Former sports columnist, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette. But that's done. Now I'm at https://mikehlas.substack.com/https://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mlz75n3wzc2iYou don't get this in the Big Ten, my babies. [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 May 2026 01:22 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlz75n3wzc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mlqydpaw622qWell, another year is passing and I have yet to be asked to be a commencement speaker. Which is a huge mistake, because I have the insights to reach today's hippies that few of today's Truman Capotes and Joan Didions can match.13 May 2026 18:59 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqydpaw622qhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mlqnk7czsc2tHlas Out of Bounds: Nowhere is a jobs report as robust in Iowa City as it is in the Hawkeyes' football program. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/hawkeye-football-adds-a-consultantadvisor13 May 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqnk7czsc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mllt4cjc7c2yHlas Out of Bounds: None of the news about Ben McCollum's contract extension at Iowa is the least bit surprising, but sometimes the best news is getting suspicions confirmed and seeing the expected become reality. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/iowa-ben-mccollum-and-hawkeye-basketball11 May 2026 17:42 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllt4cjc7c2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mlgjmvykpc2sI enjoyed this. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/09/opinion/ted-turner-death-jane-fonda-cnn.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hFA.3hLj.IUUm_u6vCCIs&smid=url-share09 May 2026 15:09 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgjmvykpc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mldvqcsxgs2yHlas Out of Bounds: The new and not-improved NCAA basketball tournaments come your way next year. Mo Money, Mo Mediocrity. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/with-a-big-boost-from-beer-ncaa-basketball08 May 2026 14:07 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldvqcsxgs2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3ml7xmls7f22wThe results are in. Now it's time for good governing in Valdez, Alaska.07 May 2026 00:31 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml7xmls7f22whttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3ml2zhys4d22aThis week's weather forecast for Valdez, Alaska:05 May 2026 01:20 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2zhys4d22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3ml2spxhgg22bI'm at the Met Gala. I got new Skechers for the event. The response has been muted, to say the least.04 May 2026 23:20 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2spxhgg22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3ml2gut7ik22iHlas Out of Bounds: You could have learned something very important from Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Which is, if you try you can outshine your siblings no matter what they've achieved. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/lesson-from-the-kentucky-derby-your04 May 2026 19:48 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2gut7ik22ihttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mksgmgonrs2aIt's geat to be a billionaire. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/may/01/ceo-pay-workers-minimum-wages01 May 2026 15:22 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mksgmgonrs2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mkqg2jk33k2qThey're performing in Cedar Rapids on July 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmCJEehYtU30 Apr 2026 20:06 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqg2jk33k2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mkkrd737jc2hHlas Out of Bounds: Hawkeye Auto, Hawkeye Roofing, Hawkeye Vapor, Hawkeye Junk Removal -- practically everything Herky the Hawk needs has a Hawkeye in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids Corridor to sell it to him. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/you-cant-swing-a-dead-corn-stalk28 Apr 2026 14:12 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkrd737jc2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mkjb7dk5z22yThree hours and 40 minutes till Kimmel.27 Apr 2026 23:51 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkjb7dk5z22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mkijnflens2eI'm waiting for World Cup prices to drop, drop, drop, and they will. Once that happens, I'll be buying 40 tickets and chartering a bus to one of the games. Who wants to come along?27 Apr 2026 16:49 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkijnflens2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mkdl6lzuqc2pMaybe some of you know Gazette photojournalist Jim Slosiarek. Many of you have seen his great work over the years. So I share this with you: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-jims-fight-and-recovery25 Apr 2026 17:33 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkdl6lzuqc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mk3yxnyh4c2vIt's never rhubarb season.22 Apr 2026 17:19 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3yxnyh4c2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mk3r5u2zoc2eHlas Out of Bounds: Caitlin Clark's story continues to add texture, and that will only continue as her Indiana Fever look like a WNBA title-contender. Christine Brennan added texture to her bestseller about Clark in the paperback edition coming May 5. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/caitlin-clarks-story-keeps-adding22 Apr 2026 14:59 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk3r5u2zoc2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mk25hn2wcs2dFormer Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras is headed to Louisville. Jeff Goodman first reported it.21 Apr 2026 23:34 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk25hn2wcs2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjxys6l3nc2kHappy 4/20! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKslYBMycHM21 Apr 2026 03:05 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxys6l3nc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjt2k4dfe22nThis isn't real. If it were, I'd have been in the Oscars' "In Memoriam" tribute this year.19 Apr 2026 03:53 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjt2k4dfe22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjn4e7lcp22eThe World Cup will be here in less than 2 months. Here's the first of my 48-part series on the event. Algeria, which has its hotel breakfast concerns resolved, or so it says. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/part-1-of-48-my-world-cup-preview16 Apr 2026 19:10 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjn4e7lcp22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjn3u6duvc2qBlueskis, Russkies. https://therecord.media/russia-cracks-down-bluesky-internet16 Apr 2026 19:01 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjn3u6duvc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjklw6khv22jAll-Pro George Kittle is going to Wrestlemania this week with several of his former Iowa football teammates, but just to be a spectator. When you've torn your Achilles just 3 months earlier, it's best not to get tangle with the WWE bruisers. My story: https://substack.com/home/post/p-19412267715 Apr 2026 19:10 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjklw6khv22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjic4hfjus2cAddi Crooks has a new deal. An endorsement deal, that is. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/04/14/jcpenney-taking-inside-lane-in-deal-with-womens-basketball-stars/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRLi_hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFna2M5YmkxZnlPY1hXTkFwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmEM0TWjFUID9sklywbE83cYY0lsQA9JEU6LnASOoZog4xIAyv8dSd_BYNbU_aem_kqUf4uy8znaG2GBBZHyo1A14 Apr 2026 21:09 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjic4hfjus2chttps://bsky.app/profile/mikehlas.bsky.social/post/3mjhiaezmuk24I caught up with George Kittle three months after the former Hawkeye tore an Achilles in an NFL playoff game. The perennial Pro Bowler is powering toward being able to play in Week 1 in his 10th season with the 49ers. https://mikehlas.substack.com/p/not-even-a-torn-achilles-can-slow?r=1umlc&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true14 Apr 2026 13:26 +0000at://did:plc:3c44ohnnsufdqfwjqa4mf6hs/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhiaezmuk24