Soil Compilation

Music
Interview: Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers

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I sat down with multi-instrumentalists Jano Rix before his gig with The Wood Brothers at The Englert Theatre on November 12th. Taking a beat to touch on what shaped him artistically, his favorite illustrators, and the impact dancing has had in his adult life, Jano let us into how he makes a chaotic world feel focused and comfortable.

Sports
Cash in Hand 

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College athletes across the country are now receiving direct revenue-sharing payouts, fueling everything from luxury shopping sprees and impulsive spending to investments, charity, and family support. Their choices reveal how a generation of 18-to-22-year-olds is navigating sudden wealth in a rapidly shifting era where college sports now function like big-league business.

Sports
Sports Archives

NFL Midseason Honors 2017 Edition

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IOWA CITY – Entering Week 8 of the 2017 season, the NFL never ceases to amaze its fans. Rookies have grown throughout the first 7 weeks. Some have flourished, others have stalled. The league’s elite continued their stride. The veterans’ show off their leadership as they enter decline. Thus, the cycle of the NFL moves on. This period of the season, known as the midseason, is one where teams attempt to regroup for the final push. The playoffs are on the horizon. However, if the season ended today, how would the awards shape up? While the annual NFL Honors show … Continued

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wRC+ Leaders in the Frontier League

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In terms of overall offense, weighted runs created plus, or wRC+ is a quality statistic to measure a player’s overall offensive performance. Now, a lot is to be explained with this formula, so I’d recommend reading this FanGraphs post for the best clarification. So, in this article, I will focus on the primary formula for wRC+, which goes as follows: wRC+ = (wRAA/PA + LgR/PA) + (LgR/PA – (Park Factor * LgR/PA))/(Frontier League wRC/PA excluding ptichers), where wRAA = weighted runs above average, PA = plate appearances, LgR/PA = the league average runs per plate appearance, Park Factor = the … Continued

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Glimpse at Iowa’s Losses

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Iowa City – Iowa football has faltered twice this season. Once to a Penn State team with arguably the most dynamic player in college football. The other, at the hands of an improving Michigan State team. One came at home, the other in East Lansing. Four wins and two losses at the midway point sets the Hawkeyes on track to equal last year’s record. Another eight win, four loss would be shooting par in Iowa City. Although, these two losses have a different value. Both, through a fairly short connection chain, trace back to an undefeated team. Penn State is … Continued

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Cubbie Comeback Continues into Game 5

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Chicago Turns Double Play to Clinch Next Elimination Battle in Comeback Efforts The defending National Champions in the Major Baseball League manage to survive. For now. The mounting of a comeback has begun in Chicago. In a low scoring match between the Chicago Cubs and the LA Dodgers, the Cubs would top their adversaries 3-2 in Wrigley Field. This particular addition to the series would face off Jake Arrieta and Alex Wood. Unlike other faceoffs between the Dodgers and Cubs, this matchup would only allow runs scored off home runs. In similar fashion to Game 3, the Cubs would strike first on a second inning home run from Wilson Contreras. … Continued

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Offense Fades in Second Half, Hawkeyes Fall to Wildcats in OT

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EVANSTON, Ill. – The Iowa offense has gone missing again. Another lackluster performance on the road means trouble for the Hawkeyes, who dropped today’s contest against Northwestern by a score of 17-10 in overtime. Despite early success, the offense sputtered in the second half, and the injury-filled defense could not hold on the whole time. The Hawkeyes got into Northwestern territory on each of their firs two drives, but came away empty each time. Neither team managed to get points on the board in the first quarter. It looked as though a scoreless first half was a possibility until just … Continued

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Iowa Basketball Media Day: Hawkeyes Prepared for Challenges of Upcoming Season

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(Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports) The 2017–18 season will mark the eighth season for Fran McCaffery as head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. In his first seven seasons, he has recorded just two wins in the Big Ten Tournament and two wins in the NCAA Tournament. Despite this, there is plenty of excitement going around the Hawkeye basketball program as the season approaches – and McCaffery is welcoming it with open arms. “It’s not something that ever concerns me,” McCaffery said at Monday’s Iowa men’s basketball media day press conference concerning the outside expectations. “I think you want expectation. You want … Continued

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Sophomore QB’s Start off the 2017 Season Sizzling

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  No matter who the best prospects are in the NFL draft for a given season, it seems inevitable that at least one, if not multiple, Quarterbacks will go in the top few picks. Quarterback is the most important position in football, and every year teams are trying to find the player that is the next big thing in hopes that he will lead them to success for years to come. It takes a lot of time to fully judge a Quarterback, as they often times may need to develop a little bit, or simply don’t immediately have the pieces … Continued

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USMNT World Cup Absence is Multi-Faceted, Yet Still Inexcusable

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Christian Pulisic is tackled by Shane Sandy in the USA’s 1-2 loss to Trinidad & Tobago (Denver Post)   For the first time since 1986, the United States will not be participating in the World Cup. Coming off of a shock 2-1 defeat at Port of Spain to Trinidad & Tobago, both Panama and Honduras earned upset victories over Costa Rica and Mexico, respectively, to leapfrog the Yankees in the CONCACAF Hexagonal. While crazed emotions finally settle along with the crushed hopes of American supporters, it’s now necessary to take a step back and see just how the USMNT managed … Continued

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Recapping the Chaotic NBA Off-season

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Coming off one of the most exciting off-seasons to remember, the start of the NBA season looms around the corner. My own excitement is matched by that of many others, as it will be intriguing to see how everything that has shaped out over the summer months falls in place as teams hit the hardwood. While it seems inevitable that the Warriors and Cavaliers are going to make the NBA Finals, this season provides so much more that has been missed in years past, setting the league up for one of the best seasons in a long time.   Four … Continued

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Welcome to the Friendly Confines

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I know a place that some people only dream of seeing. A place that many have the privilege of seeing in the spring, in the summer, and if they’re lucky, the fall. A place that opens its’ deep green gates to welcome 41,268 eager people; people who feel an absence through the frigid months.   I know a place where you walk through neighborhoods of people just to glance the grand structure. Children peer up, awestruck. Adults do the same. Your age won’t matter here. Your gender doesn’t matter here. Your ethnicity doesn’t matter here.   I know a place … Continued

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