsa is a better team than any of us want to admit, and we won the first time because we benefited from home field advantage and playing them early in the season when we were at full strength. Somehow people forget that was a 1 possession game in the 4th quarter when we played them the first time.

Unless you have evidence to the contrary, I'm going to give the coaches and players the benefit of the doubt that they know how much this meant to the fans after seeing how we showed up in droves. I bet quite a few of those guys felt pretty bad letting the fans down after that game.

Sorry to offend you with my load of crap.

I don't pretend to know the players' heart and desire. But I know what I saw as I was sitting in the cold rain with 25,000 other Cyclone fans. I saw a team that was physically whipped on both sides of the ball by a team that played with a chip on its shoulder all night long.

What our fans did in Memphis was absolutely unprecedented in ISU history. When our guys ran out onto the field and saw the overwhelming support in the stadium, I honestly thought they would play like their hair was on fire. Instead, I watched them get pushed around all night long.

Our players had an opportunity to take advantage of an incredible environment on a national stage - an opportunity that won't come along very often. I'm not saying they didn't try. They most certainly did. I just wish they would have put forth a better showing. Tulsa is a good team and they fully deserved the win.