Hawkeyes distracted by pregame activites

To the editor:

It's not just Iowa. It happens to all our great Midwest football teams. If they're good enough to be invited to holiday bowl games, they have to be good enough to win them. Why don't they?

It's all the distracting hoopla depleting our players' energy and focus for one thing. So if Midwest teams entered their bowl games like a protected racehorse competing in the Kentucky Derby, those sophisticated coastal teams who have already seen all the sights might lose.

Midwest teams ought to arrive just in time for the game. No contact with the public. No coach interviews. No entertainments. No eating unusual foods. Just enough exercise to keep their muscles nimble. Enough videos of their opponent team to sharpen focus. In other words, keep pregame life normal.

How often some obscure racehorse so guarded by his keepers that few know of him noses past the Derby's ballyhooed favorites to win the race. Let some other team have the pregame glory, I say. Win the thing! Then sightsee. And we'll all celebrate.

Hope Sankot-Rogers

Vinton