CURIOUS INDEX, 7/21/08

Oh, hell. There's much more to be written about this, but let's just assume that the "DAMAGE: CATASTROPHIC" reading on Kirk Ferentz's career meter is accurate, and could be an understatement of the truth. Read this, and nod in agreement that at best, the coach and athletic director of the University of Iowa are both guilty of incompetence in not following university procedure. At the worst, as OPS writes, it's "conspiracy and malice" demonstrated by a football program that has had the worst, most under-reported, and consistent discipline problem in college football in the past three years.

Flashing. Lights. Not the good kind.

If this were Miami, SI would be cranking this up as "Quit Football, Part Two." This is Iowa, however, and thus tiny, in the middle of the country, short on glamour, and therefore off the radar. Despicable is despicable is despicable, however: a month after an alleged sexual assault, the University of Iowa had one of the alleged perpetrators living three doors down from the victim.

The upside? If you're kind of molest-y and can run a 4.4, the University of Iowa is definitely making a push for you to take a campus visit. Hell, their general counsel, on finding out about it, will be so negligent as to not go to the police with the charges or be the adult in the room and make sure procedure is followed--which it wasn't. Regardless of the charges' veracity, the reaction to it was jankety at best, a study in pure sketch.

And only on a day like this is this second. Oh, and an Iowa recruit led eight officers on a 20 minute chase through Iowa City while he was half-naked. Michigan fans, this could have been you! Why did you settle for Rodriguez when this could have been you? Defeat comes in a million forms. This is one.

The monetization of tailgating begins. Senator--please, don't forget the title--Blutarsky hails the end of the free tailgating era, as Alabama begins an experiment in charging for tailgating slots on the Quad. Expect violence in response, especially when Georgia fans are told doing donuts in their RVs on the pristine green lawns of the University is not a birthright no matter how long they've been doing it.

For those who enjoy award-type things: the approach of this blog is Spartan in that we don't believe in awards or honors period, since the real joy lies in the quotidian slashing, abwork, and massively macho posturing Spartans have to do to be Spartans. Some people like that, though, so there's the link to the College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which featured a notably undead Joe Paterno and Doug Flutie.

Carson Palmer hates Ohio State fans. In response, Buckeye fans do thirty more reps of heavy shrugs, some calf work, and call their friend to talk about how awesome Beanie Wells is in NCAA 2009, then more shrugs in their official team jersey.