Re: It’s painfully obvious, though, how happy I am here. This is different from othe
I want CPR to be our Bill Snyder, our Joe Paterno, our Bobby Bowden.
I love Paul Rhoads. He's the source of some of the greatest moments in my life, and I know - it's just a game. It just means that much to me.
Are we related somehow? I could not have said it any better.
Being a Cyclone
defines me as a person. Growing up in Des Moines with a family very connected to ISU, attending games from a very young age, experiencing the wonders of our first bowl win, an Elite 8 appearance, conference championships, and the like during my childhood (age 8-13)...that makes a huge impression on you. I feel so fortunate not to have been young during the early '80s when both the FB and BB programs were awful. Sorry if that was you...I just feel like it wouldn't have been the same.
My friends used to debate Iowa v. ISU every day when I was a kid, and the best part is that we were mostly good enough to measure up to the Hawks in the big sports. The atmosphere at JTS and Hilton was so incredible - 2000 BB vs. Oklahoma State (Fizer "one more year"), 2005 FB vs. Iowa and Colorado (with a potential North title on the line), winning the last Big 8 BB championship against KU, winning the Big XII in 2000, among many other games...these experiences happened at an age for me that captured my imagination. There is no way I could ever have gone to a college other than Iowa State...more than being an American, or even an Iowan, I feel defined by being a Cyclone. And, right now, I am
so proud to be one! I am truly ALL IN with CPR, CFH, CBF, Christy (planning on attending the tourney this weekend), and Jamie. Having graduated just last spring from ISU and fulfilling a lifelong dream, I think it's possible that there has never been a better time to be a Cyclone.
And yes, I WAS THERE at "the game"! Best Cyclone memory of my life...we've had other great wins, but I haven't always been there in person. Storming the field and hearing "Sweet Caroline" is something I'll
never forget. That night will probably rank in the top 10 list of memories throughout my whole life. It showed me that we CAN do something great if we work hard for it. It was almost as if all the cheering, money spent on tickets, and time given to supporting ISU was channeled from over 50,000 people in that stadium to will us to victory. Regardless of what happened with OSU that day (horrible tragedy), we
deserved that win...and the best part is that we didn't just back into it - we truly
earned it.
My adrenaline is pumping right now just thinking about the game! Am I a bit crazy? Yeah, but that's what comes with being a Cyclone. I hope CPR is our coach for life, and if he is, I expect that we WILL win the Big XII, and we WILL play in a BCS bowl game during my lifetime. It WILL happen - there's no way it can't with CPR at the helm. I trust him that much, and I feel so confident about his desire to stay here and make us into a winner. He can be a legend here, and he is the fit we've been looking for through all these years!
