BLUM: Steady Rhoads

[CYphyllis]

Wishes, hopes, dreams and rah rah essays don't change a thing.

Either does a defeatist attitude. You are the worst type of fan.

We get it, you along with a few others have decided to throw in the towel and rant and rave about your pessimistic outlook on Cyclone athletics, which is fine, you're entitled to your opinion, but to openly mock and talk down to people that have a sensible to optimistic outlook on the future is borderline ridiculous.

Overly negative, defeatist comments put into a public forum are nothing but detrimental. With that fact in mind I'm asking you, scratch that, I'm pleading with you, to find a different school to follow.

 

[Senolcyc]

Agreed.

But you've piqued my curiousity with your ceiling remark. Do you believe that ISU cannot win a Big XII title or play in a BCS bowl?

Cannot? No. Will not? Yes.

 

[CycloneGB]

Cannot? No. Will not? Yes.

And why is that? Haven't really seen a reason yet..

 

[Senolcyc]

Either does a defeatist attitude. You are the worst type of fan.

We get it, you along with a few others have decided to throw in the towel and rant and rave about your pessimistic outlook on Cyclone athletics, which is fine, you're entitled to your opinion, but to openly mock and talk down to people that have a sensible to optimistic outlook on the future is borderline ridiculous.

Overly negative, defeatist comments put into a public forum are nothing but detrimental. With that fact in mind I'm asking you, scratch that, I'm pleading with you, to find a different school to follow.

We have very different definitions of negative and defeatist. Someone who buys tickets and supports the athletic program over a period of decades and enjoys the successes ISU does have and doesn't need unrealistic fantasies to stay a fan doesn't sound so negative to me. How about you find a different school because my seats are paid for.

 

[Senolcyc]

And why is that? Haven't really seen a reason yet..

Same reason it hasn't in the past 100 years. History repeats itself unless something changes it.

 

[CYphyllis]

We have very different definitions of negative and defeatist. Someone who buys tickets and supports the athletic program over a period of decades and enjoys the successes ISU does have and doesn't need unrealistic fantasies to stay a fan doesn't sound so negative to me. How about you find a different school because my seats are paid for.

I guess my only suggestion with this would be to take a little time and research into the correct meanings of both 'negative' and 'defeatist' because you seem to be a little off base with those.

As I said prior, you are entitled to your own opinion, but to sit here and press yours on to others in a way to bring them down to your level of disdain is totally uncalled for.

An optomistic outlook hurts nothing, a defeatist attitude negatively effects everyone around it.

 

[Senolcyc]

I guess my only suggestion with this would be to take a little time and research into the correct meanings of both 'negative' and 'defeatist' because you seem to be a little off base with those.

As I said prior, you are entitled to your own opinion, but to sit here and press yours on to others in a way to bring them down to your level of disdain is totally uncalled for.

An optomistic outlook hurts nothing, a defeatist attitude negatively effects everyone around it.

Defeatist is pretty strongly linked to being defeated, no? Going to bowl games is being defeated? That is what you are saying. My attitude is, that is success. And I'm the negative one? That is f-ed up, no two ways around it.

 

[CYphyllis]

Defeatist is pretty strongly linked to being defeated, no? Going to bowl games is being defeated? That is what you are saying. My attitude is, that is success. And I'm the negative one? That is f-ed up, no two ways around it.

Defeatism is acceptance of defeat without struggle.

In this instance, the defeat would be the idea that Iowa State has hit it's ceiling, will never be able to contend for anything of meaning, will never stand a chance to fight for a Big12 title, etc. The lack of struggle would of course be the proposed idea of moving to a weaker conference.

So yes, I would generally say your and a few others take on the state of the program to be defeatist in nature.

 

[Senolcyc]

Defeatism is acceptance of defeat without struggle.

In this instance, the defeat would be the idea that Iowa State has hit it's ceiling, will never be able to contend for anything of meaning, will never stand a chance to fight for a Big12 title, etc. The lack of struggle would of course be the proposed idea of moving to a weaker conference.

So yes, I would generally say your and a few others take on the state of the program to be defeatist in nature.

You're saying that trying to get to bowl games is not contending for "anything of meaning." I disagree. Ask the ISU players and coaches who have gone to bowl games if they had no meaning. You've defined what has meaning and what doesn't by your own opinions and standards. That's fine, but just because it's your opinion doesn't make it universally right and true. The bowl trip to Phoenix last year felt like success and felt like something of meaning to me.

I'll be at the stadium for almost every home game until I am too old to go. Just like I have been when my dad started taking me to games in 1968. I am an ISU alum and a Cyclone fan, unconditionally. Can you say the same?

 

[weR138]

Same reason it hasn't in the past 100 years. History repeats itself unless something changes it.

So, is there an explanation for KSU's Big XII title or KU's Orange Bowl? I'm searching for specific reasons that these two thing are impossible for ISU.

 

[cyhiphopp]

Same reason it hasn't in the past 100 years. History repeats itself unless something changes it.

Who's to say that nothing is going to change?

Was Kansas State winning the conference 100 years ago? Have they had success in the past 20 years?

Were Mizzou and Oky State this good in the past?

How good was Iowa in Kirks first two years?

Now, I know people hate to compare ISU to Iowa, but they did some things correctly. They rebuilt the program from the ground up under KF with what seems to be a similar philosophy to what CPR and staff are in the process of doing. And they did it in the Big 10 to boot.

The state of Iowa is not flush with 4 star talent, so Iowa built their team by recruiting lower rated in-state kids and building them into contributors. They also took athletes and put them at positions where they could develop into good players. This took a few years but it has paid divedends for them. They started out with a lot of 3 star and 2 star recruits and now they are consistently getting classes full of 3 stars with some big 4 stars on top.

Why can't ISU do the same thing to close to talent gap? ISU also has an advantage of exposure in Texas which Iowa does not have. There are a lot of second/third tier recruits from the state of Texas who can play some serious footbal in the Big12 conference for us and ISU an get them. We are currently rebuilding our OL and DL from scratch by building up athletes and in-state guys which high motors. Sprinkle in a few skill position athletes from FL and TX and we can start pulling some upsets in the Big12.

However, people have to be patient and not freak out over every single loss, not matter how bad the loss is. Rebuilding the program takes time and there is no guarantee that it will work. There is also no way you can guarantee that it won't work.

 

[brentblum]

So let me get this straight, Brent. You cringe at the idea of going to the Big East, and you feel we need to end the defeatist attitude around here. And then you turn around and set the goal of trying to compete with Mizzou and OSU for maybe 4th place in the conference? And this came to you while sitting in Norman looking at Sooner memorabilia?

Here are a couple Sooner related ideas that I find cringe worthy.
52-0 last Saturday
5-67-2 all time, I believe that is the most lop-sided series in major college football

Or how about this:
Kansas - $57.8M
Oklahoma - $73.6M
Texas A&M - $69.1M
Texas - $101.0M
Iowa State - $41.8M
Okla. State - $46.4M
Texas Tech - $46.1M
Colorado - $45.1M
Kansas State - $42.0M
Missouri - $47.8M
Nebraska - $75.2M

Or how about the fact that the last time we won a conference title in football, the Cubs were actually winning the World Series.

Now I am cringing.

I don't want to aim for 4th place and a mediocre bowl every year. In the Big East, I really feel like any year we had a solid team by our standards, we could have a shot to play in a conference title game and maybe win that for a BCS bowl bid. With the limit of 2 BCS bids per conference, we aren't going to get there with UT, OU and a round robin schedule. The path that worked for KU a couple years ago is gone. And of course we have the added bonus of a top 10 Iowa program to ice the cake.

Yeah, the Big East isn't as good of a football conference, but it is still BCS. And for MBB and WBB (and I think most people consider us a basketball school) it is probably better. For the other sports, I really don't know, but I'm sure it is just fine. And honestly, after the big revenue sports, it really doesn't even matter. Okay, so maybe a road trip to Rutgers doesn't get your juices pumping as much as heading to Norman, but I can tell you for sure that you are a lot more likely to enjoy the ride back.

I completely understand where you are coming from. I get Iowa State's short-comings financially, geographically, etc. Would a move to another conference change those factors? Perhaps. But for now it's irrelevant. Iowa State is in the Big 12 with some quality football programs.

I would love to win a conference championship and go to a BCS game just as much as anybody else. But, the Cyclones can't be expected to immediately get to that level next year. It's a slow process that takes steps. The first step is becoming a consistent program that finishes near the top half (3-6) of the standings each year. I believe this isn't an unreasonable goal as I explained in the column.

Once you reach that level, then you set your sights on loftier goals.

Is that overly optimistic? Maybe. Let's face it, historically speaking, Iowa State has
yet to reach that level. But why not aim for something?

If there's no goals out there to reach, why compete at all?

 

[Senolcyc]

So, is there an explanation for KSU's Big XII title or KU's Orange Bowl? I'm searching for specific reasons that these two thing are impossible for ISU.

K-State sold out for football success. It cut academic corners. It gutted other sports. Worst thing a fan can do is look at other schools and say "what about..." without knowing the whole story. Iowa State hasn't done that and won't.

KU was a fluke, as we see now. And it cheated, as we have learned regarding academic fraud. But again, you don't know its history. That wasn't Kansas' first Orange Bowl.

Yes, ISU could get lucky and do something as a fluke. Always possible. But that's like winning Powerball. Do you really bank on it because someone says it will happen?

 

[CYphyllis]

You're saying that trying to get to bowl games is not contending for "anything of meaning." I disagree. Ask the ISU players and coaches who have gone to bowl games if they had no meaning. You've defined what has meaning and what doesn't by your own opinions and standards. That's fine, but just because it's your opinion doesn't make it universally right and true. The bowl trip to Phoenix last year felt like success and felt like something of meaning to me.

I'll be at the stadium for almost every home game until I am too old to go. Just like I have been when my dad started taking me to games in 1968. I am an ISU alum and a Cyclone fan, unconditionally. Can you say the same?

I think you have misunderstood what I'm saying. The idea of "anything of meaning" was not taken from my own personal views, it's taken from the posters on here who think the program should step down.

I for one was ecstatic with the success from last years team and see it as a great building point for years to come. What I am annoyed with is the constant bashing on people for having an optimistic outlook on what could happen.

Am I Cyclone fan unconditionally? Well as an ISU alum myself and coming from a family of ISU alums (17 to date in the immediate family, few more on the way) I'd say emphatically yes. Along with all of the season tickets, multiple members of the family employed through ISU, the thousands, and upon death of a few, hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations, I guess we have cemented ourselves as being a rather tightly knit, unwavering group of strong supporters.

 

[weR138]

K-State sold out for football success. It cut academic corners. It gutted other sports. Worst thing a fan can do is look at other schools and say "what about..." without knowing the whole story. Iowa State hasn't done that and won't.

KU was a fluke, as we see now. And it cheated, as we have learned regarding academic fraud. But again, you don't know its history. That wasn't Kansas' first Orange Bowl.

Yes, ISU could get lucky and do something as a fluke. Always possible. But that's like winning Powerball. Do you really bank on it because someone says it will happen?[/QUOTE]

Never said it was. The period between KU Orange Bowls is decades so it's still a good example but you explained it away with cheating, fair enough. What about Iowa; was Hayden cheating too?

I'm not sure who said ISU was going to win an Orange Bowl but even if they did they're still as correct as you are when you say ISU won't win an Orange Bowl.

Edit; Also, don't tell someone what history they do and don't know. It's rude and in your case wrong.

 

[Senolcyc]

K-State sold out for football success. It cut academic corners. It gutted other sports. Worst thing a fan can do is look at other schools and say "what about..." without knowing the whole story. Iowa State hasn't done that and won't.

KU was a fluke, as we see now. And it cheated, as we have learned regarding academic fraud. But again, you don't know its history. That wasn't Kansas' first Orange Bowl.

Yes, ISU could get lucky and do something as a fluke. Always possible. But that's like winning Powerball. Do you really bank on it because someone says it will happen?[/QUOTE]

Never said it was. The period between KU Orange Bowls is decades so it's still a good example but you explained it away with cheating, fair enough. What about Iowa; was Hayden cheating too?

I'm not sure who said ISU was going to win an Orange Bowl but even if they did they're still as correct as you are when you say ISU won't win an Orange Bowl.

Edit; Also, don't tell someone what history they do and don't know. It's rude and in your case wrong.

Hayden was a convicted cheater previous to Iowa, so you decide if a leopard can change its spots or not? Regardless, Iowa has been very good in different decades from the 1930s to the 2010s under different coaches. A school much more committed to championship football than ISU is or ever has been. Bad comparison.

I'm gone, good day.

 

[weR138]

Hayden was a convicted cheater previous to Iowa, so you decide if a leopard can change its spots or not? Regardless, Iowa has been very good in different decades from the 1930s to the 2010s under different coaches. A school much more committed to championship football than ISU is or ever has been. Bad comparison.

I'm gone, good day.

Or ever will be? You're gone because you cannot win. You are no more correct about ISU's lack of a future than the cheerleaders are about a bright one. You're just a rude ***hole who wishes everone else were as miserable as him.

 

[cyhiphopp]

I still have not seen any reasons why things CAN NOT change for the better. I've just seen people trying to disprove reasons why things can.

Why is your opinion so much more correct than mine?

 

[Senolcyc]

Or ever will be? You're gone because you cannot win. You are no more correct about ISU's lack of a future than the cheerleaders are about a bright one. You're just a rude ***hole who wishes everone else were as miserable as him.

When you have to resort to that kind of venom, you don't have a leg to stand on in the actual debate. I've probably got 25 good years left. If ISU wins the Big 12 football championship between now and 2035, I will bee line it back here and admit I was wrong. See ya.

 

[CYphyllis]

Or ever will be? You're gone because you cannot win. You are no more correct about ISU's lack of a future than the cheerleaders are about a bright one. You're just a rude ***hole who wishes everone else were as miserable as him.

I fully support this message.