Thomas had lost his television remote yet again, this time in the folds of the afghan on the sofa. He was desperate to turn the volume down to zero, as a form of superstition if nothing else. But on this occasion the soundbar was blaring to the point that he couldn’t concentrate. Whenever there was a crucial play Thomas craved silence, zero external babel subverting his absorption of the moment. Besides, analysts rarely understood Iowa’s funky big play mindset, so why be subjected to any analytical platitudes that had nary a kernel of relevancy to his beloved Hawkeyes?
Ironically, on one occasion his nervousness was so great he forgot his volume-down ritual, which resulted in one of his favorite descriptors ever of a crucial Iowa play.