THE BIG HAWKEYE: PINK PASSION

Locally, the color pink in the Hawkeye opposition locker room is a case of much to do about nothing.

Last week, an adjunct law professor at the University of Iowa called the colors in the locker room sexist and homophobic. The administration said no it was not. The adjunct got hate mail and e-mail. There was a front page story in the GAZETTE about the administration and Gazette columnist Mike Dupree also made some remarks.

They all miss the point. The pink in the locker room of the opposition is MILLER-BAKER pink. It is meant to encourage lethargy, disorientation and passivity. These are not ingredients for good football players. It is used in prisons and holding tanks.

Years ago, when teaching criminology, I discovered the research on MILLER-BAKER and went out and bought a gallon. I painted hundreds of 3 by 5 cards with this special pink. I gave the cards to each student without telling them what it was. I then asked them to record their thoughts. For the most part, they were zonked. After they gathered their senses and put the cards away, they discussed their feelings. They were anything but aggressive.

It is time to put this problem to rest. Hayden Fry put the pink in the locker room to cool out the opposition. He did not say what kind of pink that it was. If anything, it is now time to send Kirk Ferentz an e-mail saying that he is a great coach. Great coaches do not win 10 games every season. Huskers Tom Osborne couldn’t do it. Bobby Stoops appears not to be doing it. Thus, we can use all the help with psychological tricks that can help Ferentz. We were clobbered by Ohio State and Iowa State.

By the way, MILLER-BAKER comes only in pink.