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Fantastic Athletic story on the Iowa-Northwestern rivalry

Wonderful! I cannot read it, even with "outline.com", but I'll let my imagination run wild.
 
The author spoke to Barnett, Fitz, and a bunch of guys from Iowa, and went through a ton of both programs' history, including all of the lead-up to the 1995 game. Also, Fitz apparently texts Barnett every year to tell him it's Iowa week.

https://theathletic.com/640601/2018...rivalry-hayden-fry-gary-barnett-big-ten-west/
Meanwhile InsideNU calls it a manufactured rivalry. Some of their content is fine but it’s pieces like those, where they feel like the world was created in 2010 or later, that really irritate me.
 
Looks as if they produce some good content, but I can only subscribe to so many things at once, even at relatively reasonable rates.
 
Iowa is definitely our most important rivalry in the modern era.

1) We've played games with huge consequences on the line for either or both sides. 2000, 2009, this year.

2) Many tight/close games of significance

3) Both of our teams have very similar achievements over a ~30 year span.


Wisconsin is probably 2nd most important and goes an extra decade back.
 
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Meanwhile InsideNU calls it a manufactured rivalry. Some of their content is fine but it’s pieces like those, where they feel like the world was created in 2010 or later, that really irritate me.
Hayden Fry was pretty much Darth Vader back then, but Millennials don’t know Vader. And a pink locker room was not intended as a show of open arms.
 
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Meanwhile InsideNU calls it a manufactured rivalry. Some of their content is fine but it’s pieces like those, where they feel like the world was created in 2010 or later, that really irritate me.
Yep, my only complaint about the site is when its writers’ youth becomes obvious.
 
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Wonderful! I cannot read it, even with "outline.com", but I'll let my imagination run wild.

I do not have a subscription, but am able to read it for free on the Athletic app, maybe give that a try?
 
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Excellent article. I liked the tidbit about Barnett's frustration recruiting against Iowa.
 
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I really enjoyed that article, knew about the broken leg and Fry’s comment to Barnett, but didn’t know about the rest. Really cool, and i like that Fitz texts Barnett “It’s Iowa week” still. Makes a lot of sense as to why he really gets the team fired up for this game without pushing the “Fitz hates Iowa” perspective.
 
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Appreciate Barnett's candor in admitting he embellished the tone of Fry's comment. And thank you to his daughter Courtney and Bill McCartney for helping make his decision to come to Evanston less difficult.
 
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Iowa was always the red letter game for Barnett. One of his first orders of business was to have a large schedule board printed and hung in the team auditorium. Everything was purple with the exception of those four letters which were printed in bright red. The significance of the Iowa game and Iowa week was quite clear from day one.
 
I know the east division will always get more focus but I really enjoy the West. We have really great games every year with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Minny and Purdue always plays us tough and seem to steal a win when we don’t expect it. And of course Illinois is the game we can’t stand to lose.

14 points is the difference between us being 6-1 v 3-4 and 15 points is the difference between Iowa being 3-4 vs 6-1. We still have to figure out how to get out of the gate faster but we do know how to finish a season.
 
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I know the east division will always get more focus but I really enjoy the West. We have really great games every year with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Minny and Purdue always plays us tough and seem to steal a win when we don’t expect it. And of course Illinois is the game we can’t stand to lose.

14 points is the difference between us being 6-1 v 3-4 and 15 points is the difference between Iowa being 3-4 vs 6-1. We still have to figure out how to get out of the gate faster but we do know how to finish a season.
It was the difference is us winning the West last year too.
 
Great article. It's also a great example of the Butterfly Effect. To think of the variety of individual decisions and circumstances that had to go just so for us to be where we are today.
 
I know it's completely random but for some reason, I remember the season altering injuries that affected marquee players on both sides in this rivalry. Fitz and Persa for NU. Stanzi for Iowa.
 
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