New Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers made quite a first impression on the fan base on Thursday night when he was introduced to a raucous crowd at the Hilton Coliseum.
Rogers took the mic at midcourt and his final words to the crowd, as Iowa State was playing Iowa in the Cy-Hawk match up was, “Let’s cheer on Coach Otz and beat the f***ing Hawks!”
Here’s the video, courtesy of Cyclone Fanatic.
I don’t consider myself a prude, but was the f-bomb really necessary from Rogers? You’re not firing up a bunch of 18-22 year-olds in the locker room before a game. You’re talking to 15,000 fans, many of whom brought children to the game, because that’s the kind of atmosphere Cyclone Nation fosters.
This is not going to be the thing that determines what kind of tenure Jimmy Rogers has as a head coach in Ames. But for a guy in his late 30’s, like I am, who has young children, the lack of self awareness was disappointing. My kids are 7, 4 and 1, and had I been at the game with my oldest, or any of the kids, I would not have been thrilled with Rogers. Sure, it’s possible I’m at a game and have a drunken fan near me who is cursing up a storm. That can happen. But that’s not the same as the new multi-million dollar coach who has become the face of the University doing it at mid-court to the entire arena.
I host a daily radio show in Kansas City, and I always think about doing the show for the person in the back seat, not the front seat. And while the FCC doesn’t allow me to curse anyway, even when it comes to pushing certain boundaries, I know where to draw the line to make sure it’s a show that any parent can listen to, and be informed and entertained by, while also making sure the “back seat” doesn’t get offended or hear something that might force the “front seat” to change the channel.
Rogers wanted to fire up the crowd, which I respect. But if you feel you need to drop a massive expletive to make your presence felt and endear yourself to your new work family, your confidence in yourself is not nearly as high as it should be. And that might be the most concerning, and underlying part of this story.
