Todd Brommelkamp / 1600ESPN
As we pause this week to inhale turkey, consume football and pile up credit card debt on Black Friday deals, it’s important to remember to take a moment to give thanks for everything in our lives.
College fan bases and coaches are no different than you or me. They have reasons to feel blessed as well.
Here are a few, as I see it.
Iowa women’s basketball
The Hawkeyes can be thankful that when Lisa Bluder decided it was time to retire, her longtime lieutenant Jan Jensen was more than ready to step into the role of head coach. The Hawks, despite no longer having Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin running the show, remain undefeated and just this week cracked the Top 25 for the first time.
Iowa men’s basketball
Fran McCaffery owes a debt of gratitude to schools like South Carolina Upstate and Rider. Without them, the Hawks may have to resort to playing opponents like Northern Iowa or Drake. Who would want to see that?
Iowa football
Give thanks for the arrival of new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. Not only has the former Western Michigan coach breathed life into a stale offense, he appears to finally be the program’s answer to its quarterback conundrum. Not only can he coach the position, having played it for the Broncos (the ones in Kalamazoo, not Denver), but he seems to have an eye for talent there as well. Without his identifying Jackson Stratton, who knows who the Hawkeyes would be starting at quarterback this Friday against Nebraska?
Iowa State football
Cyclones fans everywhere can give thanks to the chaotic nature of college football. Without it, Iowa State would be playing for nothing more than bowl positioning this week. Instead, Matt Campbell’s team now finds itself poised to reach the Big 12 title game with a win over Kansas State and, by extension, can dream of an appearance in the expanded College Football Playoff with a win in said championship game.
Iowa State women’s basketball
Just be thankful that Northern Iowa and Drake are in the rearview mirror. A late Audi Crooks field goal against the Bulldogs kept Bill Fennelly’s squad from going 0-for-2 against instate Missouri Valley rivals this season. On second thought, maybe McCaffery is on to something.
UNI football
How can Panthers fans not feel more than a bit of gratitude for years of stability under Mark Farley? His final season in Cedar Falls may not have played out the way he, his team or fans may have wanted, but at least he went out a winner in his final game.
You
Let’s end this with a little self-indulgence on the part of yours truly. In a media landscape that has seen news outlets shuttered, jobs cut and the rise of bland AI-generated content, you’ve still got somewhere you can turn for local coverage of the teams that mean the most to you. Whether it’s listening to me in the mornings or The Gym Class or Spencer on Sports in the afternoon, 1600 ESPN gives you what no other radio station in the state of Iowa can offer. That’s a locally owned and operated, locally staffed station with morning and afternoon drive programming designed with you in mind. I supposed I should be thankful for that as well. After all, this pays the bills and helped put that big turkey on the table this week.
Whether you’re gathering with family and friends or spending the holiday week by yourself, understand this: I’m thankful you’re listening and reading.
I’ll be back Monday morning.
Todd Brommelkamp is the host of “The Todd Brommelkamp Show” and can be heard weekday mornings on 1600ESPN from 6:30 to 9 a.m.
