<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Today I was with our 23 year old Iowa graduate son who declared that Iowa has the worst men’s BB fans. He has been to two Iowa games this season and he couldn’t believe how quiet/unexcited the fans were, including the students. Especially compared to almost any other college team you watch on TV. Then tonight my wife (not a hardcore Iowa fan) coincidently happened to be watching the Iowa – Stetson game we me and said, “What’s wrong in Carver- don’t we have any cheerleaders or band, it is so quiet.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We go to all the Iowa women’s games and unless watching the men on television is distorting my perspective, the crowd for the women seems much more engaged. We cheer, harass the refs, and generally are very involved. On TV it looks the men’s fans are on sedation drugs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So what’s the problem- a poor/disappointing team? Poor competition? No student interest? Lack of crowd engagement efforts by sports marketing? Not sure but it certainly seems as if you can hear a pin drop in Carver tonight. We need to discover that Hilton Magic.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Go Hawks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>