Source: @geoffcohn

Professional Fox Sports yeller Colin Cowherd has made a living in the past two seasons by attacking Iowa’s football team, starting with the program’s run to an undefeated regular season in 2015.

He has recently taken issue with Iowa’s weak non-conference schedule, then exaggerated his claims from there. He now sells shirts calling Iowa the “Fake ID” of college football, and he generally makes claims that make no sense when paired with context. For that, he earned a place in Awful Announcing’s “This Week In Hot Takes.”

Cowherd started to attack Iowa again when Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt was on his show, rolling out the “Fake ID” line while also praising the San Francisco 49ers’ draft, which included two Iowa players. Klatt, a former Colorado quarterback with no Iowa ties, fought back.

Here’s a transcription:

Cowherd: We’ve got about a minute here. The Fake ID of college football, Iowa …

Klatt: Listen, you come out here and you’re praising John Lynch and the 49ers …

Cowherd: GREAT draft …

Klatt: You’re trying to jump on this Iowa bandwagon, I’m not gonna allow it. I’m not gonna allow you to jump on the bandwagon of [former Iowa quarterback] C.J. Beathard and [former Iowa tight end] George Kittle and say what great picks they were when you’ve been bashing Iowa for the past year-and-a-half. That’s a good program up there.

Cowherd: Oh, yeah, who they playing to start the season this year?

Klatt: I don’t care, who does anyone play to start the season this year?

Cowherd: I … I’m … I’m not anti-individual player.

Klatt: If you’re gonna get on the schedule, at least the Big Ten plays nine conference games. The SEC’s playing eight conference games.

Cowherd: The SEC’s embarrassing, I’ll acknowledge that, but Iowa could do themselves a favor and find somebody that I’ve heard of.

Klatt: I am not going to allow you, listeners, listen, hold Colin accountable. You can not allow him to praise the 49ers’ draft, because he’s been bashing Iowa for two years. You can’t get on the bandwagon now. Sorry. George Kittle and C.J. Beathard are giving you the finger right now.

Cowherd: They’re facing Wyoming, Iowa State and something called North Texas.

Klatt: Wyoming might have the best quarterback prospect in the draft next year, Josh Allen. You heard it here.

Cowherd: Yeah, 6-5, big kid, he can throw it, I’ve seen him.

Klatt: You can’t do it. Stop praising the 49ers’ draft. Praise John Lynch only, not the 49ers’ draft.

Cowherd: Alright hey, great seeing you. Klatt.

Klatt: Great seeing you, too.

Cowherd’s Iowa hate is pretty ridiculous and certainly out of hand for someone who isn’t a fan of Iowa State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska or Northwestern. That said, it’s surprising to see a Fox Sports colleague be the one to call him out.

Even if Klatt lost a fan in Cowherd, he gained a lot of fans in Iowa City.

About Kevin Trahan

Kevin mostly covers college football and college basketball, with an emphasis on NCAA issues and other legal issues in sports. He is also an incoming law student. He's written for SB Nation, USA Today, VICE Sports, The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.

5 thoughts on “Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt mocks Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd for his attacks on Iowa football

  1. There is actually an Iowa tie to Joel Klatt. His brother, Rick, is a longtime employee at the University of Iowa. Rick was in the athletic department for a long time until moving over to the university’s strategic communications department.

  2. How is Iowa any different from any other team that plays some cupcake like Northwestern Southeastern Montana Valley State Tech? I don’t understand why he beats that drum. Odd.

  3. Coward doesn’t give a crap about anything beyond his ratings and the size of his paychecks. He probably loved getting called out. It got him attention.

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