Pickleball as I've gotten older has become more fun. I need the smaller court! LOL. Central Iowa has lots of options. If you haven't played check out the rules too!

I just finished a 45 day stint in rehab due to alcohol abuse. I started drinking at 18 in 1979. It really was not a problem until 2009. My career took a hit when a guy I thought was a friend and I hired stabbed me in the back. It was also around the time of Mad Men, and we started keeping Single Barrel Burboun and Single Malt in the house all the time. I would have my first drink as soon as I walked in the door, but that was usually between 7pm and 10pm. Then I had a career change and started getting home at 4:30. So starting when I walked through the door made things considerably worse.
In 2018 I began going to AA but I hated it. I never did a step past #1, and never got a sponsor. Still I made it 13.5 months sober. Then in November 2019, at a tailgate, a I decided I could handle it, and did ok through the end of 2022. Following Cancer Surgery removed my stomach, I continued to drink and my wife was getting concerned, but it had still not reached a crisis point.
In the spring of 2025 my daughter was diagnosed with the same cancer, but her's was stage 4. She died last October, and the crisis was getting big in the window. I can't remember anything that happened after 7 pm for most of May 2026. At that point it was Rehab or lose my family. Almost unbelievably my job performance was receiving awards and no one new I had a problem.
Now I'm back home. A couple of things I always thought were stupid were Journaling and Meditation. They became my most important allies in my recovery. I'm continuing both, and I'm going to a Buddhist Temple to continue to improve my meditation skills. I'm going to a more White Collar AA group, but I am also going to the Science based Smart Recovery, and Recovery Dharma.
I think my 13 months of sobriety in 18-19 both showed me that I can live alcohol free, but I can't ever drink again. I am going to get it done this time, one day at a time.
If anyone else is battling addiction of any kind and would like to post here about your journey, it would be great to know we are not in this alone.

In his first Big 12 Media Day, head coach Jimmy Rogers brought five players down to Frisco ahead of the 2026 season. Watch everything Rogers, quarterback Jaylen Raynor, running back Aiden Flora, defensive end Isaac Terrell, cornerback David Coffey and kicker Kyle Konrardy said on Wednesday morning.

During the CF after dark Litecast, they started bringing up random players they remember. Here are a few random ones that came to my head.

Demond Tucker - DL - 2015 to 2016? He was really quick for a DT, but kind of fizzled out his senior year.

Jeremiah Schwartz - RB, I remember a coach calling him "a rolling ball of butcher knives". He started at the Nebraska win in Lincoln (8 TO game) but never did much. I think he transferred to Ohio or something.

Brett Medders - had a few big catches in the win against Iowa back in 2014? I think he is Lindsey Fennelly's brother.

Do you have any random ISU football players that stick in your head and what you remember them for?

Jake Brend and Chris Williams recap day one of Big 12 Football Media Days. What to make of Brett Yormark's interaction with a Texas Tech reporter? Plus, reactions to Monster's sponsorship of the conference and Deion Sanders' press conference. All of that and more presented by Whiskey River in the Northwest Bank Studios. Login to view embedded media

Fired up the Nets game last night and found out JJeff can't play until the Randall trade is finalized. He should be available for the second half of the games.

Pacers start on the 10th. Lipsey should be getting some run in those games.

Any other ISU guys playing in the summer league this season?

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The following is a press release from Iowa State Athletics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2026

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State Men’s Basketball Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger has finalized his staff for the 2026-27 season.

Chuck Ruffing has been named an assistant coach, while Richardson Maitre and Fletcher McGarvey have been added as graduate assistants. In addition to the three latest newcomers to the staff, Thomas Pollard has been moved to the Director of Recruiting, while Diante Garrett is now the Director of Player Development.

The Big 12 releases the preseason All-Big 12 teams with zero Cyclones represented for the 2026 season. https://cyclonefanatic.com/2026/07/zero-cyclones-represented-on-preseason-all-big-12-team/

New Randy column is up.

He looks back at the Big 12 from 2016 to now and the amount of turnover is pretty wild. Not a single head coach from that group is still around. Good perspective piece with Media Days this week!

Chris Williams and Brent Blum preview Big 12 Media Days for the Cyclones and the rest of the Big 12. What could they learn about Iowa State? Expectations, recruiting news, and remembering a legend. All this and more courtesy of Mechdyne.

Over the weekend, the United States of America celebrated 250 years of independence.

In this week's Monday Musings, Andrew Harrington says that the leaders of college athletics need to take notes from the founding fathers and make some rules.
https://cyclonefanatic.com/2026/07/monday-musings-declaring-iowa-states-independence/

Its the offseason, and a lot of the discussion around the World Cup and soccer rules makes it clear that it's been too long since we have been able to complain about officiating, and also that every sport could use some changes.

So, if you had the power to make or change any rule, or the way a rule is enforced, etc, in any sport, what would you change?

While doing research on which phone service to buy, don't EVER click on anything that has anything to do with Mint Mobile. Here's what happens if you do. Every video you watch will get interrupted by at least three Mint Mobile ads. Even if you aren't watching a video, there will be pop-up ad after pop-up ad on your computer, many of which get in the way of the content you want to read and they won't go away. The buttons to exit the ads are inoperable/inactive in most of them. A third problem: Your email will be flooded with Mint Mobile ads, even if you didn't give them your email address. It's just better not to click on anything to do with Mint Mobile.

Looks like he didnt play the other day but theres another game tomorrow.

Can someone in leadership help me with my premium membership? I’ve been paying double for my fanatic premium membership since January. Can I get that fixed and also get a refund for the months I’ve been double up on? I’ve sent a couple private messages on this already and it hasn’t landed so I’m looking for whatever help I can get!

Thank you!

y’all be safe tonight and tomorrow with your fireworks!!!

Hopefully will stay with us.

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Every FIFA team is full of Marcus Smart flopping fakes.

That's all.

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For our country's 250 birthday our topic is songs with country in the title or lyrics.

We are not allowing specific country names. (that would run counter to the 4th/250th theme and US / USA has been done before)


“On That Note” is presented each week on Cyclone Fanatic by @MeanDean, @cyclones500 and myself.

Last Week: Livin' it up at the Hotel ...

Jake Brend, Rob Gray, and Ben Hutchens discuss what Christian Wiggins’ injury means for Iowa State, the type of depth that T.J. Otzelberger has in the front court, and more hoops topics. Plus, Hutchens dives into his profile on Alli St. John, and the fellas spin the wheel. Presented by Kelderman Manufacturing.

Time to gather up all our Wet Wisdom, thanks to BlueSky.

These are brief but undeniable truths that you realize while taking a shower, assuming that you stop singing long enough to have any.

Speak up, CyFan Nation. What revelations have you had during your ablutions?

Here's one to get you started...

Opened up my email saw that the AD has raised the prices on the bottom 5 rows of the balcony all the way around the balcony, in addition to what I'm pretty sure was a overall tkt raise. The price of success I guess.
Haven't seen WBB prices yet, but if they went up it's just a money grab, the product on the court lately hasn't demanded a price increase and last yrs mass defections didn't help anything.