Iowa State gets paid to lose

[panthertrack]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

And if I recall ISU has not always been the bottom dweller of the Big 12 or old Big 8 in mens basketball. In fact they used to be a powerhouse only second to Kansas, and their games against Kansas used to be classics.

I think you are making a generalization of their sports because the football team has never been a traditional power.

Two years does not a powerhouse make.

That'd be akin to Iowa fans claiming that the football team was a "powerhouse" during their run of 4 January bowls in 4 years. A good run, but a powerhouse? I guess I reserve that word for programs who traditionally put out amazing product - and very, very rarely have an "off" season. In men's bball, Kansas, Duke, UNC, etc. all come to mind. Iowa State does not.

Heck, "ISU has never been a traditional power in football" might be the biggest understatement in history. They've never put together more than an above-average team in 100+ years - let alone a run to even mention the word "powerhouse" in the same sentence as them.

[TH1974]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

Two years does not a powerhouse make.

That'd be akin to Iowa fans claiming that the football team was a "powerhouse" during their run of 4 January bowls in 4 years. A good run, but a powerhouse? I guess I reserve that word for programs who traditionally put out amazing product - and very, very rarely have an "off" season. In men's bball, Kansas, Duke, UNC, etc. all come to mind. Iowa State does not.

Heck, "ISU has never been a traditional power in football" might be the biggest understatement in history. They've never put together more than an above-average team in 100+ years - let alone a run to even mention the word "powerhouse" in the same sentence as them.

"Powerhouse" is probably too strong a word, but ISU did have ten 20-win seasons under Johnny Orr, Tim Floyd, and Larry Eustachy.

[06panther10]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

ISU traditionally has a very strong basketball program. Powerhouse probably isn't the word, but they have usually had a good bastetball team. It was certainly not just "two good years".

[jman2004]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

"Powerhouse" is probably too strong a word, but ISU did have ten 20-win seasons under Johnny Orr, Tim Floyd, and Larry Eustachy.

I'll always question the "cleanliness" of Floyd and Eustachy though . . .

[jman2004]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

. . . they fell by a point in the first round of the tourney.

Wasn't that to a 15 seeded Hampton . . . poor Cyclones.

[jman2004]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

ISU traditionally has a very strong basketball program. Powerhouse probably isn't the word, but they have usually had a good bastetball team. It was certainly not just "two good years".

"Very strong" probably isn't the word either. Even the "great" Johnny Orr was so-so. Yes, he did coach the team to 5, 20-win seasons in his 14 years as a coach, but 6 of his 14 seasons as Cyclone coach were LOSING seasons. The three other seasons were above .500, but reaching win totals of only 17, 16, and 14. His career coaching percentage hovered around .500.

There are plenty of teams in the Big 12 that have very comparable, if not, better basketball histories than the Clones.

[TH1974]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

I'll always question the "cleanliness" of Floyd and Eustachy though . . .

No doubt.

"Very strong" probably isn't the word either. Even the "great" Johnny Orr was so-so. ...

There are plenty of teams in the Big 12 that have very comparable, if not, better basketball histories than the Clones.

'plenty' is probably not the word in this case, either.

[06panther10]

Re: Iowa State gets paid to lose

Kansas, Okie St.....Who else? I just looked it up. Since the big 8 turned into the big 12, Iowa State has two regular season championships. Texas has two championships. No other conference team has more than one besides Kansas, who has most of them.