Nothing says Iowa football more than smothering defense, rocket punts and often inept offense.
And perhaps no song marks a triumphant return more than 50 Cent’s 2003 hit “Many Men” from his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
When you marry a gangster rap anthem with a 69-year-old white football coach coming back from one-game suspension to coach in a rivalry a lot of folks have dubbed “El Assico” – well, that’s when you create another moment that epitomizes why so many people love college football. It’s silly, fun, wildly dumb, petty and on-the-nose, and it leans into all of it.
In case you missed it, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz was suspended for the Hawkeyes’ season-opener for a recruiting violation.
That set up the scene on Saturday afternoon at Kinnick Stadium, where Ferentz appeared on the sidelines for the first time this season. As he walked out to the field and was shown on the jumbotron, 50 Cent’s iconic track boomed from the loudspeakers.
Didn’t have Kirk Ferentz returning from suspension to “Many Men” on my preseason bingo card. pic.twitter.com/BOdYgZobxh
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) September 7, 2024
“Many Men” playing while Kirk Ferentz walks into Kinnick for his first game back since his suspension. pic.twitter.com/x8kcvGcfhA
— Sean Bock (@SBock247) September 7, 2024
Kirk Ferentz walks into Kinnick for his first game of 2024…with “Many Men” as an entrance song. pic.twitter.com/wnisj4Cg8v
— Mitch Fick (@MCFick) September 7, 2024
If it feels like “Many Men” is seeing a resurgence 21 years after its initial release, that’s because it very much is. According to Billboard, the song increased in on-demand audio streams by 250% in July in the days after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. 50 Cent noticed this too and started selling new T-shirts about the song.
We’ll keep you posted on any 50 Cent appearances alongside Ferentz. Perhaps the rapper has a future as the Hawkeyes’ next offensive coordinator. He can’t do any worse than the last guy.
