Boring Oscars, Cyclones Break Through, Everybody Say Cooter

• I love movies, and I love the Oscars, but that was a boring show. It had a few moments, but couldn't overcome the importance of a great host like Billy Crystal or Johnny Carson. James Franco looked either scared or disinterested. Anne Hathaway gave her all, but there's a reason Crystal received a standing-O. Everyone knows how he made something that's really hard look effortless.
• It was a great year for movies. I agree with The Kings Speech as best picture, but you could make a case for several others.
• I can't believe it had been 66 races since Jeff Gordon won. Guy used to win every other week.
• Nice to see Fred Hoiberg and the Cyclones finally finish a game and win. Credit the Clones for playing hard all the way through a ten game losing streak.
• Hundreds of Husker fans showed up at the Bob Feller Museum for the autographs of three Heisman trophy winners: Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, and Eric Crouch. The three Husker legends were all gracious with their time, even agreeing to take part in a Cooter Ray video. "Everybody Say Cooter!"
• Andy ate four servings of Dippin Dots Sunday night. He's ready for the girls state basketball tourney.

Good day for ISU, Looking ahead to Arch Madness, and Twitter Standoff

Good win for the Cyclones. ISU has lacked toughness down the stretch in many close losses, but found enough grit to end its 10 game slide.

The Iowa State women picked up a good road win at Kansas State, giving Bill Fennelly his 5th consecutive 20 win season. On a related note, it looks like the Cyclones are a lock for their 5th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The best Hawkeye basketball teams have struggled to win with any regularity in Champaign, so Iowa fans shouldn't lose any sleep about one of the worst teams in school history losing at Illinois.

A team from Iowa has won the Valley basketball tournament the last three years, but that streak is about to end. I'll be surprised if either Drake or UNI is still in St. Louis next Saturday.

Maybe you've heard... Twitter finally caved to my demands, and I officially signed up. Follow me @TerrellShawn

Shawn

Let's Go Bowling, Perrault heads Home

• The UNI women's basketball team has now won 14 games in a row, not to mention a conference title, and we've yet to receive a single email or call to SoundOFF or the Murph & Andy Show. Does anyone care about the Panthers? The answer appears no, but props to former Des Moines Lincoln star Tanya Warren for doing an outstanding job in Cedar Falls. She'll soon have other job options.
• Chicago Cubs single game tickets went on sale Friday. The good thing is it's a nice reminder spring is nearly here. The bad is you know ticket brokers bought most of the seats and they'll jack up the costs on StubHub and other outlets.
• Bears gave Lovie Smith another two years. He earned it.
• Southeast Polk's Tyler Solum bowled a 793 series at state. That's an average of 264! Sick.
• Congrats to KXNO's Matt Perrault. After nearly 2 years on the Matt & Miller Show, he's headed home to New England where Matt will work for stations in New Hampshire and Boston. Matt often riles peoples up, but it's not by taking fake stances or manufactured outrage. Matt says how he feels, with passion, and you never have to wonder. He's the kind of host many say they don't listen to, and then go on to explain why by listing everything he said recently. Good luck, Matt.
• How 'bout a Saturday full of college basketball fun? Sounds good to me.

Floyd Goes Grape Nuts, Real Energy, Mmm Bacon

• I'm back on board with the NBA, and I'm not the only one. Ratings are WAY up.
• Tim Floyd didn't care for the officiating at East Carolina. Floyd is now at UTEP, and he went bonkers Wednesday night. A cop finally had to escort Floyd off the court. Those who knew Floyd well in Ames know he has a temper, but it's rarely been seen like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8G-M7-b8h8
• The Iowa Energy played a morning game in front of three thousand schoolkids. Now that's energy. How come we never had cool field trips like that when I was a kid? That sounds a lot better than looking at bugs or cows.
• Congratulations to one of the nicest people I've met covering sports in Iowa, Kim Carson. The former Roosevelt Roughrider, and LSU All-American, will be inducted into the Drake Relays Hall of Fame April 28th.
• I saw Kim's brother at Jesse's Embers Thursday night. I was there with my wife and I ordered the small fillet. Our waitress said, "You mean the ladies steak?" Ouch. By any name, it was delicious. And I felt manly while eating it.
• I'm glad the snow storm stayed south of us here in Des Moines. The 70 degrees spoiled me last week.
• Can't wait to stop by the Bacon Fest. Face of the Fest, Brooks Reynolds, brought some bacon inspired pizza from Gusto by the Murph & Andy Show. They were all good, but surprisingly, my favorite was the Elvis pizza. It had peanut butter, bananas, honey, bacon and some other stuff. Mmm. No wonder the King died young.
• New Broncos coach John Fox says Altoona's Kyle Orton is his QB. Should be. Tim Tebow's not ready yet, and Kyle's consistently underrated and under-appreciated.
• Here's the latest update on Hawkeye legend Ed Podolak from his daughter Laura. Ed's doing well considering he was run over by a car, but it's clear he has a long, painful road ahead. Get well soon, Ed.

"I talked to my dad this morning and he wants to again express how thankful and overwhelmed he is by all of the wonderful well wishes sent to him from Hawkeye fans all across the nation.


Because of his condition, he's been in contact with only his immediate family, but he has received notes of encouragement from the Kansas City Chiefs, the University of Iowa and leaders of Hawkeye nation.

Dad is being medicated because of the number of surgeries he's undergone up to this point. He's aware that it's going to be a challenging and lengthy rehabilitation for him to return to his full physical abilities. But, he's confident that overall he will return as a better man. He wants to thank God, his higher power, for protecting him in this unfortunate accident. The injuries could have been much worse.

I have always been in awe of my dad's strength and perseverance, so his positive attitude at this time does not surprise me. It only inspires me to live every day to the fullest and not take any moment for granted.

Thanks to all for your love and support."

Note: Well-wishers are reminded that the best way to send messages at this time is by the following Facebook link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ed-Podolak/113624452045909

All cards/gifts are currently being returned to sender, as the hospital doesn’t have the means to handle the volume of incoming mail. The public will be notified when an address for Ed is established.

Fales Mopes, Northrup Talks, Wedel Stars

• It makes no sense how much many of us care about our professional sports teams, but we do. Andy Fales was down all day after learning Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has a serious elbow injury. The way Andy sees it, his entire spring and summer just got a lot less enjoyable.
• The NBA is more interesting when the Knicks matter. Melo and Amare are a good start.
• Jazz fans lost both faces of their franchise this month, Derron Williams and Jerry Sloan. Now I guess all Utah has it its jazz music. Oh, that's right. The nickname makes no sense. (Utah relocated from New Orleans, where the Jazz did make sense.)
• Joel Northrup, the boy who refused to wrestle a girl, made television appearances across several networks Wednesday morning. Northrup was impressive and consistent, though we didn't really learn anything new.
• Drake's Ryan Wedel saved the best game of his Bulldog career for Senior Night. 29 points and two really proud parents. (Check birthday boy Shawn Terrell's story in our video player.)
• Didn't take long for Charles Zanders to turn Simpson men's basketball around. Zanders coached Hoover to a state title five years ago, and he has the Storm headed in the right direction.
• Hall Pass could be really funny or really silly, but either way, I'm in. I'd rank the Farrelly Brothers movies in this order: 1 Dumb & Dumber 2 Something About Mary 3 Kingpin and 4 the underrated Outside Providence

ISU Skid, East Side Pride, Get Well Ed

• We knew Iowa State was likely in for a long Big 12 basketball season, but at times, it's hard to watch. Hard to watch partly because there's so much effort, but not enough talent or depth to win. 10 straight conference losses is hard on fans, worse for the players and coaches.
• UNI Senior Kwadzo Ahelegbe deserved to win his final game at the McLeod Center.
• Any team planning to beat the Des Moines East girls at the state basketball tournament better pack a lunch.
• Ed Podolak is in for a long, painful recovery. His daughter Laura asks anyone wanting to send well-wishes leave a message on his Facebook page. Key words: Ed Podolak. Gary Dolphin told me today Ed can take his time getting better, as he long as he's back for the first Hawkeye football game. That would be great, and I'll bet Ed makes it.
• I made plans to see my lifelong best friend for a few days next month. I'm already looking forward to it. If you have a best friend you haven't seen or talked to in a while, I highly recommend it. I need to do it more.
• The Saturday Night Live behind the scenes special Sunday night was terrific. It's hard to fathom how much talent has been on the show, including many who didn't really break out until later (Robert Downey Jr, Chris Rock, Larry David, Sarah Silverman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Damon Wayons, Jay Mohr, Joan Cusack... and the list goes on.)
• Four days until BaconFest.  

White Out, Barnstormer Banks, Tooth Fairy

• The Hilton Coliseum White Out looked great on ESPN2 Monday night. It looked like there wasn't an empty seat on the lower level. Chris Hassel let me on a clever secret. Iowa State put a white T-shirt on any unoccupied chair (though there weren't many down low). Smart.
• Iowa State held off Texas in OT. Cyclones needed that one.
• A big "Get Well Soon" for Hawkeye legend Ed Podolak. As first reported by the Des Moines Register, Podolak was crossing the street when hit by a car. He's in the hospital, but should recover.
• It's good to have Brad Banks in Des Moines. He always seems positive. I hope Banks makes the Barnstormers.
• The Vikings put the franchise tag on one of Banks' former Hawkeye teammates, Chad Greenway. As things stand now, and they'll change, Greenway would make $10 million next season.
• There will be a new champion in 4A boys basketball. Marshalltown knocked out Ames---something the Bobcats enjoyed.
• Carmelo Anthony is a Knick. The NBA is better when the Knicks matter. Plus, I'm just glad we don't have to hear more breathless updates on ESPN. This Melo deal feels like it took 18 months.
• My son, Colin, is home sick with strep throat and a temp of 103 degrees. If there's anything worse than being sick, it's having one of your kids miserable.
• One morale boost for Colin was a visit from the tooth fairy. It wasn't The Rock. Or Billy Crystal

Daytona Lovebugs, Griffin Jams, No Doubting Brands

• The Daytona 500 was mostly boring. Way too many caution flags, cars drafting like lovebugs, and not enough exciting passes.
• Is a 20-year old rookie winning the Great American Race good or bad for NASCAR? I'd say bad. NASCAR fans know who Bayne is but casual fans have no idea. They likely would find a known star winning more interesting.
• I found the NBA All-Star weekend entertaining. The slam dunk contest was one of the best ever. Blake Griffin jumped over a car, though that wasn't his best dunk, it was just the best presentation. It's good Griffin was exciting while dunking because he was nearly asleep during his interviews.
• Kobe Bryant wins MVP for the fourth time. Kobe loves a stage.
• As soon as the refs waved off Bryce Cartwright's half court buzzer beater, I expected Iowa would lose to Michigan by two---been that kind of year. I was wrong. Iowa lost in OT.
• The Cyclones are worn out.
• Who didn't think Tom Brands would coach Iowa to another Big Ten title? If you believed that, you haven't paid attention.
• We played Johnston High School's dance---which I think originated at UNI---on SoundOff. No more email requests, PLEASE! Thank you.
• The emails keep coming on the state wrestling controversy. People know how they feel on this one, and too many think you should feel the same way.

State Wrestling and Saturday night laughs

If you thought the State Wrestling Tournament was wild this year, wait until 2012. Not only could Cory Clark and John Meeks notch their fourth state titles, both could also finish their careers undefeated. Only five wrestlers in state history have finished their high school careers undefeated.

While I marvel at the dominance of Clark and Meeks, I enjoy the reaction of the unexpected champions so much more. Clark and Meeks appear as though they're used to winning. For me, the coolest moments of the tournament are the underdogs that fight their way to the top of the podium, and then can't stop smiling or fight back the tears.

Here's a couple entertaining links from the SoundOFF email inbox... The first was sent from 19 different people in Johnston and features the Dragons student section at a recent basketball game. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKC0l-TXP24 My favorite moment is at the :38 second mark... watch the kid stop to chug his Mountain Dew, then resume dancing.

The second comes from Cooter Ray's second cousins... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1KJk23D3BI&feature=related

Shawn

Life of Reilly in Des Moines, Amazing Clark & Meeks, Colts Cut Sanders

• 11-time National Sportswriter of the Year Rick Reilly arrived in Iowa for a speaking engagement put on by the Entrepreneurs' Organization of Des Moines, and had a story put right on the tee. Reilly immediately went to work on the wrestling controversy at girls state. Among Reilly's observations: 1) Joel Northrup sacrificed a shot at a state title for his beliefs. 2) Where does it say in the bible you can't engage in physical combat with a girl? 3) Iowans sure love their wrestling.
• Because of state wrestling, I didn't get a chance to hear Reilly speak at the Polk County Convention Complex, but my friend who was there, said Reilly was funny and entertaining. His first question for me on the radio, "Where can I get a good steak?". I told him Jesse's Embers on Ingersoll, Johnny's Italian Steakhouse, or the steak sandwich at Noah's---hold the bread.
• Southeast Polk's Cory Clark and Des Moines Roosevelt's John Meeks are one match away from staying perfect through their first three years of high school wrestling. Amazing.
• The Colts cut former Hawkeye Bob Sanders. Sanders was a difference-maker, when he was healthy, which was almost never. Sanders played just nine games the past three years. The Colts had to hate making his tough choice, but it's understandable. When you're that small, and hit that hard, injuries happen.
• It was an interesting week, but I am worn out by the wrestling controversy. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Hope you have one too.

Boy Doesn't Meet Girl

• The Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament has never received more national attention. It's almost all because of a match that didn't really even take place. When Linn-Mar's Joel Northrup refused to wrestle Cedar Falls' Cassy Herkelman because she's a girl, it was inevitable the story would blow up and fragment in several directions.
• I don't understand the basis of Northrup's decision being faith and conscience, but I don't need to. It's his faith, and his conscience. In Northrup's shoes, I would wrestle a girl, and I expect my boys would do the same. However, I respect Northrup for standing by his principles. As I said here last night, principles only mean something if you stick by them when they're inconvenient. This was inconvenient for Joel.
• Forget talk Northrup didn't wrestle because he fears losing to a girl. Barring an all-time upset, Northrup wins easily.
• I also feel for Cassy Herkelman. She just wants to wrestle. It's her passion. Cassy didn't ask to win this way, or all the attention that came with it. It's also nice to see the Herkelmans respect the Northrup's decision, which isn't the same as agreeing with it.
• There are five states that offer girls wrestling, how can Iowa not be one of them? I think that has to change. No doubt more girls would wrestle if they didn't have to go against boys. It can be uncomfortable for both sides, though I must say of the wrestlers I've seen and talked to, boys and girls, all have handled it well. Kids are much more laid back about it than adults.
• There are physical differences between boys and girls---duh---which is why the IGHSAU won't allow a boy to play volleyball, or some other girls sport. Boys in a girls sport---generally---gain a size, speed, and strength advantage. The reverse is not true. Girls should wrestle girls, and boys should wrestle boys, unless that option does not exist, then you have to open it up. Iowa has done that.
• I think it's possible, if not likely, we'll one day see a lawsuit if boys are not allowed to play volleyball. There are just too many people ready to shine a light on what they see as hypocrisy.
• Final thought, Cassy Herkelman and Megan Black wrestled at state because they earned it. They weren't there on a sponsor's exemption or a free pass. That makes them like all the other wrestlers who worked their butts off for a shot at their dream, and that includes Joel Northrup, a guy who gave up a title shot for a belief.

Girls Wrestling, Junior Wrecks, Lucky Charms

• State wrestling could have a story turn into a national talking point. The Des Moines Register reports Linn-Mar's Joel Northrup is considering not wrestling Cedar Falls' Cassy Herkelman for what's believed to be religious reasons. Earlier this season, Northrup did sit out a scheduled match against Herkelman, but this time it would cost him a shot at a state title. If Northrup does wrestle Herkelman, it's a fair question why he didn't feel as strongly about his conviction this time. Principles only mean something if you stick by them when they are inconvenient. If Northrup forfeits or defaults, some will respect his stance, others will loathe it.This story has already sparked debate.
• No matter what happens with Northrup, two girls wrestling at state for the first time is a big story, and brings its own conversation. I've had several emails from viewers asking why boys can't play volleyball (or some other girls sport).
• There's nothing like the state tournament. You really have to see it to believe it.
• Iowa State lost at Texas A&M, as expected, but the Cyclones fought hard. They haven't quit. At all.
• Oops. Dale Earnhardt Jr crashed his car at Daytona practice and goes from the pole to the back of the pack. NASCAR hates this. NASCAR would like to give Junior a 10 lap head start.
• I still think the Cardinals and Albert Pujols will work something out. Andy will be in therapy by then.
• Greatest cereal of all time: Lucky Charms.

UNI, DJK, CUB

• UNI needed that one. Took 15 threes, but with no inside presence, whatever works.
• Nice job by KGAN's Jared Aarons with his DJK interview. Jared did a nice job of balancing what makes DJK so likable with what brought him down. Plus, just getting Johnson-Koulianos to go through with an interview he's agreed to is no small feat. He stood us up twice in the past three weeks.
• Johnson-Koulianos sounds like he's learned a lesson---he admits to getting caught up in his DJK persona---but he's smart enough to know he'll have to prove he's changed with actions over time, not words over one interview.
• State Wrestling begins Wednesday. If you're driving through downtown Des Moines, keep your head on a swivel.
• Just seeing video of the Cubs at spring training makes me feel like winter won't be long. Maybe the groundhog was right.

Kansas Falls, So Do I

• Well, that won't last long. #1 Kansas looked, as Bob Knight said, a little full of itself Monday night and got deflated at Kansas State. The Wildcats thumped the Jayhawks.
• I just surfed across the Shawshank Redemption, and even though I own it on DVD (who doesn't?), I'm now watching it even with the endless AMC commercial breaks. It's like coming across a song on the radio, and getting excited, even though you have the song in your iPod or on CD. It's all about the validation of the surfing discovery.
• I ate my first heart-shaped pizza on Valentine's Day. It did seem to taste sweeter.
• Listen to Ed. Monday night after the aforementioned heart-shaped pizza feed, I jogged out of the house and busted my butt on some sidewalk black ice. I thought it was still slush, but the temp dropped, and it was slick. I wrenched my knee and am now limping around like Kirk Gibson in '88.
• There is some good basketball being played at Grand View University. It's an overlooked, affordable source of sports entertainment.

Kingpin, Hawkeye Regression, Jamie Pollard Grammy Jammy

• Way to go, Tom Hess! The Urbandale bowler won his first PBA tournament, and it's a big one, a major, the Masters. Tom just called me on his way back from Reno. He was driving through Salt Lake City at 1 a.m. and said he'd stop at a  hotel when he was tired, but wanted to make it back to Iowa as soon as possible.
• Better bowling movie, Big Lebowski or Kingpin? I'll go with Kingpin, but I'll bet I'm in the minority.
• The Hawkeyes served up a reminder Sunday of just how far they have to go. There are reasons for optimism, as we saw last week, but Iowa needs better shooters. Minnesota just zoned Iowa out of the game early.
• SoundOff featured exactly one call on basketball. One! I can't recall a season with less passion in mid-February because all fans realize they're not headed to The Dance. (Men's basketball anyway. The ISU, Iowa, and UNI women could all make the tourney.)
• Time to watch the Grammys on DVR. My two favorite Albums this year, in order: 1) Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. 2) Eminem's "Recovery".
• Don't miss "Jamie Pollard's Grammy Jammy". Check the SoundOff video player: http://www.whotv.com/sports/soundoff/

Thoughts to Ponder

Iowa State brought a knife to a gun fight in Lawrence.

Iowa recruit Josh Ogelsby has a natural shooting touch.

Anytime you see a an awkward cutaway (shots of fans, etc. between plays) in our game highlights, Chris Hassel is behind it.

Saw two people running in t-shirt and shorts in 46 degree weather Saturday. Everything is relative.

Didn't NASCAR season just end?

Shawn

Cavs Win, Allen's Wisdom, Pinewood Derby

• The Cavaliers long nightmare ends. Cavs win their first game in 55 days with a win over the Clippers. Apparently LeBron really was the MVP last year.
• Love this quote from Ray Allen, courtesy of Nick Nurse: "A lot of people always say to me...God sure blessed you with an amazing talent to shoot the ball. My answer most of the time is to say thank you, but when I really think about it, God doesn't really care at all about how I shoot or whether or not we win."
  
  'It's about the time I have put in and continue to put in working on my shooting. The amount of shots I have taken and continue to take on a daily basis would probably stagger most people." Amen. No wonder he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game.
• NASCAR puts Des Moines native Michael Annett on probation for the entire season. Annett says it's a life-changing experience, and I hope it is. Ramming into another car while allegedly four times drunker than the legal limit, and texting, then resisting arrest... that should be a wake-up call.
• Andy Fales worries about Albert Pujols' contract EVERY DAY.
• Can you believe state wrestling is Wednesday? Get ready for cars going the wrong way in downtown Des Moines. Always happens.
• I'm going to my sons' Pinewood Derby tomorrow. Fortunately, Grandpa helped build the cars.

New King, Playoff time, Deace Exit

• Ray Allen, the new NBA 3-point king. No one works harder at shooting. Funny how that works.
• Can't believe the girls basketball playoffs are already under way. State wrestling starts Wednesday.
• Creston High School is having a "Gold Out" Friday night for a great cause. One of our intern hall-of-famer's, Scott Vicker, asked me to post the info, which I'm happy to do: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188381781192794&index=1
• I don't care who Mark Sanchez is dating.
• Here's something I didn't see coming: Steve Deace leaving 1040 WHO. Read Deace's explanation at http://stevedeace.wordpress.com/
• Went to my sons' school plays today. Cade had one line. "What do you do when a Rhino charges you? Give him your credit card." Floppy would have loved that one.

Hawks Hustle, Clones Fall, A-Rod Eats

• Iowa fans care about basketball again. Maybe not all fans, but many more than a week ago. The Hawks are improving fast under Fran McCaffery. The energy is back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, not to mention the effort on the floor. February used to be the month the Hawkeyes started mailing it in, but this year they're kickin' in.
• Iowa pushed #13 Wisconsin to the brink before falling in OT. Bryce Cartwright got a good look a the end of regulation, but the ball rimmed out. Down 3 at the end of OT, I would like to have seen McCaffery call a timeout to set up a play, but you can argue the D sets up too.
• I like that McCaffery was mad after the loss. No moral victories. Iowa let a win get away, and he knew it.
• The ISU women are #22, but Wednesday's overtime loss at Kansas is one that could hurt. We'll likely the Clones at tourney time anyway, but road wins always help.
• Harrison Barnes finally played in front of the Cameron Crazies---as a Tar Heel. He walked away with a loss. NC blew a double-digit lead.
• Danica Patrick will drive 12 Nationwide races in 2011, but none at the Iowa Speedway (there are two this year). Patrick is a draw, despite never winning. She should make it to Newton for IndyCar.
• A-Rod is reportedly furious he was caught on camera being fed popcorn by girlfriend Cameron Diaz. Here's an idea Alex, don't sit in an open luxury box, in front of 50 cameras, with one of the nation's most recognizable movie stars and go all PDA if you don't want to be seen. Stay on your couch at home.

Dogs Hunker Down, Twins Win, Party

• Wake me when there's actually something to a Carmelo Anthony trade rumor.
• How 'bout them Dogs?! Three straight wins for Drake, this one over the Fighting McDermotts.
• As feared, UNI appears done without the heartbeat of Lucas O'Rear.
• Chris Hassel set the over/under fans mark at the Twins Winter Caravan stop in Des Moines at four. Several hundred Twins fans showed. Another loss for Hassel Dazzle Productions.
• Jack Morris looked like he could still pitch game 7.
• Morris and the Twins stopped at Blank Children's Hospital. That's a great way to win more fans.
• The Hawkeye Huddle at 7-Flags featured recruiting night with coordinator Eric Johnson. People either get into recruiting or they don't. I'm a don't.
• The Dowling girls put a scare into #1 Des Moines East. A scare, but not a loss.
• Packers fans haven't planned Wednesday's party yet, but I'm sure they'll come up with something.

Denial Done, Drunk Driving, Doritos Drivel

• Just hit me hard, the football season is really over. It gets harder every year.
• Super Bowl XLV was the most watched television show in history. The NFL has never been more popular. Is there any way the players and owners are foolish enough to shut down the golden goose?
• Des Moines native Michael Annett had a really bad Sunday morning. North Carolina police arrested the NASCAR driver for OWI after he blew a 0.32---four times the legal limit. Annett apologized, but he faces sanctions from Rusty Wallace Racing. If Annett loses his license can he still drive in a Nationwide race? (He won't, and he can.)
• Christina Aguilera is guilty of over-singing, but she didn't burn a flag or rip up the constitution. She forgot the lyrics. It's unfortunate, but forgivable.
• Harry's Law is over-the-top ridiculous but undeniably watchable.
• Looking forward to the Chicago Code. 
• I'm still not over that creepy Doritos commercial where the guy gets his fingers licked.

Red Carpet Failure, Christina Aguilera Over-sings, Rodgers Rules World

• The Red Carpet on Fox's Super Bowl pre-game show was the worst sports idea since the glowing puck. Michael Strahan hasn't looked that uncomfortable since he was interviewed about Brett Favre taking a dive. Brutal.
• Christina Aguilera made the mistake too many singers make: she made the National Anthem about her, instead of our country. Aguilera has an amazing voice, but she over-sang the song to the point she forgot the lyrics on the world's biggest stage. More is less.
• The Black Eyed Peas halftime performance was widely panned. The vocals were lacking, but it's the Black Eyed Peas, not U2. I guess my expectations were it would be visually dazzling, and if you're into Tron, or Fergie in shoulder pads, it was. Fergie shouted more than she sang, but Slash's 15 seconds were cool, as was Usher's drop-in. Overall, it met my expectations.
• The halftime seemed longer than the second quarter.
• The game. Another good one, though not quite one of the best. Too many dropped passes, Pittsburgh turnovers, and no drama in the final minute to qualify as an all-time classic. Still, Packer fans LOVED it.
• Aaron Rodgers, welcome to the elite. He joins Brady, Manning, Brees as one of the absolute best quarterbacks in the NFL. Rodgers was outstanding again Sunday, and he was actually better than he'll get credit, thanks to at least four drops. The team with the better quarterback won.
• Rodgers took so many hits, but he read the Steelers defense so well, he managed to get rid of the ball just in the nick of time.
• Rodgers torched NFL defensive player of the year Troy Polamalu all game long.
• The Packers had injured players all season, and again in the Super Bowl, and still won it all.
• State holiday in Wisconsin. In Iowa, it's just a "sick day" for Packer fans.

Back to Back wins for Iowa, Drake cools off Panthers.

Many questioned, myself included, if the Iowa basketball team would go oh for the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have now won two conference games in four days. There were several positives from Saturday's win at Indiana. Most of all, Iowa played with a poise and toughness that's been missing for years.

It's impossible to know whether UNI would have beaten Drake with Lucas O'Rear in the lineup. Most of O'Rear's contributions couldn't be measured and didn't show up on the stat sheet, which were the main reasons he was so valuable.

Watching a Rick Reilly "Homecoming" marathon on ESPN Classic... Am I the only one that enjoyed Reilly ALOT more before I heard/saw him talk on TV?

Shawn

Welcome Back Mike, Shot of Year

• One of Greg McDermott's success stories during his time at Iowa State is Mike Taylor. Yes, the Mike Taylor who McDermott kicked off the team. Taylor credits McDermott with the wake-up call that turned him around, and though Taylor's no longer in the NBA,  he's back in the NBA D-League with the Iowa Energy.
• The Energy wore camouflage for military appreciation night. Really, that should be every night. (The appreciation, not the hideous uniforms.)
• The Bucs were blanked 4-0, but thanks to the fans air guitar contest, everyone walked away feeling they got their money's worth.
• Steelers 24, Packers 20.
• Bobbie Burrows of Bondurant-Farrar makes the local basketball shot of the year to help #10 BF upset #2 Roland-Story in double-overtime:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l36-SJfN_W4&feature=email

O'Rear Out, Super Money, No Sex

• UNI's Lucas O'Rear out for the season? Crushing. I don't think the NCAA men's basketball tournament will include a team from Iowa.
• No one plays with more intensity than Drake's Kristin Turk.
• The Iowa women just can't win at Purdue.
• Super Bowl ads are sold out at $3 mil for 30 seconds. Must be worth it.
• A new poll shows women would rather watch the Super Bowl than have sex. Something tells me you could sub in _______ for Super Bowl.
• More women watch the Super Bowl for the commercials than the game. These are the women who are always at parties talking loudly during the game-winning drive, but not at all when a monkey flings poop.

Hawkeye Hoops, Ferentz Shines, Steele Jantz

• -2 on the drive home.
• I know Tom Izzo is frustrated with his back-to-back Final Four Spartans, but I did not see a 20 point loss to Iowa coming. Iowa just flat out thumped Michigan State. At one point, Iowa made 10 shots in a row, and from all angles. I haven't seen Iowa look this good in years. Or Michigan State this bad.
• Drake made 16 threes while shooting down Southern Illinois. No telling what to expect from the young Bulldogs. They can be really good, or bad.
• It's 8 straight now for UNI.
• Kirk Ferentz had a rough week, but a good day. Wednesday Ferentz said all the right things, and showed the leadership the Hawkeye faithful have come to expect from him. It was a week late, and Ferentz realizes that, but better late than never. In this case, much better.
• Talk from fans that the media created this story because Ferentz failed to cater to reporters is just plain silly. 13 hospitalized football players and the need for leadership from the top is not a media creation.
• National Football Signing Day is a holiday for some, but not me. Super Bowl Sunday, different story.
• Iowa had a top 25 recruiting class, so rhabdogate (isn't "gate" overused?) didn't hurt.
• We had our first interview with new Cyclone quarterback Steele Jantz. If this guy lives up to the hype, and his name, it's going to be a fun ride.

Snowtorious BIG, Snow Day, Groundhog Day

• Made it home safely. That was no given with crazy winds and blowing snow. This blizzard is showing me something.
• We asked our Murph & Andy Show listeners to help us name the first big storm of 2011. Among my favorites: Snow Derek, Snowtorious BIG, IOsnoWA, Snow Freaking Way, rabsnowmyolysis, Snoprah, and Snowmageddon.
• Shawn Terrell and I were talking about two nights it's tough for a kid to go to sleep because he's so excited: Christmas Eve and snow day eve. My two youngest boys, Colin 6 and Cade 10, are sleeping right now not knowing if there's school. There's not. When they wake up, it will be second only to Santa.
• Happy Groundhog Day. As I'm typing, I'm watching the Bill Murray classic. One of the few movies that improves upon each viewing. Brilliant.
• Happy Groundhog Day. As I'm typing, I'm watching the Bill Murray classic. One of the few movies that improves upon each viewing. Brilliant.