Born vs. Converted Cyclone Fan
- Thread starter cyclon
- Start date
Since these threads seem to pop up every couple of months, I'll just answer with my post from the last thread on this topic:
Not born a Cyclone.
Born in Hawaii, grew up in Maryland where we didn't give a crap about college sports (I was vaugly aware of Maryland's team but never followed them at all) - out there we had the Baltimore Orioles and the Bowie Baysocks (AA farm team) to cheer for, the Redskins to cheer against (My mother was born in Chicago), and eventually the Ravens. We didn't follow them but there were also the Bullets/Magics or whatever they changed their name to...
Moved to Iowa 9 years ago, never heard much about Iowa State as we were in Cedar Rapids. Didn't give much of a rip about Iowa either though, though I was slightly biased due to the media.
Started looking at where to go to school... I won't lie Iowa sucked me in a little when I went for a visit and they had Herky at the door gretting people. Then they had a propoganda video showing the game day excitment at Kinnek (I still remember Herky being carried out on a platform by cheerleaders.. it was pretty cool)
This is all before I knew Herky was a dirty bird that has H***ies
After visiting both schools though the choice became clear that for what I wanted to do Iowa State was the better choice, and as the years have gone on it's become even clearer to me that I made the right choice. Any advantage that Iowa used to have (like a better eatting facility) has been negated, their pitch about how having a small engineering department is a good thing turned out to be a load of bull****.
I'm still laughing from when I was driving through Iowa City with my brother and he pointed out the Engineering building[. We have so many Engineering buildings on campus that when we give a tour we can't even take people through all of them...
And lets not even start on things like better tailgating at ISU, nicer campus, nicer fans, and the like...
**** the Hawks, Go State!
No I'm not bored or have too much time on my hands...
Born in Hawaii, grew up in Maryland where we didn't give a crap about college sports (I was vaugly aware of Maryland's team but never followed them at all) - out there we had the Baltimore Orioles and the Bowie Baysocks (AA farm team) to cheer for, the Redskins to cheer against (My mother was born in Chicago), and eventually the Ravens. We didn't follow them but there were also the Bullets/Magics or whatever they changed their name to...
Moved to Iowa 9 years ago, never heard much about Iowa State as we were in Cedar Rapids. Didn't give much of a rip about Iowa either though, though I was slightly biased due to the media.
Started looking at where to go to school... I won't lie Iowa sucked me in a little when I went for a visit and they had Herky at the door gretting people. Then they had a propoganda video showing the game day excitment at Kinnek (I still remember Herky being carried out on a platform by cheerleaders.. it was pretty cool)
This is all before I knew Herky was a dirty bird that has H***ies
After visiting both schools though the choice became clear that for what I wanted to do Iowa State was the better choice, and as the years have gone on it's become even clearer to me that I made the right choice. Any advantage that Iowa used to have (like a better eatting facility) has been negated, their pitch about how having a small engineering department is a good thing turned out to be a load of bull****.
I'm still laughing from when I was driving through Iowa City with my brother and he pointed out the Engineering building[. We have so many Engineering buildings on campus that when we give a tour we can't even take people through all of them...
And lets not even start on things like better tailgating at ISU, nicer campus, nicer fans, and the like...
**** the Hawks, Go State!
No I'm not bored or have too much time on my hands...
Like virtually everyone else who has responded to this post, I completely disagree with this notion. What makes a good fan is not when you started rooting for your team, but how much loyalty and devotion you show to them after you make that decision. I reserve my ire for the fans who switch their "loyalty" to whatever team is popular at a given moment. I know plenty of "born" fans of teams who run their mouths when their teams are doing well, but jump on some other team's bandwagon whenever their supposed "favorite team" starts going down the tubes.
I'm too lazy to go find my answer from the last time we had this discussion, so here:
Born and raised in Iowa City. Graduated from City High School (go Little Hawks!) but didn't really care about college sports. My dad was (and is) a very casual Hawk fan. Both parents graduated from Iowa, with 5 graduate degrees between the two of them, but they still didn't follow the sports unless there were bowl games or tournament appearances. My program was terrible at Iowa but awesome at Iowa State, so I went there. Started my freshman year saying, "I'm a Cyclone fan, but I want the state of Iowa to be represented well, so I'll cheer for UI and UNI when they're not playing ISU." Then I attended the ISU-Iowa football game in 2005 and saw what horrible people Hawk fans really are. I've hated the Hawkeyes ever since. (Then I attended the ISU-UNI football game in 2007 and saw what horrible rednecks... er, people Panther fans can be. I've hated the Panthers ever since.)
Born and raised in Iowa City. Graduated from City High School (go Little Hawks!) but didn't really care about college sports. My dad was (and is) a very casual Hawk fan. Both parents graduated from Iowa, with 5 graduate degrees between the two of them, but they still didn't follow the sports unless there were bowl games or tournament appearances. My program was terrible at Iowa but awesome at Iowa State, so I went there. Started my freshman year saying, "I'm a Cyclone fan, but I want the state of Iowa to be represented well, so I'll cheer for UI and UNI when they're not playing ISU." Then I attended the ISU-Iowa football game in 2005 and saw what horrible people Hawk fans really are. I've hated the Hawkeyes ever since. (Then I attended the ISU-UNI football game in 2007 and saw what horrible rednecks... er, people Panther fans can be. I've hated the Panthers ever since.)
I pretty much had the same experience. I'm embarrassed to admit that it took until my sophomore year at ISU to make the Cyclones my undisputed favorite team. I wish I could get a "redo" on my freshman year. :sad:
I also totally agree with the "stay true to your school" sentiment. If you can't get behind your school's sports teams and cheer for them like crazy, I think you cheat yourself out of one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of being a college student (and alumni, for that matter).
Grew-up in Chicago suburbs as an Illini fan. Had never really heard of (or paid attention to) Iowa State or the Big 8. Decided to look at ISU because Springsteen had played at Cyclone Stadium (as it was called then) when I was a junior in HS. Visited ISU during Greek Week my senior year and had, up until that point, the best time of my life. Didn't hate Iowa at first (had no reason to...yet). Couldn't stand them by my senior year; the distaste and disgust has grown exponentially since then (I'm 40).
Moved back to the Chicago area after graduating. Not only is my 10 year old son the only known ISU fan in our entire school system, but he's surrounded by kids who are Iowa fans (though those kids probably had a parent go there). Luckily for kids his age, ISU and Iowa have been pretty evenly matched in football and basketball in their still short lifetimes, if not ISU being collectively better (so there's no Iowa 15 game winning streak for those kids to talk smack about).
Moved back to the Chicago area after graduating. Not only is my 10 year old son the only known ISU fan in our entire school system, but he's surrounded by kids who are Iowa fans (though those kids probably had a parent go there). Luckily for kids his age, ISU and Iowa have been pretty evenly matched in football and basketball in their still short lifetimes, if not ISU being collectively better (so there's no Iowa 15 game winning streak for those kids to talk smack about).
Grew up In Marion with an all Hawk family. I remember telling my parents that I wanted to go to ISU because they were one of 2 schools that I knew that had a good architecture program (ASU being the other) and my parents said with disappointment "We don't have to root for them, do we?"
Born in Iowa City, grew up in muscatine, lived in eastern iowa almost entire life, grew up going to hawkeye games as a little kid, found out what hawk fans were truly like when i got into mid school and hs (trash.) Converted to Cycloneism and never looked back.
Grew up just North of Cedar Rapids, North Linn H.S. My formative sporting years prob started in Jr High with the first taste of tackle football. This was pre/early Hayden Fry and ISU was considered better at FB after two bowls and three 8-3 records in a row in the late 70's, so it wasn't that difficult to root for ISU. This was also before Gable ran off all the UI wrestling championships and my favorite wrestler at the time was Frank Santana, again not hard to root for ISU. Now basketball was different Lute Lute Lute was at UI and they televised every game and when they went to the Final 4 in 1980 UI basketball was the only thing that mattered in the Eastern part of the state. This was pre/early JO and ISU really sucked. All other sports did not exist to me at the collegiate level. I also came from a ag background and had several relatives attend ISU. So I would consider myself a Cyclone by birth and God knows it has not always been easy.
I was just thinking about this the other day. My entire extended family are Hawkeye fans(both dad and mom's sides). Yet, NONE of them attended Iowa. The only one in my family to do so is my brother, who attended Iowa, but was raised in Ames, so he roots for both.
I was a convert after moving to Ames in the early 90's. Then I attended ISU.
In the state of Iowa, you are a Hawkeye fan typically unless you or your parents went/go to ISU or possibly you are a Husker fan living in western Iowa.
I was a convert after moving to Ames in the early 90's. Then I attended ISU.
In the state of Iowa, you are a Hawkeye fan typically unless you or your parents went/go to ISU or possibly you are a Husker fan living in western Iowa.
Grew up in Northern Iowa listening to George Turner, later Pete Taylor call the games on radio. Lucky enough to talk high school friends into going to games at old Clyde Williams Field in the 70s. Then the 80s hit with Lute Lute Lute and that big tv bb deal Iowa got but by then we were ISU for keeps.
Next generation, take kids to the games.
Next generation, take kids to the games.
I think its kind of funny how so many people have posted how turned off they were by the hawkeye fan base. In all honesty i would not have a problem with the University of Iowa if their fan base didn't think they were some historic powerhouse year in and year out. It's incredible.
How does this fit in?
I was born in Nebraska. Lived in Kansas and Colorado when I was too young to remember being there. Moved to Adair, Iowa (which I do remeber some of). Ended up in Ames in time for kindergarten. I wasn't a Cyclone from birth, but all I remember is being a fan. Also, I never attended ISU (went to UNI for one year and then had to transfer to the University of Nebraska at Kearney because my parents moved and I lost in state tuition), however I have worked for Iowa State.
I was born in Nebraska. Lived in Kansas and Colorado when I was too young to remember being there. Moved to Adair, Iowa (which I do remeber some of). Ended up in Ames in time for kindergarten. I wasn't a Cyclone from birth, but all I remember is being a fan. Also, I never attended ISU (went to UNI for one year and then had to transfer to the University of Nebraska at Kearney because my parents moved and I lost in state tuition), however I have worked for Iowa State.
