But if you work at it through basketball season and during the summer, you should be prepared for NC State next September.

And FIU.

Finally, drama and tension. I’m worried about the mascot match-up.

The term “Hawkeye” originally appeared in the book, The Last of the Mohicans, and was later used in its plural form to describe the people of Iowa. Soon thereafter, the University of Iowa borrowed this nickname for its athletic teams. The nickname was granted a symbol in 1948 when a mascot named Herky was created.

From the U of I sports info site:

The Hawkeyes and Herky

The University of Iowa borrowed its athletic nickname from the state of Iowa many years ago. The name Hawkeye was originally applied to a hero in a fictional novel, The Last of the Mohicans, written by James Fenimore Cooper. Author Cooper had the Delaware Indians bestow the name on a white scout who lived and hunted with them.

In 1838, 12 years after the book was published, people in the territory of Iowa acquired the nickname, chiefly through the efforts of Judge David Rorer of Burlington and James G. Edwards of Fort Madison. Edwards, editor of the Fort Madison Patriot, moved his newspaper to Burlington in 1843 and renamed it the Burlington Hawkeye. The two men continued their campaign to popularize the name and were rewarded when territorial officials gave it their formal approval.

The Hawkeye nickname gained a tangible symbol in 1948 when a cartoon character, later to be named Herky the Hawk, was hatched. The creator was Richard Spencer III, instructor of journalism. The impish hawk was an immediate hit and he acquired a name through a statewide contest staged by the UI Athletic Department. John Franklin, a Belle Plaine alumnus, was the man who suggested Herky.

Since his birth 55 years ago, Herky has symbolized intercollegiate athletics at the University of Iowa and epitomized university life. He even donned a military uniform during the Korean War and became the insignia of the 124th Fighting Squadron.

During the mid-1950s, Herky came to life at a football game as the Iowa mascot with a black leather head and gold felt feathers. Since then, Herky has become a familiar figures at intercollegiate athletic events of all types on the UI campus.

Where Men are Men and the sheep are scared.

do you seperate the men from boys at the University of Iowa?

With a crow-bar.

Nicely done on the post, it’s good that we’re finally getting somewhere as opposing fans!

But don’t ask (me at least) to stop using Cock jokes. I mean, c’mon — typing PENIS as an insult back is too easy (and fun!).

I’m sorry, and this is in even poorer taste than the usualy poor taste that is the standard at BHGP but…

I read that story you linked to about the fans shooting each other.

Am I reading that right? The guy who got shot was named Dick Johnson? And he was a fan of the Cocks? You gotta be making this stuff up…

Good (hawk) eye there CUNKNNK! Speaking of which, I bet ya Shonn has a pretty big Johnson. We would win the Johnson contest too…despite our overwhleming whiteness.

….but here’s my take on the BHGP Hawkeye phenomenon.

Big Point Number One:

WE KNOW WE’RE STOOPID. THAT ACTUALLY MAKES US NOT STOOPIDS.

See, we KNOW that cock jokes are stoopid and sophomoric—that’s why we find them so funny! We’re actually laughing at our OWN stoopidty, not making fun of you.

We also love to make fun of ourselves.

DARE US!

Dare Hawk fans to point out the worst things about Iowa, and you’ll get enough self-deprecating shit to fertilize the ‘back forty’ (we use that term a lot, usually LITERALLY referring to the back forty acres of our malodorous, run-down farms).

That’s the beauty of having twenty-odd obnoxious Iowa fans invade your previously staid and stable board. It’s like having a dinner party and having Bobcat Goldthwait show up—drunk, and with a goat. It’s frightening at first, but once you’ve fed the goat and given Bobcat another bucket of corn-mash, you suddenly find that you have a choice: Call the cops or enjoy the ride.

And believe me: people were SLATHERING at the possibility of playing a team whose nick is ‘Cocks’ and which has a player named ‘Smelley.’

Also, the whole ’We’re white so we’re slow’ thing is a reverse anti-racist thing with us. We know it’s an over-used, borderline racist, idiotic thing to use in an argument. WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY WE USE IT.

The more cliched, stoopid, idiotic a thing is, the more likely it will become a tool in our hands. With Brittany Spears, we could build a missionary hospital in Africa, and hire Tebow to be the administrator.

And you know what? Tebow would do it, I’ll tell ya that. He’s that pure and good.

and you’re finally fun!

We’re still going to make you miserable in three weeks.