ISU officials: Do you want our money or our support?
October 28, 1997
Sometimes we all have those days in which we know there is a god up above who loves us.
Saturday was one of those days for me. I mean, Iowa State wins, the goal posts come down, I enjoyed one heck of a party at the TKE house, I got drunk as hell and enjoyed nearly every minute that I was with the old lady.
In my book, the Cyclones showed why they are the No. 1 team in the country.
I mean, what other team in the country would aid the student section in tearing down the goal post? None.
What was up with the pigs anyway? Why didn’t university officials call off the pork and let the students celebrate?
It’s amazing how the student support is called upon every game by ISU officials, even if we get our butts blown out of the water.
But when the Cyclones finally win, after losing a season’s worth of games, we get arrested for trying to celebrate.
I was on the field in Ames when ISU beat Nebraska and the pigs just told everyone to wait for the clock to run out and then they could have the poles.
Granted, this was not a victory of that caliber, but it was nonethe-less a huge victory.
Since I have been at ISU, I have done my best to support the Cyclones both privately and publicly. What I’ve learned is that those who run the show, and I won’t mention any names for a fear of being censored, want students there for one reason.
That reason is revenue.
Let’s face it. As much as I like Dan McCarney, the Cyclone football team is not restoring a tradition of winning. In fact, we’re gettin’ the wood put to us almost on a weekly basis.
Isn’t a head coach’s job to recruit and coach his team to victories? McCarney is seriously lacking in that department. McCarney’s job is not in question because attendance is up when compared to the last couple of years Jim Walden coached.
High attendance equals high revenue. High revenue equals job security.
Student support in the minds of ISU officials means student money spent on football tickets, not the actual backing of the team. If this is not the case, and ISU cared about student support, then they would have let students celebrate like every other school in the country that wins a big game.
The pigs could have been called off, but they weren’t. It burns me to think there were actually fans who spent the night in jail because they were elated and wanted to celebrate the ISU victory.
So I send a thumbs up to the Cyclone football team. You guys looked great. I send a big middle finger to the Department of Public Safety and the ISU officials who could have made a difference.
There were two lessons to be learned on Saturday. Those whom you support are the only ones who truly support you and your efforts.
And never shake a hand that bites.
One more shot out to the Cyclones: we’re looking forward to another one Saturday.
We’ll talk later.
Chad Calek is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Persia.