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Can the Thunder win a title with Russell Westbrook, and what's next for the MCU after Avengers: Endgame? Apr 26, 2019

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First off, we discussed the Thunder's early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Blazers, and Russell Westbrook's role in their demise. With his high-volume, low-efficiency playing style, can the Thunder ever get the right mix of players around him to win a championship, or will Russell have to change his game to have a chance at a ring?
Next, with Avengers: Endgame releasing this weekend, we explored the future of the MCU. With actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans expected to conclude their roles as Iron Man and Captain America after Endgame, where will Marvel turn to continue their wildly successful franchises? It looks like Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and the Guardians of the Galaxy will be the new primary franchises going forward, but do they have the legs to hold up the behemoth that Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor created?

Tiger's Masters redemption story, and is the Internet still fun? Apr 19, 2019

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This past weekend, Tiger Woods captured his 5th green jacket at Augusta National, and his 15th major title after over a decade of struggles. Even if you never "forgive" Tiger for his personal transgressions, being able to come back after them and a slew of back and knee injuries and win a major places him near the top of any list of greatest redemption stories. We took some time to reflect on Tiger's Masters win, as well as a few other great comeback and redemption stories.
Then, Levi stumbled onto an article recently that asked the question "is the Internet still fun?" The author talked about how the internet used to be a place where you could escape some of the stresses of daily and just waste a couple hours watching some stupid YouTube video like "Charlie the Unicorn" or "End of Ze World" or reading some poorly formatted blog about nothing and getting in comment fights with people you've never met.
Now, the Internet is such an integral part of our lives, that most people take breaks from the Internet, which is completely the opposite of what it used to be. We discussed what our everyday Internet experiences are like, and if we still get some enjoyment out of them.
What do you think? Is the Internet still fun?

The Big 12's New Digital Media Deal, and Iowa State Spring Football Game, and Bringing Back VEISHEA Apr 12, 2019

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This week, the Big 12 struck a new digital media deal with ESPN, which will gives all third tier broadcasting rights (one nonconference football game, a couple basketball games, and everything else) to the new ESPN+ platform. Iowa State won't join for another year in order to let their current deal with Cyclones.tv run out, but all of the sporting events that used to be broadcast on Cyclones.tv will now be on ESPN+. We talked about what the future might look like for Big 12 media, and what some options might be. Could Netflix be the home of Big 12 athletics sometime in the next ten years?
Next, Marchie made the case for why Iowa State NEEDS to have a spring football game. From recruiting to fan experience, the spring football game is a great opportunity to show off a program that's surrounded by more excitement than it has been in a long time, maybe ever.
Finally, we talked about VEISHEA on the five-year anniversary of its death, what the legacy of the celebration is, and whether or not we should look at bringing it back. What should Iowa State do?

The New Joker, Cole's New Diet, and Nipsey Hussle Apr 05, 2019

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In the second episode of our summer format, Levi, Marchie, and Cole start off the show talking about the new Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix after the first trailer was released this week. All three saw a lot of promise in the trailer, but how should we go about watching the movie in comparison to the other Jokers we've seen, like Heath Ledger, Jared Leto, and Jack Nicholson?
Next, Cole revealed his new diet that he's trying called the "Daniel Plan," which heard about from Avengers star Chris Pratt (In a YouTube video. We are not friends with Andy Dwyer.) Marchie talked a little bit about what his diet looked like in college and in an NFL training camp, with Levi contrasting with the dieting plights of the average Joe. You may be surprised how similar the challenges in selecting a healthy diet are between the three.
Finally, Marchie wanted to pay his respects to Nipsey Hussle, a rapper who was recently killed, specifically his role in helping the people of his LA community. Nipsey owned several businesses in the area that helped former felons get jobs after their release, and sold basic items that the community badly needed. Nipsey was also scheduled to meet with the LAPD and LA County Sheriff to work together and figure how both parties could go about reducing gang violence in Los Angeles.

Social Media Etiquette and "Is March Madness actually the worst postseason in sports?" Mar 29, 2019

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Now that we're officially in the offseason, Down the Pipe is going to transition to a more discussion-based format, where we tackle issues beyond Iowa State athletics, whether it be other sports around the country or world, or issues completely outside of the sports universe (don't worry, politics won't be included).
Marchie is out this week as he flies home from Iowa State's pro day, so Levi and Cole held down the fort.
First, we talk about the role of social media in sports today, noting the particularly poisonous end of the basketball season, where a small, but vocal minority of the fan base was calling for the firing of Steve Prohm, going so far as to even tag him in their tweets of frustration. Where should the line be drawn on social media interactions between fans, players, coaches, and prospects? Cole also dished on a story regarding one fan's creative way to criticize him.
Next, we examined Levi's hot take that March Madness might actually be the worst postseason in sports. Does all of the excitement around upsets and buzzers overshadow the severe flaws in the format of the tournament and its ability to select a champion? Is the inevitable disappointment of a crushing tournament loss to end the season for all but one team really as great as we make it out to be?

Reviewing Our Busted Brackets Mar 22, 2019

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This week's episode is fairly short and sweet, as Levi and Marchie both took a look at the state of their brackets through the first round. Let's just say they aren't exactly perfect. They talk about what their Sweet Sixteen's look like, as well as some of the matchups they're looking forward to.
They also gave some last minute predictions on Iowa State's first round matchup with Ohio State, and what their path forward might look like.

Big 12 Tournament Predictions, Spring Football Preview, and NFL Trades and Free Agency Mar 13, 2019

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This week, Levi, Cole, and Marchie talked about the Big 12 Tournament this week in Kansas City, and what we think Iowa State will need to do to take down Baylor in their first round matchup on the tournament, and what the outcome of the game could mean for potential seeding.
We also talked spring football practice, and some of the key position battles we're keeping an eye on. SPOILER ALERT: the position battles Cole and Marchie are keeping an eye on are probably not going to surprise you.
Then, we talked about some of the recent news in NFL free agency and trades. The Browns picked up O'Dell Beckham Jr. in probably the biggest move of the offseason so far. How do all of the different trades and signings this week affect where Hakeem Butler and David Montgomery might get drafted?

Dissecting the Anatomy of a Team Dynamic Mar 08, 2019

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Levi and Cole break down the struggles of the men's basketball team this week, and discuss why they don't believe Steve Prohm should be receiving the majority of the blame for this team's obvious chemistry issues. The coach is certainly responsible for the Xs and Os, as well implementing a system of conduct both on and off the court, but at what point, and to what degree, do chemistry issues begin to fall on the players for not "buying in" to the coach's system, or acting selfishly on and/or off the court?

Basketball Success, Royce White in MMA, and Cyclones at the NFL Combine Mar 01, 2019

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Levi, Cole, and Marchie are back to talk about a busy news week in the Cyclone universe. First, we talked about the wins by both the men's and women's basketball team earlier this week. Both were great wins (and much needed in the case of the men), so we talked about what they mean for the rest of their respective seasons. We also discussed the new $25 million renovations planned for Hilton Coliseum, which will greatly expand the concourses and concession stands, as well as add new exterior lighting to give the building more aesthetic appeal.
Next, we touched on the news of Royce White beginning training to fight in MMA, with the hopes of eventually winning the UFC Heavyweight title. We gave our thoughts on what we think Royce's potential as a fighter looks like, and what type of fighter we think he can be.
Finally, we talked about David Montgomery and Hakeem Butler's weeks at the NFL Combine, and what strong performances could mean for each of them. Both are consensus Day 2 picks at the moment, but could Hakeem Butler sneak into the first round with a strong combine performance? We also list off a few potential landing spots for each player.

Apex Legends, Our Favorite Video Games of All Time, and Making the Case to Pay (or Not) College Athletes Feb 22, 2019

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Marchie is out for this week, but Levi and Cole sat down and accidentally recording what basically became a double episode.
First up, Levi gave a short review of Forza Horizon 4. SPOILER ALERT: It's really, really good. Next, we answered the first of a three-part question from Twitter about Apex Legends, the newest challenger to Fortnite's throne as the king of battle royale. We've both played Apex, so we gave our honest thoughts on the game, and a few reasons why we think it has staying power alongside a juggernaut like Fortnite. Speaking of our favorite building/getting shot in the face by eight-year-olds game, Cole and Levi discussed the current status of Fortnite, and why we've both stopped playing it.
The third part of the Twitter question asked if it's fair to have a "greatest video games of all time" discussion without first separating by console or genre. As a follow-up, we ran through our top five favorite games of all time (or sort-of-five plus four honorable mentions in Levi's case), and why each game made the list.
In the second part of this jam-packed episode, we take a look at Zion Williamson's injury, and what it means for the "should college athletes be paid?" discussion. On 2/21/19, the NBA submitted a proposal to move the minimum age to declare for the draft from 19 to 18, which could potentially be implemented by the 2022 season. Since it appears that the NBA has decided to try to fix the most pressing issue involved in this situation, we decided to tackle another hot button issue, the case for paying (or not paying) college athletes.
In order to have a more interesting discussion, on the topic, we played devil's advocate, with Cole (a former player himself), providing the argument for paying college athletes, and Levi providing a counter argument. We ended up digging into the financial side of things, where the numbers may (or may not) surprise you.
You definitely will not want to miss this week's episode.

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