Receivers' Suspensions a Blow to Depth [Why've they been suspended? Oh, same old shit... Doesn't matter... What matters is the blow to our depth...]

With Douglas, Bowman out, Hawks' receiving options few

By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen



The receiver position on the Iowa football roster morphed from an area of concern to a source of strength for the Hawkeyes during the second half of 2006, and the excitement generated with that growth carried through the first two weeks of preseason camp. [Starts on an up note. Will also end on one. Actually, the last note will be not just up, but inspirational, intended to swerve our attention from the latest, er, unpleasantness...]

Sure, Iowa had a few causes for concern leading up to the last two weeks of preparation for the Sept. 1 season opener against Northern Illinois. But there were seemingly few questions regarding the receiver position, perhaps other than how the Hawkeyes would utilize so many young and talented players. [Not terrible writing -- and SOS likes that cozy Sure to begin the paragraph -- but note the weasel words: seemingly, perhaps. And note his use of the very ugly utilize. Always use use when tempted to use utilize. And given the charming casualness of tone he's got, a word like regarding clashes.]

Until Monday.

That's when Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz announced the indefinite suspension of sophomore receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman after both players were arrested for unauthorized use of a credit card stemming from a May 8 incident when the Detroit natives allegedly racked up more than $2,000 in charges on two cards belonging to two separate victims, according to Johnson County District Court records. [Kind of reads like a run-on sentence; too many clauses. But it's okay.]

"The accusations are serious and, if proven to be true, are extremely disappointing for everyone associated with the University of Iowa and our football program," Ferentz said in a university-released statement. "As always, we will work with the appropriate individuals and entities on and off campus as this matter works its way through the legal system.

"As is often the case in matters of this nature, I am aware of inconsistencies in what may or may not have taken place. We need to let the legal process run its course."

[The writer simply quotes the coach - who, like most bigtime university coaches, is probably reading from very yellowed notes here - and then goes back to his anxious concern about depth.]

In the meantime, the Hawkeyes are left assessing who they have left [Repetition of left is a little clunky.] and which players slide into the roles previously held by Bowman and Douglas, Iowa's leading receiver last season.

Without Douglas and Bowman, the Hawkeyes have just two wide receivers on their roster who have caught passes at Iowa -- Brodell (45) and sophomore Trey Stross (13).

Stross sat out Saturday's scrimmage with leg soreness, although Ferentz said he expected Stross to return to practice early this week. Freshman Paul Chaney also spent time on the sidelines Saturday with a foot injury.

That left a lot of repetitions for redshirt freshmen James Cleveland and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and true freshman Colin Sandeman.

"(The receivers) had really good practices -- about as good as I've ever had in any camp that I've ever had since I've been here," junior starter Brodell said Saturday. "We all seem to be making plays. ...We all have the potential and we all have the ability, but it's production over potential, and whoever makes the most plays on a consistent level is going to play."

Douglas had already proven to be a consistent performer. He broke Iowa freshman receiving records for catches (49) and receiving yards (654) last year when he ranked first in the country among freshmen in those categories.

Bowman played sparingly last season as a true freshman. He returned four kickoffs for 76 yard but did not catch a pass.

Both players participated Saturday when the Hawkeyes scrimmaged at Kinnick Stadium and Douglas was one of 10 players made available to the media afterward. [This is all perfectly competent sports writing. And it moves the reader's attention swiftly from the routine, uninteresting business of criminality on the team -- these two aren't the only Iowa players in trouble with the law at the moment -- to what the guy's readers really care about: Whether they can win the next game.]

Douglas started the final 11 games of 2006 for the Hawkeyes and seemed to work his way back into good graces with the team after being demoted to working with the reserves late in the spring when he was dealing with academic issues. [Academic issues is a pleasant euphemism. The graduation rate for Iowa football players is appalling. But let's not go there.]

"I messed up in school my first semester and I learned from it," Douglas said Saturday. "I'll never put myself in another position like that because I hurt myself and I hurt the team also. I'm not a selfish person and I want to get my education, that's first things first."

When asked if he was fearful of having football taken away, Douglas said: "Definitely because you love football."

Douglas said two weeks ago at Iowa's annual media day gathering that he felt he learned a lesson from having to get his academics in order.

"I feel like I've grown as human being and as a football player," he said. [Note the power of ending this piece on this resounding cliche. From the start, the article has shifted our attention from the newsworthy, scandalous aspects of this typical bigtime American football team to parochial questions of field strategy. And to make sure we forget why the team's up shit's creek, the reporter will end with this utterly false assurance from one of the players that all is well.]

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