- Jun 20, 2006
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Long two days left. Story time! Please share your own
- Thread starter RezClone
- Start date
In February wife and I were at Clearwater Beach for a few days. The last day I was wearing an ISU shirt and got quite a few "go State" comments. Two Penn State grads were sitting next to us and they were huge wresting fans. They were really cool as they hoped to beat Iowa at nationals. I reminded them it took an ISU wrestler and coach to turn them into the national power they are.
Can you imagine if ISU would have held onto both Gable and Sanderson as coaches? How many championship banners would be hanging in Hilton? 20 more? 25 more?
Can you imagine if ISU would have held onto both Gable and Sanderson as coaches? How many championship banners would be hanging in Hilton? 20 more? 25 more?
I loved Iowa State's football uniforms of the early 90s. Too bad they were associated with horrid football. I thought they were unique and didn't look like any other team out there; unlike Hayden's blatant Steelers ripoff. Hated McCarney's blender bird & tertiary blue. Good riddance.
Good thread for today. I grew up in Northeast Iowa a Nebraska fan (dad went there in the championship years in the early 70's). Always rooted for ISU in the Iowa games, both for underdog and conference ally reasons (plus even then I picked up that Iowa fans were...maybe a bit arrogant?) Made a lot more sense for me to go to ISU, I figured I'd keep my allegiance to Nebraska through it. Thrilled to say I was wrong on that. The first year I was in school was the year the goalposts were dragged into Lake LaVerne because we beat also-winless Baylor. I thought that the scale of that celebration was appropriate. It's been mostly uphill from there; the Fizer and Tinsley teams, I was there fifth row for Seneca at Arrowhead against FSU (no question he was in), made the trip from Wisconsin for Fred's first win over Kansas in Hilton. I live in Denver now so I get to see Monte play for the Nuggets, which is great. This Sweet 16 ride has been one for the ages, so many epic highlights this season - Iowa beatdown, "the steal" in one of the more intense games I've seen, and now this. Keep it going!
One of my toughest losses was the ucla loss in 97. The huge blown second half and last second loss destroyed me and I was 16 at that time. I literally cried myself to sleep.
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Yeah, if it's the one I'm thinking of, it went from OMG we're going to win to just utter devastation in 3 seconds.
I have a very similar story as far as growing up a Hawk fan. I grew up in N/NE Iowa and was constantly inundated with Hawk media and the local tv affiliates would almost always be broadcasting football and bball games. I watched a lot of Hawk basketball especially, and have vivid memories of cheering on their most recent Sweet 16 season (1998). It was a fun team and I didn't know anything about ISU really at that time, aside from that they existed. My Dad is an alum, so my awareness was there, but seemed like I could never find them on TV.
My only experience watching ISU sports until probably age 10 was the sweet 16 game against UCLA in what was it, '96 or '97? Remember watching it with my Dad. Probably didn't comprehend Iowa State football as a thing until the Sage year where they won 9 games.
The Fizer/Tinsley year was the first that I can remember Iowa State games being more accessible to me. Watched a ton of that team and fell in love. Still cheered for Iowa too, still too young an naive to understand the hatred.
What really did Iowa in for me was friends at school always mocking/talking down Iowa State. It got real bad in year 2 of Seneca, and this was the turning point for me. I was tired of all their bellyaching how Iowa State was a 2nd rate program and school and inferior to Iowa in every way shape and form. Iowa was going to beat Iowa State by 50 etc. etc. etc. My hatred was born in those days, and in spite of local stars like Jeff Horner and Greg Brunner becoming huge stars for the Hawks, the distaste for Iowa continued to fester inside of me.
I'll never forget the moment of sheer bliss I had when they lost to NW State in the first round of the '06 tourney. I had taken so much crap years earlier for the Hampton game. It was sweet poetic justice. I can still remember how I felt that day. Such true joy. As good as last Thursday felt, that day in '06 is not likely to be topped.
Yeah- wasn't a thing back then. The crown of my helmet was a weapon in my middle/high school days. Never got chastised for bad technique. If you hit someone hard enough, you'd get an acidic taste in the back of your throat.
On RARE occasions you'd see a flag for "Spearing." I remember Ellis Hobbs getting penalized for it and being like: Really?? Of course Iowa State gets screwed out of a good hit.
Moved here from Chicago in 2003. No connections to Iowa State. Daughter enrolled in Cardinal Gymnastics Academy. The gymnastics team was super good at the time, so she ended up being coached by K.J. Kindler and All-Americans like Janet Anson. We thought it was so cool to have such close access to big time college athletics. Then, we found out how accessible big time college football was. First game was a cheap ticket to see Oklahoma! Now I have a bunch of season tickets, throw big tailgates before each game, go to bowl games, Big 12's in KC, and am going to NCAA's in Greensboro for WBB.
So, ISU Gymnastics was my "entry drug" to being a Cyclone fan.
So, ISU Gymnastics was my "entry drug" to being a Cyclone fan.
It sounds like we're from a similar part of the state (I'm originally from Mitchell County) and are close in age.
The Cato/Willoughby/Pratt teams were on TV a fair amount a couple years before the Fizer/Tinsley era. KIMT I think usually had the Clone games.
I started following Cyclone football during Troy Davis's first big year ('95 - I was 10), but that was nearly 100% via radio (102.7 out of Northwood carried the Clones back then) and The Big Peach.
When my now-wife and I started dating, we learned our history. She's two years older than me and although we were on campus at the same time, we never crossed paths. We met almost 12 years after our respective under-grads. At the time, I could afford football season tickets and would get a pair, so I could invite friends or gfs. As we're heading to our first tailgate, she tells me that although she got tickets as a student, she never had been into a game! She would always give away her ticket to stay at her floor's tailgate! I was in shock! So, I brought her to her first JT game. And the ISU game in KC - we were maybe 20 rows up on the 10-ish yard line. Seneca was in.
We were also at the Nebraska game, maybe same year? Our tailgate was set up right next to the women's BB team! I talked with some of the players and Bridget Carleton's father for a while! At halftime, I turn to Kim and say "Look, after the game, when we rush the field, if we get separated, just meet back at the tailgate." As we're rushing down from the upper deck, we're still holding hands. Two steps onto the field - totally lost her! We met back at the tailgate maybe 45 or so minutes after the game!
We were also at the Nebraska game, maybe same year? Our tailgate was set up right next to the women's BB team! I talked with some of the players and Bridget Carleton's father for a while! At halftime, I turn to Kim and say "Look, after the game, when we rush the field, if we get separated, just meet back at the tailgate." As we're rushing down from the upper deck, we're still holding hands. Two steps onto the field - totally lost her! We met back at the tailgate maybe 45 or so minutes after the game!
Good story. Thanks for sharing. The Oregon beatdown last year is one of my faves.
My oldest brother started at ISU in '76 and at least one member of my siblings was there every year until I graduated in '95. I didn't grow up as a Hawkeye fan, but I didn't hate them either. I had some good rivalry hatred during my time in Ames, but I'm not surrounded by the really obnoxious fans anymore so it's pretty tame compared to most.
In all my years donning the cardinal and gold, I've only had one real negative experience (one dbag KU fan after we lost to them during a Big 8 tournament game at Kemper), but otherwise I've had a ton of random conversations and positive interactions based on my Cyclone gear. It's a testament to our fanbase. Well done, us.
In all my years donning the cardinal and gold, I've only had one real negative experience (one dbag KU fan after we lost to them during a Big 8 tournament game at Kemper), but otherwise I've had a ton of random conversations and positive interactions based on my Cyclone gear. It's a testament to our fanbase. Well done, us.
Floyd County here, yes, so probably a stone's throw away.
I am a few years younger so maybe the reason for me not recollecting the Cato/Willoughby/Pratt teams being on TV, or much if anything of the Troy Davis years in football. I perhaps just wasn't seeking out sports on TV at that age quite yet, or at least as much as I would come to in my later childhood/early teen years.
But yes, KIMT was a big source for watching the Hawks. I remember not usually knowing when their games would be, so would just flip the TV on each night wondering if I'd be able to catch a game or not. Occasionally I would stumble across the Cyclones, but feel like that probably wasn't until the Fizer years.
Iowan by birth. Cyclone by Grace of God.
Born into it and became a third generation grad. I have the fourth gen started down the right path children.
Born into it and became a third generation grad. I have the fourth gen started down the right path children.
Like I can remember back THAT far. 
Probably freshman year at ISU watching Cyclones basketball in the Old Armory. Maybe the best seats I've ever had for a sporting event and atmosphere was insane that year. We lost everything on the road and were really good at home. Sat two rows behind the opposing bench several games. Close enough to hear Drake's Murray John saying "Hells Bells!" to the ref. Imagine Cyclone Alley behind the opposing bench.
Probably freshman year at ISU watching Cyclones basketball in the Old Armory. Maybe the best seats I've ever had for a sporting event and atmosphere was insane that year. We lost everything on the road and were really good at home. Sat two rows behind the opposing bench several games. Close enough to hear Drake's Murray John saying "Hells Bells!" to the ref. Imagine Cyclone Alley behind the opposing bench.
Dad grew up in NE Iowa as a Hawk fan. He never knew about ISU because they were not on tv and could very seldom get them on the radio back then. After he married my mother, who was not a sports fan, he introduced her to Kinnick Stadium as something they could do together. It never clicked with mom. Dad didn’t give up and took her to Ames for a Big 8 football game, and she fell in love with the Cyclones. That was back in the Johnny Majors coaching days, and here we are fifty plus years later and mom can’t wait for Friday night.
