Can't find a tv camera? They are everywhere. Kirk Ferentz is taking a public beat down right now for not returning to Iowa City immediately after learning about the 13 players that were hospitalized. A lack of compassion is being cited and a public lynching is taking place. This lynching is coming from afar at the national level. These people are not reporting live on the scene in Iowa City where things are happening. People are getting their information from sketchy sources. Some "family members" without any mention of the closeness to the family or any possible reliable information. Possibly from whoever violated HIPAA federal law and looked at players medical records. Wherever the information is coming from it is not a very reliable source.
In today's media information spreads extremely fast via an open air pissing match called Twitter. Twitter is great when it is at its best and horrendous when at its worst. On Tuesday morning, early Tuesday morning, Gregg Doyel had already published his article calling for a firing at the University of Iowa without any knowledge or details of the actual situation. All he knew was that 13 players were in the hospital. Details remained sketchy and the actual cause was not yet know, and is still not known for sure today. He took a partial story and turned it into a firing crusade. We are learning more and more by the day and eventually we will know if he was even close to being right. I'm guessing the answer will turn out to be no.
Kirk Ferentz will continue to be bashed until he goes in front of a camera and cries tears of regret. The media wants blood. They will continue to bash and bash without knowing what is actually going on. Without knowing what amount of communication or with whom the communication was made. Should Kirk have come back, probably. Is he a doctor? No. Would he have changed anything? No. With the exception of the media's portrayal of the events there was nothing Kirk Ferentz could have done.
On to Pat Forde's article today. Forde argues that the workouts are borderline barbaric and abnormal. Even with former Hawkeyes saying the workouts are standard issue at the University of Iowa. 70 players took part int he workout, including Ferentz's own son, and 13 experienced the problems. What is the common factor among those 13 that they other guys didn't experience. Some say a weekend of partying may have been the issue, to which Pat Forde argues that if the players couldn't go out and party that the workouts were abnormal. These are scholarship players attending the University of Iowa at no cost. In exchange they get to play football the next level. So football players should NOT be held to a higher standard than your average college student? That goes against what most believe.
Additional stories of past cases of rhabdomyolysis have come up as well. But here is the kicker, no one cares about the South Carolina swimming team. Seven swimmers were effected by rhabdo in 2007. So now you know. Same thing effected 20 high school football players in Oregon recently. It can happen, it does happen. Several case studies show that taking creatine can lead to rhabdo as well.
To the point that the workouts are somehow punishment or cruel, do you think any of the former Iowa football players in the NFL would trade their current position for having not trained and put in the time. Yes it is tough. Yes it is demanding. That is why they are college athletes and not everyone who is sitting around chirping from their computers at home. To be the best you have to put in the time. They have done this in Iowa city before and will most likely do it again. With time comes healing and with time fades the spot light. It will take time but this too shall pass. It was incredibly unfortunate, but it is not a direct responsibility. Things will come to light eventually that explain why and how, but until then we are only left with questions. Ready...Aim...Fire. Right? Not, Ready...Fire...Aim.
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