Iowa State’s Most Bone-Headed Athletic Change?

[Die4Cy]

OK, he wasnt' horrible . He wasn't a good fit. He left without doing major damage. The coin was just weird. No other way to describe it.

Anybody should get a "coin" it's Campbell. Thankfully I'm glad we aren't doing that nonsense anymore.

The coin was a determined attempt to inject some hype into the football program by Pollard. It was definitely cheesy, but part of a bigger branding concept around ISU football that actually worked.

Things have progressed to the point where this isn't necessary any more.

 

[superiorcyclone]

1. Gordon P. Eaton crapping on athletics, crippling the football program. The Original Sin.
2. Tertiary blue
3. Extending Prohm
4. The Bugle

Eaton was a disaster

 

[cyclones500]

Refresh my memory about Eaton - did he actively de-emphasize athletics? I can find bits 'n pieces online, but some archivals are paywall. Personal memory is hazy.

 

[fsanford]

Personally I hate the black uniforms (really don’t like the any of the current football uniforms if I am being truthful). The previous uniforms were much better and the greys that were worn during Campbell’s first year were way better than the black. I know I am in the minority.



Absolutely agree. A D1 hockey program would be so cool.

And I truly believe it would have been a revenue generator, especially if they were able to sell beer at the games

 

[awd4cy]

I don’t think the Mangino hire was stupid.

It didn’t work, but he was the best offensive mind we could get, and it showed at times. That ‘14 team scored enough points to win more than it did, but the defense ALWAYS let them down.

This really isn’t true. Statistically the 14 offense was worse than any under Rhoads. The defense was awful that year, but the offense was also horrendous. It probably wasn’t all on Mangino though as there was so very little talent.

 

[yowza]

The coin was a determined attempt to inject some hype into the football program by Pollard. It was definitely cheesy, but part of a bigger branding concept around ISU football that actually worked.

Things have progressed to the point where this isn't necessary any more.

Chizcoin came before bitcoin. Just too far ahead of its time.

 

[CascadeClone]

Refresh my memory about Eaton - did he actively de-emphasize athletics? I can find bits 'n pieces online, but some archivals are paywall. Personal memory is hazy.

My recollection is he said something to the effect of "this is a academic, research and educational institution, athletics are not important or relevant to that mission". He cranked up the budget on research, faculty salary etc, which is great. We'd probably still be in the AAU if he stayed longer lol.

But he did NOT support any athletic efforts at all. IDK if he cut the AD budget, but if you say "this department is dumb and not important" it does not inspire greatness or attract the best talent for that department. The worst thing is, he did this just at the beginning of the exponential growth curve of ESPN and college sports popularity/money. So we got behind the curve, on an exponential curve, and we are just now kind of catching up.

Eaton was a major academic, very one-dimensional. And we need people like that. But as a leader he was too narrow minded and snobby about academics.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I believe the fuss was centered
I believe the biggest fuss was Chiz never bothered to meet with the players when he left.

I know a former player (starter) who Chiz tried to take his scolly away. True story, JP had to get involved and tell Gene no.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Chizcoin came before bitcoin. Just too far ahead of its time.

Chizcoin sounds like a form of Onlyfans payment.

 

[Jer]

Chizcoin sounds like a form of Onlyfans payment.

Lord only knows what we would have released if his last name had just a few different letters. Jizzjar like TAM?

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Lord only knows what we would have released if his last name had just a few different letters. Jizzjar like TAM?

"first 15,000 fans into the stadium receive a commemorative Jizztowel"

 

[shadow]

In 2000, the average home attendance for ISU baseball was 261. None of their 26 road games had fewer than 261 people in attendance -- although two neutral games did.

Source: http://cyclones.fansonly.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/iast-m-basebl-CummulativeStats.html

Stats in 2001 are a little more difficult, since I don't think it was archived at archive.org. Individual game stats are here: https://web.archive.org/web/2001063....com/sports/m-basebl/iast-m-basebl-sched.html

Not surprising. Iowa weather in the spring sucks for baseball unless it's inside and that would cost a lot of money.

 

[shadow]

I know a former player (starter) who Chiz tried to take his scolly away. True story, JP had to get involved and tell Gene no.

Was it one of the current CF podcast people?

 

[CyCrazy]

Was it one of the current CF podcast people?

I doubt it but I could be wrong. That was 15 plus years ago.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Was it one of the current CF podcast people?

Nope

 

[ISUChippewa]

My recollection is he said something to the effect of "this is a academic, research and educational institution, athletics are not important or relevant to that mission". He cranked up the budget on research, faculty salary etc, which is great. We'd probably still be in the AAU if he stayed longer lol.

But he did NOT support any athletic efforts at all. IDK if he cut the AD budget, but if you say "this department is dumb and not important" it does not inspire greatness or attract the best talent for that department. The worst thing is, he did this just at the beginning of the exponential growth curve of ESPN and college sports popularity/money. So we got behind the curve, on an exponential curve, and we are just now kind of catching up.

Eaton was a major academic, very one-dimensional. And we need people like that. But as a leader he was too narrow minded and snobby about academics.

IIRC I once read that he tried to schedule a meeting right at the same time as an ISU Men's BB NCAA Tournament game, apparently not even realizing that ISU had made the tournament (or maybe just not caring). I am pretty sure this would have been during the Johnny Orr era. If true it's quite telling about his apathy for ISU sports.

 

[NWICY]

IIRC I once read that he tried to schedule a meeting right at the same time as an ISU Men's BB NCAA Tournament game, apparently not even realizing that ISU had made the tournament (or maybe just not caring). I am pretty sure this would have been during the Johnny Orr era. If true it's quite telling about his apathy for ISU sports.

LOL I'm on a community board and come march we don't schedule meetings during the big 12 tourney or the NCAA's. We wouldn't show up and if we did we wouldn't be paying attention.

 

[t-noah]

I thought they called Johnny to ask about Bill Frieder his assistant. Frieder got the job after Johnny left for ISU and later Frieder left for ASU and that's when Steve Fischer got the Michigan job.

3 pretty good coaches in a row for Michigan there.

Of the 3 though, I wouldn't trade Johnny!

If I remember right didn't KJ Kindler leave after she wanted to have A/C put their gym and was flat out told not going to happen? Five National Championships later.......

I could see Nichols and the wrestlers not having or 'putting up' with AC, but wow if true. Give the girls some AC!

 

[t-noah]

Didn’t say there weren’t bone headed decisions. Said that we are determined to be miserable. And you, in general, seem to be focused on the negatives lately.

Put it this way, I’d bet my life that if you put up a positive post it wouldn’t have near the number of comments as this one.

Um, not sure that was needed. Good thread here and Jeremy has earned enough positives. If he wants to criticize some, here and there, OK by me. He's earned it.

Sometimes it works to try to be positive and not critical of others. Easier said than done.

Wrong. I could say we’re going to ban JSB today and I’d have 10,000 likewise positive responses immediately.

Haha, you were thinking about it, weren't you?

Fully agree. I remember growing up going to MBB and FB games with my dad and grandpa and at certain young ages, things like the blimp and football car were part of the fun (before I started liking the cheerleaders more, lol).

I look back and remember getting blown out so many times at FB games why we sat nearly alone in the upper deck with sleet and snow, and the only good memories for some stretches are some of the extras.

I never hear anybody else talk about the blimp so I’m either the only one that remembers it or that enjoyed it. Part of it was waiting to see if it hit anybody

Not sure how anyone would evolve into liking cheerleaders more.

Wait a minute. I get it.

 

[CySmurf]

Letting Dan Gable go to coach the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Hiring Bruce Van De Velde as athletic director

Constructing Hilton in a flood zone.