Iowa sports… a lot more than luck

I grew up in the Iowa City area. I attended the University of Iowa. At one time both my parents and I worked for the U of Iowa. Most of my relatives still reside in that area.

Despite all that, there is only one college team I root AGAINST… the University of Iowa. Why would that be?

Over many years, I have watched as Iowa teams, especially playing at home, have had the benefit of officiating in their favor.  In many cases, such as today, in football, against Indiana, the favoritism has been obvious and grievous.

College sports are typically played with high emotions. Very often, penalties can make a real emotional shift in games.  That is the worst effect of biased calls, especially if they occur on key plays. The result can be a terrible and obvious discouragement on the losing team.

Today’s football game was a near-perfect example. In the 3rd quarter, when Iowa could do nothing right, officials managed to keep the game within Iowa’s reach and depress the attitude of Indiana. Two touchdowns by Indiana were obliterated by officials, with challenged results that made no sense to those of us viewing slow-motion on TV.

I don’t know how Iowa manages to have control of officiating, but it’s clear to me that they do have control. As long as that seems to continue, I will root AGAINST my alma mater.