2015

As with last year, let's review the things I said I'd like to see in 2014, with my new notes in ALL CAPS:

-The (continued) fall of the so-called Tea Party conservatives.
(NOT REALLY.  GIVEN THE OUTCOME OF THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS, THEY'VE AT LEAST HELD AND MAYBE GAINED STRENGTH.)

-Less Kanye / Less Miley.
(NO FOR KANYE, YES FOR MILEY.)

-Apple TV.
(NOPE, BUT WE GOT APPLE PAY AND WE'RE GETTING THE APPLE WATCH.)

-NCAA basketball Sweet 16 trips for either Iowa and Iowa State.
(NO FOR IOWA, YES FOR IOWA STATE.)

-Better football from the Cyclones and Vikings - the bar is incredibly low.
(NO FOR THE CYCLONES, YES - BARELY - FOR THE VIKINGS.)

-Warmer Spring weather, at least where it doesn't snow again in May.
(IT WAS DEFINITELY BETTER.)

-More legalization of marijuana beyond what's happening in Colorado on 1/1/2014.
(YES, SORT OF.  THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PASSED A VOTE TO LEGALIZE IT.  BUT STATES LIKE IOWA STILL CAN'T BRING THEMSELVES TO EVEN LEGALIZE MEDICINAL USE.)

-A la carte cable TV channels.  It's only a matter of time before cable providers will have to do this to compete with computer streaming.  Why not in 2014?
(NO AGAIN, ALTHOUGH COMPANIES LIKE NETFLIX AND AMAZON PRIME ARE INCHING US CLOSER TO IT.)

For 2015 I'd like to see:

Less glorification of big butts.

A Final Four for Iowa State men's basketball, and an NCAA tournament berth for both Iowa and Northern Iowa men's basketball.

More action, less inaction by the U.S. Congress.

Stephen Colbert dominating late night television, with Conan and Fallon and Stewart right behind.

Common use of Apple Pay.

Might as well go for it again -- at least medicinal marijuana legalization in Iowa.

A vaccine against Ebola.

A week-long vacation for me.

2014

As with last year, let's review the things I said I'd like to see in 2013, with my new notes in ALL CAPS:

-Me take more time off.  A repeat.  Hoping it happens this time.
(I'M GOING TO STOP WRITING THIS ONE.)

-Compromise in the U.S. Congress.  After all, it's not an election year.
(NOT COUNTING THE ALLEGED DECEMBER BUDGET COMPROMISE, TEA PARTY REPUBLICANS TOOK US FARTHER FROM COMPROMISE, NOT CLOSER.)

-A reduction in U.S. government spending and subsidies
(SMALL REDUCTION OF WIND AND ETHANOL SPENDING, BUT THIS IS A FAIRY TALE.)

-Fewer reality TV shows starring hillbillys.
(COULD NOT HAVE GONE MORE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.  THEY ARE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER.  JUST LOOK AT MY PREVIOUS POST.)

-Successful planning and execution of all family weddings.
(NAILED IT.)

-An end to the central U.S. drought.

(A LESSER DROUGHT IS NOT AN END TO THE DROUGHT - BUT FARMERS BROUGHT IN A RECORD CROP SO I GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT MUCH ANYMORE.)

-The siding on my house to be repaired.
(GOT DONE IN OCTOBER, BUT ONLY THANKS TO MULTIPLE CALLS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.)

For 2014 I'd like to see:

The (continued) fall of the so-called Tea Party conservatives.

Less Kanye / Less Miley.

Apple TV.

NCAA basketball Sweet 16 trips for either Iowa and Iowa State.

Better football from the Cyclones and Vikings - the bar is incredibly low.

Warmer Spring weather, at least where it doesn't snow again in May.

More legalization of marijuana beyond what's happening in Colorado on 1/1/2014.

A la carte cable TV channels.  It's only a matter of time before cable providers will have to do this to compete with computer streaming.  Why not in 2014?

Bad Calls

Even opposing teams agree: Iowa State athletics and its fans have been blatantly robbed three times in less than eight months in big, nationally televised games.

The latest cut came last week in football, when a Texas running back seemed to lose the football near the goal line, and replay officials claimed they didn't have indisputable visual evidence to overturn the call that everyone else could see.  Thus, a 90+ yard, ISU game winning fumble return TD was turned into a Texas win.

This piles on top of the two other blown officiating calls that cost ISU dearly in basketball this year. First, the no-call charge debacle against Kansas in February, and then the block-charge screw-up in the NCAA basketball tournament against Ohio State a month later.  Both occurred very near the end of the game, and both were clearly declared to be wrong later.  (How wrong?  Well, the Big 12 apologized and reprimanded the Kansas game officials.  And since the Ohio State game, the NCAA has clarified the rules relating to when a player can take a charge.)

National media personalities agree these were all crappy calls, but then most of them eventually say that it doesn't come down to one call.  That's true, but also stupid.  Bad calls late in a game are much worse than other times, because the offended team has no time to adapt.  Don't say there were other times that plays could have been made, when in fact the play of the game was made, but taken away by the officials.

The commiseration from national sports media folks on all of these bad officiating calls is nice I suppose, as is the commiseration from other teams' fans.  (I wore ISU gear to a Nebraska football game in Lincoln this past weekend, and no fewer than 4 fans spontaneously told me something to the effect of, "You got screwed!") But it doesn't change outcomes or better the attitude of Cyclone Nation.  They're just left to know that karma is a bitch - Kansas and Ohio State later lost heartbreakers in the NCAA tournament, and this year's Texas football team is already circling the drain.

It's probably best to simply accept that, home or away, when in doubt, officials' calls are going to favor the traditional national power.

Cyclones, Hawkeyes, Elephants, Donkeys

Over the past two weeks, the Republicans and Democrats wrapped up their respective national conventions.  These things have really changed over the years.  Everything is so scripted and made-for-TV now, there is no potential for any surprise.  And the broadcast networks only show the last hour of each nigh - back in the day, it was the only thing on TV the entire evening, and since there was no cable TV then, you were stuck.

Over the past week, another big event soaked up media time in Iowa.  Specifically, the Iowa - Iowa State football game.  These games have also changed a lot over the years.  In the '80s and '90s, Iowa would routinely win big.  Now the game is more competitive, with Iowa State winning the last two, and 9 of the last 15.

Now, why write about these seemingly different things?  What do these events have in common?  Plenty:

• Each party/team has some passionate supporters.  People who will vocally and monetarily back their party/team regardless of how good the actual product is.

• Each party/team has some extremist supporters.  People who will take whatever action necessary they believe will help their party/team to win, including lies and even violence.

• Each event rarely lives up to the hype.  They are small parts of a longer effort to achieve a larger goal, and the event itself is forgotten in a few months or weeks.

Oh, and one more:  There is lots of partying before and during each event.