That Bronze Pig Named Floyd of Rosedale

I want to share with you the story of this trophy that is given to the winner of the Iowa - Minnesota football game every year. I have been a Hawk fan for a long time, but never knew the origin of this trophy. So I am passing on the history of this fine trophy.

FLOYD OF ROSEDALE WAS SPAWNED BY RACISM

It’s a little-known fact that Floyd of Rosedale, the long-time traveling trophy that goes to the winner of Iowa’s football game with Minnesota at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, is a product of racism.The target of that racism was Ozzie Simmons, a star running back for the Hawkeyes in the mid-1930s when Hitler was spreading bigotry in Europe and the Ku Klux Klan was active in America. Not many African Americans were competing in college sports.One of the few blacks playing major college football was Simmons, As Iowa's best player, he was often the target of racial slurs and verbal abuse. Almost all opponents were guilty to some degree, but the worst was Minnesota.As the Gophers were preparing to visit Iowa in 1934, the Minneapolis Tribune ran an article that said, “Simmons is a Negro halfback who runs like a deer and has a knack of fading away from tacklers in a ghostlike manner.”That was 75 years ago, and the Gophers were on their way to a national championship, They would no doubt have beaten Iowa without cruel and inhuman treatment to its black star, but wanting to ensure victory they knocked Simmons out of the game not once, not twice, but three times with late hits and cheap shots.He never played in the second half of a 48-12 Minnesota romp. One person who witnessed that game was Ed Benedict, who was in school with Simmons. In an interview several years ago he told me, “It was shameful the way Minnesota beat up on Ozzie. It was brutal and I felt sorry for him.”Another witness was former President Ronald Reagan, then the play-by-play voice for WHO radio. “I remember some really hard and often late hits aimed at Ozzie,” he told Jim Zabel, who later called Iowa games for WHO.Simmons himself recalled Minnesota as a great football team. “But they were blatant with their piling on and kneeing me. It was obvious, but the refs didn’t call it. Some of our fans were so upset they wanted to come out on the field.”The 1935 schedule brought Minnesota back to Iowa City, where Hawkeye fans were still fuming. Simmons was on his way to all-America honors and both teams were unbeaten. This season, Iowa was no pushover.The week before the game Iowa Governor Clyde Herring issued a statement that predicted a Hawkeye victory and contained an inflammatory warning: “If officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used on Ozzie Simmons last year, I’m sure the crowd will not.”In essence, he promised a public mugging if the Gophers didn’t behave. Simmons was both surprised and embarrassed by the governor’s threat. “He was clearly telling the Gophers, ‘We’re coming out of the stands to get you.’ I wasn’t proud of that. I just wanted to play football.”When Minnesota Coach Bernie Bierman asked for a police guard, Governor Herring threatened to end relations between the two universities. Newspapers in both states ran big, bold headlines usually reserved for declaration of war.Fortunately, a cooler head resided in the Minnesota governor’s office. Governor Floyd Olson tried to calm things down with this telegram to Governor Herring in Des Moines:“Minnesota fans are excited over your statement about the Iowa crowd lynching the Minnesota football team. I have assured them that you are a law-abiding gentleman only trying to get our goat. The Minnesota team will tackle hard but clean. Clyde, if you seriously think Iowa has a chance to win, I will bet you a Minnesota prize hog against an Iowa prize hog. You are getting odds because Minnesota produces better hogs than Iowa.”Fortunately, Herring was smart enough to accept the friendly wager and quit making threats. “It was an unusual way to calm things down,” said Simmons. “We had one of the best games I ever played in. Everyone played clean and hard and honest.”After Minnesota won 13-6, the Minneapolis Tribune reported, “Never have we heard so much praise for an opposing player as the Gophers had for Ozzie Simmons.”Paying off his debt, Governor Herring delivered a prize pig named Floyd of Rosedale to Governor Olson, who gave it to the University of Minnesota and commissioned sculptor Charles Brioscho to capture Floyd’s image.The bronze statue of Floyd has resided in the Iowa football complex the last two years, following two Hawkeye victories. Saturday it will be sitting on the Iowa sideline at Kinnick Stadium for the winner to claim. If you are at the game and get a glimpse of the trophy, or see it while watching the game on TV, pause to remember Ozzie Simmons, who died nine years ago at age 87. He is a member of Iowa’s all-time team and a charter member of the UI Varsity Club Hall of Fame.Wearing a black and gold uniform 75 years ago, he played an important role in integrating college football. He is the reason Iowa and Minnesota compete annually for a bonze pig named Floyd of Rosedale.

Big Ten Championship....Its all for the ROSES!!!!

Iowa at Ohio State 2:30pm for the Big Ten Title, and Rose Bowl BCS berth.

Its for a Big Ten Championship, its for the Grand Daddy of them all, the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes of Ohio State have dominated the Big Ten this past decade with conference titles, and appearances at 3 National Title games. The Buckeyes have lost 2 games this year to USC and Purdue. Ohio State has a very good Defense and an offense that is not one of their better ones. Pryor can beat you with his legs, but I'm not convinced he can with his arm. The Hawkeyes have won tough road games already this year, and they will not fear the Horseshoe. The Hawks may be without Stanzi, but all Vandenberg has to do is manage the game. He has the ability and play makers around him to make plays when needed. The Hawkeye defense will keep the game close. Hawkeyes know what is at stake here, they are going to empty the playbook, and have a great plan for this game. One thing I know about the Hawks, is they always play smart, and mentally sound football after a loss in the Ferentz era. This team has been relentless all year, and have played well on the road. Iowa is a huge underdog in this game, OSU is favored by 17. But this is how Iowa likes it, and this can become an example as the whole country thinks Iowa is a weak team, Iowa has the chance to prove them wrong at 2:30pm on ABC Saturday.

USA Hockey stood no chance against the Russians in 1980, and they won.
The Giants had no chance against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, and they won.
Boise State was going to get killed by the high and mighty Boomer Sooners , and they won.
Utah couldn’t compete with an SEC team let alone Alabama, and they had no right to be in a BCS bowl, and they won convincingly.

It’s the opportunity to prove you are the best when given the opportunity, and we have been given that at 2:30pm tomorrow, what are you going to do with it?

IOWA FOOTBALL: PREPARING TO BE THE BEST

3 Big Games On Saturday To Keep Close Eye On

Iowa vs. Northwestern 11am CST

The Hawks put their undefeated season on the line against the Northwestern Wildcats who beat Iowa last year at Kinnick. Hopefully the Hawks will play mistake free, and take care of business on Saturday. This would be a good time for the Hawks to come out and jump the cats early and bury them. Northwestern is always a scrappy team to play, and usually fight hard. If the Hawks can win this game, they will be 10-0 and will turn their focus to Ohio State.

Ohio State at Penn State 2:30pm CST

Both teams have one loss in the Big Ten. If you are a Hawk fan, you want Penn State to beat Ohio State. The reason for that is, we have already beaten Penn State, so if Penn State wins, that gives Ohio State 2 losses in conference play. So if Iowa would stumble at Ohio State next week, that loss would still keep them in the driver seat as they would be tied with Penn State, but win the tie breaker with the head to head. The perfect world would be for Ohio State to beat Penn State, then Hawks beat Ohio State. The reason I say that is, because the National media will then say if we beat Ohio State next week, and they lost to Penn State, that the Hawks should of beaten the Buckeyes, they are not that good this year. I will be rooting for Penn State, its called insurance.

LSU at Alabama 2:30pm CST

Who would think that an SEC game would have anything to do with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Well, it does because we are technically in the National Title hunt. If the Hawks beat Northwestern, and Penn State beats Ohio State, and then LSU beats Bama, the state of Iowa is going to go nuts, maybe even more than the Bayou. Iowa would most likely move to #3 BCS. LSU would be a threat to the BCS because they would be in the driver seat for the SEC title game against Florida, those victories would help them in the BCS. But their is no way LSU would beat Florida in the SEC title game. But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Hawks leave Indiana in the dust in 4th.......Hawks 9-0!

It was looking like it was going to be the end of the winning streak Saturday. Hawks couldn't get anything going in the first half while Indiana had everything going their way. For Hawk fans it seemed odd that Ferentz deferred at the coin toss. Ferentz takes the ball 99.9% of the time. But what we know now is, he is a genius. Most of the TD's in the game occurred in the south endzone. Most of the interceptions by Stanzi and Indiana were when the teams were headed north. This game had all the making of the 2008 Northwestern game when Iowa kept turning the ball over and giving Northwestern great field position, it was deja-vu. But not these 2009 Hawkeyes, or cardiac kids which ever you prefer. The momentum changed very quickly when Tyler Sash intercepted the ball after it deflected 4 times to his arms, and he was off to the races. This play was great, it was like slow motion at first, you saw the ball come out of the QB's hand, but then lost it and see nothing but black jerseys around the 10 yard line, and then all of a sudden it looks like the Hawkeye swarm coming at the North Endzone. After that, the Hawks really got it going with 2 passes for long TD's to McNutt and DJK. I never knew that McNutt was that explosive until then. Let the record state, we have some very talented WR's, both those guys have been huge this year. I think the craziest thing about Saturday was how going into the 4th quarter thinking we are going to lose, but then to think we would still cover the spread is just crazy in itself. I really hope that this was the letdown game of the year, and we survived.

To change gears a bit, I want to share my thoughts on the Big Ten and the respect. I understand that Ohio State has damaged the Big Ten image a bit by their last 2 National Title appearances. They did win in 2002 over Miami, but got beaten down by Florida and LSU. Everybody knows that the Big Ten is down a bit, but don't throw this on Iowa. Iowa has beaten Iowa State (2nd in Big 12 North a week ago), Arizona (top 25 team), Penn State (top 25 team), Wisconsin (top 25 team). 3 of those games were on the road, and if anybody thinks Camp Randall and Happy Valley are easy places to play, think again. Zona was suppose to be too fast for Iowa, I'm pretty sure I witnessed Clayborn run their RB down. Iowa is 9-0 and went from #7 to #8 in the AP poll. That is ridiculous, if it was Penn State, Ohio State, or Michigan sitting at 9-0, they would be in the top 5 at least. Iowa's strength of schedule is strong, just ask the computers. I will argue that the Big Ten is stronger than the Big 12, but nobody wants to talk about that do that. I agree that the SEC is the elite conference, but after that its open at this point. The Big 12, PAC-10, ACC, and Big East are not much different from Big Ten.