Past Tense

Tonight's Mac Call-in Show was eerie, as Mac and John were using the past tense, as if they know something the rest of us do not.

Reading between the lines, ISU is officially jumping on the coaching carousel, and I write that with both optimism and sadness. Optimism that Pollard has thrown down the gauntlet in football, as he has in both basketball and wrestling. Sadness that Mac could never completely turn the corner and win the big games when they were there.

Only the hardest, coldest Cyclone fan does not admire Dan as a person. While many would grumble at his endlessly sunny-side-up view of the world, few criticize him as a person. His stump speech still inspires the fattest and laziest fan to get up and run through the nearest wall. I can't help but wonder if he has a future as a fundraiser for Athletics.

Much has been made of the things Dan didn't do (like his 2 conference wins against winning teams), but I will add some more things he never did:

- Dan never bitched about how many fans did or did not show up for the game, or did or did not leave in the second half;

- Dan never went after the press to deflect attention from a lousy team or upset loss as Hayden did almost every season;

- Dan never played the victim, as Walden did his last 3 seasons;

- Dan never singled out a player as the goat, as Alford does;

- Dan never directly complained about a lack of facilities, money, or casual admission policies, but rather couched them as just another challenge;

- Dan never alienated the local high school coaches, which caused recruiting to suffer;

- Dan never appeared in public in a less than professional manner;

- Dan never got arrested for any of the multitude of things that people get arrested for;

- Dan never stopped being a decent man, which is why every Cyclone fan is able to make such a clear distinction between Dan the Coach and Dan the Person.

Dan the Person is someone that many of us, author included, wished we could be. Dan the person we will remember fondly.

It's been good to know you.

Peterclone