Meet the New WRNL Writers!

Writers, noobs, recruits, "those idiots"... Whatever you want to call our latest batch of WRNL staff, it's time for them to be introduced.

Here's their usernames, what their focus will be for us, and a bit about each of them - written by themselves.

CYHusker (football, basketball, humor)

My name is Matt Nelson, and I'm a graduate of THE Iowa State University. I graduated in May of 2015, and I am currently a master's student at the University of Nebraska (hence the name "CYHusker"). I should probably explain all this Husker business, as most people don't take kindly to the Big Red 'round here. My dad and my older brother, both Cyclone alums, both married gals from the University of Nebraska. Saturdays during the Big 12 season used to be pretty interesting in the Nelson household... Moving on. I was raised on a farm and have a passion for agriculture, and do my best to advocate for all the good that farmers do. I enjoy fishing, reading, watching/playing sports of all kinds, politics, and writing. This love of writing and sports is what drew me to WRNL. Some of my earliest moments of following sports revolve around the Cyclones, whether it was watching Jeff Hornacek play for the Utah Jazz with my dad, still feeling the blow to the nuts from the ISU-Florida State game in 2002, or watching "Big Play" Brent Curvey rumble towards the end zone. I have been privileged to witness several great games in my short time as a Cyclone, including: the Pete Taylor game vs Mizzou in 2003, a game in Hilton during Fizer's last season, four years of Cyclone Alley watching Fred Hoiberg's teams, the triple overtime win in Stillwater, 2015 Big 12 Tournament, the Insight Bowl in 2009, upsetting Oklahoma State that fateful November evening, and many more. The best part about being a Cyclone fan (trust me, it's not about wins and losses) is having so many other loyal fans who stand by the Cyclones even when times are tough. Any gathering with Cyclone fans is guaranteed to be a great time, and that atmosphere/spirit is what I appreciate the most.

Hayzer15 (football recruiting)

Graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in journalism and mass communications. Lover of all things sports, especially those taking place in cardinal and gold attire.

RevDizz (basketball recruiting, humor)

Fellow members of Cyclone Nation, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tom, and I'm a Cychoholic. Born in the summer of '87, I was immediately baptized into Iowa State fandom by the Jim Walden and Johnny Orr eras. As a child, we were never allowed to leave the game early regardless of the unbearableness of the scoreboard or weather conditions. I broke this rule once in college, and God punished me by scratching our precious "Cy's Guys" tailgate bus as I tried to navigate the congested parking lot. We came back and won that UNI game, but I'll never forgive myself...or "5-19 Gene." Thankfully, in my time at Iowa State I was able to indulge in some beverages during the Chizik/Morgan/McDermott tenures to help alleviate some of the pain. Those dark days of Iowa State athletics are what sparked my interest in the recruiting process to try and find some hope for the future of the programs, which inevitably lead me here. I'm excited to cover men's basketball recruiting and I'm so grateful it's not 2009 again. Cheers!

DShirbs (women's basketball)

DShirbs was born in the darkness. He grew up in the bowels of Hawkeye country before, perhaps by the grace of God alone, he moved to Ames at the age of 6. The initial years in Ames offered DShirbs much to celebrate: an Insight.com Bowl victory, Big 12 basketball championships, and Cael Sanderson's run to 159-0. Of course, the good times did not last; McCarney left, McDermott entered, and Cael ran away to the middle of Pennsylvania. The one constant source of success through DShirbs' childhood was Iowa State women's basketball. He has enjoyed going to watch Bill Fennelly's teams play since just a couple thousand people came to Hilton. DShirbs will primarily follow the Twister Sisters for WRNL. He received his degree from American University and now lives in South Dakota.

BJSwanny (breaking news, football, basketball)

My name is BJSwanny, and I'm a Valley High School graduate, and a journalism/mass communications and environmental science major at Iowa State, and most importantly, a life-long Cyclone. I was born in April and was at my first ISU football game that September, and was hooked ever since. I learned my numbers reading the jersey numbers off of Marcus Fizer and Jamaal Tinsley posters, and honed my writing by penning letters to Stevie Johnson, inviting him to my house to "shoot hoops and watch Scooby Doo." As a Cyclone, I've been through the good (Hoiberg), the bad (Chizik), and the ugly (former Hawkeye J.R. Angle was one of my high school basketball coaches). At Valley High School, I served as both the Sports Director and Chief Station Manager for 88.7 KWDM The Point, one of only two student-run high school radio stations in the state, as well as the Sports Editor for the Spotlight student newspaper.

theLOSTjunkie (editing)

Hey you guuuuys. Sloth loves Chunk. And I love the Cyclones. I'd like to start off by thanking Fitzy for this opportunity to join the WRNL team. I think the site is great and it's exciting that it's growing so much. Full disclosure, I grew up a Hawks fan living in Eastern Iowa. I don't even like typing that out, but I thought you should know. I was never a huge college sports fan when I was younger so when I decided to attend ISU, it was easy for me to convert. Some of you may think I don't bleed cardinal and gold, but I can assure you I'm a Cyclone. I had a great experience at Iowa State and am currently still living in Ames. Anywho, I'll see you around! Have a great day.

Cy's Pecker (humor, football, basketball)

A lot like all the other noobs, I've grown up my entire life a Cyclone. But it wasn't until Iowa State brought on Paul Rhoads and I first heard his speeches, then brought on Fred Hoiberg and I saw his smile on the sidelines, and I experienced Hilton Magic in the student section for the first time...that it hit me how special this place is. Not just the coaches, but the people who make up the Cyclone community. I've been to many "big-time" universities, and none of those communities match the passion that Cyclone Nation provides. I am very fortunate and thankful for the opportunity to be writing on Wide Right & Natty Lite. After assessing my talents, the WRNL team said I was by far the greatest noob to come on staff, and assigned me to cover the baseball team. I look forward to delivering Cyclone content for the millions...AND MILLIONS...of Pecker fans to read.

Alright commenters... Time to berate the noobs. Get your licks in now!