It’s been a long summer. I’m back at the Daily after a self-imposed 60-day suspension for testing positive for steroid use in May. I recognize now this will hinder my bid for the Hall of Fame and will cast a shadow over my individual performance, and I wish to let everyone know how truly sorry I am that I got caught.

Wait. Nevermind, I forgot I’m not Rafael Palmeiro.

All kidding aside, this year’s Cyclone athletic schedule appears to be one of the juiciest ever.

OK, seriously, I’m done with the jokes now.

The Cyclone football team is poised to make a run at its first outright Big 12 North title, one season after sharing the crown with Colorado. A favorable conference schedule and 16 returning starters on offense and defense have Cyclone Nation riding a preseason high.

Iowa State’s first true test comes in week two, a home contest against in-state rival Iowa.

The Hawkeyes should enter the game ranked in the top 10, a false build-up to a fall that could catapult the Cyclones into a strong season.

When the air turns cold and games move from the gridiron to the hardwood, the Cyclone men’s and women’s basketball teams will try to build on seasons that saw them both reach the NCAA tournament, for the first time since 2001.

Iowa State also fields strong wrestling and gymnastics teams in the winter, adding new success to already-strong programs.

Three new coaches are making their debuts this year.

With all of the excitement and activity coming from Cyclone athletics, count on the Daily to provide the most in-depth and thoughtful coverage you can find.

Not only are we committed to the best coverage on the court, we will also strive to show athletes’ lives away from the lights and performances of gameday.

Although it is easy for the writers of our section to bombard you with both facts and opinions, we want to hear from you.

Each Monday we will print a question of the week, along with our answers and thoughts. But that isn’t where we want the discussion to end — we want your input.

E-mail your responses to our question of the week to [email protected], and we will run your best opinions in Friday’s paper. This is a great chance to get your voice out there, letting both your peers and those of us on the sports desk know what Cyclone fans think.

Also, don’t forget to check our Web site, iowastatedaily.com, for more stories and analysis. Each week on the Web site, a member of the sports staff will field your questions, giving our take on what you want to know. Send your questions to the address above and we will answer them the best we know how.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg for what we want to do as a section, and we will be constantly working to make our section the best.

One more thing before I go: Just keep in mind that although it hasn’t been proven Palmeiro has taken steroids, he has admitted to performance-enhancing drugs on national television.

He takes batting practice. He takes infield practice. He takes Viagra.

Welcome back.