Rob Gray's Area

My picture-perfect trip to Ireland (Part 1)

I took an off-then-beaten path approach to travel with my daughter and it paid off on the Emerald Isle as we got extremely lucky with good weather

Sep 16 • 

Rob Gray

1

August 2025

I'm off to Ireland — but here's a fun story on ISU freshman star Jamarion Batemon

I'll be vacationing on the Emerald Isle before covering Iowa State-Kansas State football in Dublin

Aug 12 • 

Rob Gray

July 2025

She's Got Game: Recapping an event for Christine Brennan's bio of Caitlin Clark

The celebrated journalist and author's book tour event promoting her bio on former Iowa and WNBA star Caitlin Clark veered into Cyclone Country and I…

Jul 22 • 

Rob Gray

1

"Slow Time" in my sports coverage meets "Prime Time" in the garden

College football coverage will begin to ramp up later this month, but until then, uncertainty in the garden (and elsewhere) takes center stage

Jul 1 • 

Rob Gray

1

June 2025

Tyrese Haliburton looks to make history after upper-cutting "overrated" jab

The Indiana Pacers and former Iowa State star could become the first former Cyclone to play starter's minutes and win an NBA title

Jun 3 • 

Rob Gray

4

May 2025

Tailgate Tour opens, house settlement looms, and transfer portal "closes"

Iowa State athletics kicked off its annual (but truncated) Tailgate Tour Monday in Ankeny. And I've got the deets.

May 20 • 

Rob Gray

2

A Sure Sign of Spring: The (often cold, windy and rainy) Drake Relays

I help the Cedar Rapids Gazette with coverage of "America's Athletic Classic" each spring — and it's a crown jewel event for Des Moines

May 6 • 

Rob Gray

2

April 2025

The Spring Game is a Game in Name Only

Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell has long-disdained spring games, and now others are "catching up" with him

Apr 15 • 

Rob Gray

2

Stay put or move on? Abrupt endings portend portal-based beginnings

Iowa State's basketball seasons end as football springs anew — and in the NIL era chaos reigns as players FINALLY have some agency amid a virtually…

Apr 1 • 

Rob Gray

1

March 2025

February 2025

THE CREEPING DREAD: My annual queasy sojourn to the state wrestling tournament

The IHSAA state wrestling meet is a sprawling, grueling and daunting four days of chaos. I dread covering it every year — then end up happy I did so…

Feb 25 • 

Rob Gray

4

T.J. Otzelberger loves his team — I mean, really, really loves it

Eighth-ranked Iowa State's head coach used a rare soliloquy to express his gratitude recently — and he's still brimming with deep appreciation

Feb 18 • 

Rob Gray

4