Tuesdays with Torbee

It is time to end, or at the very least press pause, on the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game.

This was not my opinion at 10:59 a.m. Tuesday, one minute before the Iowa State Athletic Director strode to a podium in Ames. But after Jamie Pollard victim-blamed the Iowa Band for being assaulted and abused after the contest, engaged in ludicrous “whataboutism” by claiming Iowa State band members have suffered similar abuse in Kinnick and obsequiously insisted the Cyclone fanbase is among the best in the country if not the entire world, it is clear Iowa must take a principled stand

That stand must be to refuse to play this game until such time the man in charge of Iowa State athletics makes any effort at accountability for the shameful actions that occurred in Ames.

Not only did Pollard minimize the physical assaults on Iowa band members - one of whom required medical attention for broken ribs after being shoved and falling on a ladder – he also failed to address an allegation that a female member of the Iowa band was groped and touched inappropriately. Somehow that fact didn’t make Pollard’s list of five “alleged incidents” he shared during Tuesday’s press conference.

Not surprising that would be conveniently left out in the age of #MeToo and mandatory reporting by an athletic director more concerned with protecting his school’s brand and ensuring the golden goose that is the Cy-Hawk game keeps laying gold eggs.

To be sure, in between his insistence that “Iowa State band members have been subjected to similar abuse while performing in Iowa City” and “chastising the Iowa band for failing to exit from the open east gate” the head Cyclone offered some platitudes about how much he “really cares.”

Yeah, sure.

If that care and concern is so deep, maybe Pollard can answer these questions:

· Why, if a safe atmosphere is such a priority at Jack Trice Stadium, were patrons allowed to exit during the nearly three hours of rain delays and to return to their seats? Iowa does not allow any re-entry to Kinnick after a patron exits, let alone re-entry after several hours where thousands presumably returned to booze-filled tailgates.

· Why did the Iowa State Director of Facilities have to issue a written letter of apology for screaming in the Iowa band director’s face to “GET THE F—K OFF MY FIELD!”? Is it possible that command was the impetus for the Iowa band marching out of Jack Trice while Iowa State fans were still attempting to exit the stadium? Leaving early and by the “wrong” gate is, after all, something Pollard “chastised” the Iowa band for doing.

· Why did Iowa State have the marching band buses parked on the east entrance of the stadium if it was the west gate that he wanted the band to march out of?

· Why did Pollard gloss over and fail to mention the sexual harassment allegation that University of Iowa officials said was turned over to its Office of Sexual Misconduct? Does he expect us to believe he was not made aware of that allegation?

Predictably, Pollard’s apologist press conference did little to defuse the already raw and accusatory feelings between Hawkeye and Cyclone supporters. In its wake, social media was awash with accusations, counter-accusations, acrimony and insults.

And this was supposed to help ensure the rivalry continued in a friendlier fashion?

This is why the series needs to be put on ice, at least for a cooling off period. The bad blood between the two programs – egged on by Pollard’s continual pettiness – is not going to dissipate prior to next September’s game. In all likelihood, it will only grow nastier.

Even if 90 or 95 percent of Iowa and ISU fans can behave well, peacefully co-exist and refrain from acting like jackasses about a football game, that still leaves thousands who cannot. That is not a safe equation, for anyone.

Finally, I want to make it crystal clear that I am aware that boorish - even criminal and deplorable – behavior can be observed in and around Kinnick stadium directed at opposing fans and traveling parties. When you have tens of thousands of fired up, often intoxicated, sports fans in a small space, bad things can and do happen.

What I have not observed, however, is any Iowa athletic department or administration official not taking those reports seriously or claim “both sides” do it as an excuse for inaction. That is what the Iowa State athletic director did Tuesday. And that is unconscionable.

Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and @12Saturdays