Well, were all sitting here talking about him for one.
Exactly why he does this stuff. If a journalist is bringing up something controversial, negative, or distracting about Iowa State the smart bet is that it's Randy. I'm sure he knows that using these tactics gets way more traffic and is benefiting the Register.
Another post here said he's terrible at reading the room. I can't count how many times I've been watching a coach or player answering questions and question gets thrown at them from left field. You can see the other journalists' eyes flinch as they internally cringe because they know it's just Randy being Randy again.
He is a journalist for the Register 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I would be utterly shocked if he described himself as an Iowa State fan. Although he does seem to enjoy the building relationships with Iowa State players, coaches, and administrators.
Do a search for 'Randy Peterson Cyclones' on Google Images and try to find him representing Iowa State. Now replace Randy with Chris Williams or Brent Blum. You can have impartial and honest coverage while still being a diehard fan. This is why CF is the best Cyclone sports site.