How Hypocritical Can the NCAA Be? On the Day Ferentz's Pay Rises to $2.7 Million, His Quarterback Can't Accept $25,000 Car for Making a Hole-In-One

George Wine of Coralville refers to the "hypocritical NCAA" while writing about the fat pay raise Iowa football Kirk Ferentz received and the fact Hawkeye quarterback Drew Tate couldn't accept money for a new car after making a hole-in-one at the Finkbine golf course in Iowa City:

"On the day Kirk Ferentz gets a new contract worth $2.7 million per year, Drew Tate, playing in a golf tournament, makes a hole-in-one on Finkbine's 13th hole. The prize for that was a $25,000 automobile, but NCAA rules prevent Tate from accepting it. Nor can he give it to a friend or relative.

"Does anyone else see the irony in this? Yes, Ferentz deserves his new salary for doing a good job, but Tate also deserves to keep his prize for hitting a good shot. This is a perfect example of hypocritical NCAA rules."

George Wine
Coralville

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Wine, an author, Hawkeye-watcher and retired Iowa sports information director, is correct. While others -- like Ferentz -- get rich in athletics, someone like Tate must settle for the short end of the stick. NCAA rules prevented Tate from accepting $25,000 that was supposed to be used for the purchase of a car. Tate sank a hole-in-one during a tournament in Iowa City. They're looking for a way to give the money to charity. I've already given Tate my address. In his comments to me, Wine also said, "I think a clever lawyer would have a good time taking Tate's case to court and would receive a hell of a lot of national attention."]

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THIS WHOLE DEAL SMELLS LIKE ARCHIE BROOKS

Bud Appleby of Des Moines also had Ferentz's pay raise on his mind when he wrote:

"Sounds like Archie Brooks has been put in charge of overseeing athletic salaries at the U. of Iowa."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Brooks is in the middle of the CIETC scandal. The former CITC chairman approved tons of money in bonuses for CIETC people. His next job should be with the grounds crew at No-Name Stadium. He'll fit in well with the rest of the crooks down there].

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EVASHEVSKI WAS HIGHEST-PAID AT $20,000

Ex-Iowan Gordy Scoles, a former coach who now is an author, also wrote about Ferentz's salary:

"Ron,

"I read about Ferentz's raise and dug this early 1959 piece out of my Nashua football book: "In Iowa City, University of Iowa football coach Forest Evashevski was given a pay raise of $2,500; an amount that boosted his yearly salary to $20,000, and made him the highest paid football coach in the Big Ten Conference. Evy came to Iowa in 1952 from Washington State University at a salary of $14,500." I must have found that information in an old Des Moines Register, but I guess it's pretty accurate. Coaches' salaries have come a long way in 47 years. How's that for an understatement?"

Gordy Scoles
Bennettsville, S.C.

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Gordy, I'm urging all of my grandchildren to forget medicine, dentistry, science, math and engineering when they go to college. I'm telling 'em to go into coaching].

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POLLARD IS EITHER 'NAIVE OR JUST PLAIN STUPID'

"Keith from Kalona" lets Jamie Pollard have it over the Iowa State athletic director's comment that this is now a Cyclone state:

"If Pollard really thinks Iowa is a Cyclone state, he is really, really naive or just plain stupid."

"Keith from Kalona"

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: Pollard, basking in Iowa State's football and basketball victories over Iowa, proclaimed this a "Cyclone state" and said a billboard will be put up in Cedar Rapids saying that. Iowa State won the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk trophy in men's and women's competition with Iowa during the 2005-2006 school year, and Pollard -- in his first year at Ames -- isn't letting Hawkeye fans forget it].

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POLLARD 'BLOWING SMOKE UP THE ASSES OF ISU FANS'

"Larry in Lawler" writes, "Ron, when Iowa is known all over the world and in all circles as the 'Cyclone State' instead of the 'Hawkeye State,' then Pollard will be correct. Until then, he's blowing smoke up the asses of ISU fans."

Larry in Lawler

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: It sounds like "Larry in Lawler" has just gotten a whole lot of new business for the proctologists in this state].

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EXCITED ABOUT JAMIE POLLARD, CYCLONES

Travis Simpson of Des Moines sees nothing wrong with Iowa State's football and basketball radio broadcasts moving from KXNO-AM to FM station KDRB in Des Moines. He likes what he sees in Pollard and is enthused with the future of Cyclone athletics. Here's his e-mail:

"The switch to FM radio for the Cyclones is not all that bad. Cyclone Nation founder Steve Deace is moving from KXNO to WHO, creating a huge void for Cyclone athletics talk now on Des Moines' only sports talk radio station. I’m VERY impressed with Pollard in his short time at ISU. I think it’s about time that Des Moines and central Iowa become a Cyclone dominant market since eastern Iowa is all Hawkeye and the further you venture west in the state the more Cornhusker you will run into as well. Pollard is just what ISU needs to finally become competitive on a consistent basis in athletics and he’s not scared to shoot for the moon to get there, unlike Bruce Van De Velde who did more harm to the athletic department than good as the AD. A caller to Deace’s show made a great point -- ISU’s fans are probably more loyal, passionate, and knowledgeable about their team than your average Hawkeye fan since most Cyclone fans went to school there and most likely grew up in the area. People who move into the state usually become casual Hawkeye fans since Iowa is the more well-known school in the state as far as national recognition goes.

"And just for the record, yes I am a Cyclone alum and fan. I’m excited about Pollard and his vision for the athletics at ISU and hopefully the job he does just makes the Cy-Hawk rivalry that much better. Iowa is losing a great AD in Bob Bowlsby, and if I were an Iowa fan I’d be very concerned about choosing the right person to succeed him as AD after seeing all the excitement Jamie Pollard is creating at ISU. A change in AD at ISU resulted in the firing of the men’s basketball coach and I know of a lot of Hawk fans that are hoping the same will happen with a new AD in Iowa City."

Travis Simpson
Des Moines

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: My only point in saying that putting Iowa State's games on an FM station seems like a step backward in a very competitive sports radio market. With Iowa's games on powerful WHO-AM and Iowa State's on something called "The Bus," it looks like the Cyclones are losing more ground. But Pollard obviously isn't timid. He's making some bigtime decisions in his first year, and I'm sure he'll be so successful at Iowa State that Wisconsin will hire him when Barry Alvarez decides to retire as athletic director].

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[Ron Maly is a four-time Iowa Sportswriter of the Year and also is the best-selling author of "Tales from the Iowa Sidelines," which is in its second printing as both a hardback and softback book. The book is about the rich football tradition at the University of Iowa. Maly has a heck of a lot of fun doing what he's doing. Ron's columns about sports, newspapers, his family, medicine, travel, the people he knows, the people he doesn't know, a few people he'd like to know better, a few people he once knew and is trying to forget, a few people he has already forgotten, and anything else that trips >his trigger appear regularly at www.rmaly.blogspot.com and www.whotv.com.].