Things I like, in some cases love, about Des Moines...

...but first, some more "SoundOFF 500" party pics arrived:

And now to some of the things I enjoy about Des Moines...

Varsity Theater: Locally owned, in the heart of the Drake campus, and often showing movies not mainstream enough to play in the cookie-cutter multiplexes. The best part is a visit to the concession stand. It's downright jarring to find pop and candy less than half what you pay at Century Theatres or Wynnsong. The prices are actually reasonable. Imagine that. Plus, some selections of stuff you remember from your childhood but don't find anywhere else (Snowcaps!). Bonus points to owner Bev Mahon (a man), for always telling me, "You look taller in person". He's the only one.

Cooney's Tavern: Not quite like being in Ireland, but the next best thing in Des Moines. The bar feels authentic, albeit a little nicer than the actual pubs in Ireland. I'm not quite a "regular"---can't be with kids---but I've been enough that when I found myself surprisingly low on cash---did I mention kids?---owner Brian Cooney told me to get him next time. I brought the money the next day. I hate owing anyone money.

The Irish Shoppe: This place in Valley Junction has some cool stuff, and the place gets bonus points for helping out my parents. They went in and said they wanted to buy a poster for their son that was hanging in the Cooney's bathroom. They weren't sure what it was, but it had something to do with old, dead Irish guys. The nice lady at the Shoppe went over to Cooney's and checked out the poster and special ordered it for mom & dad. It hangs above the computer as I type. It's called "Irish Writers" and shows pictures of 12 of the best along with a few lines of their famous works. For example, Samuel Beckett, "Perhaps my best years are gone... but I wouldn't want them back. Not with the fire in me now." Or George Bernard Shaw, "An Irishman's heart is nothing but his imagination." I like that. (Beckett to the left, Shaw below. Tell me there aren't stories in those faces.)















The Des Moines Playhouse. Love this place. Cool building, great entertainment, nice people. I always enjoy the way kids respond to live theater when they're used to movies and television. My two little ones, Cade 5 and Colin 2, loved the recent Stinky Cheese Man more than any movie they saw this year. The Graduate is up next (that's nothing like Stinky Cheese Man).











(Hey, look at that! I'm finally putting pictures on my blog. I'm no Erin Kiernan, but it's a start!)

95KGGO Arena: I can't add much to what Andy said in one of his classic What's Bugging Andys. I'm not sure I agree this is the best place to see a game in the state of Iowa, but it's definitely top five. When you go watch the Des Moines Bucs, you are right on top of the ice, and the fans are knowledgeable, and really into it (some, perhaps, have a little too much spirit because they've had a little too much spirits). Colin, who you may recall from a previous paragraph is two years old, starts chanting "Let's Go Bucs!" every time we drive by the Arena.



KXNO: I lived here a long time with no sports radio, really enjoyed the days when we had three choices for stations, and now listen frequently to the last one standing: KXNO.

Des Moines Register Sports: I hear a lot of grumbling about how the Register isn't what it was in the good ol' days, and perhaps that true, but it's still part of daily breakfast for me. I haven't changed since I was a kid. Pour a bowl of cereal, prop the sports section between the bowl and the jug of milk, eat. Repeat. I do miss the Big Peach though.

The Funny Bone: I've really missed the Funny Bone since it closed out the old location a few weeks back. Fortunately, the new one opens soon in West Des Moines and not only will it be a much nicer location and venue, it will be SMOKE FREE! Can't wait. A good laugh is good for the soul.

Newton Drive-In: Closed for the winter, but always a fun night with the family. Feels like stepping back in time. Speaking of that...

Living History Farms: The old fashioned Family Halloween Nights is coming up, and it's a can't miss for us. We did feel a little silly the first time we went because two of the kids had on really scary Friday the 13th type costumes. This isn't that kind of Halloween. We went home and changed. (Full disclosure: Channel 13 is a sponsor of this) . How 'bout another logo... I'm on a roll:








Cityview: It's always good for a city to have an alternative newspaper that doesn't answer to a corporate conglomerate. Sure, some of what passes for "news" is just mean-spirited gossip planted by sources with their own hidden agendas, and often flat our wrong, but Cityview gets a lot right too. The lengthy investigative stories showcase young journalists working really hard.

I often pick up a copy of Cityview. Heck, they're everywhere. You can't swing a dead cat without a hitting a Cityview stand. I especially enjoy the paper's food, movie and TV reviews. I think they're mostly right on target, although I disagree on Friday Night Lights. It's a great show, but give the Cityview critic credit, apparently no one's watching but me. Save this show! Oh yeah, and the "Think You're Funny" picture caption contest. Classic.

More good things about Des Moines next time... Please let me know some of your favorites too.

SoundOFF Party.

Now that was a party!

As you may have heard, or read, we celebrated 500 SoundOFF shows Saturday night at Legends. We had a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun.

I don't think I've ever even tailgated for 11 hours, but that's how long we kept it going. Started at 4, finished at 3. We were fortunate to have a designated driver and a real cool custom conversion van from Jim Jensen's Crescent Chevrolet. For reasons known only to him, salesman Brody volunteered to drive us around (Andy, Round Guy, my mom, Jenny and me) and never have a drink. He's our new favorite guy. Thank you, Brody. And a big shout out to Amanda. She did all the work.

SoundOFF receives thousands of E-mails a year, but many names become familiar. We also have regular callers. It was really fun to see the faces behind the words. For instance, Shane in Marshalltown is a writing pro. He's a big Hawkeye fan, and writes some of the cleverest stuff in Iowa, only he's not paid. Andy and I both pictured him far different than he is. Then again, he said the same about us, and he's watched us on TV for years (with me, people usually say I look younger, better, and shorter than they expected. This is not necessarily good news when you make your living on TV, but I take it as a compliment)

I think the Hawkeyes stunning loss at Indiana kept a few Hawk fans from the party, ISU fans expected the Cyclones to lose, but we were thrilled with the hundreds of people who did show during the 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. stretch. We did meet a viewer who looks just like Jeff Horner meets Jim Carrey in the Cable Guy, another twin for Woody Harrelson in Natural Born Killers, and it was good to finally meet Madonna. I was surprised she doesn't drink.

As the night progressed, Andy and I noticed more and more TV people showing up. We're like vampires apparently. You can see pictures of Erin, Courtney, Jeriann, Meisenheimer, Round Guy, Heather, and some of our friends from KCCI, on Erin's blog. What you won't see is a picture of Andy. He's notoriously camera shy. It was nice to have our co-workers and colleagues stop by. Also making the rounds: The Cotman, Shawn Terrell, Jon Cahill, Jannay Towne, Todd Bailey, B.Ross, Jon Miller and Bryce Miller---lot of Millers. Most of them were Lite, and empty.

Anyway, it was fun. Big thank you to Jenny for having the patience of Job. I did a lot of talking and very little of it was with her. Understanding goes a long way in a relationship.

I appreciate all your nice comments the past week. Not sure if I'll make it to 600, but someone will. I hope to be at that party too.

Keith

Celebrating 10 years of SoundOFF.

One of my loyal readers has threatened me with bodily harm if I don't write about something other than Iowa and Iowa State football, so... here's to my health!

SoundOFF 500: As first revealed here, we're throwing a party Saturday night (10/14) at the original Legends in West Des Moines (60th & Ashworth); you're invited. We're giving away a lot of cool door prizes including the limited edition SoundOFF T-shirts from Tailgate. We've had to assign a security guard to these at work, but so far not one has walked away. Admission to the party is free. It runs from 6 to close. Arrive early for a good seat. Chris from Green Bay will not be attending.

Ten years ago, when SoundOFF started, it seemed like such a novel idea. The hosts giving strong opinions and viewers having a voice. There were skeptics from the start but the ratings (number of people watching) far exceeded all expectations right away and the audience is now bigger than ever. I sincerely thank you for that (I'm hoping you watch. If not, just pass that "thank you" to someone who does). SoundOFF seemed somewhat unique a decade ago, but now ESPN, FSN, Mediacom and many others do similar shows.

The biggest change we ever had was Andy Fales taking over as co-host for Round Guy. Andy used to work behind the scenes on SoundOFF, but all night long he would complain about whatever was bugging him. He never smiled, but he sure made us laugh. That's how "What's Bugging Andy?" came about. I just said to Andy, "Save some of your material for the viewers. We're putting you on each week for two minutes. We'll call it 'What's Bugging Andy?'." It was a huge hit from the start. Some loved it, some hated it, but no one ignored it. The reason What's Bugging Andy is so good, I think, is that Andy's not trying to be anyone else. He might dial it up a little, but that's him. If you've been around Andy, you know that's him. I've been accused of overdoing my laugh, providing Andy with his own Ed McMahon, but I'm not acting. Some of what he says is flat out hilarious. He's also poignant and insightful at times. I don't agree with all of what comes out of Andy's piehole, but we're lucky to have someone in this market telling it like he thinks it is. It's appointment television for a lot of people.

After Andy hit big, my boss, Mark Ginther, decided we needed to make Andy the co-host. Good for Andy, good for the station, and good for the viewers. But what would Round Guy think after playing a big part in a successful show for seven years? I dreaded having to tell him because he's always been so good to me and everyone else at channel 13, not to mention the fact he had to put up with countless callers over the years coming up with schoolyard bully gems like, "Hey Round Guy, you're fat". The news of no longer hosting each week disappointed RG, but he understood, and he handled it with grace and class. In fact, Round Guy (Steve Pilchen) went out of his way to make Andy feel okay about it, as well as the audience. I'm indebted to him for that. I'll make sure he drinks and eats from Saturday night. I'm lucky to have Steve as a friend.

Looking back over 500 shows, I think the comment I hear most frequently from people is, "You do a good job of putting up with those crazy callers"... or some variation. Yes, many of the calls are wacky, but that's part of what makes for a good show. And those people are our friends, neighbors and rivals. Most of our viewers are intelligent, but if they call in, they're quickly forgotten. It's the nutjobs we all remember most. Just like Ed gets the forecast right most of the time, but we dwell on the misses.

SoundOFF is such a blessing for our sports department because we have immediate feedback whenever anything happens. Iowa State wasn't even off the field Saturday night when e-mails started coming in about the need for a coaching change. We're well aware that people who are angry, disillusioned or disappointed are more likely to write or call than people feeling blissful, and we take that into account. For instance, ISU loses to Nebraska while Iowa pummels Purdue and the Cyclone e-mailers and callers outnumber the Hawkeyes 10 to 1.

We have a big microphone on that show, and I've always tried to use it fairly. I never shy away from giving my opinion, but I try to never make it personal. Sometimes we realize we're being critical of people who try very hard and care very much about what they're doing. If you lose the SoundOFF audience, you're in trouble.

We've had many guests and substitute co-hosts over the years. Here are my impressions on a few:

Tim Dwight: One of my favorite guys. Never gives you the tired answers or dull opinions. TD will tell you just what he thinks. He's an adrenaline junkie who's trying to squeeze every ounce of fun out of life. We should all be more like that. Great guy. Loves the movie Zoolander. He can quote every line and hit you with Blue Steel or Magnum.

Kirk Ferentz: Called in every time we've ever asked. Just as willing to do it during the great seasons as he was when losing in the early years. Kirk is the real deal. I've written about my high opinion of him many times, so I won't get carried away, but Hawkeye fans should hope this guy never leaves, and not just because he's winning.

Governor Tom Vilsack: Loves sports. He doesn't come by to campaign, he just really wants to talk about his Steelers (and woeful Pirates). He's also up for poking fun at himself, and makes no demands or requests whatsoever. Smarter people than me can decide what kind of Governor he's been, but as a regular guy talking sports, I really like him.

Jamie Pollard: Down to earth, and very smart. He's the kind of guy you immediately feel comfortable talking to, something that was always a problem for his predecessor Bruce Van De Velde.

Pollard has created endless excitement and buzz since he took over at ISU. I'm not sure he'll find all the money he needs in Cyclone country, but I think he's right to Think Big.

When he was on SoundOFF, I got overly protective and talked too much. Anytime a caller said something slightly rude or asked a sarcastic question, I jumped in. Pollard can speak for himself; he doesn't need me to do it. My heart was in the right place. I always want our guests to have a pleasant experience, but people watching wanted to hear more from him, and less from me.

Kurt Warner: Never felt like I knew Kurt very well, though he was always friendly. He went from asking to come by to talk about his try-out with the Packers to being unreachable after winning back-to-back MVPs, but that was just the fame comet Kurt was on. I doubt his people ever even let him know little ol' Des Moines was trying to get in touch. To this day, anytime we see Kurt, he's always nice.

Reggie Roby: What a good guy. I was so sad when he died young. Reggie brought us Cookies that he was selling nationwide, and Round Guy ate up all the profits. I used to love watching Reggie punt. He somehow had his kicking foot way over his head, but the other foot would stay grounded. And man could he boom a football. Wore a wristwatch in games.

Mike Nurse: Came in right after ISU lost to Michigan State in the Elite 8. Nurse was always a good interview and he didn't disappoint on SoundOFF. Funny stories all night. Nurse said everyone knew whoever won that game with MSU would win the national championship. He was right.

Steve Deace: Filled in many times. Steve is so smart it's hard to believe he didn't finish college. He has a memory for details like Jim Zabel. I often disagree with Steve, especially on religion and politics, but I always appreciate and respect a person not afraid to give his opinions. Steve doesn't fake it. He speaks from the heart. He's not ranting for ratings. Well, he is, but only because he believes what he's saying.

Marc Hansen: Marc wrote a nice column about his appearance on SoundOFF. It's been years, but I remember he couldn't believe how people were more concerned with his appearance than what he actually said. Welcome to television. Talk to Erin Kiernan about some of the e-mails and calls she receives. "Comb your hair" was one of the comments Marc heard on the air. "You look like you need sleep" was another. What can I say, it's a shallow, cosmetic business at times, but anyone who looks like Luke Skywalker shouldn't worry about that.

I think Sean Keeler is really coming into his own at the Register. I always read Sean; he's doing a good job, but like many people, I miss Marc's sports columns. He was appointment reading for all Iowa and Iowa State sports fans. And Marc said he always got the same thing I do: Cyclone fans accused him of being a Hawkeye and Hawkeye fans accused him of being a Cyclone.

Marty Tirrell: Very entertaining. I always stop what I'm doing to listen to Marty (and Miller) because you just never know what Marty will say next. He asked if he could be on SoundOFF before he moved back East, and he did not disappoint. Some of his takes were off, "Kirk Ferentz will never be accepted at Iowa because he won't escape Bob Stoops' shadow", but some were dead-on, "Kurt Warner is like a tire with no tread left. He's worn out and won't come close to another MVP". (Warner has since been benched by three teams). And don't let this out, but Marty is actually a nice guy. Not mean at all. He just knows listeners don't like fence-sitting wafflers.

Dan McCarney: Called in when we asked him to after ISU finally beat Iowa. He agreed even though "The Dan McCarney Show" was on a different channel at the same time. For that reason, I've tried not to put him in that tough spot again. McCarney is well aware of what's being said on SoundOFF---it's like a townhall meeting, so it makes sense to keep up on it.

I like Dan and think he's done more for ISU football than any person ever. However, all those players who would run through a wall for him and all those assistant coaches who want to pay him back for his loyalty better step up and stop underachieving or Dan's in trouble. True, the team is 3-3, just what I expected, but the Cyclones are 3 plays from 0-6 and they've looked sloppy, predictable and, at times, overmatched. At ISU, you must overachieve. So far, these Cyclones look like underachievers. Not good with record crowds watching. And no more silly spin (Last week's "One of only 54 teams undefeated at home", etc. Needed that ten years ago. Now many fans find it insulting.)

Sorry. This is supposed to be about SoundOFF.

Ross Verba: Funny guy with a lot of good stories from Green Bay. I thought Ross would be a Hall-of-Famer. Didn't work out that way, but he could be good on TV if he ever wanted to try something else.

Chris from Green Bay: We don't hear from Chris much anymore, but boy could he rile people up. He actually only called every month or so, but his putdowns were so memorable, it seemed everybody thought he was on all the time. I'd constanly hear comments like, "How come Chris can get in every week when I've been calling for months and all I ever hear is a busy signal?". Here's a secret: we eventually gave Chris a backdoor number. When your calls are that lively, you need to be heard.

I knew Chris when he lived in Des Moines. He's actually one of the most thoughtful people I know, but he always wanted to be a WWF villain, and SoundOFF gave him a chance to come close. Man, was he good. Or bad. Depending how you look at it.

Holden Kushner: Do you remember this guy? He was on local sports radio. Very talented. Only co-hosted once but he was the favorite of our crew. Why? Because they get really tired of lame calls, and Holden said things like, "That's a really stupid call. What are you, an idiot?". He left Des Moines and I always expect to hear him on a national show.

Rob Borsellino: He also asked to come on the show before he and his family moved to Florida. Rob told me his sons would think it's pretty cool if he were on SoundOFF. Rob told great stories about growing up in New York City and living for the Yankees.

I miss Rob. And I know I'm not alone.

Jon Miller: Multi-media star of the 21st century. Jon's doing a little bit of everything and doing it all well. The Des Moines market improved when Jon came to town.

Jim Zabel: Z wore a headset so he'd feel more comfortable. Actually, it was a gag we set up, but Jim will go along with anything for a laugh. Jim is a giant in broadcasting. I mean that. Poke fun at his Hawkeye homerism and self-promoting tendencies all you want, he's interviewed more legends than anyone in Iowa sports history (and worked alongside Ronald Reagan). Z has also taught me a lot about energy. He just loves working and he never takes it personally when someone yells a putdown at him. He's just glad they're paying attention. I've also seen him pick up the check! Yes, I'm the one.

That's a long enough trip down memory lane. I doubt many people make it this far, but I got on a roll. Lot of memories in ten years.

I'm humbled by the hundreds of people who come up to me each year and tell me they love SoundOFF. My favorite comment that I get a lot is from people who say they don't really like sports, but they're hooked on the show. I can think of no bigger compliment. Thank you.

And a special thank you to all the people behind the scenes who work just as hard as Andy and I, but get none of the credit. B.Ross, Chad, Jen, J.T., Angry Intern,---to name a few---Thank you.

Hope to see you Saturday.

Murph: ISU's Escape, Iowa Fans Not Enough.

Thoughts on the weekend that was...

ISU escapes: Wow. I didn't think it was possible the most talked about college football game of the weekend would end up being UNI at Iowa State. That's what happens when the Cyclones have to pull a Houdini to beat a 1AA team in front of a record crowd. Cyclones fans felt relief, not jubilation, and the next night on SoundOFF, they sounded like ISU had lost, not won.

First of all, props to UNI. As I've said many times, the Panthers have one of the best 1AA programs in America. But even a great 1AA team should NEVER beat a good division 1 team. Now we know: Iowa State isn't good. Not yet. 1AA teams, like UNI, have a much smaller budget, inferior facilities, far fewer scholarships, and smaller, slower players; that's not a knock on UNI, it's just reality. Cyclone fans had flashbacks to the 90s, and there's no doubt they thought the days of sweating the Panthers were over.

Nancy Clark's column: The Des Moines Register writer basically said if Iowa State had lost, Dan McCarney would soon need a new job. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I respect Nancy for having an opinion and getting it out there. She might be right too. The record crowd proves Jamie Pollard and his staff can get people in the seats, but if Cyclone Nation loses faith in the football program, all the plans requiring big dollars die on the vine. Pollard can't have that. And I can promise you, a loss to UNI would have caused a full-scale Cyclone meltdown. It nearly did anyway, and ISU won.

Iowa fans: Take a bow. That was an impressive weekend of showing just how much Hawkeye football means to tens of thousands in our state. ESPN's College Football Gameday has never seen anything like the reception Hawk fans provided.

As I watched the game on ABC, I got goosebumps. The gold clad fans provided an astonishing atmosphere for a college football game. When the blimp took one of those overhead shots, it made Iowa City look like the center of the college football universe. And then they played...

The fans couldn't have done more. They provided Iowa with a great home field advantage, but that's only worth so much... maybe a touchdown. Sometimes it comes down to the team with better players, and Ohio State was dominant. If Iowa played perfectly, which it didn't, and Ohio State made a bunch of mistakes, which it didn't, the Hawks could win. Otherwise, it's a mismatch.

I think we learned both the Hawks and Clones aren't as good as we hoped. But the fans, now that's another story...

Quick picks on Saturday's big games.

I need more hours in the day. Between raising kids, my job during football season, and all the new TV shows--- I can't seem to find enough time. Therefore, I better make this quick. It goes stale 48 hours after I've written it. Here are a couple of quick predictions on Saturday's big game in Ames and BIGGEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD in Iowa City.

ISU will beat UNI by 20+. If the Cyclones don't win this game easily, we'll know they aren't very good. That's not a shot at UNI, the Panthers are a great division 1AA program, but no good D1 football team should lose to a 1AA. Never. Ever. Those two UNI wins vs. ISU in the 90s are perfect examples of how the upset happens: Bad D1 team + good 1AA team = embarrassment/jubiliation. If it happens again Saturday, ISU will have a very disappointing season. I don't think it will.

Ohio State is too much for Iowa. I'd love to pick Iowa. I've tried to talk myself into it. I know Iowa has lost just one game at Kinnick Stadium the past three and a half seasons, but I still can't do it. The Hawks haven't shown me enough; the Bucks have shown me too much. The pick is Ohio State by 10, but I hope I'm wrong. How cool would it be to beat the #1 team in the nation?!

Drunk tailgating, Tate over State, Cursing at Murph.

Iowa vs. Iowa State in the rearview mirror. Here are some of my thoughts looking back on the big weekend, as my 2-year old son Colin watches his Bob the Builder DVD for the 23rd time this week (Bob's building a soccer field today!).

Tailgating: Insane. This started about 6 p.m. the night before the game. It was obvious many of the people who wandered by our live location Saturday morning had not slept at all. The 11 a.m. kick-off put many of the partiers in the quandary of waking up at 5 a.m. or just going all night. Many chose all night.

It's no secret gorging on food and alcohol has long been a game day tradition for many fans, but when you're sober and working, as I was, it really strikes you how, in some ways, the party is now bigger than the game. Make no mistake about it, the game gets in the way for more than a few.

I was live on the air all morning on Today in Iowa Saturday, which by the way is a really entertaining two hours. Courtney Greene and Dan Winters do a great job of being informative and fun. I digress. I was working and so many nice people came up and talked to me. Most were drunk, or on their way. All looked 21 and none were driving. As long as you're not ruining my fun, and not driving a car where you endanger lives including your own... enjoy the party!

However, one thing that happened on the show brings up an interesting discussion, and it's been kicked around the newsroom all week. Shawn Terrell was at a tailgate during our coverage, and an Iowa student celebrating her 21st birthday drank a beer funnel on camera (sometimes known as a beer bong. It transports the alcohol down your throat in seconds). The moment I saw it, I knew we'd get calls. Show people drinking on TV, especially in the morning and to excess, and someone's offended. I understand and appreciate that. As a dad myself, I'd use the opportunity to talk about it with a curious kid. On the other hand, I appreciate that it makes drinking look like a lot of fun, which it can be.

Drinking and partying is a HUGE part of the Iowa - Iowa State game day atmosphere. Not everyone of age drinks, but most do. Is it our job to sanitize the news and pretend it doesn't go on? Or is it okay to show drinking, but only if it's subdued? Should we not show it at all? Or should we show it all, including the wild scenes we stayed away from? I don't think there's an easy answer. My inclination would be to try and avoid the binge drinking, look for more moderate tailgates, and also find the occasional dry party, but make no mistake about it: the party is all around, and most of the people I saw were above college age. (Please post your view on the discussion board.)

No Alchohol Hypocrisy: Here's where it gets ridiculous. You can't drink inside Kinnick Stadium or Jack Trice Stadium... unless you donate a bunch of money, then you can have whatever you like, mixed drinks, beer, wine. Rent a luxury box for tens of thousands of dollars and suddenly the "no drinking at a college game" doesn't apply---not that it completely does anyway. I've seen some creative ways to sneak alcohol: binoculars, flasks, even watched a Cyclone fan at Oklahoma drink out of a football. The fan was dressed as the Heisman Trophy in honor of Seneca Wallace. "Heisman" would just tip that ball up whenever he needed a hit. Wallace had such an awful game, he went from front-runner to no votes, but that fan didn't feel any pain. Until the next day.

Game Day Traffic: Ridiculous. Took us nearly two hours to travel two miles. We were like that guy in Office Space, being passed by elderly people with walkers. I know there's construction---there's always construction---but why is it so bad? And now fans tell me there's no place to park either. I should thank Iowa for the nice parking pass. Sounds like we'd be in Coralville without it.

Kinnick Stadium: Looks great. This was my first game since they renovated the place, and it's better than ever. The entire atmosphere in Iowa City is fantastic, except for the traffic lines.
Speaking of traffic, I thought they put in a bunch of bathrooms?! Must have been for the women because I waited 15 minutes for a urinal. It was downright claustrophobic.

Oh yeah, the Game: I picked Iowa by 11, and it ended up being 10, but it was closer than that, and closer than I expected. ISU had Iowa in trouble in the second quarter. The home crowd was all but out of it, but Drew Tate found his rhythm and led that all-important drive before the half. Iowa State then sat on the ball. Wrong message. I know the thinking was "take the 14-10 lead on the road and get to the locker room", but I think it left Iowa with all the momentum.

For similar reasons, I agree with going for it on 4th and 10. McCarney's right. It's likely Iowa would have run the clock out. ISU's defense was worn down. Remember, ISU only missed by a couple feet. Bret Meyer probably should have taken the tackler on, but he must have thought he could get it by diving. He didn't.

The better team won. And the best player on the field was, hands down, Drew Tate. As I've said before, there may be a better college football player, but none more valuable. As he goes, so goes Iowa. If Tate plays the game of his life, Iowa could upset Ohio State. If he doesn't, it won't be close.

Iowa at Illinois: This would be the perfect game to rest Tate. The Illini are horrible.

ISU at Texas: Iowa State played its best game in the Dan McCarney era last year at Texas A&M in front of 80,000+, which is encouraging, but this aint Texas A&M (try to read that last one with a Texas drawl... kind of like Will Ferrell as President Bush). Texas by 24.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Phenomenal. Written by Aaron Sorkin. This is NBC's best show since... well, Aaron Sorkin wrote the West Wing. Once he left, so did the magic. Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry have incredible chemistry and timing, both of which are needed to make Sorkin's words dance. This is the guy who wrote the incomparable "A Few Good Men". ("You can't handle the truth!"... "I have no responsibilities whatsoever"... "Is the colonel's underwear a matter of national security? ... "You don't need a patch on your arm to have honor"... "Does Aunt Ginny have a barn? Maybe we could hold the trial there. I'll sew the costumes and maybe Uncle Goober can be the judge"... "I get sick when I fly because I'm afraid of crashing into a large mountain, I don't think Dramamine'll help"... "Joanne, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back")

Truly must-see TV. The grade is A.

Kidnapping: Great cast, interesting premise, 24 like pacing... too soon to tell. A B+ for the first show though.

Biggest Loser: We needed more Round Guy! I watched this for two hours and had to look for Round Guy like you look for the ghost kid in Three Men and a Baby. C for Can't watch without Round Guy.

Iowa Speedway: Other than the absolutely inexplicable decision to debut the track the weekend of the Iowa State - Iowa football game, this was a rousing success. Looks BIGTIME on TV and in person. Would have 937% more media coverage, if it hadn't been the week of Iowa's biggest sporting event, by far.

SoundOFF 500th Show Party: Don't forget, October 14th at Legends in West Des Moines. Andy will buy you a drink.

Blog feedback: Thank you for the comments.

Mike, I agree the UNLV coach let his emotions get the best of him. I talked to some colleagues in Vegas, and they say he's a good guy. He just knew what a benchmark win it would be for his program. And as we saw this past weekend at Oregon, officiating is terrible at times. communication must improve. That was the big problem in Ames.

Stouts, hope to see you at Legends.

As for the squabble about whether I'm a Cyclone or Hawkeye fan, the truth is my life is better when they both do well. I'm human, so I usually end up rooting one way or another when they play each other, despite my best intentions. Andy always says I root for whatever will make the best story, and he's probably right. However, there are exceptions. This past Saturday I found myself pulling for Iowa because a couple of Cyclone fans made rude comments to me for picking Iowa to win. The score was 14-3 ISU when they let me have it. I just smiled, but it's a long game. Don't boast too soon.

Similarly, in 2002, I picked ISU to win at Iowa. The score was, I think, 24-7 at the half. I had drunk, angry Hawkeye fans cursing at me with gems like "Look at the scoreboard Murph! Why don't you f------ choke on that, d-------". I brushed it off, Andy could not. As ISU came back to win, 36-31, Andy recorded video of all the people who had yelled obscenities at me for picking against their team (and believe it or not, there were several). Andy showed some of those faces on his poignant What's Bugging Andy about taking things personally and your team too seriously. It was a protective and thoughtful thing for Andy to do, although I did feel sorry for some of the folks who just let their emotions---and beer---get the best of them.

Bob's done building the soccer field. Gotta go...

Keith

Thoughts before the Big Game (and a blog invitation).

Here's what's on my mind today. Please let me know what you think...

UNLV: One of the worst displays of sportsmanship I've ever seen. First of all, the receiver was nowhere near in-bounds, but even if UNLV's head coach got bad information, yelling at your players, "WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!", is flat out embarrassing. The Rebels made fools of themselves stomping up and down on the ISU logo and taking 20 minutes to leave the field. As my friend Ryan said, it's not every day you can't get people to leave Ames for Las Vegas.

By the way, Andy Fales followed head coach Mike Sanford with a camera as he jogged around demanding a review. Watch the meltdown UNLV Coach's Meltdown, and yes, it includes Sanford's unfortunate fall as he runs back onto the field.

Tailgating at Jack Trice: Great and getting better all the time. No school in America has improved its game day atmosphere more than Iowa State the past ten years. It's not Georgia, Nebraska, or Iowa yet, but it's a good time.

I met a lot of nice people and had the honor of signing the Webster City Short Bus. One of the guys on the bus said to me, "Hey, I saw you at a Springsteen concert a couple of years ago, and you were wearing an Iowa shirt. " I told him I know it's hard to believe, but I don't have a Cyclone or Hawkeye heart. I back both. Speaking of that...

Watching the Hawks at a Cyclone game: I was late going into the ISU - UNLV game, but not because I was playing beer pong or needed one more funnel. I brought my TV to watch Iowa at Syracuse. Dozens of people stopped by at various times to watch, and not once did I sense a Cyclone fan was truly rooting for Iowa to win. I was, to the chagrin of some fans there, but most were bleeding Orange at that point. The one exception: people who thought if Iowa lost it would make them madder for the Iowa State game. But all told, it's a myth that most Iowa State fans cheer Iowa when the two teams aren't playing each other, and vice-versa. It's a heated rivalry, as it should be.

ISU's slow start: There is no way a football team that plans to be good should go to the final play against average teams like Toledo and UNLV (Toledo lost to Western Michigan Saturday. Western Michigan, not Michigan). I was in the stands as UNLV slowly worked its way back into the game with a back-up quarterback. It was one of those nights where suddenly fans had the thought, "Hey, we could lose to UNLV!". ISU needs to step it up. And have I mentioned, THROW BLYTHE THE BALL.

Iowa survives double overtime: First the good: that Hawkeye defense. That was a goal line stand for the ages. The bad: The dropoff from Tate to Manson. Jason Manson seems like a good guy, but there may not be a bigger dip in college football than the one from Tate to Manson. If Tate's healthy, Iowa beats ISU and contends for a Big Ten title. If he's not, Iowa goes 8-4 and thanks the football gods for a friendly schedule.

Prediction: Iowa 24, ISU 13. I'm 12-3 picking this game, but all three of my misfires have been underestimating the Cyclones. Know this, McCarney will have the Clones breathing fire, as always; but I think this time Ferentz makes sure Iowa matches Iowa State's emotion.

Fred Hoiberg: A true role model. He was here at the station last week talking about his brush with death. Then he sat a few rows in front of me at the football game. The Mayor made one Cyclone fan very happy by signing her Hoiberg jersey. How did she know he'd be there?

12 years ago, I did play-by-play for an ESPN+ Cyclone game that went to the final play at Nebraska. Hoiberg helped win it for ISU. My voice was giving out from shouting over the crowd, and while I was interviewing Fred, my voice cracked. Without missing a beat, Hoiberg said, "Puberty, Keith?". I was speechless. For some reason, "puberty" struck me as a word you can't say on TV. It's not, but I had no comeback. Classic Fred.

UNI: How in the world did UNI lose to a division 2 team? It's inconceivable. It's like UNI beating Texas. I still can't believe it, and I went to a division 2 school. I'd like to say it's not that big of an upset, but it really is.

The Biggest Loser: Not Syracuse. The NBC show. My friend, the Round Guy, is on the premier Wednesday night. He's worked hard and lost a lot of weight. I'm proud of him. It's not easy to drop pounds for a guy who loves food as much as RG.

Invincible: I loved this movie. Yes, it's familiar, but it's also mostly true. It's a real life Rocky story. Strongly recommended. A-

Crank: If Jason Statham's in a movie, I'm there---and not just because he has a real cool buzz cut. However, I made the mistake of seeing this one with my mother and 19-year-old niece. This movie is rated R for hardcore sex, violence, profanity, and drug use. It's as R as a movie gets. Even though I'm 42, my mom is still my mom, and my niece is still a little girl. I couldn't have been more uncomfortable. I'm not even sure if the movie's good. However, I am sure you should think about who you go see it with. C- for Crank. I think.

Shawn Terrell: Have you seen our new guy? He's got it. We're lucky to have him.

Courtney Greene: Check out her comments in this blog two entries ago. Spot on analysis of "me first" celebrations. Nice job, Court. You can catch her Saturday mornings on Today in Iowa. She'll tell you what she thinks on that show too.

SoundOFF 500th Show: Here's a blog exclusive for you. You're invited to a big party we haven't announced yet. Please mark your calendar for October 14th. Andy, Round Guy, B-Ross, the whole gang and I will host a 500th show celebration from 6 p.m. to Midnight at Legends in West Des Moines. It's going to be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.

Thank you for stopping by.
Keith

Remembering 9/11 on 9/11 (revised)

Among the many memories I have of 9/11 is the debate we had whether to do SoundOFF the following Sunday. It was left primarily up to me, and I decided we would do it, but not like usual. We muted all colors and sounds, had no co-host (it was Round Guy in those days), and took no calls about sports. We asked for our viewers to sound off about that terrible day. It was so moving. I've never been involved with anything on TV, before or since, that was more important. Viewer after viewer spoke with raw emotion. I struggled to keep my composure several times, but Andy Fales---who was behind the scenes that night---kept helping me by saying just the right thing during breaks. A lot of people don't know Andy has that side to him. We went way past an hour, and could have taken calls all night.

Another thing I remember about 9/11 is my disappointment that Iowa and Iowa State still wanted to play the football game that next Saturday. I spoke out strongly against it, and even debated the issue on air with my friend, Steve Deace. Supporters of playing gave the usual reasons that to not play means the terrorists win, and people need normalcy. I couldn't have disagreed more. Worrying about the terrorists winning or losing never comes before respect for the fallen, who were still being pulled out of the rubble. Iowa and ISU---and everybody else---eventually did the right thing. I think the way people still felt that Saturday caught many by surprise. To Deace's credit, he went on the air the following Monday and said he was wrong, that there was no way he could have felt like a football game mattered. He also knew all the post-game questions would not have been about football.

The irony is that although that dark time seemed to show us how little sport matters in the big picture, we all came to learn how much it does matter. Once enough time had passed, ballparks turned into makeshift churches and town meetings. It gave everyone a chance to show up in the same place, feel normal again, and heal.

If you haven't been to the Healing Field in West Des Moines, I strongly recommend it. It's a simple idea, but that part of what makes it so effective. As you drive, or walk, among the thousands of flags, your eye will catch just one, and you'll think to yourself how that one flag represents not only a person who died that horrible day, but all the dreams that died with her or him.

You think of your family and friends and try to put yourself in the terrible position of losing a loved one, and it's very emotional.

At the same time, the flag represents not just the one person, but all of us. The Healing Field will make you proud.

United 93 is now on DVD. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to try, unless you think it's just too much. It's an incredible work of art that will help show future generations the heroics on that doomed flight. It is a draining experience---I cried many times---but that's as it should be. When the door to the plane closes, you know it's a tomb.

Also, still in theaters, World Trade Center tells a much more uplifting story from 9/11. Don't let Oliver Stone's name scare you away. It's not political, it's American. It takes you inside those towers as they come down, and it's simply amazing. This one ends with life, not death.

God Bless.

Murph's takes on ISU's close call and Iowa's coronation of Kinnick.

The opinions are free, so take all you like.

Iowa State vs. Toledo: A lot of positives came out of this game:

-ISU, and Dan McCarney, won an overtime game. This is huge. This was more than a monkey on Mac's back, it was a 500 pound gorilla. Many football observers think coaching plays an even bigger part in OT games, so for Mac to be 0-5 lifetime, and 0-3 last year gave critics ammunition, and ISU doubts in close games. That should be over now, or at least subdued.

-Todd Blythe is good. Really good. And here's some free advice: throw him the ball more! Yes, I know, they were using coverages that blah, blah, blah. Just throw him the ball. Don't wait for overtime. They can't cover Blythe, and even if they do, he'll find a way to catch it. Iowa drove me crazy underutilizing the great Tim Dwight ten years ago. ISU may have Blythe for just one more season, this one, so again, THROW HIM THE BALL.

-Bret Meyer looks even better. I've always thought a lot of Meyer as a person, and I think more of him as a quarterback each season. He's already better than I thought he'd be. He's really using his head, not to mention his legs and arm. Meyer's an easy guy to root for.

-The Cyclones are solid up the middle. Stephenson at center, Curvey at nose tackle. Those are two really important positions, and ISU can hold its own with anyone over the football.

-Brett Culbertson made his kicks. You don't think that extra point to tie in OT was pressure? It was a lot of pressure, and the former Lincoln Rail delivered. He's a stand-up guy. I'd love to see him make one with the game on the line.

-ISU found a way to win. Winning begets winning, and in three months it won't matter that it was triple overtime, just that it was a win against a decent D1 opponent.

-The crowd was great. Jamie Pollard could run for Grand Poobah of ISU and he'd win in a landslide. Nearly every person Andy Fales talked to Thursday night gushed about Pollard's moves to make it a better atmosphere. 43,000 fans isn't bad, but still shows there's work to do. The ones who were there will be back.

-A win is a win.

And now for some of the negatives:

-Bonehead play for the ages on blocked extra point. THAT'S A LIVE FOOTBALL! PICK IT UP! Hard to believe at least one player, possibly more, forgot the play wasn't dead. They realized it when Toledo scored two points. That was a two point swing, and as you know, two points kept this game going an extra 3 periods. At least it didn't contribute to what would have been a crushing loss to the morale of cyclone nation.

-The defense looked soft at times. It's true, ISU is inexperienced in spots, but the D-backs must tighten up the cushion they're giving receivers or they'll be giving up 40+ a few more games. ISU made Toledo's quarterback looked like a veterans, and he was starting his first game.

-McCarney said before the game all the talk of Iowa State "outscoring people was a lot of happy horse crap." Well, make it: Happy Horse Crap 1, Visitors 0.

-Clones let another team back in the game. Up 20 to 8, the Cyclones again failed to put their foot on an opponent's throat. At least this time, it didn't come back to bite them as it has so many other times.

-Too much praise for Toledo. Yes, the Rockets are a good MAC team, but they're still a MAC team playing on the road at a BCS conference contender's home opener. ISU should have beaten Toledo by ten or more, and fans should expect that. Respecting the opponent is one thing, making them seem better than they are is another. Iowa State should beat Toledo at home 10 out of 10 times and it should never go to overtime. Period. The Cyclones and their coaches, not to mention the fans, need to think like that.

-Reaction after winning. You could see that for a split-second, fans were about to storm the field and players were about to go nuts, and then it hit them, "Wait, we just beat Toledo. This isn't 1996." This should almost be in the positive column.

Iowa vs. Montana:

-The stadium looks great. Kinnick was the real star Saturday. A serious upgrade from top to bottom. Iowa City on game day, Montana notwithstanding, is one of the five best college football atmospheres in America, at least of the ones I've visited, and I've been to a bunch. It just doesn't get any better, or if it does, not by much.

-Kinnick Statue. The new "must see" attraction. As our Shawn Terrell pointed out, you'll see this statue with Hawkeye fans on a lot of Christmas cards and e-mails. Nile Kinnick was the real deal, and this was a great idea.

-Oh yeah, Iowa won. Can't remember when an Iowa football game was less dissected and analyzed ahead of time, but come on, it's Montana. The Grizzlies are a great 1AA team, but completely mismatched against Iowa. The Hawkeyes won, and won going away, so that's all that really matters, and all anyone expected.

-Tate and Young looked good. No surprise. Tate seems to be enjoying himself more this season, he would almost have to, while Young is underrated, as usual. Didn't take a hit all of August. Didn't matter.
-Austin Signor can kick. He's no Kyle Schlicher, not yet anyway, but he doesn't need to be. Signor gives Iowa a credible option until Schlicher's leg heals.

-The defense looked solid. But what else could we expect against Montana.

On the negative side:

-Iowa played Montana. I know games like this are here to stay, and Iowa's not the only one scheduling controlled scrimmages at game prices, but it sure is a different vibe than a game in doubt. I suppose it beats pre-season games, like in the NFL, but not by much. If the Missouri Tigers had some backbone, the season would have looked more interesting.

-Kyle Schlicher was hurt. Let's hope it's nothing serious. The thunderfoot from Ankeny is a difference-maker for Iowa.

-Herb Grigsby and Kenny Iwebema were suspended. If ever a suspension failed to weaken a team's chances of winning or worried a fan base, this was it, but only because---have I mentioned this---Iowa played Montana.

-11 a.m. kickoff. I know some people like these, but I'm not one of them. I enjoy a few more hours of tailgating---when I'm not working, of course. This week I stayed at home.

-ESPNU. Mediacom doesn't have this channel, and I have Mediacom. Let's make sure it doesn't happen again or I'll have to break down and get the dish. On the other hand, it's always nice to go to a restaurant or bar and have a shared experience with other football fans.

-Slow start. The offense looked sluggish, but football is a very emotional game. I played for ten years, and it does matter how much you get up for the game. It's hard to get up for a team you know you're going to beat even if you fail to execute. 17-7 raised eyebrows, but it was never in doubt. Iowa could score whenever it really wanted to.

I'll close by congratulating Drake on improving its game atmosphere by leaps and bounds. The Bulldogs had everything they needed Thursday night, except a way to slow down UNI. The Panthers look like future national champions to me.

I'll be back next time to catch up on the non-football stuff.

As always, thank you for reading and for the feedback.

Keith

A ray of "Sunshine", The Roland Rocket, and Little League Parents.

Had a great time on vacation, but it's good to be back. I'm fortunate to have a job I love.

Courtney Greene told me today to get my butt blogging or she'd give me a procrastination beatdown. I think she's serious, so here are some quick hitters:

Little Miss Sunshine: Best movie I've seen this year. It's a dark comedy, and a road trip as metaphor for how families must stick together no matter how annoying each member finds another. It's ultimately uplifting and provided the biggest laugh out loud moment I've had in a long time (probably since Andy made fun of the Doppler radar wars). Little Miss Sunshine is rated R, so if grandpa doing drugs or a gay professor (Steve Carrell) surviving a suicide attempt isn't your idea of a path to comedy, stay away; otherwise, go see immediately at the Fleur. You can even have dessert, wine or beer at that place. I'm still a pop and popcorn guy. I can be stuffed from an all you can eat buffet, walk into a theater, smell that popcorn, and suddenly I'm Pavlov's dog. I digress, Little Miss Sunshine earns an A.

Invincible: Mark Wahlberg starring in a 70's movie scares me a little. How can we not think of him and his "prop" in Boogie Nights, but I'll see this one right away. I know it looks like Remember the Titans, The Rookie, Miracle or any other improbable but true sports story. I'm there anyway. Wahlberg is Vince Papale, a teacher and bartender who never played college football, tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles, and somehow survived three seasons. Cue the Who.

Snakes On a Plane: Enough already.

Windfall: I doubt you even know that this is. I think I could be the only person in Iowa still watching this, although I hope not. It's an NBC show on a group of friends who win the lottery and see their lives unravel. I keep it on my TiVo list because it's fun just to see how much more ridiculous they make the plot each week. My favorite moment is when they show an exterior shot of some factory that looks like it came out of the Pennsylvania steel town in All The Right Moves, and then they cut inside to Luke Perry sitting at a board room that looks like it was built next to our news set.

I apologize. I realize I wrote that last paragraph for myself.

Gary Thompson: If I could live anybody's life but my own, it might be Gary's. This guy is the real deal. He's an old school All-American and a man of impeccable integrity.

Gary put the small town of Roland on the map when he became the famous "Roland Rocket". He lived the Hoosiers life, only without Barbara Hershey. Gary married his sweetheart, went to ISU and became a national star in two sports (baseball and basketball), passed up the NBA to join the Phillips Oilers, bought into the business, became a national TV analyst for college basketball, supported ISU for decades with money and advice, raised great kids, never drank or cursed, though he does say "son of a biscuit", and continues being a great example to his grandkids, not to mention one of Iowa's best senior golfers. Gary has done it all the right way, and unlike me, always seemed to have intuition about the right choice. They should write a book about him. Wait, they are. Chuck Offenburger is working on one right now. It won't need any embellishment.

Tiger Woods: The greatest sports star of my lifetime. Better than Ali, better than Gretzky, better than Jordan. Tiger's dad was right, watching his son play golf is like watching Rembrandt paint.

Shawn Johnson: Give it up for the 4 foot 6 inch dynamo from West Des Moines! She didn't just win the gymnastics junior nationals, she dominated. Johnson won four golds, and the 14 year old from Chows Gymnastics, should be America's top hope for Olympic gold in Beijing. Plus Shawn's headed for Valley High School, and I know a lot of you are concerned about that school not getting enough pub; she could help.

Mediacom Connections: For me, worth the cost of cable just to see all these local games played both live and on tape delay. As I write this, the Iowa-Iowa State football game from last year is on. Still can't believe how much the Cyclones dominated Iowa that day.

Alford's recruits: This is why I don't follow recruiting closely. Until players show up and put on the uniform, you just don't know who you can count on. Two would-be-Hawkeyes don't make the grade, and now Alford's great class suddenly looks ordinary.

Marion Jones: Please go away. No one believes you. How could they?

Little League World Series Parents and Coaches: Stop taking the fun out of the game for these kids. THEY'RE KIDS! I'm sorry some of you are disappointed in your life, but don't try to make your 12 year old make up for it. IT'S A GAME.

For those coaches here in Central Iowa who realize only .00001% of kids will play professionally: THANK YOU. It's supposed to be fun, not pressure.

Thank you for reading. If you see Courtney, tell her I'm up to date :-)

Keith's brain no longer on drugs... Continued from previous post.

I'm off the Darvocet. I don't miss it. It was making me feel like Axl Rose at a Michael Buble concert. So to continue from my last entry...

The hamstring is much better thanks to Faye and the fine folks at Mercy Clinics Physical Therapy in Urbandale. I say this sincerely, but also in hopes that it will somehow make its way back to Faye and she'll take it easy on me for one session. It's always the small ones who inflict the most pain. I'm convinced one of the main benefits of physical therapy is they make you do things most of us couldn't do to ourselves. Hurts too much.

If you're a parent, you know there's nothing worse than one of your kids being in pain. Today on my way to work, I got a call from my mother that my five year old son, Cade, had just rammed his face into a table and was bleeding everywhere. Fortunately, it looked worse than it was. The little guy busted his lip and pushed one of his front teeth back a bit. My dentist, Dr. Clayton Linquist, saw him within 15 minutes of the accident. Only in Iowa. In Florida I'd still be waiting. Dr. Linquist says Cade could lose that front tooth a little sooner than intended, but that Jack O' Lantern look is always cute anyway. On a kid, not an adult. (This would be a jumping off point for Andy to start a rant on the State Fair.)

Other topics, in random order so you can skip the ones you couldn't care less about:

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I laughed really hard. Funniest movie I've seen in a long time, although that's not saying much. I think it's harder to make a good comedy than a good drama. Most "comedies" aren't that funny. This one is as stupid as you'd expect, but it delivers laughs and a surprising touch of sentiment. I don't want to oversell it---our intern told me he was disappointed after my strong recommendation---but if you liked Anchorman and loved Wedding Crashers, don't miss Talladega Nights. The funniest lines may be the ridiculous endorsements that run during credits. Loved it. A- (note: Some of best bits from the commercials and trailers are not in the movie.)

World Trade Center: Other end of the movie spectrum. Oliver Stone can direct a great movie (Platoon), a good movie (JFK), or a bad movie (Alexander). I think this one looks like Stone at his best, and least political. The commercials give me goose bumps, especially with the bridge from the great Coldplay song, Fix You.

As mentioned before, I thought United 93 was one of the most brilliant works of art I've ever seen, but it was completely draining (as it should be). Once that plane door seals, you know those passengers are flying in a tomb. I cried several times. World Trade Center is a true story that ends with an against-all-odds rescue. Can't wait to see it. (update 8/12: saw World Trade Center today at my favorite theater, the Varsity. The movie astonishingly recreates parts of 9/11 but tells the story from the point of view of two survivors and their families. I got emotional in this one too, but it's ultimately uplifting and inspiring. Americans doing what they had to do simply "because it was the right thing". A- No politics and strongly recommended.)

Among the many memories I have of 9/11 is the debate we had whether to do SoundOFF the following Sunday. It was left up to me, and I decided we would do it, but not like usual. We muted all colors and sounds, had no co-host (it was Round Guy in those days), and took no calls about sports. We asked for our viewers to sound off about that terrible day. It was so moving. I've never been involved with anything on TV before or since that was more important. Viewer after viewer spoke with raw emotion. I struggled to keep my composure several times, but Andy Fales---who was behind the scenes that night---kept helping me by saying just the right thing during breaks. A lot of people don't know Andy has that side to him.

Another thing I remember about 9/11 is my shock that Iowa and Iowa State still wanted to play the football game that next Saturday. I spoke out strongly against it, and even debated the issue on air with my friend, Steve Deace. Supporters of playing gave the usual reasons that to not play means the terrorists win, and people need normalcy. I couldn't have disagreed more. Worrying about the terrorists winning or losing never comes before respect for the fallen, who were still being pulled out of the rubble. Iowa and ISU---and everybody else---eventually did the right thing. I think the way people still felt that Saturday caught many by surprise. To Deace's credit, he went on the air and said he was completely wrong, that there was no way he could have felt like a football game mattered. He also knew all the post game questions would not have been about football.

The irony is that although that dark time seemed to show us how little sport matters in the big picture, we all came to learn how much it does matter. Once enough time had passed, ballparks turned into makeshift churches and town meetings. It gave everyone a chance to show up in the same place, feel normal again, and heal.

I'm going on too long about this, which I guess shows how it's still an open wound for me and many others.

Maurice Clarett: A sad cautionary tale right out of the Pierre Pierce book of entitlement. Why don't adults realize all kids needs boundaries and rules, even when they're incredibly gifted at sports. Like Pierce, Clarett just thinks he's entitled to whatever he wants. Now he's finding out once he can't win games, there's no one to help keep him out of trouble.

East Wins State: Way to go girls! That was a perfect answer to all our discussion about Valley dominance. As one of the readers of this blog points out, it's been a great year for the Metro, and not just the Tigers: Roosevelt in girls basketball, Hoover in boys. I'd love to see a Des Moines school win state again in football, it would be great for city school pride, but it won't be easy. B-Ross tells me to keep an eye on Lincoln this year. I will, and he'll make sure I do, but no matter what happens with the Rails, we've seen Des Moines can bring home championships.

State Fair Parade: Lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng, but packed with so many nice people. I always feel like a complete tool when I'm riding in a car waving at people. I love my job but I'm less important that a whole bunch of people who aren't asked to sit on top of a convertible. I am very appreciative of all the kinds words and waves. Thank you.

Floyd Landis. Told you.

Kenny Iwebema: An Iowa source told me what Iwebema did to keep himself off the practice field. Don't worry Hawkeye fans, he'll be back soon. Count on it.

Drew Tate: Comes across like a different person this year. Props to Drew and Kirk Ferentz for getting him help with feeling more comfortable with the media. We can be a pain, and it often looked like it on Drew's face. This year he seems more relaxed, comfortable and happy. Look for that to make him a better leader.

Andy's vacation: Is he ever coming back? I'm on day 12. By the way, we hired a new sports guy, Shawn Terrell from KCRG in Cedar Rapids. I'm confident you're going to really like him. Plus, he's been working under John Campbell's leadership, so you can bet he knows what he's doing. Shawn joins us at the end of the month.

SoundOFF during the Sunday Night Football season on NBC: No, you won't have to stay up later to see SoundOFF. We will run an abbreviated newscast and weather forecast, and then go right into SoundOFF. We'll even have the days sports highlights for you as part of the show. My boss made this call, and it's a smart one. People watching that football game are our SoundOFF viewers, and they'll be more ready than ever to talk local sports and hear strong opinions. Look for us to start around 10:35 and go for an hour.

Footloose: Didn't get to go see the latest at the Des Moines Playhouse. I love that place, but got called into work. My mom & dad went. I'll let them handle the reviews. Mom: "Loved it! It was fun and happy. I'd go see it again." Dad: "I enjoyed it, but there was too much singing and dancing. No one breaks into a song in the middle of a conversation." Yes, I reminded him it was a MUSICAL! Hello.

I have to go home. I'll try to add more before vacation. (Now it's my turn) Thanks for reading. I welcome your feedback and appreciate your time. Sorry I got so windy.

p.s. Thank you to Kendra at Daly Happenings. The kids loved it!

This is Keith's brain on drugs. Doctor prescribed, of course.

Wow. Time flies. Sorry about that. I see I haven't written anything in two weeks. You probably needed the break.

I tore my hamstring in a softball game at Zearing Days. I thought it was a result of giving everything I had for the team; my dad says I need to realize I'm no longer in my twenties (or thirties). He could be right, usually is, but I'm going to act as young as possible until they throw dirt on me. However, I might stretch next time.

The Darvocet makes me feel a little groggy, so rather than try to stay on point for an entire column, I better go with scatter-shot thoughts on various topics.

Floyd Landis: Making up eight minutes in one day is possible if Landis were chasing Ed, John, Erin and me---well, maybe not Erin. She's really in shape---but it's hard to believe he made up that kind of time on the top cyclists in the world, and now we suspect why. It doesn't look good, and no matter what the B sample turns up, his win will be forever tainted and questioned. Cheating takes away one of the pure pleasures of being a fan: that you can't believe what you just saw. Now, too often, we can't.

America's Got Talent: I know it's the Gong Show in 2006, but I can't stop watching. Plus, don't underestimate the Regis factor. That guy's got talent. He makes hosting look easy. It's not. Now, come on Celtic Spring!

Talladega Nights. The ballad of Ricky Bobby: Can't wait to see this. Man, it looks funny. Shane in Marshalltown raises a great question though: Why is it when Andy Fales makes fun of NASCAR's more absurd traditions (non-stop sponsor plugs, etc.), he receives hate mail. When Will Ferrell does it, NASCAR fans can't wait to pay $8 for the privilege of being made fun of. As Andy points out, Will Ferrell's Will Ferrell, and Andy's not. More cowbell!

Valley wins everything: I didn't realize what a hot button issue this is in the Metro, until we asked on SoundOFF if Valley winning 9 team titles in one year was good for local sports. Lot of passion. Lot of resentment. Lot of jealousy. I heard everything from, "They should win everything. They've got enough students for two 4A schools", to "The rich jerks in West Des Moines buy titles by getting private lessons for their kids from the cradle" to "The fix is in. The refs want Valley to win, so no other schools have a chance. He's all paid for." (Yes, these are all actual voice mail calls from adults.) On the flip side, Valley's dominance brings a lot of positive attention to the CIML, forces other schools to step up their games, and keeps the championships out of eastern Iowa. On the whole, I think it's been positive, but it's reaching the point where I just expect Valley is going to win; I'm shocked when it doesn't. Much more of that and we could lose interest. Then again, everyone loves to go after the Big Dog (think Yankees, Notre Dame, Bulls in the 90's). Golf's ratings were never higher than when Tiger Woods couldn't lose.

More to come...

What happens in Vegas, goes in my blog.

Just got back from Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas, stays in my blog.

I arrived late to the Des Moines Airport after spending 20 minutes driving 20 feet on Fleur. Will it ever end? I walked up late to check-in only to have my friend Round Guy yell, "HEY, HERE HE IS! MURPH, COME ON UP HERE." Now an entire line of people already nervous about being late looks at me like, "Don't even think about it, A-hole." That's when Round Guy---who loves making me feel uncomfortable---says, "Hey, you guys don't mind do you. He's a celebrity." I want to melt into the floor when the Allegiant Air rep waves me up. I protest, but he mercifully, hands me a ticket in no time. I apologize, and everyone makes the plane with no problem.

We arrive in Vegas early. Every time I fly Allegiant Air we land ahead of schedule. It makes up for the $4 Diet Pepsi, and a quick flight is needed when you're on a 36 hour weekend. As we exit the plane, I feel like we landed on the Sun. 113 degrees, but "it's a dry heat". No it's not. It's just HOT. It's like an oven, or as Matthew Broderick says in Biloxi Blues, "Africa Hot".

We go to the MGM Grand, site of the Vargas-Mosley fight the next night. The MGM has more than 5,000 rooms and glows like a Timex watch with Indiglo. We immediately spot Rasheed Wallace, so the celebrity sightings begin.

Later as I'm waiting for an elevator, I see a crush of people moving toward me and holding cell phones to take pictures. Obviously, it's not me they're after. Who, I wonder? Then I spot him. Mike Tyson. He's so nice and accommodating to everyone, I momentarily forget some of the things he's said and done. I tell Round Guy about my elevator ride with Iron Mike. RG wants to know if I got his autograph. I tell him I'm not in the habit of asking a convicted rapist to sign something. Ultimately, we're all responsible for our own mistakes, but Tyson had plenty of help. There have been so many people over the years that just used and abused that guy while riding the money train... and Don King was only one of them. It's a sad cautionary tale.

On a less serious thought, I couldn't believe how short Tyson is. He's my height (5' 10") and no longer BIG. I'm always surprised how much shorter famous people are than we imagine them. They're only larger than life when you don't run into them in your life. Did you see Kiefer Sutherland next to Serena Williams at the ESPY's. Kiefer must be about 5'7", almost as short as Tom Cruise.

I digress. Back to Vegas where I met up with one of my best friends in the world, Jeff Ehling. Jeff's a consumer reporter at the ABC station in Houston. For years we've talked about getting our families together, but it became apparent that won't happen before all the kids graduate, so Jeff's wife, Megg, suggested we meet up in Vegas. Gotta love Megg.

Jeff talked me into trying sushi for the first time. I always pictured it being like Danny Devito biting into fish in Batman Returns, but it was quite civilized and quite tasty. I'll have more, as long as it's not as expensive as it was in Las Vegas.

When did Vegas get so pricey?! I remember it being an inexpensive place to visit because they plan to clean out your bank account in the casinos. Not anymore. It's ALL expensive. The food, the hotels, the shows. If they're not careful, we'll be broke before we make it to the slot machines.

Back to the night out with the boys... Have you ever been so full that you switch what you're drinking just to trick your stomach? This is very stupid. I think this is how they came up with the expression, beer before liquor, never sicker. I should have waited until the beer had more room. I'll leave it at that.

Saturday morning did get off to a slow start, and laying poolside sounds like a nice way to relax and recover, probably would be if it weren't hotter than hell. I'm not swearing. It was that hot.

Watching the fight would be a nice way to spend a Saturday night. We went to Carrot Top instead. Fight=$400. Carrot Top=$30. No contest. Plus, it allows all of us to make more of a donation to the casinos. If we were smart, we would have just mailed a check.

Carrot Top is really funny. I just knew him from 5 minutes on Leno with all the props, but he's great stretched out to an hour. One of the more pleasant entertainment surprises of recent years. (Warning: Don't go see Carrot Top if you're a NASCAR fan with no sense of humor, especially if Jeff Gordon's your favorite driver.) Catch him at the Luxor.

Back at the hotel, Round Guy continued toying with my shyness. The moment we step onto a full elevator, Round Guy says, "I wish I had remembered my lice shampoo. My head really itches." That one's his favorite, followed by "The towels here are so big and fluffy, I could barely get my suitcase closed." Karma caught up to Round Guy. He lost a lot of money at the roulette wheel, but he'll be happy to tell you this story about how he almost bet a $100 on black, and then it hit 11 times straight. If only... Yeah, Vegas was built on "if only...".

If only I didn't have to leave the hotel at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, I would have done a better job on SoundOFF that night. As I was leaving for the day, Tyson was coming in for the night. Only in Vegas...

Chilling Pierce; "Cyclone State"; You, me & Wie.

Have you read what Pierre Pierce admits to, and apologizes for, at his parole hearing? It's chilling. It also makes it clear he belongs behind bars, and never should have been allowed back in an Iowa uniform three years ago. I sincerely hope Pierce learned a lesson in his fall from grace, and that he is truly as sorry as he says he is. I doubt the victims will ever get over their ordeals. I also hope all of Pierce's apologists will reevaluate why they were so quick to come to his defense despite evidence to the contrary. Being a great athlete doesn't mean someone is telling the truth. I know I received my share of hate mail for helping break the original story, and not one of those people ever wrote or e-mailed back to apologize. The whole sad Pierce saga is a runaway case of entitlement. Read what he said, if you haven't already, at HawkCentral.com:
http://www.hawkcentral.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060711/HAWKS0102/607110306/1053/HAWKS
There are lessons for a lot of people in this mess, myself included. I wish we had pushed the U of I harder about allowing him back on the team, knowing what I knew then. Let's pray for the victims and move on. What a shame.

Speaking of someone given another chance when he shouldn't have had one, the NFL took a pass on former Cyclone Jason Berryman. No one loves and supports his players more than Dan McCarney, but that can lead to a blind spot for believing in those who haven't earned it---just as it did with Steve Alford. Berryman blew his third chance and maybe his career. No NFL team took a chance on Berryman in the supplemental draft. His talent deserves one, but his character remains in question. Many successful NFL players benefited from a second chance, but few multiple offenders worked out (see Lawrence Phillips, Maurice Clarett, Ricky Williams, etc.). Character counts.

The "Cyclone State" billboard is now up in Cedar Rapids. I respect Jamie Pollard for having the onions to do this. He doesn't want ISU taking a back seat to Iowa anywhere. However, if Iowa needed any extra motivation---and how could it?---this will do the trick. I expect Kirk Ferentz to have his team practicing under the billboard next month.

Decided not to wait in line for an hour to see Captain Jack Sparrow this past weekend, Saw Cars instead. Loved it. So did my five year old, Cade. Superb voice work by Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and Bonnie Hunt, but to my surprise, Larry the Cable Guy steals the show as Mater. He plays a tow truck. Tow Mater. Get it? Good message, good movie. Little long, but A-.

Should Michelle Wie be allowed to play with the men? Yes. Should she play with the men? No. Not yet. She needs to learn how to win first. That's a hard, but all important step for any athlete or team (think of the local examples). Wie is an astounding talent. She's only 16, but already good enough to win on the LPGA tour, which she still hasn't done, in part, because she's chasing history on the PGA Tour. Every time Wie's in contention near the end, my friend John Bachman tells me Wie will fade down the stretch, and she always does. She can't handle the pressure yet. Learn to win first, then when she's even better at say 21 or 22, take on the men. She'll never win, but she would make some cuts. For now, let her be 16.

I don't care what Marco Materazzi said to Zinedine Zidane, Zidane has to keep his composure. Then after France wins the World Cup, show the trophy to Materazzi. If Zidane had to get some violence out of system, wait until the game is over. Then he would've only been hurting himself. Easier said than done, I realize, but what a bonehead head-butt.

I was talking to my friend Courtney Greene the other day in the sports office and she mentioned how whenever an African-American athlete sounds intelligent, he's often referred to as "well spoken" or "articulate". The next day I was listening to KXNO and heard a player described as "very articulate" (it was a guest talking, not the host). I didn't know the athlete so I looked him up online, sure enough, he was black. I think Courtney's more right than many of us would like to admit.

Speaking of Courtney, she says she's now reading "Love Me, Hate Me". By the time Courtney's finished, and it won't take long because Jeff Pearlman's book is a page-turner, Bonds could be indicted for perjury. Bonds' former best man and best friend told Feds Bonds was a heavy steroid user who ruined their friendship by going into 'roid rages. Are any of you Bonds backers ready to come out of denial yet?

Why haven't we seen Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby, Suri? It's been three months and not even close friends have seen that baby. Here's a better question: Why do I care?

The Des Moines Playhouse begins showing Footloose this weekend. I remember getting Ren's haircut back when I had enough hair to do it. 1984 I think. I loved cheezy Footloose and look forward to the play. Gotta cut loose...

Can't believe how good Ben Roethlisberger looks. He is one lucky guy. A mini-bike or motorcycle is the one item I wanted with all my heart as a kid that my parents said no to. Didn't matter how much I asked. Now that I have boys, I completely understand, and agree. I respect your right to ride a motorcycle, and to not wear a helmet if you choose, but visit with an ER nurse first, it will give you pause.

I'm going to Vegas with Round Guy. If I don't make it back, you'll know why.

keith.murphy@whotv.com

July 4th in the 'hood, Fecal Beach, and Superman Returns.

July 4th reminded me why I love living in Iowa. The celebration in my Beaverdale neighborhood was just the way my parents and grandparents describe America when they're waxing nostalgic about the good old days, only this is 2006.

The guys who run into burning buildings while others run out brought their fire truck by to lead a parade of kids on their bikes. Not an official parade, just a cool one. There must have been 30 kids on bikes, scooters, and skateboards. Later, everyone put tables in the middle of our boulevard (Maquoketa) and brought out food. Every kind of food. Foods I couldn't even identify. I made the mistake of trying most of them, which left me with a stomach ache and limited capacity for the adult beverages I planned to consume. Somehow I managed. My girlfriend, Jenny, loves the beer called B to the E. It's Budweiser with, I'm not making this up, caffeine and ginseng. It's an easy way to combine a couple of my vices at once. If they find a way to add peanut M&Ms, I'll be set. I can only handle so much B to the E. Partly because the men make fun of me, and partly because I get more wired than Robin Williams on Red Bull. I switch to the mother's milk, Guinness. Good stuff and hard to over-indulge. It's not easy chugging something thicker than motor oil.

I digress. I'm making it sound like what made the 4th special was ALCOHOL, and though that didn't suck, and no one was driving, it's the people, the neighbors. People are so nice, you just can't believe it. I wish I had grown up in my current neighborhood when I was a kid. In addition to the parade, they had a safe place for water balloon fights, slip and slides, squirt gun wars, front yard volleyball, and last but not least, an awesome display of illegal fireworks. At least we're tight with the fire department.

Jenny's parents have a wonderful house on Clear Lake, and we spent the weekend up there. Apparently we're not the only ones from Central Iowa with the idea of going North. We went to see Delbert McClinton at the Surf---great as usual---and I couldn't believe how many people we met from here. I love the Surf. If you haven't been, you owe it to yourself to see where the concert was the day before the music died.

Jenny's parents are really cool, and they gave us a tour of the Lake. Apparently her Dad caught SoundOFF the night Andy mentioned a problem Clear Lake has had because our guide pointed to the shore and said, "this is what Andy would call Fecal Beach". Thanks, Andy.

Ran into KCCI's Andy Garman the other day at Ted's Coney Island. What a good guy (I mean Andy. I'm not sure if there's really a "Ted"). He's made this market better, on and off the air.

People ask me all the time what happened to Mark Meisenheimer. Well, he's out of TV. He decided to take a PR job down in Kansas City. Something about weekends off and more money. We miss Mark.

I'm not surprised what a good job Jon Miller's doing on KXNO. I wrote here previously that Cyclone fans worried Jon would use his show to relentlessly promote the Hawkeyes, and only the Hawkeyes, were way off base. Jon's fair, smart and talented, as he's proving daily from 2 to 4 p.m.

After Jon comes "Marty and Miller". I know some say they've had their fill of these guys, but I've got to tell you, I think it's a very good show and adds a big something to the local sports scene. Miller comes at many subjects with skepticism, but gives the other side a chance to win him over. He'll criticize but not hide. And Marty... he's a hoot. You just never know what he'll say next, which makes it hard to turn off (I also happen to know he has a big heart). Marty & Miller are good together, and they seem tighter and more focused this time out. You can catch their act daily on KXNO from 4 to 7 p.m.

Watched Supernova on CBS the past two nights. I'll probably stick with it, but it's already repetitive.

I did make it to Superman Returns. The good news is the local guy is terrific. Brandon Routh channels the late Christopher Reeve, while somehow making Clark Kent more insecure and introspective. Kevin Spacey steals the show as Lex Luthor, and Kate Bosworth is miscast and unconvincing as the mother of a 5 year old. She looks 18 and needs to eat something. The guy playing her boyfriend---Cyclops from X-Men---is perfect. The movie is almost too respectful to the 1978 Superman; it doesn't feel like we're seeing anything new, just better. A little long, but overall a solid B. I'll be there to see what happens next.

I'll check out Captain Jack in Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend. Still can't believe Disney made a good movie out of a theme park ride. Can't wait to see Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Does Keith realize he's supposed to blog about SPORTS?!

Thank you to the Stout family, Alan, Jen and all the other people who sent nice comments about this stream of consciousness. I appreciate you stopping by here now and again.

Can you believe Lance Armstrong will ride in RAGBRAI?! The same week a little something called the Tour de France is going on. Unbelievable. What a circus that will be as Armstrong rides across Iowa on his bike. Nice to see he'll try to plan his visit around the big party in Newton. That town has had some bad breaks and deserves some cool news, like this---and the Iowa Speedway. Plus, Newton has the only drive-in movie theater around anymore. If you haven't been in awhile, check it out. It's a bargain and you feel like you're going back a few decades to a simpler time. This week they're playing "Click" and "RV", two movies perfect for a drive-in because the plots are so simple the kids playing Wiffle Ball in front of the screen won't bother you.

Staying with movies, AMC got into the original film business and started strong with Broken Trail. It's a two-part western starring Robert Duvall. It's no Lonesome Dove---what is---but it's very good. I'm sure AMC will repeat it more than TNT shows the "Shawshank Redemption", and much to my relief, AMC showed limited commercial interruption, which is a drastic change for that network. A- for Broken Trail. Takes its time, but well worth the journey.

I was disappointed in "Nacho Libre". I love Jack Black. Who can forget him in "High Fidelity" when the middle aged dad shows up to buy a copy of "I just called to say I love you" for his daughter: "There's no way she likes that song... oops, is she in a coma?"... priceless. And Black was brilliant in "School of Rock", a movie parents love as much as their kids. Heck, he even makes a bad movie like "Saving Silverman" seem funny, which leads me back to Nacho Libre. It just tries too hard. It's missing the effortless humor of the director's previous movie, "Napoleon Dynamite". I saw a review in Cityview calling Nacho Libre a comedy classic and one in Juice rating it a complete dud. I'd say somewhere in the middle. I'll rate it "C" because Black has his moments, and he sure is trying hard to make it funnier than it is.

I haven't seen "Superman" but I'm already rooting for Brandon Routh. He did a great thing by holding a premier in Des Moines for kids who could use a superhero. The showing also helped out the Variety Club, and Routh signed autographs for hours. Norwalk should be proud of Brandon just for being a good guy, good looking movie star is a bonus.

It's rerun season, for the most part, but FX brings it strong with "Rescue Me". Should be rated "R", but what a show.

10:15... need to run and do the sports. I'll continue later.

Back from vacation in Wisconsin, and not a moment too soon. I need some rest and relaxation.

Nothing beats camping with the kids, but it's about as laid back as Tom Arnold on Red Bull. I wouldn't trade it. Well, I might trade the neighbor in the next cabin who started each sentence with a snot rocket. And I could do without the mosquitoes wearing saddles. I'm okay if I never share another "comfort station" with people who don't see the need to flush, but that's the small stuff. The big picture: great lifetime memories.

Didn't have a TV on vacation, and the only newspaper available was some local deal that had fishing on the front and the NBA finals on page 3. Somehow there was still an article on Steve Alford waiting for his contract extension. 350 miles isn't enough for me to get away from that one.

In between soggy swim diapers and visits from Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, I was able to read a book: Love Me, Hate Me. A SoundOFF viewer, and Barry Bonds fan, recommended the Bonds biography to me when I was wandering around Barnes & Noble a couple of weeks ago. What a page turner. Just an absolutely fascinating read. Author Jeff Pearlman goes out of his way to present a balanced look at this supremely talented baseball legend and lightning rod for controversy. Pearlman interviewed 524 people from Bonds' past and present. After reading the book, I need to revise my statement that Bonds is the biggest jerk in all of baseball... He's the biggest jerk in all of sports. He's also one of the greatest players of all time pre-steroids. He never needed that crap for anything except home run records, which this book makes painfully clear he wanted in the worst way. Yes, Bonds occasionally does something nice, but for the most part he's treated people like dirt his entire life. Teammates, coaches, relatives, employees, you name it. Sharing the blame are all the adults who never made Bonds follow the rules because he was so talented. It's a chilling portrait of entitlement gone amuck, and nobody benefits. Bonds comes across as an insecure person who wants to be loved in the worst way.

As I write this, Carolina just won the Stanley Cup. Does anyone care? Did anybody notice? The NHL playoffs are riveting drama, and nothing beats a game 7, but the ratings on NBC are lower than Joey reruns. Much lower. In fact, I suspect its the fewest viewers the network has ever had in prime time. And that's saying something these days.

You know where hockey gets it right? In the final minutes. It's SO exciting and non-stop. Meantime, the NBA slows to a crawl. Pass the ball in, timeout. Commercial. Pass it in again, timeout. Commercial. Dribble, shoot, foul. Timeout. Commercial. Shoot a foul shot. Timeout. Commercial... They need to fix this.

Dan McCarney now makes more than a million a season. Wow. As I've said many times, coaching salaries are WAY out of control, but Mac is now in the middle of the Big 12, and there's no doubt he belongs there. This should also put an end to any speculation Jamie Pollard will soon fire Mac. Pollard thinks McCarney has done an incredible job, all things considered.

Time for sports... back with more soon.

keith.murphy@whotv.com

Answer to reader's U2 World Cup question:

Yes, "City of Blinding Lights"---another great U2 song, thanks in no small part to The Edge---is featured on many of the World Cup promos, but so is "Where the Streets Have No Name". Both are awesome---or maybe I'd think a promo on knitting featuring U2 songs was great. Anyway, sorry I didn't answer sooner. Just got back from vacation. More to come...

Is Ferentz worth the money? Is McCarney underrated? What's in Keith's CD player?

Is Kirk Ferentz worth $2.7 million a season? Of course he is, or Iowa wouldn't pay it. Ferentz creates a lot more money than he makes. It's smart of him to give some to charity. Should take the edge off some of the resentment and jealousy.

Athlon Sports names Dan McCarney one of the five most UNDERrated college football coaches. Something for Mac's critics to think about. Remember, before McCarney, no bowl games in memory and no wins over Iowa. Since McCarney, five bowls in six years, 6 wins over Iowa in 8 years. ISU needs to finish games, and not get so conservative, but Mac's in no danger. Shouldn't be either.

If you're a Cyclone fan concerned about Greg McDermott's ability to pull big recruits, worry about something else. Craig Brackins is just the beginning. McDermott will succeed at ISU.

Give Steve Alford credit. If he'd rather be at Indiana, he's not acting like it. He's having his best off-season at Iowa. Alford and his new staff have put together Iowa's best recruiting class in memory.

Of course, both the above paragraphs mean very little. If there's one thing I've learned, it's don't count on any recruits until you see them in uniform playing, and even then, the player often doesn't match the hype (e.g. Shawn Taggart).

We still can't believe our eyes when it comes to MLB. Jason Grimsley reportedly told federal investigators he switched from steroids to human growth hormone (or HGH) because baseball still doesn't test for it. HGH works much like a steroid, and allows all kinds of competitive advantages. The D-Backs promptly cut Grimsley, but reports say he's ready to name a "boatload" of current players using HGH. Why didn't baseball do the right thing the first time, and test for this too? Bottom line, I'm suspicious of everybody and that SUCKS.

I can't believe I'm about to write this, but I think I'll watch a few World Cup games. Those promos with by boy, Bono, must be getting to me. Just play "Where the Streets Have No Name" and I'm hooked.

There are passionate World Cup fans in Des Moines. We found one. Southside Gino. He'll be our viewer correspondent throughout the Cup. He did the same things four years ago. Gino was born in Italy but he's "USA all the way!" (read that with an Italian accent for authenticity).

I have another must see TV show, but unfortunately it's not on channel 13. "Rescue Me" on FX is phenomenal. It's raw, but real. Denis Leary is so good in this, you can't see him acting.

Another winner at the Des Moines Playhouse: The Foreigner. Very funny. If you haven't thought of the Playhouse lately, please do. It's a great way to spend an evening, and better entertainment than most of the movies we're now paying 8 bucks to see. Plus, it's LIVE.

Answers to recent e-mail questions:
I have a 6-CD changer in the car, so I have six albums going, not one. I wish the question was my favorite albums, but here's what's actually in:

The Legend of Johnny Cash. The voice of my early childhood. I love this album. It spans Cash's entire career and shows why he's a legend (hence the title).

Guns N' Roses Greatest Hits. My girlfriend, Jenny, loves these guys, and although this isn't typically my thing, I've got to admit it's great. No wonder they self-destructed. Too much energy.

Coldplay: X & Y. I can't help it. "Fix You" is a great song. Sounds like something my favorite band, U2, would have writtend and recorded, which leads me to...

U2: Rattle & Hum. This is my most played U2 album. It's U2 at their most self-indulgent and bombastic, which to me is U2 at their best. Critics strongly disagree. The only minus is that the highlight of the movie, U2 performing the song "Bad", is inexplicably not included on the soundtrack. I suppose it's because it's already on "Wide Awake in America". Big plus: B.B. King and Bono on "When Love Comes to Town".

Loverboy Classics. Okay, now you know I'm telling the truth. Yes, it's a guilty pleasure. About every other time I'm on with Deace, he bumps in on a Loverboy song, and that rush of feelings from college frat parties made me buy the Classics. I'm not disappointed either. "Lovin' Every Minute of It" still rocks.

Kanye West: Late Registration. This guy may be as good as he thinks he is. Even if you're tired of the overplayed "Gold Digger", there's plenty here. Songs with beats this fierce shouldn't make you think too, but these do.

Alright, next answer: Erin Kiernan is really nice and a lot of fun. I'm happy to have the chance to work with her. Sounds like the PR department wrote that, but I mean every word.

To Craig in Ames, thanks for remembering my "fat year" at channel 5. Like many men, I reached my late twenties---and 20 extra pounds---before realizing I could no longer eat whatever I wanted while exercising less than John Kruk. I still eat as much as I want, but now I eat healthier foods and make better bad choices.

Exercising remains a chore, and when you're as busy as I am, it seems there's never enough time in the day. Being a single dad raising four kids removes any chance of going to the gym every day, so I have to work out at home, and I want to get it over with as quickly as possible. I'm not one of those people---like Erin Kiernan---who loves to exercise. Therefore, I highly recommend the Quatro Fitness program (www.quatrofitness.com) . You exercise as little as 4 minutes, and at most 12 minutes, and that takes care of your strength training and fat melting cardio, but it is an intense four minutes of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off. It helps me because it takes away the no time excuse, and I'd rather go hard for 12 minutes, than soft for 60. Highly respected fitness trainer Ryan Lee runs the Quatro Fitness site, and he's always personally answered my questions. I use the dumbbell and body weight DVDs, but I'll let you in on a little secret. If you join the members only club on the web site ($9.95 a month), all the workouts on the DVDs are included for free, along with many additional workouts and a lot of other cool stuff. I get nothing for mentioning this, but from time to time---to my surprise---some of you ask how I've stayed in shape over the years, especially those of you who remember the "fat year". Well, I have to work at it, but I've never found a more efficient way than Quatro Fitness. It really works.

Here's how you know you have kids, when your summer vacation is at Jellystone Park. And I can't wait! I'll be gone for a while. Please keep Andy on his toes, and send me an e-mail if you have any thoughts or questions. I'll try to answer them.

keith.murphy@whotv.com

ISU on The Bus, Remembering Rob, Lost in the Maze.

The Cyclones jump on The Bus. This is great news for Iowa State fans, particularly those in Central Iowa. When you go from 5,000 watts on KXNO to a 100,000 watts on 100.3 FM, that's a big boost. AD Jamie Pollard wants to expand the brand, and having the football and basketball games on a station that doesn't require the listener to wrap himself in tin foil and point a wire hanger toward the AM tower is a HUGE plus. I don't understand why some fans are complaining. What did they expect? XM satellite radio? Actually, that wouldn't be as good as The Bus.

Steve Deace always had a lot more on his mind than sports. Some listeners didn't like that, but the guess is here they're going to miss Deace on KXNO. He's headed over to WHO radio to provide a long overdue conservative voice (kidding). Best of luck to Steve in his new gig. He's earned it.

The tough part of the business is for someone to move up, someone else often gets moved aside. Hard to see Jerry Reno and Sue Danielson lose their spot after 15 years at WHO, but the two pros handled it with class.

I'm honored and humbled that Rob Borsellino's wife, Rekha, asked me to host the memorial service for Rob Saturday at Principal Park. It's remarkable how many people were touched in some way by one of Rob's columns or a brief meeting. He was in Des Moines for just 15 years but he left quite an impression. Rob had such a gift for never making his opinions seem personal. I know several people who didn't agree with Rob's politics, but loved his spirit. Sadly, that doesn't happen very often these days.

I received an e-mail from Rob just a few days before he died. I had sent a very sentimental letter, and he returned a good one-liner. To the end, he wanted smiles, not tears. We're going to honor that Saturday with a respectful roast.

My partner Andy Fales ranks #1 in Juice's first year anniversay poll for the best quote of the year. Here it is. Andy on why he hangs out at Taki Steakhouse, "The place is crawling with hot women looking for cultured, wordly men, and I have perfected the art of posturing as such."
That's my boy.

Went up to Clear Lake this weekend with my girlfriend, our kids and our parents. What a great time we had. Except for Fort Custer. Have you been to this nightmare on Earth? It's a maze right off I-35. The kids finished in 30 minutes. After an hour an a half, I was still stuck and finally had to crawl under a wall. If not for heat stroke and dehydration I would have finished. The maze ruins lives.

Saw X-Men 3. Liked it a lot. B+
Only saw half of Over the Hedge. The 2 year old, Colin, wasn't quite ready, but a B+ for what I did see.
The Sentinel was a major disappointment and colossal waste of talent. Any two hours of 24 was better than this mess. C- just because Kiefer Sutherland almost plays Jack Bauer.