Howe's Hawkeye Monday Musings 6-12-23

IOWA CITY, Iowa - I've been meaning to write more opinion and observation pieces during the offseason. Thankfully, my longtime friend Jon Miller inspired me to bring back my previously (very) periodic Monday Musings.

Jon started Hawkeye Nation before some of you were born and was ahead of his time on multiple platforms in this market. He and I have worked together, off and on, since 2003. We were on a radio show together in Iowa City almost a quarter of a century ago.

Heck, he's The Hawkeye Podfather.

Anyway, Jon recently began writing a musings column again. It works well for us old dudes. We enjoy sharing our observations influenced by years covering the Hawkeyes with whoever will listen. Usually it's to each other.

Check out Jon's stylings. I love the title.

Here are my brain droppings to start the week.

...How in the hell can an athletic director at a Power 5 school not communicate with the founder of its main NIL collective, like ever? I mean, how in the hell?

That's the claim by the head of Iowa's Swarm Collective, Brad Heinrichs, who said athletic director Gary Barta "has never called me in the last year to ask what he can do to help us."

It's another example of the longtime Hawkeye department leader failing student-athletes. It's not piling on, either, because it's not an isolated incident.

It's a minor miracle Heinrichs has helped the football and men's basketball programs add what they hope are important pieces for 2023-24. Hopefully roadblocks will be removed with Barta's 17-year run here ending August 1.

There are folks holding out hope NIL will be handcuffed through legislation. That's political theatre. Anything significant will be blown up in court.

The way to sanity in NIL is a partnership between student-athletes, the NCAA (if we must) and its member institutions. That comes from discussion and bargaining. It starts with athletic departments and collectives working together on this current landscape.

Let's hope Iowa takes a step forward in this area with its next AD hire. It's not a hard act to follow.

...Barta left another public-relations blunder for us to enjoy this season. Folks in Hawkeye Nation and beyond will be watching The Brian Ferentz Meter throughout the fall.

Ferentz, head coach Kirk Ferentz's oldest son, enters his eighth season as his alma mater's offensive coordinator. According to stipulations put in his contract by Barta this offseason, the Hawkeyes need to score at least 25 points per game (defensive points count) and win a minimum of seven games for Brian's deal to be "reinstated." That does not mean he'll be terminated.

If Iowa can't average more than 25 points and win at least seven of 13 games, he should want to go. This can't be fun.

It's a favorable schedule on paper for Iowa and the program invested heavily on Brian's side of the ball in the transfer portal. Should he not be OC in '24, it won't be because he fell short of those silly incentives. The Hawkeyes should secure those numbers with plenty of season to play.

Seventy one of 131 FBS programs won at least seven games last season. Seventy seven teams scores at least 25 points per game in '22.

...I'm in awe of The Caitlin Clark Experience. Her enormous popularity and how well she embraces it is wonderful to watch. The senior from West Des Moines (IA) Dowling Catholic expertly builds her brand while simultaneously doing the same for her sport.

That's not easy. Most celebrities on all levels collect their fair share of critics. She has few, and those people are mostly unhappy trolls.

The '23-24 season holds the potential to be epic. Iowa must replace two valuable starters in Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock but also returns the nation's top player and a lot of talent around her.

At the time of publishing this column, Draft Kings had the Hawkeyes (+900) behind only LSU (+400) and UConn (+500) in the odds to win national championship next winter. They came up a victory short in '22-23, falling 102-85 to LSU in the title game. Clark was named the consensus national player of the year.

As we sit here today, LSU should be a bigger favorite. The Tigers are loaded again. UConn might challenge if Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd are healthy. Ohio State and Indiana can, and likely will, push Iowa in the Big Ten.

So, hopefully, Hawkeye fans understand another trip to the Final Four would be an amazing accomplishment. When sports become more popular and expectations greater, the criticism intensifies.

Enjoy the ride. It should be a fun whether or not it finishes with the natty.