Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas for Hawkeye Fans
It's Christmas Eve, and surely I am not the only person in the world with shopping left this late in the holiday season.
It's not that I procrastinate. It's that there are about four million things that I would rather do in life than go Christmas shopping.
Running my foot over with a lawnmower, drinking bleach straight from the bottle, or cleaning out a port-a-potty all sound like more pleasant activities than dealing with hordes of coupon-fueled housewives fighting for the last copy of Guitar Hero on the shelf so they can further spoil their offspring into psychological trauma.
Dealing with the crowds of mindless lemmings is only part of the misery for me, though. The stress of trying to figure out what to buy someone you hardly know is also coupled with holiday shopping obligation.
Some days I can't figure out what I want for lunch, let alone pick out a gift for someone I barely know.
Did BCS Anticipation Crash Twitter?
The BCS craze has officially taken over the Internet, and it may have temporarily killed Twitter in the process.
As the anticipation for the BCS Bowl selections began to boil, overzealous fans flocked to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for gossip and hints about Bowl games.
The longer fans waited, the more the rumors from "sources" started to float around the web.
The more rumors floated, the more traffic increased on social media sites. Some sites, like Twitter, may have had too too much traffic to handle.
Twitter, the micro-blogging service that allows users to send and read text-based messages (called Tweets) of up to 140 characters, has become increasingly important in the world of sports.
Writers use it for breaking news, athletes use it to connect with fans, and fans use it to support their teams.
I am a heavy tweeter. I use my twitter account to inform people of anything and everything Iowa Hawkeye related. Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel is a heavy tweeter, too, using his account to inform his followers of happenings in the sports world.
And no sports fan needs reminding of Ocho Cinco's tweeting habits.
Fans and writers may have been tweeting a little heavily on Sunday while awaiting the Bowl selection announcements, which may have caused Twitter to go down for over 30 minutes on Sunday evening.
Sports Illustrated Jinx: should the Hawkeyes worry?
For the superstitious person, Iowa's season just got a little crazier.
The Hawkeyes appear on the cover of the Midwest edition of Sports Illustrated this week. The SI cover shows wide receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos hurdling fullback Wade Leppert in last Saturday’s 42-24 come-from-behind victory over Indiana.
The majority of sports fans might consider the cover appearance an
honor. For those who watch sports from a different angle, like myself,
this is more like the kiss of death.
And it's freakin' me out!
Millions of superstitious fans and athletes believe that an appearance on SI's cover is a jinx; a type of curse placed on a person or a team that makes them pray for minor misfortunes and bad luck.
To make things scarier, Kirk Ferentz might actually believe in the curse, himself. "You've got to be kidding me?" Ferentz was quoted in as saying in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. "We're on the cover? Isn't the World Series going on right now?"
For years, one of the most popular sports magazines ever has been blamed for several player, coach, and team misfortunes. College football, soccer, professional basketball, Olympic ping pong...no sport is safe from the horrible fate-changing curse.
Need a few examples before you buy in?
Iowa Maneuvers To No. 4 In BCS Standings
To go along with their first 8-0 start in school history, the unbeaten Iowa Hawkeyes jumped to No. 4 in the 2009 BCS rankings this week.
This is Iowa's best ranking in the 12-year history of the Bowl Championship Series.
Iowa's previous BCS career high was at the No. 5 position in 2002, a season which lead to an appearance in the 2003 Fed Ex Orange Bowl.
Florida, Alabama and Texas remained in the top three positions in the rankings. USC, TCU and Boise State fall in right behind the Hawkeyes on the list.
Iowa-Michigan: A Hawkeye Nerd's Homecoming Insanity
Homecoming in Iowa City is pure craziness.
Normal pregame celebrations for home games are crazy by themselves, but add in several thousand UI alumni, an official blackout during a night game featured on ABC, and an honorary captain named Chuck Long, and things can get insane in a hurry!
Don't believe me? Well, here is a glimpse at how I spent Homecoming in Iowa City. I'll let you be the judge...
FRIDAY
3:12 PM - Meet up with an old dorm floor buddy from the college days, Bob, whom I haven't seen for years. After the formal greetings, he asks for a beer.
3:19 PM - Bob asks for another beer. Uh oh.
6:00 PM - We head to a sports bar called The Edge and belly up to the bar. I nearly propose to the breathtakingly gorgeous hostess.
7:42 PM - Several drinks and a large pizza later, we call a cab to head downtown to the pedestrian mall, aka Bar Central.
8:36 PM - The cabbie drops us off and conveniently doesn't have change for my $20. Apparently he thought his Borat impression warranted a $9 tip. Very nice....NOT!
8:45 PM - Belly up to the bar at Quinton's. Bob orders everyone with us a shot of Patron along with his thirteenth beer.
9:30 PM - A few of Bob's friends meet up with us. Knuckle bumps galore. More alcohol is consumed.
10:43 PM - Bob orders a round of Jager Bombs for everyone.
10:47 PM - Bob's friend pukes his Jager Bomb on three random people next to us. Security boots him. I buy the puke victims a round of drinks to defuse the situation.
12:02 AM - Everyone has finally made their way through the line at Joe's Place and Bob has started hitting on the Jello Shot girl. It fails, but he does get us a discount on shots.
12:34 AM - Someone decides it's a good idea for another round of Jager Bombs. "None for the puker!" shouts Bob, which causes three-fourths of the bar to turns our way and stare. I hide in a booth.
2:02 AM - The search for a cab gets serious. Bob stumbles for three blocks and nearly gets us into three fights. He is shouting everything minus "I AM A GOLDEN GOD" at the young women passing by. Miraculously, his belligerence pays off and we crowbar our way into a cab.
2:16 AM - After arguing with the cab driver about not going the right way, Bob yells for the cabbie to pull over so we can walk. We are 10 miles from where we were and 10 miles from where we need to be. I smack Bob in the back of the head, tell the cab driver my friend is mentally handicapped and I promise 100% tip. Cab driver agrees to the impossible...ignoring Bob.
2:28 AM - Back to where we need to be. I verbally command Bob to pass out and point him to a spot to do so. 15 seconds later, he obeys command...and the snoring begins.
4:06 AM - I wake up to the sound of water hitting something. I notice Bob is using the coffee table as a toilet. It's college all over again.
BR: 5 Reasons the Hawkeyes should worry about ASU
Trap games can be stressful. For hardcore fans, trap games are down right hazardous to your health.
They happen when good teams underestimate their upcoming opponent because of a big win. They also occur when a good team overlooks a seemingly weaker opponent the week before a big game.
The Hawkeyes could have both scenarios happening with the game against Arkansas State.
The team is coming off an emotional high after the dominant performance over Penn State in Happy Valley. Sometimes an emotionally high team can underestimate a mediocre team.
After Arkansas State comes to town, Michigan comes to Iowa City for Homecoming. Sometimes teams overlook a lesser opponent before a big game.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are not your ordinary team. And they aren't coached by your ordinary head coach.
Kirk Ferentz knows how to win football games, and will come into this week's game focused and prepared. For Ferentz, there is no such thing as a trap game and he will have the team ready for battle.
While Ferentz will have them primed for the game, there is still reason to worry about Arkansas State.
In fact, there are five reasons to worry.
1. Arkansas State has nothing to lose.
No one really gives Arkansas State a chance in this game. They are coming into Kinnick Stadium, where Iowa fans are still chasing the PSU victory dragon. They lost to Nebraska and they lost to Troy.
At this point, ASU can afford to gamble. They can take chances in this game because at this point in the season they have nothing to lose.
They have everything to gain by taking risks. The Red Wolves get the luxury of a national spotlight as the result of ESPN2 picking up the option to carry this game. They could make a statement by upsetting the No.13 ranked Hawkeyes while the nation watches on TV.
BR: Hawkeye Defense Dominates
With all the factors involved with Iowa's game against Arizona, no one really knew what to expect going into it.
For starters, there was a history
behind the game. Unless you live in a cave, you learned this week that
three of the Stoops brothers were college stars at the University of
Iowa.
Bob Stoops, the current head coach of the Oklahoma
Sooners, was the first to play at Iowa. He played safety for the
Hawkeyes and made a name for himself.
Mike Stoops, the current
head coach at Arizona, followed Bob and became one of the most
decorated Hawkeyes in school history. Mark Stoops, an assistant for
Arizona, followed Mike to Iowa and also made a name for himself.
All three wore the number 41. All three are good friends with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.
A
coach facing their alma mater is one thing. Facing an alma mater with
a family history tied to it, and an alma mater where a long-time friend
is head coach, definitely doesn't make things any easier, no matter how
you slice it.
On top of the history, there were the injuries.
Arizona's TE, Rob Gronkowski, had been injured coming into this game. Despite that, there was hope he might play this week as he was seen at practice.
Then,
it was announced that he would not travel with the team. Worse still,
rumor has it Gronkowski is out for the year and would likely red-shirt
this season.
Iowa also came into the game with a handful of injuries of its own.
Star OT Brian Bulaga is out with a strange illness. TE Tony Moeaki,
no stranger to injuries, is out with an ankle tweak. WR Derrell
Johnson-Koulianos was also not dressed for this game. All three are
studs at their position.
No matter the baggage involved with this game, both teams came into it with an insatiable hunger to win.
BR: Meet Tyler Sash
If Tyler Sash doesn't win Big Ten Player of the Week, there is something seriously wrong with the Big Ten. Actually, if he doesn't win National Defensive Player of the Week, I will be utterly shocked.
Safety Tyler Sash had three interceptions, one forced fumble, and 10 tackles in Iowa's complete destruction of the Iowa State Cyclones by a score of 35-3.
Sash, a sophomore from Oskaloosa, IA, tied a school record with his three interceptions in one game.
This performance comes from the same player who, as a freshman, set a few Iowa bowl game records last year for longest interception return and most interception return yards in the 2009 Outback Bowl win over South Carolina. He also tied an Iowa bowl record with two interceptions in the game.
With his three interceptions today, Sash now has eight interceptions in his early career as an Iowa Hawkeye, six of those in the last four games. All this from a guy who would have rather played basketball.
Bleacher Report: 2009 Hawkeye Predictions Wrap-Up
A few things have happened in the world of Hawkeye since I started these preseason predictions. One of those things being the recent Jewel Hampton news. For those of you who live in a cave, Hampton will be seeking a medical red-shirt for the 2009 season.
There have been a few other injuries, too. Junior CB Jordan Bernstine broke his ankle and will also miss the season.
But, despite the injuries, I still think the Hawkeyes are going on to a 10-2 or 9-3 record this year. Here is a wrap up of how I see the games going:
Iowa 31, UNI 13
Iowa 42, ISU 10
Iowa 30, Arizona 7
Iowa 14, Penn State 17
Iowa 45, Arkansas State 20
Iowa 28, Michigan 10
Iowa 24, Wisconsin 13
Iowa 14, Michigan State 10
Iowa 35, Indiana 10
Iowa 24, Northwestern 3
Iowa 14, Ohio State 17
Iowa 42, Minnesota 14
BR: Predicting the 2009 Iowa Football Season - Arizona
When the Arizona Wildcats were first added to the schedule, I was a little bent out of shape. Not because I didn't think it would be a good game, but because I would have rather Arizona State been scheduled instead.
If there is one team in college football I hate worse than Iowa State, it is the Arizona State Sun Devils. This may or may not have something to do with getting escorted out of Sun Devil Stadium by 4 sheriffs back in 2004. Regardless, I was hoping to have a chance to berate some Sun Devils fans again.
As luck should have it, it was actually the Arizona Wildcats on the schedule. While I was a little bummed, I quickly got over it.
Iowa and Arizona have several different ties between them that add to the overall intrigue of this game. The Wildcats are coached by Mike Stoops, a former Iowa Hawkeye student, player and assistant coach. This means Stoops has to return to his alma mater to face-off against a former colleague in Kirk Ferentz.
To add a bit more flare to the game, some of the older Hawkeye faithful might also still hold a grudge against the University of Arizona for stealing away basketball coach Lute Olsen. Iowans are stubborn, what can I say.
There is also a large Iowa population in Arizona, meaning to some Hawkeye fans, the Wildcats are their team away from home.
While the atmosphere surrounding this game will be electric and friendly, the Wildcats will quickly find out how crazy Kinnick Stadium is. Let me put it another way: Kinnick Stadium is going to eat the Wildcats alive.
