Don't Kill The Messenger, Marty Is Sincere, Lickliter Tries Too Hard.

• Of all the misguided energy in the fallout of the KXNO firings, nothing is sillier than the kill the messenger mentality of listeners, viewers, and message board posters who are trying to figure out how channel 13 received the audio. The audio isn't some secret recording or exposed conversation, it's exactly what went out live over KXNO's airwaves. It unquestionably allowed far more people to hear it, but if Clear Channel's firings were based on the actions of those three employees, the replay of the recording should have absolutely no impact on that decision. None. If it did, it was for PR, not principles. Period.
• I believe Marty Tirrell is genuinely sorry for what happened. And he should be. You should never talk to another human being that way, let alone a co-worker in front of others. I also think Marty's an expert at landing on his feet, partly because he's a genuine radio talent. Why do you think so many people speak of him with so much passion, both positive and negative. Local radio is far more interesting with Marty on the air. He'll be back. (Oh, and credit where it's due: Marty's contrite letter of apology couldn't have been better.)
• Larry Cotlar did the right thing not accepting the Energy offer to work with Marty. I believe Energy owner Jerry Crawford had good intentions, but Cotlar had nothing to gain, and further association with Marty would only serve to remind the public of their fight. It's too soon. Reconciliations should be private for now.
• Geoff Conn loved KXNO. He's the kind of guy who gives all. I hope someone will hire him soon.
• Enough. We're all tired of it.
• No one should ever complain that the Des Moines media doesn't cover women's basketball. In this economy, virtually no TV stations traveled to the NCAA Women's Tournament, and three stations, not to mention the Des Moines Register & Ames Tribune, followed the Cyclones to Berkeley, California.
• Shawn Terrell did his usual outstanding job. My favorite video of the week was the Cyclones sitting around the locker room, the night before their game, doing their homework. How much of that do you think goes on in the men's Elite 8?
• Todd Lickliter tried a little too hard to sound upbeat at his news conference---it came across as fake---but he has to try something. Hawks are flying the coup at an alarming rate. When players leave for more minutes it's one thing; when starters bail, it's another. When four guys who all had big games leave the same week, something stinks. I like Lickliter. I think he can coach. I highly doubt it works out at Iowa. It's not impossible, but winning with that style in the Horizon League is a lot easier than the Big Ten. Have you seen Michigan State in the tournament?
• Iowa State also lost two players, but it was hard to notice with the Hawks exodus, and Josh Parker's departure at Drake. The Bulldogs looked like they were having no fun changing systems this season, and Mark Phelps hopes Parker is the only one to act on it.
• Jake Kelly announced his exit on Facebook! Apparently Curt Schilling is his media advisor.
• Who's the best coach in the state? I think you can make the case for Bill Fennelly. No one gets more out of his players than Fennelly. You can also make a case for Tom Brands. The man just won back-to-back national championships. However, the three most recent wrestling coaches at Iowa won NCAA titles. Before Fennelly arrived at ISU, the Cyclones had one 20 win season in school history. Post Fennelly: 9 including 2 Elite 8 teams. Only winners in this discussion.
• I watched the Cyclones amazing last minute comeback against Michigan State with a group of friends at Jethros. It's the most I've ever seen a group of people (not at a game) get into women's basketball. It's too bad Jethros didn't turn the game audio on---no one needs to hear Third Eye Blind when the joint's erupting in cheers---but the food, drinks, and video were great.
• Have you ever noticed Tracy Morgan has really small hands?
• Our kids are still smiling from the Globetrotters. They loved it. Nice article this week in Sports Illustrated on the resurgence of the Trotters.
• Whatever the Iowa Chops are paying Tana Goertz, she's worth it. The Chops Apprentice competition put fans in the stands, and added buzz.
• 24 is great again this season.
• Chris Hassel keeps nudging me to tweet on Twitter. I think this means I should update my status.
• Speaking of Hassel, his latest channeling of Marty Tirrell was sharp, funny, and oddly affectionate. You can watch in on the video player at www.whotv.com/sports
• We just put it in new gutters. That's the kind of crap your house needs, costs a lot, and no one notices.
• I'm getting my butt kicked in the KIIC Radio "Stump the Chumps' bracket contest. I hope this won't get me banned from Rathbun Lake's Honey Creek Resort. We love that place.
• Can't wait to see my first Barnstormer game of the season. If you didn't get to a game last year, try it. Affordable and fun. The Stormers will win several more games this season too.
• I asked what color you think Missouri's road basketball uniform most closely resembled. Your best answers: baby poop, the Crayon no one takes out of the box, macaroni and cheese, pea soup.
• I love "Friday Night Lights", it's my favorite TV show, but Tim Riggins is increasingly the least believable looking high school Senior since Stockard Channing in Grease (and she was 34). He's a great character, but looks old for college.
• My youngest boys enjoyed "Sideways Stories" at the Des Moines Playhouse. I have a bit part on a TV monitor as Mr. Kidswatter, which my kids got a kick out of, but the real cast is talented and fun. Star 102.5's Colleen Kelly also does a great job as the voice of one of the teachers. Now that I've seen the play, I wish I could tape my lines again.
• Love the new Guitar Hero commercial with the coaching legends and Metallica. Always good to see Bob Knight in tube socks and tighty-whities.
• I'm always looking for ways to stay in shape at home with a time-crunched schedule. Martial Arts instructor Fred Nicklaus says he'll make it happen in 9 minutes a day with his combat workout. I'll keep you posted.
• Mom's taxi is back in service. That's code for Little League season is upon us.
• Gosh, it was hard to watch the intervention of Dennis Rodman on Celebrity Apprentice. I hope he gets some help.
• Jayne Appel just scored again.

The Shove, The Incident, The Principal

• Brent Metcalf was wrong. The clock was at zeroes when he pushed Darrion Caldwell mid-flip. It was bad sportsmanship, and Caldwell could have been seriously injured. But since he wasn't, let's call Caldwell what he was at the end of that match: a hot-dogging knucklehead. It's okay to be excited, jubilant even---it was a stunning upset for a national title---but you don't celebrate like that. Especially in wrestling.
• I feel for the nice people at KXNO. It's an absolute mess to have a profane fight between two on-air personalities go out over the air, accidental or not. We've all heard the F-word at work, many of us have used it, and it's not the first time it's been heard over a surprisingly hot mike. I'm more disturbed by the anger. I'm not sure I've never heard a verbal beating like the one Marty Tirrell gave Larry Cotlar. There's more we don't know. Why was Marty so mad? Who really misused credentials? How was the mike turned on? Why didn't anyone notice? But the one certainty is this: you cannot argue like that in front of other employees, and you certainly don't do it in a studio full of microphones---even when you have every reason to believe it's not going over the air.
  
• "There's no such thing as bad publicity". If you believe this, and many do, Marty is more valuable to KXNO than ever. He's raised his profile times ten, maybe more. (For the record, I don't believe all publicity is good publicity. See Larry Eustachy.)
• I have a friend who was at a table full of people when one of the women accidentally pocket-dialed a "friend". The woman started trashing her "friend" and part of it was left on voice mail. They no longer speak. Always talk as if just about anyone can hear you, and for the most part, you'll stay out of trouble. No one is perfect at this, but it's a good goal.
• I enjoyed Will Ferrell as President Bush in "You're Welcome, America", but I thought it would be funnier.
• I can't believe some of what I hear on HBO's Eastbound and Down.
• I'm not into Dancing with the Stars except when Shawn's on. She's in it to win it. I'm not surprised how well Shawn's doing. She's a world class athlete with an unmatched work ethic. I guess that works for the balance beam and the Fox Trot.
• Seeing some of the unfortunate facial hair at boys state reminded me of my ill advised woolly chinstrap in high school. There's something about proving you can grow a beard. Fortunately we didn't have Facebook back then.
• Frank Deford, will you please stop making me cry when I watch HBO's Real Sports. I'm starting to feel like Dick Vermeil.
• What was A-Rod thinking this time?
• I can't ever remember if a Brent is a Brett or vice-versa. To all the Brents I called Brett, and all the Bretts I called Brent, I apologize.
• I make my Des Moines Playhouse debut this weekend, via videotape, as Principal Kidswatter in Sideways Stories from Wayside School. I'm confident my theatrical career will not progress beyond this month.

Cameron Crazies love Harrison Barnes, Ed Podolak looks great, Drake's in what?

• Glad to be wrong. UNI made it to the NCAA Tournament. But Portland? Against Purdue? Thanks NCAA Selection Committee.
• I understand Drake playing another game, in whatever tournament comes after the NIT, but don't try to sell us on "first time Drake's received back-to-back post-season bids in decades". Come on. Use the game at Idaho to get better for next year, but don't pull alongside Iowa's football press release in 2007 for being "bowl eligible" even though no one invited the Hawks.
• I am one of the "Chumps" in KIIC Radio's "Stump The Chumps" bracket contest. It's free, there's a nice prize (flat screen TV), and the radio station donates a dollar for each entry to the Southeast Iowa Race for the Cure. Go to www.kiicradio.com to enter
• The Cyclone women get a 4 seed. Yeah! Only to find out the 5 is Tennessee. Ouch. And they're playing near Nashville (Bowling Green, KY). Goodness.
• Iowa hosts. It would be nice to see something usually missing from Carver-Hawkeye Arena lately: fans.
• Harrison Barnes is the total package: unlimited talent, bright student, engaging personality. On SoundOFF, he showed off his polished interview skills, though he's not ready to reveal much. Harrison also showed a willingness to have fun, especially when the red light wasn't on. He's a great kid, and after spending some time with his mother, Shirley, it's easy to see why.
• Harrison says he hasn't eliminated any schools from consideration, but there's no doubt Duke made quite an impression on him. As Harrison told me, sitting court side at the Carolina-Duke game and having the Cameron Crazies chant his name was unbelievable. The rest of us can only imagine.
• A friend who ran into Iowa icon Ed Podolak says Ed looks like a million bucks and says he feels the same way. That's great to hear, and I'll be shocked if Ed's not back in the booth in September.
• The World Baseball Classic is a cool idea, but I just can't get into it. I'd rather watch a Cubs spring training game.
• Gosh it's frustrating being behind a person who refuses to stop talking and texting on a cell phone even though it's slowing the line down. At Kum & Go earlier this week, I finally offered to pay. I got the Stink Eye.
• Steve Alford, conference coach of the year, but still Not In Tournament. Or NIT for short.
• Andy Fales brings me a fresh batch of homemade pickled eggs each year, and no one else at work eats them but me. I mean, I work in a newsroom! You can put down a plate of burned cookies baked without sugar, flour or eggs, and they'll be gone in five minutes. The pickled eggs? No takers. Ever.
• I'm geeked that Coldplay is coming to Des Moines. I can take the 40 Year Old Virgin jokes. Coldplay rocks, and I can't wait to see U2's heir apparent in person. Huge pull for the Iowa Events Center.
• Since I sent out a Twitter (keithmurphy13) that I'll go see Journey at the State Fair just as soon as Steve Perry rejoins the band, dozens of people emailed me to say the new guy "sounds just like Perry". I understand but that doesn't make Creed-Pearl Jam or Adam Duritz-Van Morrison.
• Why is a comedian doing the best job of holding national news-makers accountable for what they say? Jon Stewart's TKO of CNBC's Jim Cramer was riveting television, even if Stewart did hit below the belt a time or two.
• "Here comes the Funcooker!"
• The return of ER's old cast has been nostalgic fun, and a reminder of how great the show once was. First class move by George Clooney. Nice when a big star remembers how he became so famous. Most don't.
• "Kings" is like nothing else on television. Definite potential.
• Nicolas Cage is starting to look scary.
• I was nearly hit by a car while playing Wiffle Ball with the kids. A nice, cautious neighbor who drives a Prius slowed down to about 5 miles an hour, and I never heard the car creeping up on us. I don't think it was making any sound. Good for the environment, bad for hearing.
• If you have kids who like basketball, take them to see the Globetrotters. They won't be disappointed. My grandma took me for my ninth birthday and I'll never forget it.
• Who's a bigger mess: Denise Richards or Paula Abdul?

Purple Reign, Fallon Failin', Twitter what?

• UNI will Dance! The Panthers nearly equal Drake's magic carpet ride of a year ago, winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles. Let's see if UNI can surpass Drake's NCAA "one and done".
• Osiris Eldridge was out of his mind. He made at least two shots from the concession stand. UNI vs. Illinois State was an Instant Classic.
• Andy texted early in the championship game that he thought more UNI fans would be in St. Louis. Maybe there was a teachers' convention somewhere else.
• It is startling to watch Iowa on TV and see all those empty seats---especially on weeknight games.
• The Hawk fans who did show Saturday, saw a thrilling win against Penn State. Jake Kelly took it to the bank. It's been a good year for Iowa when Penn State visits Iowa City.
• Jimmy Fallon is talented, likable, and eager to please. I'm rooting for him. However, Fallon had a rough first week replacing Conan. Not everyone can host a good talk show (see Chevy Chase, Pat Sajak, Magic Johnson... many others), but the ones who are great at it (see Letterman, Leno, Ellen) make it look so easy, most people don't realize just how hard it is. Fallon prepared for months and the first week still had many terrible, unfunny skits (the chair was a low point), awkward interviews (Deniro), and guests more comfortable than the host (Justin Timberlake, Tina Fey). The Roots are a highlight, as was "slow-jammin' the news", and it's always a treat to see Van Morrison live. Way too early to give up on Fallon---took Conan months to find his footing---but a reminder late night is littered with talented failures.
• U2's live performance of "Magnificent" on Letterman shows the World's Greatest Rock Band has another classic.
• Why is it no matter how many times you tell kids, they put an empty jug back in the fridge? The only thing more annoying is when they pour a glass, but leave an eighth of an inch of lemonade so they have plausible denial about why they didn't re-fill the jug.
• Colin is now 5, and the little guy kind of likes a girl in his pre-school class, but Colin announced at dinner Friday night, it's not going well: "Her say, 'I hate you. Get out of my life!" You can't make this stuff up.
• Will Ames High School need make-up days for all this missed school?
• Why does Paula Abdul clap like a seal on American Idol?
• I'm now posting scattershot thoughts throughout the day via Twitter. I don't even completely understand it, but you can follow my stream of consciousness on Twitter at keithmurphy13
• Is Ed Hightower at every game on your TV too? Or is it just mine---some kind of Hightower Network.
• Saturday Night Live, please stop with the MacGruber. MacGruber jumped the shark when it became PepsiGruber for the Super Bowl.
• The Rock Obama was funny.

McDermott Opens Up, Pornstache vs. Shorts, and Colin Calls 911.

• I think Greg McDermott really helped himself on SoundOFF Sunday night. No one questions McDermott's integrity or authenticity, but I found him surprisingly open about the mistakes he's made, warning signs he's missed, and lessons he's learned. It's hard not to root for the guy.
• McDermott has had a perfect storm of bad luck---most of it not his doing. At the end of the day, the team with the best players usually wins. How much better would Iowa State have been last year had McDermott not kicked Mike Taylor off the team? How many more games would the Cyclones have won this season with Wesley Johnson helping Craig Brackins? How long will it take us to wonder the same thing about next season if Brackins goes pro?
• Brackins needs at least another year to get stronger---maybe two.
• Does it feel to you like Drake won the mythical state championship?
• I'm still trying to get over the fact my father ordered a Cobb salad with a side salad. Who does that?
• Montell Marion's critics look pretty smart right now. He's still young. I hope he can turn it around.
• A-Rod is full of crap.
• Tim McClelland is a good guy, and a great umpire. The best in the Bigs. The man almost always gets it right, but Tim's wrong to give the Major League Baseball steroid cheaters a pass because they were just trying to gain an edge. It doesn't matter if baseball didn't have a rule prohibiting performance enhancers. It was against the law, and a well known health risk. It's also unfair to all the guys who didn't cheat, but got left behind. My friend Tim needs to check instant replay on this one and reverse the call.
• Not even eagle-eyed Tim could see the uniform numbers on the Hawkeyes new away jerseys. What were they thinking going black-on-black? The only thing that can save this for me is if Mediacom puts the Big Ten Network in HD. You can see anything in HD.
• The way I cringe when I see a picture of me with a mustache 25 years ago is how basketball players of this era will feel when they see themselves wearing XXXL shorts.
• On second thought, the pornstache is much worse.
• I love Celebrity Apprentice. Not only is it entertaining, but one look at Joan Rivers' face will keep me from ever having plastic surgery.
• Speaking of the Apprentice, when I was working my first job in Georgia, and Hershel Walker was a god in that state, fresh off his Heisman winning season, he agreed to a lengthy interview with me. When I got back to the station, the audio had a terrible hiss. I ran out to the airport (I was a one-man-band), and caught Hershel as he was getting on a booster's private jet. The man got off the plane with a smile, and did the entire interview again. I'm rooting for Hershel.
• I saw "Milk". Thought it was good, but overrated. Sean Penn gives an Oscar-worthy performance, though I still preferred Mickey Rourke in the "The Wrestler". It you are at all homophobic, Milk will make you uncomfortable at times. It's rated R for sexuality. So is "The Reader". If a 35 year old woman seducing a 15 year old boy makes you uncomfortable, avoid this one too. I thought this was one of the best movies of the year, though like Milk, not upbeat. Kate Winslett proves she has no acting equal right now.
• My mother just put an 8x10 picture of my son Cade on her wall with me cropped out! Mom, when did I become the guy you crop out of the picture?! Grandmas love their grandkids.
• It was great to see Providence knock off the #1 team in the land. I miss Keno.
• Is it possible U2's new album can live up to the over the top reviews? (e.g. Rolling Stone: 5 stars). It's constantly compared to "Achtung Baby" which is second only to "Joshua Tree" in my U2 library.
• My dad secretly watches "The View". He'll never admit this.
• Facebook took over my life for a week, but it's finally calming down. It is a joyous jolt to reconnect with so many people you thought you'd stay in touch with, but for one reason or another, did not. I held out for a long time, but I'm glad I came to my senses.
• "SoundOFF Nation" on Facebook is nearing 400 fans in 10 days. That even tops "Andy Fales is a god".
• Yes, it's true. My four year old son Colin called 911 because his older brother wouldn't play with him. Some things you can't make up.