Mike Davis out as Indiana Coach

[NorthernIowaBacker]

Regarding LaFrentz, the story I heard was that Roy Williams himself made several of the 8 hour trips up to MFL to recruit Raef, while Dr. Tom never once saw him play in high school...always sent one of his assistants. Not sure if it's true or not, but just something I heard that played heavily on why Raef didn't go to Iowa.

Raef worked all the bball camps at my school back in the day and stayed with the head coach, who lived next to me. I remember when he was around how much he always said he "hated the hawkeyes." Smart man he was.

Plus, if you have never been to KU, just go there one time. All the all-Americans visit there and the atmosphere is unreal. Hard to beat it. One of the hardest tickets to get in college sports.

[MGLD Panther]

AS much as I hate to say this, I think the Hawkeyes rule around here. My family and I lived in CF for 13 years, went to Minneapolis for 5 years, and recently(last September) moved back here to Cedar Rapids. We have always believed, and hated it, that the Hawkeyes are the most loved team in the state. It sucks but we need to deal with it.

[panther2317]

I don't think anyone denies that the media machine in Iowa City isn't the face of the Iowa sports landscape....but that doesn't mean we (as Panther fans) have to "deal with it". I want to become a vocal and active fan base. We don't need to rival the size of Iowa's fan base to feel important...we just need to be a growing, vocal and active fan base that loves the Panthers. And when given the choice...choose UNI.

[Newsbreaker]

Panther 2317, let me explain something to you. YOU MUST DEAL WITH THE MEDIA. ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO INGORE THE MEDIA WILL BE DEALT WITH HARSHLY. PROBABLY VIA THE MEDIA. I ENJOY THE SOUND OF MY OWN VOICE. LISTEN TO ME DAMNIT!

[SteinPizza]

Panther 2317, let me explain something to you. YOU MUST DEAL WITH THE MEDIA. ANYONE ATTEMPTING TO INGORE THE MEDIA WILL BE DEALT WITH HARSHLY. PROBABLY VIA THE MEDIA. I ENJOY THE SOUND OF MY OWN VOICE. LISTEN TO ME DAMNIT!

Wow News! I didn't realize that you were David Gregory from NBC

[Newsbreaker]

I'm omnipresent.

[panther2317]

Lights came on and I heard...mongolian chants...when I read your post Newsbreaker...I see the light now...the local media wants me to be a mindless robot and think that what they tell me is all that is out there. I will join "Lemming" Nation and follow the Hawkeyes! I will don black and gold glasses and forget my allegiances to Panther Nation because the media told me to! They are all powerful. NOT!(and they need to get a grip!)

That's why the media will always cover Iowa and ISU first...they enjoy the sound of their own voices and the only time they sound intelligent is when they cover the same stories their stations have been covering for the last half century...(Iowa and ISU)...so they don't have to do any research and they are popular with a majority of their viewers.

I don't have to "DEAL" with the media. When I don't like what they're saying, I turn off their station and find something I do like...and then I write them and tell them that I choose to watch another channel becaud of their lack of preparation.

[Newsbreaker]

First, the "local" media does a good job of giving plenty of coverage to the Panthers. If your quarrel is with the 'state' media, I can understand, but the percentages of how many are in each fan base are what they are, and the media's job is to get the largest number of consumers possible.

[SteinPizza]

I will say the WCF Courier has done a great job covering the Panthers. As a transplanted fan, I definitely appreciate their coverage and the access over the web. It's always suprised me why the DM Register doesn't give more space to UNI, with so many alumni in the area. It's an unfortunate reality that the average, non-alumni fans will follow either Iowa or Iowa State exclusively. Hopefully our continued success will create more "hybrid" fans who can root for both the Panthers and Hawks/Clones, and you'll see a resulting shift in media coverage.

[panther2317]

News...I know you're a member of the media...but we don't need a passionate response to defend the media from you everytime there's a call for more Panther coverage. We get it.

First of all, I live in Des Moines...so THAT'S my LOCAL media. Waterloo/CF (KWWL and the Courier) do a great job of covering UNI 90% of the time. But not KCRG or KGAN or the Gazette (although much better than before).

My local media is trying (at least KCCI and WOI), but it can still get better. And I will continue to complain when I feel UNI is being slighted. Should I just accept what they broadcast when I feel they aren't reporting news that's important to me?

I contend that you're wrong about the media's job is to cater to the largest # of consumers possible. (that's an advertising sales point of view) It's their job to report the news in an objective fashion. An Iowa "state school" being NATIONALLY ranked is news to everyone in Iowa...regardless of fan loyalty.

[Newsbreaker]

When the same "geeze, they cover so much of the hawkeyes" comments keept getting bandied about, apparently you do not 'get it.' Either that, or the explanation isn't enough, you want things to change (the more likely conclusion)...in which case, what are you doing to change it?

I am a member of the media, so when you're saying the "media doesn't care about the Panthers" you're saying I don't care about the Panthers, and I will defend myself, and those who deserve to be defended, every single time. The fix? Choose your words more carefully.

If, hypotheticall, you mage widgets, and at least weekly someone posted "Those damn widget makers hate UNI! They never make any UNI widgets!" you'd respond accordingly, or at least you'd be justified in doing so.

[panther2317]

in which case, what are you doing to change it?

I thought I covered this pretty well. I write, I call and I make it known to radio stations, print media and televisions outlets that I am in their media market and I want more UNI coverage. I also state the usual facts about UNI and the Des Moines market. (10,000 UNI alums living in Des Moines, 72% of UNI grads get their first jobs in Iowa)

Newsbreaker...unless I say YOU'RE doing a crappy job of covering the Panthers...I'm not not talking about you or the job you do. Period. I've said it before...the Waterloo/CF media does a pretty good job of covering UNI, but I don't live there. I live in an Iowa and ISU dominated zone and it's frustrating.

You have done a great job of coming around as a Panther fan (while maintaning your Iowa Hawkeye roots). We love having you in Panther Nation and I hope your purple and gold shows through more and more each day. I don't try and start stuff with you, so please don't take it personally. I'm not talking about you...or the job you do.

[Newsbreaker]

I understand, and I know you do what you can to try and change the landscape. There are others, and no particular names come to mind, who simply complain and expect things to magically change.

FYI, my first posts on this subject in this thread were COMPLETLEY in jest.

[SteinPizza]

I contend that you're wrong about the media's job is to cater to the largest # of consumers possible. (that's an advertising sales point of view) It's their job to report the news in an objective fashion. An Iowa "state school" being NATIONALLY ranked is news to everyone in Iowa...regardless of fan loyalty.

2317, I'm not in the media, but KCCI, WOI, WHO, etc. are MAINSTREAM media outlets, who by definintion have to cater to the average Joe (or lowest common denominator) in the demographic they're trying to attract (which I'm guessing is the same for all the above). Demographics are the biggest driver of ad rates, which in turn drive revenue. If I was in the media, I'd realize that ad sales drive everything; it's why your business exists. It's also why niche' media exist, to cover things that the mainstream press can't or won't. Keep in mind the size of your daily newspaper isn't determined by the amount of news, it's determined by the amount of ad sales on a given day (which I learned while selling advertising for The Northern Iowan).

[northwest iowa panther]

Let's see. Since the time I was able to follow Iowa athletics, the Hawks have had Sharm Scheuermann, Ralph Miller, Dick Schultz, Lute Olsen, George Raveling, Tom Davis and Steve Alford as their head coach in men's basketball. Start counting up the Big Ten and One championships they've won and let me know when you run out of digits on one hand. Impressive list of coaching talent for what they did before, some during and many after they left Iowa for better jobs. Iowa will always be Iowa and no coach will ever change that. Iowa fans think they deserve better. I have the opinion though that Iowa fans believe that anything west of Des Moines and north of Cedar Rapids doesn't exist. They would rather annex into the cultural world of Illinois.