Settled in Chicago

I moved to Chicago nineteen days ago and have finally gotten settled in and into a sort-of regular work schedule and so I can stop neglecting my personal blog.

I'm working on my bedroom eyes.

The semi-big news is that I now write a weekly sex column for a men’s website.  The column is called Carnal Knowledge.  I get paid to do it and so far I think I’m doing a decent job.  I write under a pseudonym, so please don’t out me if you go read it.  But here are the posts:  Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.  If you enjoy them, feel free to tell your friends!

Not much else is happening.  Shonn Greene is quietly putting together an awesome season for Iowa.  He’s 3rd in D-I football in rushing yards on only 177 carries (both guys in front of him have 200+).  SHONN GREENE FOR HEISMAN!

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Kirk Ferentz

Here’s a piece I wrote for a different blog awhile back.  I needed a place to post it.

The steely gaze.  The gum-chomping.  The erratic pacing on the sidelines.  He’s Kirk Ferentz and he is a god in Iowa City, Iowa.  Following a rather dismal first two years where we only won 4 games, Ferentz has led the Iowa Hawkeyes to 6 straight bowl games, 4 of which were post-New Year’s Eve.  It’s easy to point to the 2002 season as his crowning achievement, where we went 11-1 and tied with Ohio State for a share of the Big Ten Conference Title.  We had the Heisman runner-up in Brad Banks and an outstanding supporting cast.  However, I think it is Ferentz’s second Big Ten Coach of the Year title that is truly his crown jewel.  2004 was the only season of Iowa football I have been physically present for.  I didn’t go to Iowa for undergrad, only graduate school, and since I started in January of ’04 and graduated in August of ’05, I only got one season.  But it was awesome.

2004 was the season of injuries.  After 5 games, we had lost RBs Albert Young, Marcus Schnoor and Jermelle Lewis to ACL tears.  We were down to our #4 running back, Marques Simmons, for the showdown with Ohio State.  Until Simmons twisted his ankle in the game.  Suddenly, we’d lost 4 RBs in 6 games.  We were down to true freshman Damian Sims and walk-on from Emmetsburg, Iowa Sam Brownlee.  And you know what?  Those guys came in and did just enough to let us keep a passing game going.  We stomped Ohio State, 33-7.  To pile on the growing heap of injured RBs, Kirk Ferentz’s father passed away during the week in between Ohio State and Penn State.  But Kirk and his son Brian, who played center, were there for the Penn State game, which we somehow won by a score of 6-4.  His post-game interview is one of the most heart-rending things I’ve ever seen.  We ended up 9-2 that season, winning our last 7 games in a row.

But that season was not over.  Kirk Ferentz took us down to the Capital One Bowl, in LSU’s backyard.  For Nick Saban’s final game.   We lead almost the entire way, until a last-minute touchdown from freshman QB Jamarcus Russell put LSU up 25-24.  What happened next is stuff of Hawkeye legend.  Drew Tate’s 55-yard touchdown pass to Warren Holloway.  The first and last TD of Holloway’s career.  Hawkeyes win, 30-25.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZxnloEl_j4

What Ferentz did that season is incredible.  At one point, I think a 12 year-old autistic waterboy played RB for us.  It was magical.  It was a Big Ten Coach of the Year title that was fought hard for.  I can’t wait to see what he can do for the next two seasons, as we (miraculously) miss both Ohio State and Michigan.  On Iowa!

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Despair

I hate losing to Iowa State. I HATE IT. Iowa looked terrible last Saturday. Here is my reenactment of the last 3 minutes 38 seconds of the game:

Field goal to give Iowa the lead by 1.

Long, ridiculous pass to put ISU in field goal range.

ISU makes a field goal to take a 2-pt lead.

We almost return the ensuing kickoff for a TD.
But ISU stops us and we lose to those *#&%ers.

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Big Ten Conference Panty Raid: SBTB Edition

Finally, the Big 6 Conference Tournaments are starting. I like watching scrappy teams play to not be in the play-in game as much as the next Lady…, but now it really starts. I am going to be in Chicago on Friday for back-to-back-to-back-to-back Big Ten games and I AM PUMPED! I got my foam finger ready to go, and hopefully nobody from Craig’s List hears about it. Tonight, I bring you your Big Ten Conference Panty Raid. Here is a link to the bracket. I’m going to predict an Iowa win. Partially because I’m a homer, but also because Alford has the best record in the BTT since its inception in 1998. The Hawkeyes are also tied with Illinois and Michigan State for most BTT titles. Go Hawkeyes!

I’m feeling nostalgic today, so I discuss each team as a character from Saved by the Bell. Follow me and feel free to sing along……when I wake up in the morning and the alarm gives out a warning, I don’t think I’ll ever make it on time (doo doo)…..

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More Adam Haluska Love

Our 1st-Team All-Big Ten Hawkeye is also a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.  Go vote for him, here is the link.  He’s ESPN’s Academic All American of the Year and the Big Ten’s Scoring Leader at 21.3 pts per game.  Way to go Adam!

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Homer Hotties: Adam Haluska

Hello and welcome to the first installment of what will hopefully become a regular feature here, Homer Hotties. This is where one of the Ladies… will sing the praises, ogle the assets, and generally drool over someone from one of her teams. This inaugural article is going to feature one of my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes, Adam Haluska.

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