Monday Morning Quick Hits: Baseball Begins, Butler, & McNabb

The grass is green, the season is changing, and that means its time to start baseball. On Opening Day, all the stadiums are full, and everybody is in first place today (well actually the Yankees are in last due to their loss last night to the Redsox, that's too bad). Its time for families to come together, get hot dogs and sodas to enjoy this American past time. Nothing is better than enjoying the outside weather and taking in a baseball game. The Chicago Cubs will take on the Atlanta Braves today at 3:10pm Central on ESPN. This will be their first game of their journey to the NL Central Title. I can't wait to hear "Go CUBS Go"!

Butler will take on Duke tonight for the National Title game. Yes, Butler from the Horizon league is playing an ACC team for the National Title. This is what the NCAA tournament is all about. Nobody is saying Butler doesn't belong, because they do. They were a top 10 team in the country at the beginning of the year. They beat their opponents to get to the title game. Its not like NCAA D-1 Football where Boise State beats up on WAC opponents and then is mad that they don't get a shot at Alabama. Nobody wants to see that. If they had a playoff, everybody would accept it because they would have proven themselves against good talent, like Butler has in the tournament.

Donovan McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins last night. Nothing like trading your 11 year star QB to a team in your division. But Redskin fans don't get too excited. Its only for one year, then he will take over for the Vikings when Favre retires. That's what the Vikings do. In the past the Vikings have had Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, Gus Frerotte, and now Favre. All at the end of their careers. Vikings don't know how to develop QB's, they leave that up to the rest of the NFL.

Barry Bonds signs 1 year, $10.5 Million with Cubs

The Chicago Cubs just threw in all their cards at the poker table with the Cardinals. Cubs said if you think your lineup is tough, wait until you see ours. Yes the Chicago Cubs, under new management have signed Barry Bonds to a 1 year $10.5 million dollar deal. Its actually a steal for the Cubs as he was making $20 million a year when he was in San Francisco. Bonds may not be a great outfielder anymore, but he can still swing the bat. Plus it can't get much worse that Soriano's crow-hop before he catches the ball style in Left field. Cubs expect that Bonds will get quite a bit of playing time, and will be a pinch hitter late in close games when needed. Cubs will be the team to beat in the NL Central as long as the pitching rotation is strong and the bats are swinging. Bonds was asked if he will be a distraction to the team with his federal cases and allegations of using steroids. Bonds stated, "Are you kidding me? They had Milton Bradley on this team last year." "This City has more things to worry about like the White Sox Manager being a hot-head, and the Bulls still looking for an identity since MJ left." Bonds hit 28 home runs and had a batting average of .276 in his last season to play in 2007. This story can only be found here, and have a great April 1st. P.S. The Cubs will win the NL Central regardless cause next year is HERE!

Fran McCaffrey is New Iowa Men's Basketball Coach

Fran McCaffrey from Siena has been named the new head coach at Iowa. It wasn't a big splash or what some would call a home run hire by Gary Barta. First of all their wasn't a lot of big name coaches out there right now, so its not realistic that Iowa was going to land a big name anyways. What I have seen in the last few weeks is a fan base fighting over who should be leading this team, and it hasn't stopped. Some say Forbes should have been the guy, or why didn't they interview Lavin. Forbes has been an assistant coach at Tennessee for a while with no Head Coaching experience at Division 1 level. Barta's job is to find the right guy and a lot of eyes are on Barta since his first hire didn't work, he couldn't afford to take that risk. Lavin has been a ESPN analyst for 6 years. My question is if he is so good, then why has he been doing that the last 6 years? Their have been good jobs open recently and he has stayed at ESPN. Pearl wasn't leaving Tennessee, he makes too much money already. Scott Drew has a great thing at Baylor, he almost made the Final Four, you are not going to leave that to build Iowa when he had to build Baylor. McCaffrey was interviewed for Seton Hall and St. John's. The word on the street was he wanted the Iowa job over those jobs. McCaffrey has done a great job every place he has coached, and has built the program. That is exactly what Iowa needs right now. Here are some things for Iowa fans to think about. Its kind of like recruiting football players, you never know how good the are until they have been here for about 3 years. Give this coach some time, its not like Iowa is loaded with talent right now. This reminds me of the Ferentz hire. It was a Hawkeye meltdown, 90% of Hawk fans felt that Bob Stoops should have been given the job and that Bowlsby fell asleep at the wheel. I wouldn't trade Ferentz for nobody. I didn't even know who he was when he was hired. But he has done an outstanding job here and hopefully will be here for a while. So instead of throwing the new coach under the bus 7 months before he even starts basketball practice, give the guy a shot. Everyone around Hawkeye Nation is so high strung because Lickliter was unsuccessful that they have it in their head that if we hire another mid-major it will be just like the last 2 guys. We are Hawkeye fans, and McCaffrey is our coach. We need to stand behind him and support him because we are Hawkeye fans. He is our guy and we need to rally behind him to get this thing turned around. As Fans we have an obligation too. Its our job to attend games and fill Carver again. Pitino couldn't get this thing turned around with 6,000 people attending home games. We have to do our part too. Iowa fans can be the greatest fans, just look at how we are for Football games. Its time to move forward and get this thing going. If you are not excited today for Iowa basketball, then go root for another team. You are either a Hawk or your Not!

NCAA Basketball Tourney Bracket

Its one of the traditional things to do every year, and that is filling out a NCAA Tourney Bracket. I fill one out every year just for fun and see how it compares to others. This year I didn't follow college basketball closely at all due to a certain program (Iowa) I follow was like watching paint dry. So I got some people together and we created a group to see how we do against each other. As we all now when it comes to filling out your bracket, your wife or girlfriend can fill one out and do just as good as you. You are a man, its a man's sport, so you feel like you are the top professor at MIT when filling out your bracket. Kansas will so beat University of Northern Iowa. Kansas is a veteran team and #1 overall, UNI is just a Missouri Valley Conference team. The wife or girlfriend would pick UNI because they like purple and KU's blue and red is boring. So you think she has no idea. Fast Forward to today, and Kansas is sitting at home watching UNI play Michigan State. So anybody has just as good of a guess as anybody. I fell into the trap of listening to all these analyst that make way more money than me on where the upsets will be and who will be dangerous. Now that the kool-aid no longer tastes good, I can tell you that the Big East is the most overrated basketball conference in the history of the NCAA tournament. West Virginia is the only team left on Friday March 26. Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Marquette, and Louisville all out. I want to take this time and thank you all for ruining my bracket. Yes I did gamble a bit, but their was a lot of let downs with this group. Georgetown I think thought they had a bye versus Ohio, because they were just outplayed. I gambled with Louisville, I thought they would take California, and Duke out. Instead they got beat by a California team that struggled in PAC-10 tournament, suspended a player, had to fly across the country, it was all setup for Louisville, and they blew it. In my group we all have Kansas playing Kentucky, 2 of us picked Kansas, and 2 others picked Kentucky. My only hope to get out of last place was for Syracuse to go to the Final Four, and they blew that last night to Butler. Two people had K-state and one had Pittsburgh. Of course the ones that had Syracuse or Pittsburgh going to Final Four had Villanova too. Another thank you to Big East Conference, job well done.
This year has seen a lot of upsets, if that is what you call it. This is the best 64 teams in the country, and a lot of times the tournament is about matchups. Temple and Wisconsin saw that when they played Cornell. Cornell did very well, as is Butler. UNI is going strong, and so is St. Mary's. The tournament will have a true champion, and that is why you play the game, because on any given night, it may destroy your bracket. Like a mid-major from Cedar Falls, IA knocking off the Kansas Jayhawks.

Spring Football Topic: Breaking the Rules at Michigan

So Rich Rodriguez at Michigan states that the coaches misunderstood the NCAA rules about the amount of hours the coaches could spend on coaching the football team. REALLY? Does anybody else buy this? You are telling me that you coached how many years at West Virginia, and you and your staff didn't get what the NCAA rule book states? RIGHT! Let me connect the dots for you then. My team is bad, we are not getting any better, and we have to play teams like Ohio State, Iowa, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin. I understand you are in a pressure cooker, Michigan is only the winningst college football program in the country. If Rich Rodriquez doesn't get Michigan turned around quickly, its going to see you bye-bye real quick. Michigan was already good, they just couldn't beat Ohio State at the end of the year. Now they have to practice overtime to beat Minnesota. Someone needs to tell Rich Rod that this is the Big Ten, not the Little East. Teams in the Big Ten follow NCAA rule books. This may be more clear now why he had so much success in the Little East. Maybe West Virginia was going over their minutes for coaches to player contacts. The NCAA rules are not a cell phone plan Rich Rod, you can't carry over your minutes from the off-season to the season.

Help Wanted

The University of Iowa is looking for a new basketball coach. One that will bring a fan base back to Hawkeye-Carver Arena. One that will get the fans excited about basketball again. One that can recruit kids to compete in the Big Ten Conference night in and night out. One that brings a style of play that brings energy to the players and fans in the building. Not a lethargic brand of basketball that makes you fall asleep, and makes players not interested.
Who is that guy? Who can rebuild the program that forced a guy out that only took his team to the Sweet Sixteen, but has been a mess ever since. I have seen many names on message boards that are impressive, but can they really do it? Lets look at something for a minute. Tom Davis had a long career at Iowa. Had success, but the University thought recruiting was slipping and the program could do better. So he leaves, takes a break, and enters at Drake University that was a total disaster. He builds them up, hands the keys to his son, and they win the Missouri Valley Conference. I would say he was successful. Steve Alford, most sought after coach from Missouri State, Coach of the Year. Starts off pretty good at Iowa, but then starts to lose close games, player issues off the court, rubbed people the wrong way, takes the free get out of jail card to New Mexico. Has New Mexico a #3 seed in this years NCAA Tournament and has a good recruiting class next year. Todd Lickliter comes to Iowa with great success at Butler, wins coach of the Year just like Alford prior to coming to Iowa. 3 losing seasons, and this year was the worst in Iowa History, sorry coach you may be a good person, but the basketball program is in the toilet. Obviously Iowa has basketball facilities coming to help the program, and Iowa will now be up to date very soon with the rest of the league. The thing that scares me, is I'm not confident anybody can build the program because we have seen successful people come to Iowa and fail, then go to other programs and be successful. So either we are a good learning lesson for coaches, or we are a graveyard for up and coming coaches. 2 coaches that were coaches of the year failed at Iowa. So do not get this year's coach of the year please. Maybe Davis, Alford, and Lickliter were successful at Mid-Major programs because the pressure isn't the same. Coach McDermott was a great coach at University of Northern Iowa. He goes to Iowa State and its a train wreck. Ben Jacobson has done very well at the University of Northern Iowa, but people are saying the same thing about him as they were saying about McDermott prior to Iowa State.
Another option is a top assistant coach at a top program. Kansas, Purdue, and Tennessee have been mentioned for their top assistant. Problem there is no track record. They have no wins or losses. Some may say, they are great recruiters. Are they great recruiters, or is it because the head coach has a good program, or the head coach is involved as well. I would hope you are a good recruiter at Kansas, I could recruit for Kansas.
I would like for Iowa to get a coach that has proven themselves at a major conference. Just some names are Bruce Pearl of Tennessee, Buzz Williams at Marquette, and Kevin Stallings at Vanderbilt. Pearl is not coming folks unless he hates Tennessee. We are not going to pay him what Ferentz makes, deal with it. Williams would be familiar with mid west, same climate as Milwaukee, and may see Iowa as a better chance long run in Big Ten than Marquette in Big East. Stallings wanted a big conference gig, and he has that. Not sure he would leave Vanderbilt who is stable to save Iowa.
Some others to ponder if you want mid-major or up and coming coaches. Josh Pastner at Memphis, worked under Lute Olson at Arizona and Calipari at Memphis. Has #1 recruiting class coming to Memphis, problem is Memphis is a hot bed, and most of those kids probably wouldn't get in at Iowa due to academic standards. Tony Barbee of UTEP. Has done very well at UTEP, and will probably be coaching somewhere else next year as he will be sought after. Keno Davis at Providence. Did well at Drake, brings the Davis system, but allows players to do more in that system. Still unproven at Providence, would be a gamble. Ben Jacobson at UNI. He has been successful at UNI, some say he has a swagger and a look of a top basketball program and could recruit because of it. But its a gamble, and McDermott at ISU doesn't help him. Jacobson has showed that he is a very good game day coach with good decision making throughout the game. His teams are known to score coming out of timeouts or out of bounds possessions.
Nobody knows who will get the keys, but everybody will have a strong opinion on who should.

That's Not OK Mr. Pollard

I feel that this needs to be shared. I feel that all the college fans of the state of Iowa should have knowledge about this. I am a Hawkeye fan, but even though I am a Hawkeye fan, this e-mail that Mr. Pollard sent back to this Iowa State Fan was not appropriate. You can make the judgement yourself. I just feel that someone in that position of Athletic Director of a University in a major conference should not be responding back to fans in the manner he did. Here is the e-mail that was sent to Mr. Pollard and then Pollard's response.

Dear Mr. Pollard,

I am writing you today in regards to the state of the basketball program. I find it troubling that you continue to allow the program that I have watched for as long as I can remember fall into the shambles that it has. I remember watching players like Fred Hoiberg, Marcus Fizer, Jamal Tinsley, and so many more work Hilton Magic. I have watched almost all the games this year, and other then parts of the Texas game, I have not felt that "Magic" since you hired Greg McDermott. In fact, the ticket I bought for the Missouri game will be the last I purchase from your program until there is a change. It is sickening to me to watch the end of Iowa State Basketball games. You can point to the close games and say that they mean something. But every time I watch a close game, I know they are going to lose. I get that sick feeling in my gut because I know whats going to happen. Coach McDermott has shown no ability to coach at the end of the game. No team he has coached has ever shown that they have any capability to win a game in the clutch. Probably because he makes no adjustments during any game I have ever watched. Clearly the strategy he coaches by is not one that will win today, or tomorrow, or any other day in the Big 12 conference. To compound the issue, you are allowing him to basically start his tenure over. More then likely, next year there will be no Craig Brackins. There will be no Marques Gilstrap. Why Mr. Pollard should I buy a ticket to any game next year? To watch Scott Christophersen get burned by players from Kansas, Kansas State, and Texas again? Or better to watch Diante Garrett dribble the ball off his foot five times a game? The only success that Coach McDermott has had is to run off his best players. It sure seems like Mike Taylor and Wesley Johnson seem to be doing fine with their new coaches.It makes me sick that you are allowing this joke to continue. You are poking the eye of the greats that built this program into the dynasty it was. I feel bad for the likes of Johnny Orr, Jeff Grayer, Barry Stevens, Jeff Hornacek and every other person who poured their heart and soul into this program only to watch you allow it be driven back into the ground. I feel bad for them, and for all the rest of the fans of this program who are forced to put up with this sick joke. I see no improvement and until I do I will not be putting any of my money into your program. In fact, allowing for this hideous nightmare to continue not only should Greg McDermott be worried about his job, but you too, Mr. Pollard.

Sincerely,
Matt Rainey
Urbandale, Iowa


From: jbp@iastate.edu
To: Matt Rainey Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 08:43:32 -0600Subject: RE: State of the Mens Basketball Program.

Dear Matt,Thank you for your email. Several thoughts for your to ponder.
1. Yesterday I received over a hundred emails following our letter to ticket holders and donors. Interesting enough, of all the emails I received, the only negative one was from you. Glad to know that your feelings are not shared by the majority of other Cyclone fans.

2. Although I appreciate your passion and desire to write me, I only wish you had the same passion in helping be part of the solution by joining the Cyclone Club or being a season ticket holder. Our records indicate you have never made a donation, purchased season tickets or even purchased a single game ticket from our department. Unfortunately, athletics is like politics - people have a lot of answers but never many solutions.

3. For someone who claims to be a Cyclone fan for as long as you can remember, it it amusing to me that you never have supported the program that you so claim to love. Rather than spending time worrying about what Orr, Grayer, Hornacek, and others would think - I think you should be more worried about yourself. Your email is actually rather embarrassing given your lack of action.Thanks again for your email. I do appreciate it. I also hope you give some thought to my question about joining the Cyclone Club or purchasing season tickets. You can't expect better results if all you are willing to do is sit on the sidelines and write an email to the Athletics Director.

Go Cyclones!



Letter was sent to Steve Deace and Jon Miller of KXNO radio in Des Moines, IA.
http://kxno.com/pages/miller-deace.html