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Cyclone Joy/Pain by Age

clones_jer

clones_jer

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Apr 16, 2006
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After listening to CW & Blum last night discussing how different ages of Cyclone fans have experienced varying levels of program success, I wanted to take a stab at quantifying it.

This is a first cut - basically takes winning percentage in FB (50%), MBB (35%), WBB (10%), & Wrestling (5%) and assumes that you first start "fandom" at 8 years of age.

Long short: The ISU sports experience has gradually improved over time, but the BEST experiences are those that are currently 18 & under. For them everything's been awesome with only minor success dips for their entire life.
Being younger than 40 also puts you in a relatively positive experience with some ups and downs.
Anyone over 40 has seen some dark ****
If you're older than 68 ... I'm so sorry.


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clones_jer said:
After listening to CW & Blum last night discussing how different ages of Cyclone fans have experienced varying levels of program success, I wanted to take a stab at quantifying it.

This is a first cut - basically takes winning percentage in FB (50%), MBB (35%), WBB (10%), & Wrestling (5%) and assumes that you first start "fandom" at 8 years of age.

Long short: The ISU sports experience has gradually improved over time, but the BEST experiences are those that are currently 18 & under. For them everything's been awesome with only minor success dips for their entire life.
Being younger than 40 also puts you in a relatively positive experience with some ups and downs.
Anyone over 40 has seen some dark ****
If you're older than 68 ... I'm so sorry.


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No weight to being in college while VEISHEA existed? Seems pretty flawed IMO.
 
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clones_jer said:
After listening to CW & Blum last night discussing how different ages of Cyclone fans have experienced varying levels of program success, I wanted to take a stab at quantifying it.

This is a first cut - basically takes winning percentage in FB (50%), MBB (35%), WBB (10%), & Wrestling (5%) and assumes that you first start "fandom" at 8 years of age.

Long short: The ISU sports experience has gradually improved over time, but the BEST experiences are those that are currently 18 & under. For them everything's been awesome with only minor success dips for their entire life.
Being younger than 40 also puts you in a relatively positive experience with some ups and downs.
Anyone over 40 has seen some dark ****
If you're older than 68 ... I'm so sorry.


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Click to expand...
I am less than 40 and I remember some dark ****.
 
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I'm 59. My wife of six years is from California, so she doesn't know the history of ISU sports. She doesn't understand why I'm always such a pessimist, especially with football. "They're 5-0 and ranked. You should be more optimistic." I told her I've seen this story before, and guess what. The basketball program has been a fun ride the past 40 years though. More ups than downs.

One thing that's never changed is that I'm proud to be a Cyclone fan. We have the most loyal fans, travel well, and have a deserved reputation of being a classy fanbase. And right now we have football and basketball coaches that have put together cultures that are easy to root for. They recruit high character players that want to be Cyclones. Like Campbell said, "Ames isn't for everyone."
 
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25 here and I’d say that’s about the ideal age in terms of experiencing some pretty crappy lows, but also the highest of highs.
 
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I’m 34, and fortunately don’t remember the worst of our football struggles in the 90s.

Thinking through and splitting up FB and BB:

Most Joyous:
- 2000 Insight Bowl win
- 2002 comeback against Iowa to extend the winning streak to 5.
- 2011 OK State win
- 2017 Oklahoma win (may be #1)
- 2020 Texas game
- Fiesta Bowl win

- 2000 B12 championship win over OU
- 2001 Nebraska game to clinch the B2B conference title.
- 2014 B12 tournament win over Baylor
- 2015 B12 tournament (all games were wild)
- 2014 tournament win over UNC
- 2022 tournament win over Wisconsin

Most Painful:
- Back half of 2002 season
- 2004 Missouri game
- 2005 KU game
- 2009 Arrowhead game with blocked PAT
- 2018 Alamo Bowl
- 2020 Big 12 CCG
- 2020 Big 12 CCG

- 2000 MSU game (easily #1)
- 2001 H****** game
- Niang breaking his foot
- 2015 UAB game
- 2017 Purdue game
- 2024 Illinois game
 
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CloneFan65 said:
I'm 59. My wife of six years is from California, so she doesn't know the history of ISU sports. She doesn't understand why I'm always such a pessimist, especially with football. "They're 5-0 and ranked. You should be more optimistic." I told her I've seen this story before, and guess what. The basketball program has been a fun ride the past 40 years though. More ups than downs.

One thing that's never changed is that I'm proud to be a Cyclone fan. We have the most loyal fans, travel well, and have a deserved reputation of being a classy fanbase. And right now we have football and basketball coaches that have put together cultures that are easy to root for. They recruit high character players that want to be Cyclones. Like Campbell said, "Ames isn't for everyone."
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At 66, Earl Bruce, Dan McCarney, and CMC are the highs with a sprinkle of upsets with Rhoads. Basketball for the most part has always been positive with Orr bringing the 'fun' back into it.
The KEY here however, is 'expectations' and the rudeness of certain people when the kids don't perform up to expectations. That sickens me. My guess is that the older folks are more tolerant.
 
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I'm 46 so going to elementary school in the 80s as an ISU fan was not a lot of fun. I think it was me and two other classmates that were ISU fans. My first memories of going to Iowa State games is going to watch my brother march in the marching band in 93. So yeah, I was pretty much born in the darkness. Basketball was fun to watch though. The Hoiberg teams were some of the first ISU teams I really got into. And by the time I was in college we had started to climb out of the cellar in football and mens basketball was rolling. I feel like it's the best because I was there for the ascendancy which is the best part of being a fan.
 
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I'm 33 and grew up a Cyclone fan. I would say I really got into things until 2003ish. I remember how badly I wanted ISU to just even make the NCAA Tourney or Bowl Game. Just wanted one NFL player I could follow. We now are constantly in the top 25 in both MBB and Football. Disappointed by 9 seeds or 6 win fb years, have an NBA superstar, a pro bowl QB for the freaking 49er's, NFL skill position players galore. We are truly living in the glory years.
 
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My dad in his 70's: Huge Johnny Orr fan and still generally follows basketball. "Never trust Iowa State football, it'll break your heart every time".

Me 40's: Had to swear off football for a few years in college, held onto season tickets through some stinkers on the field and the court, but have enjoyed seeing everything build.

My kid in his early 20's: "This is basically our year to compete for national championships in football and basketball".
 
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clones_jer said:
After listening to CW & Blum last night discussing how different ages of Cyclone fans have experienced varying levels of program success, I wanted to take a stab at quantifying it.

This is a first cut - basically takes winning percentage in FB (50%), MBB (35%), WBB (10%), & Wrestling (5%) and assumes that you first start "fandom" at 8 years of age.

Long short: The ISU sports experience has gradually improved over time, but the BEST experiences are those that are currently 18 & under. For them everything's been awesome with only minor success dips for their entire life.
Being younger than 40 also puts you in a relatively positive experience with some ups and downs.
Anyone over 40 has seen some dark ****
If you're older than 68 ... I'm so sorry.


View attachment 161329
Click to expand...
Wrestling fans are a different cut. They have their own curve.
 
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I’m early 30s and did not root for ISU until about 2010 when I applied. I got to experience some serious highs (Hoiball, OSU in 2011, some CyHawk wins) but some real nut punches (Georges foot, UAB, the Texas screw job). It’s been fun to see ISU getting more relevant and growing in popularity. I think I have a healthy appreciation for where things were.

Some days I have incurable pessimism and other days I have blind optimism that anything is possible for the Cyclones. It’s a hell or a ride.
 
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