Deep Dive Podcast
Every week, Brad, John, and Tab take a Deep Dive into a wide range of topics—from dive bars and humorous guest interviews to the reflections of three Gen-X guys trying to navigate a world where you now have ten flavors of Gatorade to choose from… but no Concorde supersonic jet.
The show is a light-hearted, spontaneous conversation between three longtime friends, and it should feel like you’re sitting right at the table with them—talking about 1980s television, flammable pajamas, and how to keep a Christmas carp alive in your bathtub.
New episodes usually drop later in the week, and the show is completely ad-free. Join us wherever you get your podcasts, or jump into the conversation in the Deep Dive Podcast Facebook group.
Episodes
38 episodes
Deep Dive Episode 38 ( Tim Lester, Iowa Hawkeye Offensive Coordinator )
The road to becoming the offensive coordinator at the University of Iowa doesn't usually begin in a high school math classroom. But then again, Tim Lester has never taken the usual path. Before joining the Hawkeyes, Lester's football journey wo...
Deep Dive Episode 37 ( Matt Phippen Ragbrai Director )
Deep Dive: RAGBRAI with Ride Director Matt PhippenIowa's biggest summer tradition is 13 days out, and we sat down with the man steering it all. Matt Phippen has served as RAGBRAI Ride Director since January 2022, guiding what'...
Deep Dive Episode 36 Fathers Day 2026
Gen X dads are the generation that found themselves standing right in the middle of two very different worlds. They were raised by Boomer dads who could fix almost anything, who kept a coffee can full of random screws and bolts in the garage, r...
Deep Dive Episode 35 ( Jan Jensen Iowa Hawkeyes Womens Basketball Coach )
For most fans, Jan Jensen is known as one of the most accomplished figures in women's basketball history—a six-on-six scoring sensation from Kimballton, Iowa, an NCAA scoring champion at Drake, a professional player in Europe, and now the head ...
Deep Dive Episode 34 ( Brad Gets Handy, Watch Out Ladies )
This week Brad shares a compelling story about a project he took on a bit outside his comfort zone: building a vintage bicycle from the frame up despite openly admitting he is “the farthest thing from mechanical.” We talk abo...
Deep Dive Episode 33 ( Summer Songs Playlist )
Hey all you Deep Divers, we are trying a different format this week to see how it sounds. We’re thinking about calling these Playlist Shows, where we take a topic, pair it with some music that’s important to us, and then discuss why the t...
Deep Dive Pod 32 Mixing Bowl Pick'em
A fan requested we pick Gen X related topics out of a bowl and discuss off the top of our heads to see just how smart we are........ the answer turned out to be what you would expect....... not very.The guys kick things off with sardine...
Deep Dive Pod 31 ( Kevin Burt ) International Blues Challenge Champion
In this episode, we sit down with acclaimed blues musician Kevin Burt, a performer whose powerful voice and authentic storytelling have earned him recognition across the United States and beyond. A true road warrior, Kevin performs hundreds of ...
Deep Dive Pod 30 ( Mike Haight & Hap Peterson ) 1985 Iowa Hawkeyes & NFL Draft
There are seasons that are etched themselves into the identity of college football programs and serve as a vantage point where historians can say before this team and after this team, and every fan would agree. For the Iowa Hawkeyes, the ...
Deep Dive Pod 29 ( Trivial Pursuit )
Back before Google could settle an argument in three seconds, and before your phone knew more than your high school history teacher, a couple of Canadians in 1979 looked at a scrabble board, ran out of tiles, and said, You know what???? This wo...
Deep Dive Episode 28 ( London Pub Crawl ) Nathaniel Green Guest
Our special guest this week is Nathaniel Green. Nathaniel is a colleague of Brad and John's based in London and was gracious enough to put together a historic pub tours for the boys in both London and ScotlandThis week...
Deep Dive Episode 27 ( Girl Scout Cookies ) March Cookie Madness
Imagine a company that generates $800 million a year in sales. It has around 700,000 salespersons and it moves about 2 million units. And that is in just three short months. And then the company, it shuts down for the next nine months. That's r...
Deep Dive Episode 26 ( Drinking Holidays ) St. Patricks Day
Americans have a long tradition of turning just about any excuse into a celebration, and a lot of those celebrations happen to involve raising a glass. From the green beer of St. Patrick’s Day to the champagne toasts of New Year's Eve, ...
Deep Dive Episode 25 ( Clip Show #2 )
IntroHey everybody — it’s just me today. The boys are out in the world doing interesting and presumably productive things.So this week we’re doing a bit of a clip show. I dug through the archives and pulled out four pretty ...
Deep Dive Episode 24 (Dave Zollo, Iowa City Musician )
Today’s guest has been a cornerstone of the midwest music scene since 1992, when he formed his first band, High and Lonesome. Since then, he’s fronted several successful projects, toured as a member of Todd Snider’s Nervous Wrecks, ...
Deep Dive Episode 23 (Dave's Fox Head Tavern, Iowa City / Dive Bar)
If you’re talking about legendary dive bars, you have to start with Dave's Fox Head Tavern — a place where all the regular dive bar beers are on tap, stories coming from future Pulitzer writers get taller by the minute, a...
Deep Dive Episode 22 (Iowa Hawkeye Hap Peterson & Jay Norvell 2 of 2)
#Iowa #Hawkeye #Hap #Peterson #Hayden #Fry #1985 #Rose #Bowl #RoseBowl #JayNorvell #Norvell
Deep Dive Episode 21 (Iowa Hawkeye Hap Peterson 1 of 2)
#Iowa #Hawkeye #Hap #Peterson #Hayden #Fry #1985 #Rose #Bowl #RoseBowl
Deep Dive Episode 20 (Saturday Night Sleepovers)
It’s Saturday night, 1984. We’re twelve years old, fueled by popcorn, Mountain Dew, and the belief that the mall is the center of the universe. A sleepover was the golden opportunity—old enough to roam free but too young to get into the...
Deep Dive Episode 19 (Cars of Our GenX Childhoods, with Craig Cermak)
- 00:00 Show Open and Introduction of GenX Car Expert Craig Cermak- 03:55 Unpacking the History of the Batmobile- 14:27 The Dukes of Hazzard's General Lee- 22:45 Brad's Two Dream Cars, The Griswold's Family Truckster & and Spico...
Deep Dive Episode 18 (Reset Show A Look Back On The First 17 Shows)
We take a look back on the past 17 shows and see if our definition of a "dive bar" has changed.00:00 Authenticity & Community: The Evolving Definition of a Dive Bar11:21 From Tang Bombs to Listener Dive Bar Recommendations24...
Deep Dive Episode 17 (Snow Days)
00:00 - Show Intro & Crew Catchup 10:00 - Brad and the Chicago Nutcracker13:04 - John discusses tossing brussel sprouts at a London play21:36 - Unwrapping Listener Gifts28:57 - Snow Day Broadcasting System
Deep Dive Episode 03 (Death By Pickled Meats)
-Death By Pickled Meats -Death By Quicksand- A Trip To Chicago For A Hamburger-Tavern vs Pub vs Bar - The Dude With The Beard on the Detasseling Bus - Duane Banks Gave Me Chewing Tobacco <...
Deep Dive Episode 16 (Christmas Movies 2025)
A Deep Dive into our top 5 Christmas Movies, including a behind the scenes look at what goes into Brad's family tradition of reenacting a scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation every year. #ChristmasMovies #GenX #Christma...