Final Project: Hockey in the Hawkeye State

There are no professional sports teams in Iowa.

In a state with a population of just under three million, it's not unusual to see a diverse mix of teams represented throughout. Such representations might range from a New York Yankees baseball cap to a Los Angeles Lakers basketball jersey. While the state may not have its own professional sports identity, there's one thing Iowans do have: undeniable passion for the game.

One of the strongest examples might be at college sporting events. At the University of Iowa, football and basketball garner a large turnout, while other sports such as wrestling and volleyball, also boasts some decent attendance numbers as well.

With the rise in popularity in neighboring Illinois for the Chicago Blackhawks, many people aren't shying away from showing their dedication to the team. Jerseys and hats are popping up more frequently than in years' past.

However, unlike with baseball, basketball, and football, there is no hockey program at Iowa. Despite numerous junior league teams located throughout the state, there are no NCAA Division-I teams at any of the surrounding institutions.

If the Hawkeye faithful are as passionate about sports as they seem to be, would a DI hockey program at Iowa be so out of the question? Could it be successful? Could it thrive in a state that’s surrounded by a strong talent pool in bordering territories? What would it take to for a hockey program to be created?

Growth in Iowa
Hockey is undoubtedly a sport better taught at a young age.

The USHL, a junior hockey league, currently has four teams located within the state stretching from Cedar Rapids all the way to Sioux City, on the opposite side of the state. However, it’s still questionable as to whether that's even enough.

Health and Sports Studies PhD candidate, Nik Dickerson is an avid hockey fan. The Rochester, New York native came to Iowa for graduate school and was a little surprised to find there wasn't a hockey team. Nevertheless, he didn't completely ditch his hockey roots behind. In his spare time, he competes in an adult recreation league in Cedar Rapids.

He believes that if hockey were to gain popularity, it would need to have more coverage.

"I would say you would probably have to start at the youth level, try to generate interest there," he said. "Also promoting the Roughriders more might be helpful so people could gain more exposure to somewhat elite hockey."

UI senior and former hockey player Jordan Loperena agrees. He said there might not be enough statewide interest, which might prove difficult in justifying any school having a DI hockey program.

"The popularity of hockey really seems to be concentrated into the towns around the state that have USHL Junior "A" teams," he said. "I know that hockey is primarily popular in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, even Mason City who has an NAHL Junior "A" team, but it’s not really the slightest bit popular outside of those cities or even in the smaller surrounding towns."

If there's no interest, there's no fan base to reach out to. It's also makes it difficult to recruit in-state talent if children grow up choosing to play other sports instead.

'Opportunity at Iowa...'
Despite the sport being wildly successful in surrounding states such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, hockey hasn't reached the same popularity in Iowa, which could explain one reason for the lack of DI programs.

However, Iowa still has a club hockey team in the Iowa IceHawks. They are part of the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Conference (MACHA) and play in the Division-II American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

The team currently has enough members to fill two rosters (a Gold and a Black team), perhaps a sign that lack of participation isn’t nearly as much of a factor as often thought to be.

For some of the players, including Loperena who had to stop playing because of injury, the idea of a club team can be beneficial for those who wish to continue playing the sport at a less competitive level.

"I actually partially chose Iowa because I would have the opportunity to play hockey here, even though it was only at the D-II level," he said. "I had been in contact with the coaching staff during my senior year and had been updating them on my stats and strength records.

"My goal all along was to play hockey at the highest possible level at the university I chose to attend and I was going to have that opportunity at Iowa."

The IceHawks play at the ice rink located at the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, just outside Iowa City. This has proven to be a bit problematic because it hinders the team's ability to generate revenue because they cannot charge spectators who walk through the mall and happen to watch their games.

For a sport as expensive as it is, finances are a major factor. Another issue is the location of the rink. With no other facilities available on campus, it can be a bit difficult for student-athletes to have to travel off-campus for practice or a game.

Future of Hockey at Iowa
Could the University of Iowa ever have a DI hockey program?

"There’s not been any discussion at the athletic department level as far as I know," Associate Athletic Director Mark Abbott said. "I'm not aware of anyone coming to us saying ‘we’d really like to start an intercollegiate hockey team at the university.'"

If someone were to attempt to do that though, they'd have to go through a lengthy request process. Abbot estimated that it'd likely be around two years for a team to be put in place if passed through the athletic department today.

In order for a club team to be elevated to varsity status, it has to pass six criteria to even be considered:

• Participation
• Recruiting Potential
• Competition
• Financial Responsibilities
• Facilities Management
• Compliance with Title IX

The two biggest factors currently against Iowa are Title IX and the lack of facilities and financial responsibility.

"Adding another sport would require we pay more scholarships," Abbott said. "Our bill now is approaching $8 million dollars a year. So to add another intercollegiate sport would add coaching staff salary and benefits. We'd have to have equipment and supplies, playing and practice uniforms, expenses for officials, etc."

Still some are hopeful for a future in which the Hawkeyes could one day have a hockey program. The potential seems to be there.

"I think that if Iowa had a NCAA DI hockey program that played within walking distance or cambus ride from downtown, that it would be a successful program,” Loperena said. “To be honest, college hockey atmospheres at most DI hockey schools are crazy. It would be a great, rowdy atmosphere especially if it didn't conflict with the football schedule, which basketball doesn't, so I would imagine hockey wouldn't either."

Winter Classic at Kinnick?

While it's nearly impossible to imagine Kinnick Stadium hosting a Winter Classic (in which two teams play outdoor), it’d perhaps be the perfect stepping stone to actually generating interest and buzz for the sport.

“I do think you could get people to go to something like that particularly if it involved the Blackhawks or two rival Iowa teams,” Dickerson said. “I think that could be a good starting point to raise awareness, to get people to finally start talking about hockey in Iowa.”

A bay bay, Jason Bay's time over in Boston?

According to numerous reporters, Jason Bay is apparently ready to "move on" from the Boston Red Sox after rejecting their latest offer of 4-year/$60 million deal.

First reported by foxsports.com, Bay's agent Joe Urbon was quote as saying:

"We don't agree with their evaluation of the player. Frankly, we have other offers on the table that are of greater interest to Jason."

This includes a supposed 4-year/$65 million offered by the New York Mets. The only other known offer to Bay as of this moment. The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham offered his analysis on the situation.

Theo Epstein has not yet chosen to comment on the situation.

This could simply be an aggressive strategy by Urbon to try and shake some more money out of the Red Sox. In many negotiations, things are said that later prove not to be true. Then again, perhaps the Red Sox simply don't think Bay is worth a major investment.

He is 31 and struck out 162 times last season and is, at best, a fair outfielder. There are indications that the Sox question whether Bay can stay healthy and productive over the course of a long-term contract.

If Epstein goes out and signs Matt Holliday, what happens to Bay won't be of much concern to Red Sox fans. Good luck with the JV team in New York. But if the Red Sox pass on Bay and Holliday and try a platoon with Jeremy Hermida, the populace will not be pleased.

I'll have to agree with Abraham in this scenario. However, if Bay indeed signs elsewhere -- I won't soon forget the great job he did filling in for Manny Ramirez at left field. He may have become more well-known with his time as a Red Sox but his ability to adjust to the pressure in playing in a baseball driven city like Boston is impressive. Thank you and good luck.

Still waiting on some holiday cheer...

I'm still waiting to hear some good news from the Red Sox front office. It hasn't happened yet this off-season. In Theo we trust?

*Photo from www.bostondirtdogs.com

Cut the hate, football fans...

After one of the biggest football games of the year, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow let it all out on Saturday.

In one of the more memorable scenes from the No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama showdown — other than watching Alabama's Mark Ingram doing the “Gator Chomp” on national television as the game was winding down — was witnessing Tebow sitting on the sideline with tears.

For Gator haters, it was a moment to treasure. Shortly afterwards, there were jokes all over the Internet about Tebow's sensitivity and even knocks to his manhood because he was caught crying after a game. It was a youtube sensation even before the game was over.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't understand the hate.

But what I do understand is that jealousy breeds contempt.

Maybe that's a start to figuring it out. Tebow has been too good for too long in his college career with Florida. He won the Heisman his sophomore season and led the Gators to a National championship the past two out of four years. Man, what a jerk for wanting to win and being good at it ...?

Perhaps another piece is what he does off the field. The media often publicize his trips overseas with his parents to help underprivileged children. Or his strong religious beliefs as demonstrated with “John 16 33" during the SEC Championship game. Ah yes, he’s a real jackass for that ...?

Nope, I still don't see it nor do I understand it. Where does the hate come from?

Tebow is essentially one of the best collegiate quarterbacks to ever grace the field while his character off the field reflects his humbling persona. Opposing fans may hate him but I guarantee you, if they could take a first pick in selecting their QB, it'd be him.

As the Crimson Tide began their celebration early in the waning minutes of the game, the camera zoned in on Tebow watching the action unfold on the field. The Gators were down 32-13, the deficit was just too big to overcome. Tears filled the 22-year-old's eyes.

People found ways to mock him during this moment. I just found it heartbreaking.

For someone who had given so much to his school and their football program, how could anyone not expect him to cry in the disappointing loss?

I can only imagine how much it hurt to know that in his final season with the Gators, he couldn't help lead them to another BCS Championship game. He had been their staple for success for so long but had finally come up short for once.

All fans want their teams to want to win. All athletes want to do is win, even if they've won it all before. So please tell me, what’s the difference with Tebow?

He showed fire. He showed emotion. He wanted it just as bad as any Gator fan could possibly tell you. If people are going to hate on a player, at least find someone actually worthy of that dishonor.

Bruins + Fenway = SUCCESS

As if I needed anymore reminder of what is to come in 26 days. I would much rather attend this than an Iowa bowl game. This is once-in-a-lifetime. Whether I find cheap tickets or risk paying $300+ for one remains to be seen. Either way, I am counting down the days until I see my beloved Bruins playing in my beloved Fenway Park.

Welcome Home..

Despite struggling offensively early in the season, the Boston Bruins were able to find their scoring touch. The timing couldn't have been planned any better.

With the return of Phil Kessel to the TD Banknorth Garden for the first time since he was a member of the B's last season, Boston managed to outscore the Toronto Maple Leafs, 7-2 en route to the win.

The Bruins looked strong in many facets of the game despite still allowing two goals. As expected, Kessel was booed thoroughly throughout the game and practically every time he touched the puck. There were also the classy taunts of "Kes-sel, Kes-sel" that could be heard all around the arena.

As Kessel said during a postgame interview:

"You hear it, but it didn't get to me. I've got to be better. You figure when you are dealt that's going to happen. It's part of the game."

Interestingly enough, the two teams play again in a re-match on Thursday in Boston. Highlights of the game are below:

Kessels returns to Boston

Well, speaking of the devil (from the previous post), tonight former Bruins first-round pick, Phil Kessel makes his return to Boston as the Bruins hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs at the TD Banknorth Garden.

After holding out for a contract and eventually signing with the Leafs and some recent comments made public by Marc Savard, it'll be interesting to see what type of reaction Kessel receives as he steps onto the ice.

I'll put my money on him getting booed every time the puck touches his stick. If that is the reaction of the Bruins faithful, I wouldn't be surprised. To be honest, I feel as though it's well-deserved. Kessel didn't leave on good terms and it's only gotten worse. Why wouldn't you boo him?

Photo from www.zimbio.com

Kessel hasn't cut all ties with Boston just yet...

When Bruins center Marc Savard signed a 7-year extension, it was a little surprising to me. After all, he is 32-year-old already. However, I trust that GM Peter Chiarelli knows what he is doing and that this will only benefit the B's in the future.

I came across this from WEEI's Graig Woodburn.

You can count ex-Bruin Phil Kessel among those who were disappointed when Bruins center Marc Savard inked a seven-year contract extension this week. Speaking on the Dale & Holley Show on Thursday, Savard said he and Kessel have stayed in touch after his former linemate was traded to Toronto in September, and that he heard from his ex-teammate during his contract negotiations with Boston.

"We've texted a lot," Savard said. "He was obviously one of the guys telling me to wait and not sign."

The 32-year-old admitted that Kessel had a hard time learning some of lessons that Savard experienced upon his arrival in Boston in 2006-07.

"Some things he did reminded me of myself a lot," said Savard. "It's a humbling experience especially when you are young like that, I think he handled it well. He went through some tough times. As Toronto gets better, he'll get better."

I don't see how Phil Kessel isn't public enemy No. 1 in Boston. I really don't. He's just asking for fans in Beantown to turn against him. Although, I could already see that tide turning when he held out signing an offer early in the off-season. Kessel, what are you doing?!

Class assignment: Race and Gender in Sports Media

I've known I've wanted to be a sports journalist since the 10th grade.

My passion and desire have never really wavered from trying to accomplish that goal. However, I can admit this: I've had some doubts. I always knew in the back of my mind that it could be hard to break into the field because of the fact that it was mostly male dominated.

University of Central Florida professor Richard Lapchick conducted a study and came up with "The 2008 Racial and Gender Report Card of the Associated Press Sports Editors."
To be quite honest, there wasn't really anything that completely shocked me.

- 94 percent of sports editors are white males? All right.
- 93 percent of columnists were men? Okay.
- 91 percent of sports reporters are men? Cool beans.

These weren't things I didn’t know because well, I did. I was reminded every day when watching ESPN or picking up the sports section of a newspaper. I knew women were a rarity, as were minorities. I guess I'm special because I get to fill both voids.

I wasn't shocked by Lapchick's study but maybe a little disheartened at the progress that's been made since 2006. While it obviously hasn't been a big enough differential to see a major difference, it just goes to show the honestly and severity of the situation.

I'll never fully understand the belief that women do not as much about sports as men. Nor will I understand why minorities seem to fall short in terms of being sports journalists.

At the end of the day, it should be about who is the most qualified candidate for the position. But in the real world it doesn't work that way because if that was the case, many people would be out of a job and things would be messy.

Affirmative action is something that was supposed to help level the playing field. However, those who don't agree with it often argued that it promotes the opposite of what it's trying to advocate by giving the other side an unfair advantage.

In truth, it's hard to know what needs to be changed in the sports world. Society has often viewed men as the superior athlete, men as the ones who can show aggression and competitiveness. Women who show that same type of behavior have their sexuality questioned with negative stereotypes developing.

It's a bit unfortunate the study was only conducted between two years because I'd be really curious to see what the progress is in a bigger gap, such as 10 years. I'm hoping things will be more evened out by that time but the fact of the matter is, I just don't know.

Despite not knowing the answer, I've chosen to believe that things will get better. It'll just take time. It could be a long time but I’m not going to let some type of statistic stop me from my dream. People are going to think what they want to and the world isn’t always going to be fair ... but sometimes, you just have to put it behind you.

Twitter Part Deux: Revenge of the Tweet

Earlier in my blog, I wrote a post how athletes need to be careful with how they handle Twitter. For those who don't know, Twitter allows for a person to post (in 140 words or less) anything at any given time from well, anywhere they have an Internet connection. As the popularity of Twitter increases, more and more people are finding themselves on the social networking site.

This also includes journalists. Twitter allows for instant breaking news stories to circulate around the Internet in the blink of an eye. With the ever popular "Trend List" on the side bar, people can click on a word and get every status that is associated with it. In a sense, journalists can tweet their own stories in hopes of gaining a broader audience. Another good thing about Twitter is the ability to network. By clicking one button, person 'A' can "follow" person 'B' which allows for 'A' to then keep up on everything 'B' tweets. Re-tweeting is also essential in networking on Twitter and vital to helping journalists get their message or story across.

However, there is also a danger in posting on Twitter. Journalists, especially those with a large contingent of followers, usually find themselves re-tweeted helping pass along their message to an even greater number of people on the social networking site. The danger in that is with 140 words or less, those journalists better be sure what they're saying is correct. Perhaps that's the most difficult thing about Twitter, knowing who to trust.

I tend to follow sports writers because I'd like to be updated on current news events. Generally, they are the same people who only tweet about their specialty in regards to whatever sport it is they cover. If journalists wants to use Twitter, they have to be responsible about what they post while trying to build that relationship of trust with their "followers." It's hard to say where to go in terms of trying to reach readers who don't know the difference between a good and a bad tweets. I'd like to think it's a mix of the journalists (for not posting false or wrong information) and the reader (for double-checking if something sounds wrong).

Maybe a checks and balancing system would work? In a way, Twitter would be a good outlet because it does allow for a person to reply to another's tweet, even if they aren't "following" them. At some point, you'd assume that person would check to see what types of responses they are getting and perhaps notice if they'd made a mistake with someone catching it.

With that said, it is difficult to draw the line between breaking-news stories and hearsay/gossip. One notable example was the shocking death of Michael Jackson. While TMZ reported it, many people on Twitter were still confused as to whether it were true or not. They re-tweeted it but also stated their doubt alongside. Twitter is a good medium for voicing opinion and sharing news but at the end of the day, it's up to a journalist to use their best judgment on what to post.