Have we talked about the Iowa Football Program?

[Katy]

Apparently black players on the team have been so racially bullied for 20 years that one of the strength coaches was fired a few weeks back.  But now there's \ other players who describe things like their meal cards being taken away for complaining about it.  I don't understand how that's even legal.  Is there a legitimate path for a lawsuit for these men? When we lived nearby I'd heard a few rotten things about the University of Iowa athletic program covering up rapes and driving out female athletes who were victims, but this too, from so many people...  it's disturbing.  I had no idea black athletes faced such extensive discrimination.  WTF?  How do the other coaches still have their jobs?

 

Today's accusations:

https://247sports.com/Article/Iowa-football-Akrum-Wadley-living-nightmare-Brian-Ferentz-Kirk-Ferentz--148668899/

Twitter documentation from same athlete:

https://mobile.twitter.com/RobHoweHN/status/1277589381969334275

A local paper's more extensive coverage of many other players complaints:

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-football/iowa-hawkeyes-football-allegations-tweets-20200611

[BlsdMama]

I read in the 247 article the meal card thing is his assumption from it not working once? And he tied it to his failure to not make weight, not race from what I read?

I know nothing about football at all (my high school didn’t even have a football team when I attended) but we were a pretty serious wrestling school and not making weight is a serious infraction. No idea if it’s the same thing for football?
 

Chris Doyle was fired for his part in this and his comments were published.

As far as sexual assaults, U Iowa has had their share, though I’m not certain it’s tied to athletic teams? My oldest daughter graduated from UI and my son is there now. There was an incident in a non athletic group in which some girls made some sexual comments and the team was penalized in what I considered pretty hard. 

Iowa has long had a reputation as a party school which obviously leads to problems. In recent years they’ve been working hard to reduce alcohol usage. 
 

I have a lot of respect for Iowa but I have very limited to no knowledge about athletics. I’ve not even seen a whole Iowa football game. I think the head coach will come out clean but that’s just supposition. No idea about the rest.

 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

I was impressed with U of I when I visited there, but that was 2010.

It had an extensive set of ‘rides home’ provisions that were free and that extended beyond the dorms and into the local area.  There were regular routes for free shuttles, extending late into the nights, and there were on call busses as well—I *think* those were only for girls though.  It was also, quite clearly, a school where a lot of kids were drunk on their asses even on midweek evenings.  We were there at an unremarkable time of the year (Feb, I think) and the number of visibly drunk students was significant.

It seemed like a fantastic place to get a well rounded university education without being pigeonholed into insane grinding to get in, and I was very impressed with the facilities and food as well—big huge wellness buildings available freely to students, and food being sold ‘all you can eat, by the entry’ in a remarkable variety at each cafeteria.  Lots of fresh organic stuff.  Best writing school in the world, of course, at the MFA level.  

It IS a Big Ten school I believe, so the football program is significant.  I hope that if it’s as dirty as they say, they clean up it fast now.  It’s a shame to think that a place that is so great in so many other ways would let students be abused for the sake of football scores.

 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

know nothing about football at all (my high school didn’t even have a football team when I attended) but we were a pretty serious wrestling school and not making weight is a serious infraction. No idea if it’s the same thing for football?

I don’t know about football, either, but making weight in wrestling is a big deal because it is essential the wrestler weighs in at the proper category. (IMO, the weight-cutting techniques my bf endured in high school was borderline abusive, or at least showed total disregard for the health of the wrestlers, but that is a different story.) AFAIK, football doesn’t have the same thing with weight categories. I do think it sounds...odd...that his complaint is, “...I was hungry so my mom had to order me a pizza.” I mean that just doesn’t seem like a terrible hardship to me. I know college students who survived mostly on PBJs to keep meal plan costs down. I realize athletes need food but still. That just seems strange to me, as does “berated me over a parking space.” 

[BlsdMama]

32 minutes ago, Quill said:

I don’t know about football, either, but making weight in wrestling is a big deal because it is essential the wrestler weighs in at the proper category. (IMO, the weight-cutting techniques my bf endured in high school was borderline abusive, or at least showed total disregard for the health of the wrestlers, but that is a different story.) AFAIK, football doesn’t have the same thing with weight categories. I do think it sounds...odd...that his complaint is, “...I was hungry so my mom had to order me a pizza.” I mean that just doesn’t seem like a terrible hardship to me. I know college students who survived mostly on PBJs to keep meal plan costs down. I realize athletes need food but still. That just seems strange to me, as does “berated me over a parking space.” 

Quill, I completely agree.  The boys looked gaunt by half way through wrestling season and would get sick easier.  I can't imagine there is benefit to being weakened and losing a ridiculous amount of weight.  :/


I actually thought this Ferentz thing was strange.  Chris Doyle was fired so fast it made my head spin.  IMO, his comments were not acceptable.  He swears they weren't "racist", but it did (IMO) include mocking stereotypes and more than one black player came forward to say, "He wasn't accepting of how I dressed, or how I spoke, etc."  Chris Doyle vehemently denies the stereotypes.  It may not have been blatant, however, IMO, he made an uncomfortable environment for black players to feel like they had to conform to some specific model - namely what Chris deemed acceptable - no baggy pants, etc.  
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/iowa-strength-coach-leave-culture/m6ij4d159zl71trwgd77uxc1o

It seemed (to me) that Ferentz stomped down on it with both feet and Doyle was fired ASAP.  Was it due to political climate? Maybe.  Iowa City is definitely our most liberal city and university.  I consider it a very open community.  I've been a student at Iowa the past three years, albeit online, benefiting and interacting in online writing classes taught by both teachers and MFA students - some of the best and brightest writers in the US, if not the world. Many of the students who might find life uncomfortable in some communities have found a happy home in Iowa City.  The LGBQT community is active in the community and I'm reminded of an essay I read last year from an MFA Iowa student of her transition out of Iowa to Texas.  It was remarkably well written and worth the read.  
https://themorningnews.org/article/how-to-unmarry-your-wife

While Iowa is shockingly vanilla, Iowa City is far more diverse and the culture surrounding the University is broad.  I was surprised to hear all this, although, again, my interaction with athletics as a whole is zilch.  I just can't imagine the University tolerating this behavior, assuming they were aware and it sounds like they were not until it was brought to their attention and then it was dealt with rather swiftly and soundly.

[Momto6inIN]

2 hours ago, Quill said:

I don’t know about football, either, but making weight in wrestling is a big deal because it is essential the wrestler weighs in at the proper category. (IMO, the weight-cutting techniques my bf endured in high school was borderline abusive, or at least showed total disregard for the health of the wrestlers, but that is a different story.) AFAIK, football doesn’t have the same thing with weight categories. I do think it sounds...odd...that his complaint is, “...I was hungry so my mom had to order me a pizza.” I mean that just doesn’t seem like a terrible hardship to me. I know college students who survived mostly on PBJs to keep meal plan costs down. I realize athletes need food but still. That just seems strange to me, as does “berated me over a parking space.” 

 

2 hours ago, BlsdMama said:

Quill, I completely agree.  The boys looked gaunt by half way through wrestling season and would get sick easier.  I can't imagine there is benefit to being weakened and losing a ridiculous amount of weight.  😕


I actually thought this Ferentz thing was strange.  Chris Doyle was fired so fast it made my head spin.  IMO, his comments were not acceptable.  He swears they weren't "racist", but it did (IMO) include mocking stereotypes and more than one black player came forward to say, "He wasn't accepting of how I dressed, or how I spoke, etc."  Chris Doyle vehemently denies the stereotypes.  It may not have been blatant, however, IMO, he made an uncomfortable environment for black players to feel like they had to conform to some specific model - namely what Chris deemed acceptable - no baggy pants, etc.  
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/iowa-strength-coach-leave-culture/m6ij4d159zl71trwgd77uxc1o

It seemed (to me) that Ferentz stomped down on it with both feet and Doyle was fired ASAP.  Was it due to political climate? Maybe.  Iowa City is definitely our most liberal city and university.  I consider it a very open community.  I've been a student at Iowa the past three years, albeit online, benefiting and interacting in online writing classes taught by both teachers and MFA students - some of the best and brightest writers in the US, if not the world. Many of the students who might find life uncomfortable in some communities have found a happy home in Iowa City.  The LGBQT community is active in the community and I'm reminded of an essay I read last year from an MFA Iowa student of her transition out of Iowa to Texas.  It was remarkably well written and worth the read.  
https://themorningnews.org/article/how-to-unmarry-your-wife

While Iowa is shockingly vanilla, Iowa City is far more diverse and the culture surrounding the University is broad.  I was surprised to hear all this, although, again, my interaction with athletics as a whole is zilch.  I just can't imagine the University tolerating this behavior, assuming they were aware and it sounds like they were not until it was brought to their attention and then it was dealt with rather swiftly and soundly.

I know zilch about football or this story, but I am kinda a wrestling nut, so these caught my eye. My dad was a coach in junior high and high school, so I started out as the time/score keeper for him and then continued when I got to a Big 10 college for their wrestling team. Lots of wrestling coaches preach and teach healthy eays to cut weight and stay within your weight class. But teenage and young adult men (especially cocky independent minded wrestlers) often have their own ideas and don't care much about the coach's recommendations. Most of the unhealthy stuff I saw was because the wrestler himself decided to eat whatever he wanted until 24 - 48 hours before weigh in ...

[SquirrellyMama]

I don't think it was just that he had to call his mom to get pizza. Here is the quote. Sounds like it was threatened and happened. I know meal cards can be declined for all sorts of reasons, but it does seem like it could have been connected.

“I was threatened by Kirk Ferentz that my meal card would be taken away and I will not eat nor be able to sit with my teammates during eating sessions. He did follow through on his threat. I went to use my meal card and it was declined."

 

Why do they still have their jobs? Because Iowa Football is huge. Kirk Ferentz is huge. Athletics are too big to go up against until is can't be ignored.

Kelly

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

3 hours ago, Quill said:

I don’t know about football, either, but making weight in wrestling is a big deal because it is essential the wrestler weighs in at the proper category. (IMO, the weight-cutting techniques my bf endured in high school was borderline abusive, or at least showed total disregard for the health of the wrestlers, but that is a different story.) AFAIK, football doesn’t have the same thing with weight categories. I do think it sounds...odd...that his complaint is, “...I was hungry so my mom had to order me a pizza.” I mean that just doesn’t seem like a terrible hardship to me. I know college students who survived mostly on PBJs to keep meal plan costs down. I realize athletes need food but still. That just seems strange to me, as does “berated me over a parking space.” 

The average football player needs to consume 50 calories per 2.2 lbs of body weight to maintain weight.  For a 200 lb player (this would be on the light side for a football player - certainly not a lineman who would need to be 300+ lbs in the Big 10), he would need to consume over 4500 calories per day.  PBJs aint' gonna cut it.  At some schools, athletes like football players have special meal plans for their higher calorie needs.  Most players are not looking to cut weight but to add or maintain muscle mass.  

[Katy]

I was under the impression from the requirement that he get a (presumably protein) shake before going to class that they wanted him to gain weight, not lose weight.  I don't know how stopping a meal card for a college student on scholarship can or should be legal for any reason whatsoever.  Kick him out of the program or stop him from playing a few games?  Sure. Stop him from eating?  Hell no.  I don't know how blocking a meal card would help anyone gain weight.

I know there've been issues with football players graduating from service academies because they must gain weight for football and lose weight to graduate (and work in the service).

Ferentz's son is one of the coaches accused of bullying and racist behaviors.  And there is no way I think Ferentz didn't know what was going on if it had been going on for more than 15 years and 24 players that have been drafted have complained about it.  He fired the strength coach because of the political climate. 

[Katy]

Also, just because a university is good doesn't mean what's going on in the athletic department has anything to do with the culture of the rest of the university.  The other scandals of the last decade have proven that.  Penn State, the USA gymnastics program, all the crap that happened at Baylor...  None of the completely immoral crap happening in the athletic programs had anything to do with academics.

I'm under the impression that generally athletics programs bring in so much money that there isn't much oversight from the universities at all, unless and until there's so much bad press it can no longer be ignored.

[brehon]

7 minutes ago, Katy said:

Also, just because a university is good doesn't mean what's going on in the athletic department has anything to do with the culture of the rest of the university.  The other scandals of the last decade have proven that.  Penn State, the USA gymnastics program, all the crap that happened at Baylor...  None of the completely immoral crap happening in the athletic programs had anything to do with academics.

I'm under the impression that generally athletics programs bring in so much money that there isn't much oversight from the universities at all, unless and until there's so much bad press it can no longer be ignored.

QFT! Especially the second paragraph.
 

Universities in the big conferences (SEC, Big 10, Big 12, etc) made a Faustian bargain with athletic departments. Football, especially, but also basketball and, depending on the school, baseball can and do not only fund other men’s and women’s sports but also some academic (or at least non-athletic) programs. 

[TravelingChris]

3 hours ago, dirty ethel rackham said:

The average football player needs to consume 50 calories per 2.2 lbs of body weight to maintain weight.  For a 200 lb player (this would be on the light side for a football player - certainly not a lineman who would need to be 300+ lbs in the Big 10), he would need to consume over 4500 calories per day.  PBJs aint' gonna cut it.  At some schools, athletes like football players have special meal plans for their higher calorie needs.  Most players are not looking to cut weight but to add or maintain muscle mass.  

Yes, on a tour of Alabama for the gifted students before dd1 went, we were told about how their is a special cafeteria or section of a cafeteria for the athletes because they need to eat so much more and not just junk food.

[Corraleno]

3 hours ago, Katy said:

I don't know how stopping a meal card for a college student on scholarship can or should be legal for any reason whatsoever. 

Exactly — when a football player signs an NLI, that is a binding contract, and part of what the school is obligated to provide under that contract is full tuition, room, and BOARD. Athletes are entitled to their meal plan as part of the contract, a coach should never be able to deprive a student of food as punishment for something — especially something as stupid as not gaining weight.

 

[Corraleno]

Wadley's complaint about his meal ticket is minor, though, compared to the complaints against Doyle and a few of the other coaches, which included frequent remarks implying that all the black players were "ghetto" or had been living "on the streets" before coming to Iowa, "joking" questions about them being gangmembers or criminals, mocking black players' clothes and speech, black players receiving MUCH harsher punishments for infractions that were either ignored or punished much less harshly when committed by white players, and the merciless bullying of a student with LDs, who was given a derogatory nickname and constantly called stupid until he gave up and quit the team.

And to be clear, Doyle was not "fired" — his contract was bought out, and he will receive $1.1 million in cash plus full benefits for 15 months. Not exactly a "punishment" for 20 years of bullying and racism.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Katy said:

Also, just because a university is good doesn't mean what's going on in the athletic department has anything to do with the culture of the rest of the university.  The other scandals of the last decade have proven that.  Penn State, the USA gymnastics program, all the crap that happened at Baylor...  None of the completely immoral crap happening in the athletic programs had anything to do with academics.

I'm under the impression that generally athletics programs bring in so much money that there isn't much oversight from the universities at all, unless and until there's so much bad press it can no longer be ignored.

Add the Kentucky cheer program to that -the entire coaching staff was fired last season due to hazing and harrassment. They were one of the top in the US, with more #1 UCA finishes than any other team. 

[Sneezyone]

FTR - There's no such thing as making weight in football. This reminds me so much of the awful stories my Dad tells of his time playing under Jim Owens. ETA: Coaches typically encourage football players to gain weight so they can use it to push people around on the field. They may encourage weight loss if an athlete seems sluggish/slow but withholding meals has never been a thing. Counseling, nutritionists, etc., yes. Withholding contractually obligated meals...no. When 50---FIFTY players are saying they have a problem in their program, they have a problem in their program. https://www.hawkeyenation.com/features/looking-at-iowa-football-player-representation-retention-since-09

Edited July 1, 2020 by Sneezyone

[Katy]

Follow up information:  https://www.hawkeyenation.com/features/looking-at-iowa-football-player-representation-retention-since-09