Happy New Year

Happy New Year. 2010 was brought in on South Beach as the Hawkeyes prepared for Georgia Tech in the Fed Ex Orange Bowl. This year the Hawkeyes played prior to New Year's Day after beating Missouri in the Insight Bowl. Bringing in the New Year from Iowa is much different than the mild temps of Miami a year ago. On that last night of 2009, we awaited the new year as well as a concert performed at our hotel, the Fontainebleau by Lady GaGa.

Super Bowl week at the Fontainebleau

Less than a month following the Iowa Football team's stay at the Fontainebleau for the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl, the greatest sporting event in the world takes place in Miami. Below are a couple of the parties taking place at the former home of the Hawkeyes. (Courtesy Miami Herald)

First, five parties you can't get into....



And now five parties you can get into...

Rivalry or Good Natured Fun?

When I started this blog prior to the 2008 football season, my philosophy was to give a different perspective on the Iowa football team. My access to different places and people is what could keep it original. In that time Darren Miller of hawkeyesports.com has improved the athletic department web site. Good natured barbs between the two has been fun and here the two of us take time for a photo before the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl. Make sure to read Darren's columns on Iowa athletics, especially those on his daughter Missy Miller, a freshman on the Iowa track squad.
All of these photos are courtesy of Darren Miller at hawkeyesports.com.

Me alongside the Georgia Tech Ramblin' Wreck.

Hawks Go National

Following the 2002 football season I attended the AFCA Convention. I can't remember where it was at, but I do remember visiting with one of the vedors on the showroom floor who approached me to sell me on his product. He looked at my name tag which included the school I represented and asked how the Iowa football season went.

I gave him a humorous look while in a sense of disbelief. The 2002 football team was one for the ages. It went undefeated in the Big Ten while having numorous All-Americans. Heisman runner-up Brad Banks, John Mackey winner Dallas Clark, as well as Lou Groza award winner Nate Kaeding were among Iowa's elite. The Hawkeyes went on to finish the season ranked #5 while taking on USC who was third at the time, as what could amount to be the greatest team ever in Iowa football history.

My response to him that day wasn't as expansive as this one, but I just smiled, briefly explained how we did and politely began my walk away from his booth.

In 2010 the story was different. The Hawkeyes once again entered bowl play with double-digit victories, and won on a stage that proved to be difficult in 2003. The '09 team didn't have the all-americans and award winners the '02 team had, but gave their fans lasting memories that arguably top those of 2002.

Upon entering the convention after this season, adorned in my Hawkeye-issued clothing the responses were overwhelming. Coaches from different schools representing the different levels of play consistently approached me to congratulate me on a great season. On a 30 second elevator ride, three different coaches from as many schools each wished me the very best on the performance of the Iowa football team.

In display booths, any company that has any association with the Hawkeye program boasted of their connection to the #7 team in the land. Display boards congratulated the team on their Orange Bowl victory. Someone else who has conducted little business with Iowa had the Hawkeye football helmet prominently displayed with other BCS qualifying teams.

It was a display of appreciation and an attempt to make contact with a staff member of the Fed Ex Orange Bowl champions. It went beyond that. This Iowa Football team gave the nation a reason to watch college football. Every week fans tuned in to see a different story unfold. They wondered how could the defense continue to stop teams? How will the Iowa offense fare if they have to come from behind? Is this Iowa football team worthy of their top 10 status? Game after game the outcome would become the same, but the path was very much the different.

This Hawkeye football team didn't have the stars, and had fewer blowouts, but it was a storyline that all living across the country followed. And perhaps it gave that vendor from 2003 a reason to follow, too.

Night Out on the Town

The final "Night Out on the Town" from our trip to Miami for the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl is the Bleau Bar loacted in the heart of the Fontainebleau Hotel.

The Fontainebleau Hotel has many different dining and drinking options, but we found the Bleau Bar to be the most comfortable and enjoyable of them all. On the first two nights of the team's stay at the hotel, famous musician Max Wineberg performed with his orchestra in a makeshift stage situated in the corner of this circular bar. Concerts seem to be a rarity, and this free presentation offset the price of drinks during our stay.

The Bleau Bar is the ideal place to people watch in the entire hotel. It is located across the lobby from the hottest night club on South Beach, LIV. From the blue tinted bar it was perfect to not only see the hottest stars staying at the posh resort, but see club-goers of all ages sporting the latest styles and fashions.

Drinks were higher priced than what many are accustomed to. However bottled beer was the one beverage to stick to at the average price of $6.50 (incl. tip). Any mixed or well drinks totaled up to $18. No matter the prices, during the holiday season the Bleau Bar was packed nightly.

Game Night Video at the Orange Bowl

Video from the night of the Orange Bowl

Team arrives to Land Shark Stadium. Over 30,000 Hawkeye fans were in attendance, many of them awaiting the 2009 Hawkeye football team on the night of the game.

The team gathers from the locker room prior to taking the Land Shark Stadium Field.

Kool and the Gang perform at halftime of the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl Halftime

Images from the Orange Bowl

Below are images from the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl with the victorious Iowa Hawkeyes. Due to issues beyond my control in Miami, we are behind updating the blog. Check back again for more photos and video from the trip to South Florida.

Iowa Football players Ricky Stanzi and Adrian Clayborn, along with head football coach, Kirk Ferentz accept the championship and MVP trophies from the president of the Orange Bowl committee, Phyliss Oeters.

The Scoreboard says it all

The team enters Land Shark Stadium minutes before kick off

Sean McDonough calling the game for ESPN Radio (back to the camera) speaks with the Iowa head coach during pre-game warm-ups.

The Iowa head coach enters Land Shark Stadium prior to the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl

Final Full Practice

It was the final full day of practice at Barry University. On what would be a Thursday practice for the Hawkeyes, BCS rules allowed members of the media access to the first fifteen minutes of practice. It may have been the coolest day for practice in Florida for Iowa as temperatures were in the 60s with a breeze throughout the afternoon. Following practice the team went for dinner and a movie.

Friday, the Hawkeyes will return to Barry for a quick walk thru followed by the team photo at Land Shark Stadium

Below are the members of the police escort for the Hawkeyes who lead them around town.

Night Out on the Town

Blocks down from the fames South Beach entertainment area is a local favorite called Ted's Hideaway. As stated earlier, this could be placed into the "dive" category, but that may be harsh, however it is nowhere near the "club" level of some on Ocean Avenue.

Ted's is definitely the neighborhood bar. A good variety of bar games such as pool, darts, and video arcade are in one small area while the bar and tables fill up the rest. There are enough televisions give patrons a view of their favorite game from anywhere within the little hole in the wall.

What impressed me the most of our trip was the service of the bartenders. Upon ordering our first drink the young lady introduced herself to us and made sure we would be well taken care of. It was a Heck of a Deal.

Orange Bowl Police Escort

What puts the Orange Bowl among the elite are the special services they provide. One of those is the police escort. Some bowls only provide one or two officers to escort the team to practice or events. The Orange Bowl has over 15 officers. Below is video from today's trip to Barry Unviversity for practice.

Bringing in the New Year with Lady GaGa

Happy New Year to all.

At the Fontainebleau Lady GaGa ushered in the New Year to a packed crowd. The show started at the strike of midnight with three songs, "Bad Romance," "Just Dance," and "Pokerface." Rumors were circulating the performer was unhappy her "demands" weren't satisfied and only performed those three.

Before access to the roof of the Fontainebleau was closed to members of the Iowa Football Orange Bowl party, we were able to get a closer look at the set-up and performance area of the concert.

2009 - Don't Stop Believin'

Looking back at the 2009 season, a song played by the DJ reminded me of the theme of this Iowa Football team. "Don't Stop Believin'" is a song I used for a season in review video shown on the Kinnick Stadium Hawk Vision, but this Journey hit of the '80s definitely sums up what Hawkeye fans lived through as their team perservered to earn a spot in the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl.

Following the season opening thrilling win over Northern Iowa, many Hawkeye fans were unsure how good this team would be. A feat that has never been done before, Iowa blocked two field goals to end the game giving them a 17-16 win over the FCS national power. But the next week was the exception to the rule as the Hawkeyes steamrolled their in-state FBS rival, Iowa State, 35-3.

Teams like Arizona, Arkansas State, Wisconsin and Michigan each gave the Hawkeyes everything they could handle as they had to fight from behind if some to keep a winning streak alive. But it was games against Michigan State, Penn State, Indiana and Minnesota that may give Hawkeye fans their lasting memories.

In Happy Valley, an Adrian Clayborn punt block and return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter put Iowa ahead for good. Behind, and looking sub-par heading into the fourth quarter against Indiana, the Hawkeyes played their best quarter on offense including back to back touchdown passes of 60+ yards as well as two rushing touchdowns by freshman Brandon Wegher for the win over the Hoosiers.

In order to hold onto the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, Iowa held Minnesota twice in the fourth quarter on fourth down to preserve the victory. And finally who will ever forget the last second, fourth down touchdown pass of Ricky Stanzi to Marvin McNutt to beat Michigan State to set a school record of eight consecutive wins to begin a season.

Hawkeye fans had reason to enjoy every game this season. Except for Iowa State, each game went down to the wire and provided some of the best football outcomes ever seen by an Iowa team. It convinced them, that no matter what the score is, there was never a time to not stop believing.

Orange Bowl's Welcome Reception

Although the Hawkeye football team has been in South Florida preparing for the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl since the 27th, December 30th marked the official first day for the team and travelling party as recognized by the Orange Bowl committee. Iowa's opponent for the game, Georgia Tech did arrive on Wednesday and their travel party is in Miami-Broward County, just north of Iowa's Miami-Dade County home.


The Orange Bowl welcomed both staff and players in two different ways. The players had a dinner followed by the opportunity to select their gifts in the Sony suite.



The Iowa coaching and administrative staff also had a dinner and were addressed by members of the Orange Bowl committee. Iowa Athletic Director, Gary Barta and head Football Coach, Kirk Ferentz also acknowledged the appreciation to be playing in the BCS game. Orange Bowl mascot, Obie welcomed children of all ages for a opportunity to have their picture taken with it and the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl trophy.

FOX Sports at Practice

According to the Iowa Football calendar this Wednesday is a Sunday as the team enters into game week. On this final practice before entering the game week preparation the media was allowed into practice, and that includes the FOX Sports announcing team of Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, and Laura Okmin.

Kirk Ferentz takes time prior to practice for the FOX Sports sideline reporter and analysis.

Members of the local print media as well as network affiliates had access to the first two periods of practice.

The Fontainebleau

This week the names Ferentz, Stanzi and Angerer are on the guest list of the Fontainebleau hotel, but this famous hotel has also hosted the likes of Sinatra, Kardashian and Lee. While in Miami for the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl, this beach side residence is the home of the Iowa Hawkeye football team.


Just a year after a multi-million dollar renovation the Fontainebleau is one of Miami Beach's "chic" spots for the rich and famous. It is home to the best in entertainment, food and health and fitness.


The finest of dining opportunities abound at the Fontainebleau. Gotham Steak, Hakkasan, and Scarpetta are among the many choices. Steaks, Cantoneese and Italian are the specialties, but it is not limited to those establishments either. There are a number of smaller delis and snack shops that are available as well.


There isn't a lack of places to unwind and relax. Lapis is the spa to the South Beach royalties and the number of swimming pools and hot tubs give people of all ages to lounge around. A gym and workout room overlook the ocean, or one can run for miles steps from the hotel on the boardwalk that lines the Atlantic Ocean.


There is plenty to do at night. LIV is the hottest night club on South Beach. New Year's Eve is expected to bring over 8,000 people to the club. Just outside of LIV is the Bleau Bar which was home to the Max Weinberg Orchestra's tour opening nights. Also on New Year's Eve, the Fountainebleau pool area will host what Perez Hilton has called the "hottest ticket", Lady GaGa. Pricing for the concert starts out at $425 for a general admission ticket with reserved tables as high as $20,000.


While the Hawkeyes have called the Fontainebleau home, the team's stay may be secondary to many at the hotel. On the day the Hawkeyes arrived an Indian wedding was in progress. Hotel officials worked with the City of Miami Beach to stop traffic for 15 minutes on the busy Collins Ave outside the hotel to allow the wedding party to walk down the street following the groom atop a horse. Over 800 people were in attendance for the million dollar affair.


With many rooms going for $1500 a night...and filled, the Fontainebleau is definitely the place to be this New Years.

A Visit from the Big Tuna

Bill Parcells, Executive Vice President of Football Operations with the Miami Dolphins made an appearance at the Iowa Football practice. The one time head coach of the New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys was on-site to take a closer look at the Iowa program as well as visiting with Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz.

(L-R Miami Dolphin General Manager Jeff Ireland, Kirk Ferentz, Bill Parcells)

The Bill Parcells coaching tree has a tie to Coach Ferentz. While with the New York Giants, current New England Patriot head coach Bill Belichick was Parcell's defensive coordinator. Belichick left New York to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. It was in Cleveland that Belichick hired the head coach at the University of Maine, Kirk Ferentz.

Parcells took time with Iowa trainer and travel coordinator, John Streif.


The Hawkeyes travel in style through Miami. Their buses leave Miami Beach's Fontainebleau for the north side of the City of Miami and Barry University.

Day 2 of Iowa Football Practice in Miami

Another sunny day in South Florida, but with temperatures "only" to get into the upper 60s. Practice today will be much like day 1 as the Iowa Football team settles into its Fed Ex Orange Bowl routine.

Max Weinberg at the Fontainebleau

Prior to the show Tonight Show Orchestra leader, Max Weinberg declared to the fans at the Bleau Bar in the Fontainebleau, "Welcome to the second and last night of the 2009 Max Weinberg Orchestra Tour." Monday was the second of two shows at the famed Fontainebleau, the team hotel of the Iowa Hawkeyes for the 2010 Fed Ex Orange Bowl.

The set started out with a Sinatra favorite, "Come Fly With Me," and followed that up from many others from the Big Band Era. He ended with a few renditions of Beetles tunes, and ended with the band marching through the crowd with horns in the air...