LEAD: The Iowa track program hosted a rare home meet today. While Iowa hosts the Big Ten Championships in three weeks, most of Iowa's competitions are out of state. Daily Iowan TV's Ben Schuff takes a look at why that is.
Ben Schuff (Stand-up): After three straight weekends of running on the road at Arizona State, LSU, and Auburn, the Iowa men's and women's track and field teams returned to Iowa City this weekend for its only home meet of the year, under the lights.
Ben Schuff (VO): The Iowa Hawkeyes hosted the 12th annual Musco Twilight track meet today and men's head track coach Larry Wieczorek said his goal for the meet was to make his track athletes...
Larry Wieczorek (SOT): "...stars for the night under the Musco lights. And for the fans to have a lot of fun."
Ben Schuff (VO): This is the only home track meet of the year for Iowa, and the reason is simple: weather. In order for the Hawkeyes to face the best competition possible, they must travel to warmer climates...or face the cold, blustry conditions that they were greeted with today. But still, many of the Hawkeyes said they were excited about the opportunity to run and perform under the lights.
Nick Brayton (SOT): "It's awesome. Typically we don't get to go under the lights like this. It's usually during the morning or middle of the day."
Ben Schuff (VO): Although it won't be in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes will have another home meet of sorts next weekend, when they compete in the Drake Relays in Des Moines. Ben Schuff, Daily Iowan TV.
Lead: WITH A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF UNIVERSITY OF IOWA STUDENTS HAILING FROM ILLINOIS, CHICAGO SPORTS TEAMS ARE WELL REPRESENTED ON CAMPUS. BUT WHAT DO IOWA BORN STUDENTS THINK OF THEIR NEIGHBORING STATE'S FANS? DAILY IOWAN TV'S SHANE CARNEY AND BEN SCHUFF HAS THE STORY.
Shane Carney (Stand-up): Kinnick Stadium is a far ways from Soldier Field and the United Center, but students from the Chicago area bring their sports pride and tradition here to Iowa City.
Derek Kotlar (SOT): "Obviously, still love the Iowa Hawkeyes, but I mean nothing beats the Bears, the Hawks, the Bulls. That’s where it is at, it’s pro sports, it’s the elite."
Shane Carney (VO): Chicago is looked at as one of the great sports cities in the country, with 6 professional teams.When I spoke with a few Chicago natives they said they enjoy having multiple teams to cheer for, and feel as though Iowa locals suffer from the lack of in-state professional teams.
Nick Butera (SOT): "Yeah, I definitely think it is harder for kids from Iowa to associate themselves with a professional team just because they don’t have anything. They have the Hawkeyes or UNI and they associate themselves with college when the pros are a little bit bigger and a little bit more fun."
Shane Carney (VO): Chicago sports fans should have plenty of fun this spring with the Blackhawks and Bulls both contending for championships in their sports. For some Iowa locals, it is a long ways until football season and they are already tired of hearing about Chicago sports. Ben Schuff discovers their views on Chicago fans.
Student One (SOT): "A joke."
Student Two (SOT): "Cocky."
Student Three (SOT): "Ignorant."
Student Four (SOT): "Selfish."
Student Five (SOT): "I think they're a bunch of chumps."
Student Six (SOT): "I'd definitely say unreasonable."
Student Seven (SOT): "Arrogant."
Student Eight (SOT): "They're just a bunch of fair weather fans."
Student Nine (SOT): "Pitiful."
Ben Schuff (VO): That is how a handful of Iowa sports fans who grew up in the state describe their peers from Chicago. And frankly, some of them are tired of their Illinois counter-parts.
Mitch Taylor (SOT): "Sometimes, they just think they run Iowa City and that this place is Chicago. Or like, those people from Chicago run the place."
Ben Schuff (VO): The differences between colligate and professional sports cultures in Iowa City and Chicago are what have created a friendly, but intense rivalry among students. Lacking a professional team, many who grew up near Iowa City bleed black and gold. But, with a handful of pro teams in Chicago, less of an importance is placed on college sports.
Kevin Moran (SOT): "For us, there is like four different things, so there is always things going on, like “oh the Bears are this, but the Cubs are playing now and the Bears signed a free agent.” So we are always talking about our teams which probably makes us seem more annoying than we are just because we have four."
Ben Schuff (VO): Hearing the word “Hawks” on campus has different meanings to the two sides. Locally, it is used to refer to the Iowa Hawkeyes, but to Chicago fans it implies the Chicago Blackhawks.
Mitch Plimmer (SOT): "People will be like, “Did the Hawks win tonight?” and I’ll be like they didn’t even play and then its like “Oh they mean the Blackhawks.” The Hawks aren’t playing, typical Chicago kids they don’t even know when the Hawkeyes play."
Ben Schuff (Stand-up): Many Iowa born students I spoke with said despite the state lacking any professional teams, Iowa Hawkeye athletics are still second to none. I’m Ben Schuff, Daily Iowan TV.
Lead: BRYAN ILG WAS TIRED OF PAYING PARKING TICKETS. A UI BUSINESS STUDENT, ILG AND HIS FRIEND WERE LOOKING TO START A BUSINESS THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE STUDENTS' TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING ISSUES. DAILY IOWAN TV'S BEN SCHUFF HAS THE STORY.
Ben Schuff (VO): It all started with a simple google search for small business ideas. After seeing a result for a bike shop, Ilg quickly localized that: mopeds.
Bryan Ilg (SOT):"The moment we woke up to about five o'clock everyday, from September to November, we just researched how to start this business."
Ben Schuff (VO): While Ilg and friend Josh Bass intended to call their partnership University Moped, they discovered it would cost five hundred dollars to purchase that domain name. So the two decided on MopedU. This is the first semester MopedU is open for business and with just over 30 available mopeds, Ilg said they get about one person every other day interested in renting a ride.
Bryan Ilg (SOT): "I just think we're trying to make mopeds no hassle, affordable for everybody - especially college students."
Ben Schuff (VO): Ben Schuff, Daily Iowan TV.
Anchor tag: Individuals interested in renting a moped have four different options to choose from, depending how long you want to rent one for. The options range from a one day rental for $24.99 to a three month, session rental at $114.99 per month.
