Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Iowa AD Gary Barta responds, Hawkeye Bowl Practice news & notes

Episode Date: December 28, 2022

Gary Barta and the Iowa athletic department responds to the Iowa Swarm collective with an open letter to Hawkeye fans. What are the issues according to Barta and where can this go from here?A look at the Hawkeye football team's second practice from Nashville including some news and notes coming out of practice.And Trent makes some of his best bets for the Big Ten bowl games.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at Linkedin.com/lockedoncollege Terms and conditions apply.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!NHTSADrive sober or get pulled over. Click HERE to learn more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gary Barta speaks, the Iowa Athletic Director, or at least pens an open letter to Hawkeye fans. We talk about the continued back and forth between the Iowa Swarm Collective and the Iowa Athletic Department. We get into that. We also had practice today. That's right, it's game week. Football is actually coming on Saturday. It is finally here. The matchup we've all been waiting for, right? Maybe not so much Iowa-Kentucky coming up this week, but some news and notes that come out of practice. We'll talk about that. Also give you our best bets for the college

bowl season in the Big Ten. It starts tonight with Wisconsin against Oklahoma State. All coming up today on Locked On Hawkeyes. You are Locked On Hawkeyes. Your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.

Hey, thanks for joining us again. This is Trent Condon with the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen each and every day, available wherever you get podcasts. And you can also see us on YouTube. And just while you're on that YouTube page, we ask you one thing. It's very easy, very simple. Just hit the subscribe button.

Let's us get in front of you each and every time that we come to you with a new episode every day and helps us get in front of you each and every time that we come to you with the new episode every day and helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. If you're on the podcast side of things, five-star reviews, that's what we're looking for as we talk Hawkeyes with you. Well, a busy day here today to get into bowl season begins for the Big Ten tonight with Wisconsin and their matchup against Oklahoma State. Looking forward to that one.

We're going to give you our best bets coming up here for the Big Ten slate as things will get started and go over the next couple of days. Of course, leading into a big day Saturday. Not only Iowa getting things started at 11 a.m. and their matchup against Kentucky, but of course the two college football playoff games involving Big Ten teams for the first time ever. The Big Ten with two teams now in the

college football playoff. Michigan will get TCU. Ohio State facing off against Georgia. We'll talk about those games as well with our bets coming up here at the end of the show. But we kick things off talking Hawkeyes first and foremost and a day that uh certainly an interesting one after the weekend the lead up and the build up and something we talked about on yesterday's program about the athletic department and the Iowa Swarm Collective. The back and forth that has been happening, really not even a back and forth. It was Brad Heinrichs who runs the Iowa Swarm Collective. He was the one that came up with it. He saw Iowa was falling further and further behind their Big Ten and National Brethren in the NIL game, and he made the decision. He had the money behind it, and he's had a pretty good career

in his own right, and he said, let's do this. A former Hawkeye athlete, he was a golfer at Iowa in the mid-90s, and he made the decision, I'm going to make this collective. He has had the backing of Kirk Ferens, the football coach. He has had the backing of Ray McCaffrey. He has had the backing of Lisa Bluter. These coaches have been involved with him and trying to make this thing as manageable as possible and, most importantly, get people to donate to the collective in order to help these student-athletes with NIL,

help them get in front of businesses, and just have some extra money in their pocket. It is a multibillion-dollar corporation we're talking about here in college athletics. Yes, it's time for the players to get a little bit there. Now, should it be some of that TV revenue, ticket revenue, jersey sale revenue should be going to the student athletes?

Well, absolutely. I think that goes without saying, we're not there yet though. And where we are right now is this is the reality. So Brad Heinrichs has come out. He's talked to a couple of different media places. I've been reading him on some message boards, Hawkeye Report with Tom Kakert's site over there.

He's been posting there the new On3 media site that'll be really launching here within the next week with their big announcement that they're going to be having there. And one thing that Brad has maintained is the athletic department has kind of kept him at arm's distance. So I work in the radio business. If you don't know full-time, I host a radio show on KXNO in Des Moines from 11 to 1. I also do radio sales on top of that

for my program and do that part. So I know a little bit about it. One of the things that he's been able to do is get the iowa swarm message out there for the football and basketball broadcast so you'll hear commercials about that now i believe there are other universities out there that have had that kind of a make good where they're not going to be charged that's not the case with iowa swarm they are paying to have those commercials played out there oh well all right it goes with itvertising's going to be a piece when you're doing something like this. But this is the athletic department, as he was trying to do anything to get in front of more people. That was one of the things that Brad worked very hard to do and ultimately got there.

He's done a couple of other things. But the biggest piece that the Swarm Collective is looking for is trying to get in front of as many people as possible that donate to Hawkeye Athletics. And the people most important are the season ticket holders, getting in front of the season ticket holder base. And he was looking for emails, phone numbers, those kinds of things. University of Iowa and Gary Barta's open letter today that he penned said that that's something they don't do. They do not sell your information if you are a ticket holder to third parties. And because of that, it would not be available for the Iowa Swarm.

All well and good and completely understand. In fact, of the garbage word salad that was tossed out there by Gary Barta in that two-page open letter today where he said a whole lot of nothing in the grand scheme of things. It was very heavily guarded, as you could tell, and what he was trying to say and what he was trying to do is a lot of lawyer talk. Well,

it was certainly in there. That was helped out by a few people in that side of things. But ultimately, what we found out here is they're not going to work hand in hand with the Swarm Collective. Now, there are safeguards that are in place, but the University of Iowa is in this situation because Gary Barta has been bad at his job as it pertains to the amount of money that he has cost the university and the number of times throughout his tenure that he's just been bad. From a Title IX investigation to the athletic department being found to be discriminatory, controversies all over the place in women's sports. Going back to softball.

Remember Rabdo? That was under Gary Barta's watch. Gary Dolphin a couple of different times. The voice of the Hawkeyes getting in trouble for comments that were made. And then the handling of that was done so poorly. What we had in 2020, obviously with the football investigation, just on and on and on. So many things.

And they happened under his watch. But the biggest one was Jane Meyer and the $6.5 million that the athletic department had to pay because Gary Barta couldn't be bothered apparently to actually write down the questions that he had about her job performance. And ultimately it costs the university. He has cost the athletic department millions of dollars and now this where everybody else understands it's the wild wild west everybody out there knows that in order to compete at the highest levels and not just the levels you're trying to chase down the ohio states the michigans the penn states States of the world, USC and UCLA that are going to be coming here in the next couple of years.

Not only that, but also your brethren, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Purdue, these institutions, the ones that you're more closely resembling, you're making it difficult. The adage that they have is win, graduate, and do it right. And unfortunately for Hawkeye fans and the ones that care most about winning, is for Gary Barta, win shouldn't be first. What should be first is do it right. That's what Gary cares about the most, doing it right. Not winning first. That's not first. It's in their tagline, but that's not the truth of the matter. The truth of the matter is what he cares about most is doing it right. He's talking about Title IX considerations. There is absolutely no justification to be hiding behind Title IX

in this circumstance. The Iowa Swarm Collective is not a part of the athletic department. It is not part of the university. And because of that, it is not under the law of Title IX. It is short-sighted. It is frustrating. But that is where we are. Barta's response doesn't say a whole lot. And even his responses out there didn't make him look very good. Should it come as a surprise?

Unfortunately, it shouldn't. But that is the reality of the situation. So that's what we have going on in the latest in the back and forth between Gary Barta. Better today to Hawkeye fans and the Iowa collective. In order for Iowa to compete at the highest levels, people need to, money needs to come into the coffers. You need to have the 1,200 plus members now that are in the Hawkeye Swarm. That number needs to be probably quadrupled just to get on a somewhat even playing surface with some of the other teams in the Big Ten

and the other teams that you competed with in the recruiting world. This is for basketball. This is for football. Cade McNamara is not a Hawkeye without the Swarm Collective. It's as simple as that. He is not an Iowa Hawkeye without the Swarm Collective. Same thing with Eric Hall. You do not get your two prize jewels out of this recruiting class and out of the transfer portal without the Swarm Collective.

It's a reality. You don't have to like it, but this is where we are. Gary Barta, figure it out. Figure it out or Iowa and the athletic department is going to be left way behind. We'll continue here. Get into some football talk. More practice for Iowa in Nashville. Day one there. It was a cold one. is going to be left way behind. We'll continue here, get into some football talk. More practice for Iowa in Nashville.

Day one there, it was a cold one. There was snow on the ground. A little bit better today. Some news and notes coming out from football practice. We try to get excited about Iowa, Kentucky. That's as we continue here on Locked on Hawkeyes. Thank you. business. That's why you want to check out LinkedIn Jobs. You want to be certain that you have the best qualified candidates available. LinkedIn Jobs can help you with just that. Finding the right people for your team faster. How about this? For free. I've used LinkedIn before

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candidates that you want to talk to faster. Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash lockdowncollege. Again, linkedin.com slash lockdowncollege to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Tricotta continuing with you here on Lockdown Hawkeyes. Again, thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen each and every day. Bowl games start tonight. We will get into some of our bowl thoughts, including some picks for it presented by Bet

Online. But right now, let's about iowa football as they have made their way to nashville they are currently there went through their second day of practice that just wrapped up a little bit ago a couple of notes that come out the biggest question i think all the players were were asked about was of course what we're seeing from joe labus and joe labus will get the start he'll make his first career appearance as he'll trot out there for the first time against kentucky on on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. And what he's looking like now, an ability to run.

So him and Carson May, the other scholarship quarterback that is still available for this game. Labus is a guy that can move around a little bit more, a little bit more athletic. We're hearing some RPO stuff, doing different things, getting the run pass option involved and opening up a dimension for the Iowa offense that just hasn't been there certainly the last three years because of the lack of athleticism from Spencer Petras, but even going back to Nate Stanley.

Now, we love big Nate, right? And getting those big chucks up there and a fourth and one, and you know he was going to grind and get that first down, right? I mean, going back to the Holiday Bowl, and he's just out there pounding four and getting seven yards of crack on quarterback snakes. It was a thing of beauty, and he could move around a little bit, but that was not his game. Joey Labus has that ability. He can do things with his legs. He is more the mold of an Alex Padilla type, a little bit bigger.

Doesn't take a whole lot. Alex Padilla, one of the smaller quarterbacks we've seen, certainly of the Kirk Ferens era, out there playing quarterback. But he's a guy that can do some things with his legs. Command of the offense, that's always going to be a question. Is there going to be differences also in the offense? It's going to come down to, can Iowa generate anything in the ground game again? Jennings Dunker was out there. He was listed as a starter a week when the depth chart came out.

At one of the guard positions, he's been really banged up this year. You know, he's looked bright and really good at different times this year. A bright spot out there. Inconsistent, though, as you'd anticipate for a young guy. Has just struggled because of the injuries this year. You want to get him going, and maybe that's another one of those pieces that is missing for Iowa in that offensive line as they try to come together out there. Another huge question, obviously, is going to be

what the wide receiver group is going to look like. Obviously, the departure of Arlen Bruce, Keegan Johnson, though he was only out there two games this year in a limited role against Nevada and against Nebraska. We didn't see a ton of him. He has departed. He's down now at Kansas State getting ready to get things started next year with the Wildcats and now you have an injury one of the guys that did not practice today was

Brody Brecht Brody Brecht a guy that has had his own set of issues injury rise was dealing with the hamstring injury going back to August camp he was slow ramping up because of that and remember Brody Brecht his future at least if there's any chance in a professional nature, it's not going to be as a wide receiver. It just isn't. It's going to be as a pitcher in baseball. This is a young man that pumps it up there in the high 90s, called a bunch of his games in high school. He is an elite talent on the mound. He had the love, though, of Iowa football, and he wanted the chance to run out from the tunnel at Kinnick Stadium, go out there, and be an Iowa Hawkeye in the football field.

Well, he got that opportunity this year. You do wonder with Brody Brecht, after the injuries that he dealt with, not completely committing himself to the baseball diamond, if this is going to be it. Yes, he was able to run out two years ago. This year, he got to play a little bit, make some catches in Kinnick Stadium, and be a part of the team. But ultimately, for him, his future is going to be on the mound and because of that if

this might be the final time we're going to see Brody Brecht now their hope is that he will be able to get a little bit of practice in here later in the week maybe Thursday Friday I'll go through the walkthrough and be available for them on Saturday because they need bodies it's Nigo Regagini and Deontay Vines and then a whole bunch of question marks. You know, we saw a little Alec Wick this year. We saw some Jack Johnson, but we're talking about a couple of walk-ons there

at the wide receiver position, going up against the depleted SEC defense, still an SEC defense in Kentucky. Speaking of the quarterback spot, we talked about the two guys that we very well could see, Joe Labus and his backup for this week in Carson May. The number three, the quarterback spot, we talked about the two guys that we very well could see, Joe Labus and his backup for this week in Carson May. The number three, the emergency quarterback, Sam Laporta. Yeah, that's right.

The Iowa All-American tight end. He is the emergency quarterback at this time. I know a lot of people were wondering, why not Cooper DeGene, right? Cooper DeGene, of course, an outstanding high school quarterback, led Odebelt, Arthur, Battle Creek, Ida Grove to the championship way back in his high school days a couple of years back. An elite talent, great athleticism, as we've obviously seen for him in his time playing the cash position, safety,

and now quarterback here for the last year plus. But with him, he's got those defensive responsibilities. He's got some return responsibilities. I'm going to guess just easier for a guy that knows the offense. Laporta obviously can probably throw it around a little bit. Is there anything that they're going to be using? That'll be something intriguing and interesting to watch to see if maybe they do go on a fourth and one and they decide, you know what? Hey, let's put Laporta in there.

Now getting a snap, not the easiest thing. And we saw Padilla when he came in the first time he touched the ball this year. He put it on the ground against Ohio State. Can't afford that if you're going to be doing something. But again, it appears to be just an emergency situation. We got plenty of things to wring our hands about. Plenty of things to be upset about with this Iowa team. Let's not go too far and be too concerned that the emergency quarterback is not Cooper

DeGene. Ultimately, if we get to that point, it's not going to be a very pretty day, I don't think, for the Iowa Hawkeyes. That comes up on Saturday. Some news and notes there. One other name that was thrown out, kind of a new name, one that we haven't talked about a whole lot, at the defensive back position. That's Deshaun Lee. So a true freshman this year has not played the games.

He'll still maintain his red shirt going into next season, but a little bit of buzz, a little bit of talk about him, possibility he could be out there and helping out that defensive backfield. He'll be without Kayvon Merriweather, as we know. He has opted out of the bowl game, and the buzz also is about Xavier Wampa and a possibility to see them out there extended time. Get a quick squig as the boys still struggled, still battling out there, still trying to

make ourselves right and get healthy for that bowl game. Got to be good by Saturday. Want to have a couple of beers and watch that one on Saturday. Got to get all this crud out of the system. Well, with that, what else do we have? Talked about the wide receiver group. One other thing, talked about Nico Ragaghini. He's coming back for year number six.

That's right. He'll be back for a sixth season. Big help to this team and what they obviously need at the wide receiver position. They need bodies. I mentioned Brody Brecht. Again, this is all speculation, but does he make the decision? It's time for baseball.

It's time to turn my attention completely to that, where his future is going to be at the next level. That would not be a real, real huge reach to anticipate something like that happening. Couple that with the group coming in this year a lot of raw guys guys that are probably going to be more developmental you got the kid from kansas city who didn't have offers from kansas kansas state kid from down there now how long is it going to take for him to adapt six foot fives he's got good size but how long is it going to take buoy from florida now last week when we had John Garcia on, the director of

recruiting for Sports Illustrated, he said he's an under the radar guy that he really likes, but still need more bodies. All right. So you got Ragini, you got Deontay Bynes. I think you're excited about those two guys coming back, but there's got to be more. And that comes in again to the transfer portal, being the right guys and continuing to be in the mix we've talked about the two top targets tesla the kid from hillside up in michigan six foot four 210 pounds huge numbers at hillside this past season and then seth anderson from charleston southern those are the two biggest targets that have been talked about the most but it's got to be other names out there and even adding two guys if they're available is that enough for this wide receiver group that is still the great unknown when we come back it's time to make some picks

we're going to make some bets here on the lockdown hawkeyes podcast including where i'm betting for iowa kentucky i'm waiting for a couple of props to come out we'll be talking about those also later in the week as those usually come out a little bit closer to game time, but I think there's some betting angles out there for us in the Big Ten Bowl Sling. We'll do that as we continue our best bets presented by BetOnline. We come back with more in a moment here on

Locked on Hawkeyes podcast is brought to you by our friends with an HTSA. Been hanging out with some friends having a few drinks a few becomes a few too many as the evening comes to an end and people start to head out think about calling for a ride but you live nearby you can make it home okay no big deal what are the odds you get pulled over anyway and even so what's the worst that could happen? Insurance goes up. You lose your license, your job, totally your car. You kill someone. Everyone knows about the risks of drunk driving. The results are tragic and often deadly. However, that doesn't stop everyone from getting behind the wheel while under the influence. That's why police officers are out there right now

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Peter Bukowski brings you the biggest stories from around the sports world in 20 minutes. Get the analysis and opinions before anyone else with our local and national experts and insiders. It's Locked On Sports Today, available on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. As we wrap things up, looking forward to the bowl games as they will get started here this evening for the Big Ten. It is Wisconsin against Oklahoma State. Currently, the Badgers, a four and a half point favorite in this game. Look at betting opportunities. I'm always looking for betting opportunities. I betting i'll be honest with you i've been a long time sports gambler been

doing it now for decades in fact my first bet ever came as what i've been a seven-year-old you old timers like myself might remember le flester roads for iowa state and that ridiculous performance he had against the hawkeyes that was the first game i ever bet it was on the losing end my dad's buddy Kleckner, got me hooked at that point in sports gambling and still trying to dig out of that hole from that first bet ever. But I'm a daily better and betting bowl games is incredibly difficult. It's always been difficult. You're looking for motivation. You're trying to find obviously what team wants to be there, what they're looking for as a new coach coming in? Who's in the transfer portal now

has added another layer guys that are opting out, not just weeks and days before, but even the day of, we've seen that a couple of times already this year where guys, the day of the game, you think they're playing and then they opt out. So you're right back to handicapping and trying to figure out what the line's going to be. So take this with a grain of salt because this always evolves. This always changes. I post all my picks up at the Action Network app. You can follow along with me. We've been hot here lately over the last 30 days, over 35 units. So we're doing pretty well. We'll try to keep it going here this evening and into the next week with these bowl games. One of the ones that I really like, first of all, is the game tonight with the Badgers in Oklahoma State. 44.5, 45 is the number right now in the over-under. I'm staying away from the pick of the game. I lean Wisconsin, but

that line when it came out was three. I like to do that one. Four and a half now has me treading just a little bit more. More than anything, I love the under. Now, I know, yes, defensive scores can definitely change the complexion of this one, but two offenses that are going to be playing without their starting quarterback, Spencer Sanders, he's in the transfer portal. We know Graham Mertz has already committed to play at Florida next year. You're going to have new quarterbacks out there. These two teams, though, more than anything, both of them have been very good in bowl games. I think Wisconsin's seven of the last eight wins for them in bowl games,

five out of six for Oklahoma State. So two good teams, two defenses that have at least shown some promise at times this year. Oklahoma State's taken a huge step back defensively from where they were. But it seems like a high number. We're going to play the under on that one with our first pick also elsewhere in the big 10 coming up on Thursday we got Minnesota against Syracuse this thing steamed up Gophers opened up about a touchdown favorite they're up to a 10 point favorite now boy that feels like a lot of points again I lean under in this game maybe this

is just a big 10 west bet game in and game out is taking the under in this game. 42.5 is the number here. Wisconsin, they're going to grind it out. Another thing, a lot of times you'll see that late touchdown push it over in a game, trying to get an extra score, getting a guy that maybe he's never had a career touchdown, whatever it is, and trying to get another score up there. A lot of respect and a lot of back and forth between the two coaches in this game. Dino Babers and Phil Fleck know each other incredibly well. They're very close. And if it

gets to that point where St. Wisconsin, excuse me, St. Minnesota is up 20 to 10, are they going to punch in one more touchdown to push it? I just don't see that. So I'm going to play another under here. Give me the Gophers Syracuse game under 42 and a half Duke's Mayo Bowl this is what I know some people are hopeful we're going to see Iowa in in Charlotte it's Maryland against NC State it's a pick-em game it's a coin flip I got no opinion on this one tons of opt-outs on both sides Devin Leary the outstanding quarterback for NC State he is already in the transfer portal one of the biggest prizes that were out there. This is a stay away.

I'm not touching this one, at least at this point in time, with NC State and Maryland. Then on Saturday, of course, we got the Iowa game. Before that, Michigan against TCU. I want to lay it with Michigan. And I got plenty of people that tell me I'm crazy. Look, TCU, they have lived a charmed life this year every single time.

Something good could happen. A positive could go their way. It seems like it did all season long until that Big 12 championship game where they fell to Kansas State. But it was five different times this year. They ended up facing a backup quarterback for at least half of a game, if not a full game. That's not going to be the case here.

Michigan, the physicality that they play with it. And only if it's a tight game, I do think TC will win. I don't think it's going to be a tight game. I'm willing to lay here. Give me Michigan. I'll lay the seven and a half. And I'm intrigued by Ohio state getting off the mat after that devastating loss to Michigan and just how bad they looked in to the end of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter of that one, still Georgia, they're a different level. And because of that, I'm going to lay it again. So two favorites, something I hate playing.

Two favorites. But what have we also seen in the college football semifinal? Blowouts. And we might be in case for that one also. And then wrapping things up, of course, with the Iowa game as they take on Kentucky Hawkeyes. Right now, one and a half point favorite. See a bunch of different numbers out there. Anywhere between one and two points is what you're seeing on Iowa.

Go back to the well again. Iowa under is 31 and a half. How are they going to score points? How is Kentucky going to score against this Hawkeye defense? Give me the under. I told you a little bit later in the week, we'll get you some props out there for this game. We'll play around with those.

Good stuff today. Hope everybody out there had a great Christmas as we are rolling here on Lockdown Hawkeyes. If you want to see that open letter that we talked about from Gary Barber, from the Lockdown Hawkeyes account, find it there if you haven't seen it already. Plenty to dig through and to sift through with that one. Some head scratchers in there.

But again, shouldn't be a surprise. Again, thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. Make sure to check out Lockdown Sports Today. The biggest stories around the sports world in 20 minutes or less. Plus, instant reaction, game recaps, and Locked On's take of the day. It's Locked On Sports Today, available on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. Back with you tomorrow. We'll see.

Has anything changed in the Hawkeye athletics? No, they keep us busy. It's never easy. It's never simple. That's just the way of the world, I guess, with Iowa. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Thanks again for joining us here on Locked on Hawkeyes.