Guest Blogger

Since the blog's purpose is to give you all a little peek behind the curtains of the Channel 13 Sports office, we thought it would be appropriate to introduce you to our native son --- photographer, Brandon McCauley. A lot of the highlights you see on the sportscast are shot by this young man. He was a sports intern for us, in 2008, and he's never left. So without further ado, here's BMC.

Straw Poll Hangover

Anyone else tired of politics?  It’s great to have the spotlight on Iowa, but I think we’ve all had enough for now.  I spent almost 12 hours at the Straw Poll in Ames on Saturday.  Let’s get these guys and gals out of here and start paying attention to football on the weekends.  It will still be here waiting for us after football season-- the Iowa Caucuses take place the day after the Super Bowl. 

Game Week 

Its Week 0 of High School Football, can you believe it?  The 2011 season kicks off on Thursday night.  Yes Thursday night, with one game (Gilbert and Unity Christian, 7pm at Fort Dodge High School).  Everyone else hits the field Friday night, including Chris Hassel.  Football Friday’s Big Game starts out with one of the biggest rivalries of the season:  Valley vs. Dowling. Hopefully we can pause the weather DVR long enough to squeeze out a few nice nights of Football Fridays this fall.

RVTV Countdown

We are now just 20 days away from RVTV 2011, and 25 days from the Cy-Hawk showdown in Ames.  I’ll be along for the entire ride from Pleasantville to Ames (with stops in Adel, Madrid, and Nevada in between).  Full disclosure, I grew up in Nevada, but have lived in Des Moines for a few years.   RVTV for me is always a reality check that I do not live in a small town anymore.   The guys at the Subway on 31^st and Ingersoll could make 100 subs in the time it takes a small town Subway to pull a hoagie out of the oven.   That said, however, small towns always know how to throw a party.  Joe Milledge and the guys down in Albia went all out to be (I’ll say it) the best stop ever.  Live music, a football field in the middle of the town square, and a 10pm pep rally are among the things that put that town over the top.  I can’t wait to see what the towns along the RVTV route have to offer us this year.   I’ll be there…behind the camera.