BHGPodcast 47

Back in 1839, the then-Iowa territory and Missouri fought a war over the boundary between the two states, a war won by Iowa when their steely glares and modern weaponry ("In the Iowans' ranks were to be found men armed with blunderbusses, flintlocks, and quaint old ancestral swords that had probably adorned the walls for many generations. One private carried a plough coulter over his shoulder by means of a log chain, another had an old-fashioned sausage stuffer for a weapon, while a third shouldered a sheet iron sword about six feet long") scared the Missourians into submission.

A mere 161 years later, we're playing football. Bill Connelly of Rock M Nation and Football Outsiders joins us to preview the Insight Bowl and wave the white flag of surrender once again.

BHGPodcast 46

In the end, it really wasn't that complicated. Simple, even obvious, like spending an hour on a Rubik's cube that's one rotation from completion. He loved her, that he knew to be true. And that feeling beamed out from his pores, and it reflected off of her and back at him, but at what felt like a 5% discount, like there was a half-life. And it was then and there, on a bench outside the hospital where he had just found out he had inoperable scurvy, which was an especially bad problem because he'd only gone to the doctor because he'd been drafted into the Navy, and having scurvy probably wouldn't disqualify him from joining the Navy because c'mon it's the Navy they all have scurvy eventually, two blocks from the office building where he'd first heard of the alien invaders who were ravaging the countryside, which was fine by him because he would be in the ocean on a Navy ship suffering from scurvy while fighting the smaller alien boats, it was here where he realized that his love was radioactive.

Kinda like the bombs they had to use on the aliens that were conquering the world.

It's sad like that.

BHGPodcast 45

HATE WEEK continues on the podcast, where Jacobi and Vint talk with longtime Friend of the Pants and frequent commenter White Speed Receiver about the Minnesota coaching search, the Shakespearean tragedy that is Adam Weber, the magical disappearance of Hayo Carpenter, and what would happen if Joel Maturi decided to hire Brad Childress as the new Gopher coach. It's funny, and it would be funnier if it didn't sound like WSR was contemplating performing ritualistic Seppuku at any given moment. HATE WEEK is the best.

BHGPodcast 44

The championship campaign might be over, but the show must go on. For the second straight season, a loss to just Northwestern casts a pall over the penultimate BHGPodcast of the season. We're plodding along, though, and we're joined by Luke of Eleven Warriors, a/k/a @worstfan for the Twitterazi. The man knows Ohio State football and enjoys the obscene as much as we do; naturally, it's a perfect fit.

BHGPodcast 43

It's Northwestern week, and that means we can either talk with someone who can take a joke, or we could talk to the other seven Northwestern fans. We chose the former, and that means half an hour with Rodger Sherman of Sippin' on Purple. Of course, that means we discuss anything but football. It's not exactly a spoiler alert for the BHGPod, but let's just say the discussion goes off the rails. We talked with Sherman last year, too, and you saw how well that worked out.

BHGPodcast 42

For Indiana week, we're joined once again by John from The Crimson Quarry, SBN's Indiana blog. Despite the fact that Indiana has been one of the toughest outs on any Iowa schedule in the last decade, John is confident in his team's ability to score fewer points than the Hawkeyes over the course of sixty minutes. You have to admire his persistence; the last few years have not been good for Indiana fans.

BHGPodcast 41

For our Michigan State preview, we're joined once again by LVS from The Only Colors, which is like BHGP if we replaced the fart jokes with honest-to-God news and analysis. And if that wasn't enough to make you listen, SPOILER ALERT Adam Jacobi sings "Shoop" by Salt n' Pepa.

BHGPodcast 40

We close out Michigan week with the second edition of UBERPOD, as BHGP's Adam and Patrick join Maize n' Brew Dave to talk about the Big Ten's slate, with special emphasis on the Hawkeyes' date with the Wolverines tomorrow afternoon. Worlds collide. Everyone wins.

BHGPodcast 39

We bring Purdue Hate Week to a close with the BHGPodcast, in which Adam, Ross, and I basically slander everything boilermaker-related. Essentially none of this is true, and even less of it should be said in public. About as unsafe for work as Kirk Ferentz was earlier this week, too, so put earmuffs on the kids or that sensitive coworker in the next cubicle.

BHGPodcast 38

For Penn State week, we're joined by our pals from Slow States, Chris and Kevin, to discuss whether PSU actually has a chance of winning this weekend (SPOILER ALERT they don't), whether Iowa's special teams are special like the Olympics (SPOILER ALERT they are), and how tailgating rules affect us all (SPOILER ALERT we'll still drink before the game). It's a pleasant conversation with some truly despicable individuals.

BHGPodcast 37

As we recover from last weekend's loss to Arizona and prepare for this week's game, Jacobi and I take a few minutes to talk about Ball State football with Alan Rucker of Over the Pylon, the absolutely fantastic BSU blog. As a quick warning, this one gets pretty NSFW early on. We don't request that 'Explicit' tag for nothing.

BHGPodcast 36

For this week's podcast, we totally knock the piss out of last year's Arizona discussion by bringing on Dave from gadsdenpurchase.blogspot.com, a site that was dedicated to Arizona football for the 19 minutes it existed before being bought by Franklin Pierce, 14th President of these United States. OK, so it's actually Buddy Light from the comment threads. It's a trainwreck. Gila with it.

BHGPodcast 35

Little Brother Week is upon us, and so we spend a half-hour with the one tolerable Cyclone fan on the planet. CrossCyed, of Clone Chronicles fame, joins us for the podcast to break down the 2010 Cyclones. There is disturbingly little mockery here, mostly because CC is so good at self-deprecating humor. There is, however, good information for anyone who didn't see the ISU opener (which I'll just assume is pretty much everyone here).

BHGPodcast 34a

As part of the Iowa Touchdowns For Kids fundraiser, we've been lucky enough to be joined by a couple gentlemen who are both notable Hawkeyes on and off the field. The first, as you've surmised from the headline, is the legendary Tim Dwight.

Dwight now spends his time with his company, Integrated Power, and working with his youth football camp and foundation. He's also passionate about the work the UI Children's Hospital does, and some of the $75,000 raised by his foundation has gone to the UICH. I guess you could say "TD4TD4K," right? Yes? No? Maybe? But probably no?

At any rate, we're glad Tim Dwight spent a half hour with us (well, just me) for this podcast, and we hope you'll spend a fraction of that time and just a dollar per Iowa Hawkeye touchdown to help us support Iowa Touchdowns For Kids.

BHGPodcast 33

It's our now-annual August camp rundown with the esteemable Marc Morehouse of The Gazette, On Iowa, and various other things. We talk about Wegher's effect on the running game, whether Polish Hat is ready for prime time, and what might happen in the event of a defensive apocalypse.

BHGPodcast 32

For season 2 episode 2, your fearless podcasters are joined by The Rivalry, Esq.'s resident Iowa fan Bama Hawkeye to discuss this morning's "Twenty Predictions for the Big Ten in 2010" post. We find time for the inevitable media talking points on Big Ten division alignment, Ohio State's chances at running the table, Michigan's win total (over/under 8), Northwestern's ability to choke in September, the odds of Minnesota winning a conference game, and the potential retirement of Joe Paterno. As if that weren't enough, BH continuously thwarts our attempts to put him in a logical chokehold, leaving us grasping at straws by the end.

BHGPodcast 31

After a season or two, most shows are in need of a bit of an overhaul: New themes, a new opening, maybe the return of a favorite character who left last year. Thirty episodes in, Black Heart Gold Podcast is no different, so we recorded a new theme and brought back an old friend in Tom Fornelli, blogger-at-large for Fanhouse and Foul Balls, founder of Blog Ten, guest in BHGPodcast episode two, and our Chicago-based drinking companion this past June. We make half-reasoned Big Ten predictions, discuss PSU's Kevin Newsome as the new Jake Christensen, and fit in a little discussion of the upcoming Mad Men season premiere at the end.

BHGPodcast 30

And, in the end, nothing much happened. Sure, Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado/Utah to the Pac-12 are important developments that will benefit those conferences in the short- and long-term, but we're now two weeks out from realignment doomsday, and so much is the same: The Big 12 still exists, if not in a state of 12. Texas is even stronger in relation to its conference mates than before. Iowa State is still a part of a BCS conference.

So what happened? What gives with Texas? And what does this all mean in five years? Here to answer those questions is Scipio Tex, one of the fire-breathing reptile heads that make up the hydra of Texas fandom that is Barking Carnival. He's really quite good.

BHGPodcast 29

After a long hiatus, Black Heart Gold Podcast returns to the virtual airwaves to discuss the Fred Hoiberg hiring at Iowa State, as well as potato chips, with CrossCyed of SBN ISU blog Clone Chronicles.

BHGPodcast 28

Coaching search 2010 is over, and we have all survived relatively unscathed, basketball program largely intact. In the rush of the firing, and the search, and the hiring, there was little time to breathe let alone stop for analysis. And so we went along with the current, riding through the rain and the rapids.

But now the skies have cleared, and the water has calmed, and we can take a breath and talk about the coaching search, the Fran McCaffery regime, and the potential short-term consequences of Gary Barta's big move with one of the few reporters to actually uncover legitimate news during the search and take a journalistic approach to an otherwise speculation-filled endeavor: Scott Dochterman, longtime Friend of the Pants and sportswriter/blogger extraordinaire for the Gazette. And don't fear, football fans: There's a little draft talk at the end, too.

BHGPodcast 27

Yes, there are coaching searches and spring football and wrestling championships to talk about this week, but screw that. It's Wrestlemania week, son. So HS and AJ run down the card, compare the epic Rock-Stone Cold match from Wrestlemania 19 to pornography, and lament the sorry state of the true national pastime. This thing is over an hour and wholly off-topic, so we won't be offended if you take the week off.

BHGPodcast 26a

With Todd Lickliter fired Monday morning, the coaching search rumor mill threatening to spin off its axle, and OPS's computer infected with the binary code equivalent of hepatitis C, HS is joined by Storminspank to discuss the names being floated and the fact that we really don't know anything about coaching searches and are essentially grasping at straws until Gary Barta reveals he has paid Mike Dunleavy $4 million per year for 13 years to be our coach. With that established, we move on to the Barbasol couple's unfortunate early exit from MARCHIFORNICATION.

(NOTE: We're classifying this as 26a for now, because there possibly could be a 26b recorded Wednesday night. It's your treat to get it early, iTunes subscribers! Jolly good times to you!)

BHGPodcast 25

Marchifornication is upon us. Your brackets are detailed in the podcast below. It's also incredibly NSFW, which is fine because it's Saturday and you aren't working.

BHGPodcast 24

We've hit the final stretch of the Iowa basketball season. With only four regular-season games left on the schedule, Iowa is a mere fourteen games from hoisting the trophy in Indianapolis and claiming their rightful place among the elite teams in the history of collegiate basketball, nay, organized sports.

OK, so maybe not. This team is so bad HOW BAD IS IT? It is so bad that Marc Morehouse had to cover it for a week and his gall bladder attempted to remove itself from his body to stop the pain. Iowa basketball beat writers deserve hazard pay, none more so than the Gazette's Scott Dochterman. The Doc, who also writes his own blog, spent some time with us discussing Brennan Cougill's benching, the prospects of another win or two before the season comes to an end, and the status of recruiting for the scholarship left vacant by Anthony Tucker.

BHGPodcast 23b

In part two, we go west to discuss Big 12 options with Bill C from Missouri blog Rock M Nation and Peter Bean of Burnt Orange Nation. Bill grovels appropriately. Peter describes his school as a "pretty girl." It's appropriately awkward.

Also, as a reminder, the "EXPLICIT" tag is on there for a reason. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but probably NSFW if you aren't working for Jim Delaney's urologist.

BHGPodcast 23a

A rare two-part podcast this week, as we hand ourselves over completely to EXPANSIONMANIA. In part one, we discuss potential Big East expansion candidates with Sean Keeley, SB Nation contributor and the man behind Troy Nunes Is an Absolute Magician, whose knowledge of the inner workings of the Big East is evidenced by The Octonian. We also bring in BSD's Run Up the Score, who once lived in Pittsburgh and lived to tell the tale. We had a little trouble with RUTS' Skype feed, so he sounds autotuned at times. He's on a boat.

Also, as a reminder, the "EXPLICIT" tag is on there for a reason. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but probably NSFW if you aren't working for Jim Delaney's urologist.

BHGPodcast 22

With National Signing Day upon us, we called longtime Friend of the Pants Brian Cook to discuss Big Ten recruiting. It took about three minutes for us to realize we know nothing about recruiting, so the podcast wanders into uncharted waters: The mGo/Maize n' Brew Civil War, the disappointments of basketball season, Michigan's winter of discontent, etc. A quick warning: This one gets slightly NSFW.

BHGPodcast 21

Just because we spent the last two weeks talking about wrestling and football doesn't mean we forgot about basketball season. On the contrary, we've been following it closely, mostly by cracking jokes in Steve Batterson's online chats and watching Storminspank's reports on Hawkeye Nation and at his own blog. Stormy joins us this week, as we get the spring 2008 incarnation of the BHGBand back together and churn out our greatest hits.

BHGPodcast 20

Why talk about Sylvia Plath when there's plenty of Emily Dickinson? Why discuss the potential for nuclear holocaust when the world keeps providing us with Lane Kiffin LOL? To the same end, we're ignoring basketball for another week in favor of something positive and hopeful: 2010 Iowa football. The Gazette's Marc Morehouse becomes our first-ever repeat guest, reprising his role from Episode 1 (only with far better recording equipment, so that you can actually hear what he says) to discuss the potential August depth chart. Our usually succinct 30 minutes stretched to 45, and in order to get this out quick, we've foregone our usual editing process. Be forewarned.

BHGPodcast 19

In the wake of Iowa's victory at the National Duals in Cedar Falls, this week's podcast gets its wrestle on. Andy Hamilton, who covers Iowa football and wrestling for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, joins us to examine this weekend's dual with Oklahoma State, the remainder of the Big Ten season, and the paranormal effects of Borschel's moustache. No stun guns were used in this podcast, as The Mountie did not appear.

BHGPodcast 18

This is the one where we discuss the Orange Bowl, where the Hawkeyes overran Georgia Tech. Sherman would have been proud. We also talk about where this team fits in the hierarchy of Iowa teams of the last 30 years, and whether Kirk Ferentz has offically passed Hayden Fry. There's even some time for random screaming about basketball at the end.