To the editor:

I’m writing in response to a succession of articles in the Iowa State Daily, particularly the editorial “Excitement at Jack Trice.”

I have suffered through several of these articles in which the writers are kidding themselves and other Cyclone fans.

The editorial mentioned that the Cyclones have several quality wins over quality teams. The editorial has made a claim that has no validity. In fact, the Cyclones haven’t even indirectly beaten a quality team. They have handled division I-AA Indiana State (2-6) who has beaten only Southeast Missouri State and Western Illinois. They beat Iowa who has beaten only Northern Illinois. They beat UNLV who has tallied victories against Baylor, North Texas and Wyoming. And they beat Missouri who has handled Western Michigan, Memphis, UAB and Texas Tech.

The same article begins by saying that Iowa State is the best 4-4 team in the free world. I hate to break it to the legions of Cyclone fans, but Iowa State is very deserving of that record.

You might want to take a look at some other teams with identical records before making this claim. Virginia doesn’t have the quality wins the Cyclones have posted. They have beaten No. 13 BYU, but I guess that is no more of a quality win than a victory against impressive Iowa.

Illinois hasn’t posted the quality wins that the Cyclones have amassed. They’ve defeated No. 16 Michigan, but I guess that’s really no more impressive than a victory over a team like Missouri.

Several quality wins over quality teams? I will save you the trouble of rephrasing that. It should say no quality wins over zero quality teams.

You also make the claim that Iowa State has lost three heartbreakers that they should have won. I beg to differ. Did they have three heartbreaking losses? Yes. Did they outplay all of those teams? No.

They did outplay Colorado. I will give them that, but there is a catch. Colorado’s star quarterback Mike Moschetti did not play. On four occasions this season he has passed for over 300 yards in a game.

The Iowa State football team was outplayed in Columbia by the Tigers. The Cyclones were out-yarded by over 120 yards in this game, but once again luck would be on the side of the juggernaut that is the Cyclone football team. They broke the leg of Missouri’s quarterback in the first half and won the game. Now that I have brought the editorial board of the Iowa State Daily back to reality, maybe the fans should start supporting one of the best Cyclone teams many of them have ever seen.

If you would like a (6-5) football team to go to a bowl game you are going to have to pack more that 35,000 fans into Jack Trice Stadium.

Take a look to the east, Cyclones. The Hawkeyes are drawing 66,000 fans to watch probably the worst Hawkeye team they have ever seen coming off one of their worst seasons.

You finally have a superior team to your cross state rivals; maybe you should show that you have equally supportive fans.

Tim Vos

Sophomore

Exercise and sport science