I didn’t know Galdofini, but because he’s so familiar to me, I feel a sense of loss. Gone way too soon at age 51 of an apparent heart attack. The age adds to the sting. Anytime we’re reminded we can be seemingly healthy one day, and gone the next, it’s a sobering reminder of our mortality.

Most will remember Gandolfini for his iconic role in The Sopranos, but he was memorable in so many movies. The Last Castle, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, The Mexican, True Romance, and Zero Dark Thirty–to name a few. Can’t believe he’s gone…

Another absolute classic from the Blackhawks and Bruins. The Blackhawks win a wild one, 6-5 in overtime. Speaking of wild, if I’m the Iowa Wild, I’m selling season tickets door-to-door right now. This Stanley Cup has been an infomercial for hockey…

Richard Amardi took it well when he lost his basketball scholarship at Iowa State. I think Amardi knew from the jump it was a possibility. I don’t condone the conditional scholarship, but appreciate the transparency. Amardi also knew he’d be fine. He’s accepted a full ride to Oregon where he’ll play for Dana Altman. Good for Amardi…

The Iowa Cubs were tied for first place for a few minutes Wednesday night. Then the Redbirds won, and the Cubs fell a half game out…

I’m reading the book, “The Bite Fight: Tyson, Holyfield and the night that changed boxing forever”. It’s a gripping read of one of the more shocking things we’ve ever seen in sports. The author, George Willis, came on our radio show Wednesday. Willis says Tyson’s not as bad a man as he seemed, or Holyfield as good…

I still can’t believe Tyson bit Holyfield. Twice!

Sticking with my pick of Heat in 7, but I can’t wait to find out what happens. History tells us the team that wins game 3 when the series was tied at 1 goes on to win 90% of the time. That was the Spurs. And history tells us the home team in game 7 almost always wins. That’s the Heat…

Picked up free tickets at the Iowa Hall of Pride for our kids to see the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium. We’re too old for the freebies, but 20 to 25 dollars to see all these Olympic gold medalists seems fair…

Cool to see 100 meter dash American record holder Tyson Gay working out at Des Moines Roosevelt. Gay wanted a quiet track, and Roosevelt alum Lolo Jones pointed Tyson in the right direction…

Keith Murphy

Lolo Jones loves social media. She loves it too much. The immediacy and attention lead Lolo to sometimes tweet before she thinks, but I don’t see this Vine video about her bobsledding paycheck being a big deal. Lolo’s making a joke, it’s not funny, but I see no intent to belittle her teammates, or the sport of bobsledding. She just didn’t think through how it would look for someone making big money in endorsements to jokingly whine about paying the rent. Misfire, not malice… (For more on Lolo and her social media trials and tribulations, Bryce Miller does a nice job here.)

Lolo’s twitter avatar.

The self-reported NCAA athletics violations by the University of Iowa amounts to little more than another glimpse at how random and silly many of the NCAA rules are. Iowa’s 14 violations, as first reported by the Iowa Press Citizen, will not lead to serious trouble. ISU apparently had far more difficulty obeying the rules of texting and calling recruits–nearly 1,500 violations in three years–but I don’t think ISU fans should worry either. I believe the NCAA will accept Iowa State’s self-imposed penalties, perhaps adding an additional symbolic slap on the wrist…

Glad to see Missouri hire Mark Phelps. Phelps couldn’t coach Drake out of mediocrity, but he sure tried hard…

The Smithsonian shows more good taste. It refused the donation of the suit OJ Simpson wore for his acquittal…

I understand why Bob Costas is called a curmudgeon for his Cubs-Mets commentary during Sunday’s U-S Open, but I loved it. Sure it’s over the top, but we need more of people calling it like they see it, not less. If you want a replay, click here…

The Bengals are back on Hard Knocks. This tells us few teams are interested in the scrutiny that comes with cameras everywhere. I’m just glad the show returns. And despite the collective yawn, HBO will again make the Bengals interesting…

Don’t look now, the Iowa Cubs are just a game out of first place. On second thought, look…

Oklahoma Joe’s in Kansas City lived up to the considerable hype. The 55 minute line was even worth it, partly because we were hungry enough to chew off our own arms by the time we finally got food…

Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial High Schools have the best of intentions with just one booster club. The sincerity of ensuring a “friend rivalry” comes through. Good luck with that. It won’t be easy. Human nature tells us parents at one school will eventually raise concerns that kids at the other school are getting something better than their kids…

Johnny Manziel seems to enjoy many of the perks of being a really big fish in a small pond. Have to take the negatives too, Johnny Football…

-Keith Murphy

I thought the US Open was supposed to be easy?  Weren’t the ‘experts’ saying Merion golf club was going to play too short and too soft for the golfers?  Fail.  After 3 rounds 1 player is under par, Phil Mickelson, your leader.  Lefty is -1.  All other golfers are even par or worse.  Tiger Woods fired a 76 in the 3rd round, he’s at +9.  Robert Karlsson shot an 86 today, 86!!!  The pros are being humbled, and I kind of like it.  I like when players have to grind to just save bogey.  I like it when you have to actually work for birdies.  This is how a US Open should be.  I’ll be pulling for either Mickelson or Steve Stricker to win on Sunday.

Corey Ihmels leaving Iowa State is very, very, odd.  Ihmels, a track coach for the Cyclones for 11 years (6 as the Head Coach), leaves for Boise State?  I don’t get it.  Ihmels turned ISU in to a very successful program.  He coached Lisa Koll (now Uhl) and Betsy Saina to NCAA titles.  More importantly, Ihmels is a Cyclone.  ISU is his alma mater.
Now if he leaves for Florida, Alabama, Kansas, or Texas A&M that’s one thing, but Boise State?  Ihmels lead the Cyclone women to a 13th place finish at the NCAA’s, the Bronco women finished 32nd.  There are only two possibilities I can think of.  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ or Ihmels wasn’t getting the type of support from Pollard he wanted.  None the less, it’s a big loss for ISU, and they didn’t waste any time taking Ihmels’ name off of Cyclones.com.

Why is game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals on NBC Sports Network and not on regular NBC?  Am I missing something?  I work for an NBC affiliate and I don’t understand this.  The Bruins and Blackhawks are coming off a triple overtime thriller in game 1.  Ratings were better than they’ve ever been for hockey, why put game 2 on the ‘obscure’ NBC sports channel?  Instead, NBC airs re-runs of Chicago Fire, Law and Order and Saturday Night Live.  Maybe these re-runs score bigger ratings than hockey?  Very possible, but it still seems odd.

Kinnick stadium was voted 6th best stadium in the Big 10 by Athlon Sports.  That seems fair.  The horseshoe at Ohio State is #1 followed by Beaver Stadium (Penn State), Memorial Stadium (Nebraska), Camp Randall (Wisconsin), and the Big House (Michigan).

Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there.  Big Happy Fathers Day to my Dad, he’s in the process of recovering from hip surgery.  Not fun.  Get well soon Dad, I love ya.
I’m part of the ‘Fathers Day’ group as well.  It’s crazy how time flies.  3 years ago I was in Cedar Rapids and  ‘kidless.’  Now I’ve got 2 great kids, Adrienne and Jack.  They’re awesome, and I’m honored to be their Dad

(By the way, San Diego State Fair? When did San Diego become a state? Then again I went to Valdosta State University. Don’t remember Valdosta being a star represented on the flag.)…

The LeBron James to Michael Jordan comparisons ended Tuesday night. Jordan would never no-show like that in a championship game. But I still think LeBron, who is undoubtedly the best active player, will come back strong in game 4 Thursday night. Watch James lead the erratic Heat to a win…

Am I the only one who thought Danny Green would lead these NBA playoffs in scoring? You’re right…

There is genuine momentum for the NHL, relatively speaking, and it’s only going to build after a nail-biting classic game 1. Other than delaying our newscast for a lonnnnng time, it was a perfect display of what makes hockey so exciting. Blackhawks outlast the Bruins 4-3 in triple overtime…

You’ve heard of playoff beards in hockey. Well, Park Ridge Illinois’ Frank Miller decided to support his beloved Blackhawks with a playoff lawn. His neighbors didn’t support the idea. Miller says he was watching a game on TV, when he heard a lawnmower outside his window. Yep, one of his neighbors mowed the grass. For more of this story from WGN, click here...

The Iowa Cubs’ Ian Stewart did something most of us have done at one time or another. He tweeted angry. Or at the very least, when his emotions were running high. Maybe for you it wasn’t Twitter, it was Facebook. Or a text, or an email, or even an old school voice mail. It almost always leads to regret. For Stewart, it led to an indefinite suspension without pay…

We had comedian Jim Gaffigan on our radio show Wednesday. Gaffigan confirms an anecdote from his book, Dad Is Fat, is actually true. In the middle of nowhere on his way to the Grand Canyon, Gaffigan stumbled upon a drive thru beef jerky store. Nothing else, just jerky you could order from your car:

I love beef jerky. I suppose it makes as much sense as drive thru donuts first did. At least it’s not a Hot Pocket drive thru. (Gaffigan joke. By the way, Gaffigan will appear at Barnes & Noble in West Des Moines Friday at noon.)…

-Keith Murphy

Amardi himself reacted with the understanding of someone who knows he’ll play elsewhere. Amardi tweeted, “When one door closes another opens. Well in my case too many doors open.” Amardi also told the Des Moines Register’s Randy Peterson, “When coach Hoiberg told me what was happening, at first I just paused. I didn’t know how to respond. After a few minutes, I was like ‘OK, we’ll just move on’... Me and Fred – we’ll continue to have a great relationship…”. No reason to doubt Amardi’s sincerity, or his smarts. Burning a bridge often hurts, and a recommendation from Hoiberg only helps.

A National Letter of Intent (NLI) can technically only be dissolved when both sides agree to part ways. It’s easier than you think. When a player knows he’s no longer wanted, he goes willingly.

I don’t like it.

Let me be clear. Hoiberg is not breaking any rules. He’s working the system to best help Iowa State win. Nearly all coaches do the same. Players largely accept the reality. It still stinks. A letter of intent shouldn’t be “unless someone better comes along”, even if that’s  disclosed. (Specific to this case, we must allow the possibility of something we don’t know.)

I like and respect Hoiberg. I’ve known him a long time. He’s a man of character. Fred’s also smart enough to know what fans want most: winning. Nothing else is a close second. This leads to subtle compromises and gradual shifts. The system allows it. The culture defends it. It’s no big deal. Well, unless it happens to you, or your kid.

I believe deep down Hoiberg, and other coaches, don’t like some of what they have to do in the big business pursuit of winning. But it’s 2013.  Amateur athletics is an oxymoron. The system uses kids, and kids use the system. No one complains. Until there’s too much losing.

-Keith Murphy

(p.s. In an effort to give credit, Travis Hines of the Ames Tribune wrote the first story I saw on Amardi’s scholarship being pulled.)

The Cubs and White Sox play in different parts of Chicago, but both dealt with thick fog Monday night. You couldn’t see baseball players, let alone baseballs…

Not sure what the Patriots are up to with Tim Tebow, but it’s the one place that makes sense. No chance for a quarterback controversy, and Bill Belichick won’t allow a media circus…

The San Diego Zoo just sent me this picture. I don’t know why. It’s Philip Rivers feeding a giraffe. No, another giraffe did not intercept the food, nor did Rivers fumble it (NFL fans have many good one-liners)…

Nice giraffe…

I think the Heat win the series, but I can’t see a team this inconsistent being considered among the greatest teams of all time…

Trevor Bayne started a new trend: Honeymoon in Newton! Worked for him…

USC offered a scholarship to an 8th grader. I’m guessing that’s not binding…

Johnny Orr turned 86 Monday. A true original…

Big thanks to the Iowa Cubs for being… the Iowa Cubs. Took my mother to the ballpark for brunch and baseball on her birthday. She loved every minute. We all did…

Sunday we went to Prairie Meadows for horse racing. I’m sure we had fun there too, but all I can remember is these funnel cake fries…

Early college football betting lines are out.  As of now, the Cyclones are early 4 point favorites over the Hawkeyes.  This is not a surprise.  Iowa coming off a 4 win season, game is in Ames, seems right.  This would be the first time since 2000 Iowa State is ‘favored’ over Iowa in the Cy-Hawk game.

The outlook is not positive for either Iowa-or ISU football.  4 other lines were released for the Hawkeyes.  They’re underdogs in all, and a DOUBLE DIGIT DOG AT HOME to Northwestern…Yikes.  6 other lines were released for Iowa State, underdogs in all.  It could be a looonnnggggg year for football in Iowa.  And it’s only June…

So the Heat are beatable.  Lebron needs help, he’s not getting it.  If Wade or Bosh doesn’t step up the Spurs will ‘upset’ Miami.  And as ‘boring’ as people say the Spurs are, they actually average more points in the playoffs than the Heat.

Lebron posted a triple double.  18 points, 18 rebs, 10 assists.  Great game.  But, James HAS to score more, he has to.  I know Wade and Bosh are no help, but this is Lebron’s time, he needs to shoot more AND score more.  I like Lebron, but this is his team.  Everyone wants to compare LBJ to MJ.  In 35 NBA finals games (6 series), Michael Jordan never scored fewer than 22 points.  He averaged 34 points a game in the NBA finals.  I’ll always argue Jordan is better than Lebron.  James is great, but he needs to be more selfish, in 10 NBA finals games Lebron is averaging 25 points a game and has scored less than 20 twice.

George Karl is the NBA Coach of the Year.  George Karl is looking for a new job.  The Nuggets fired their COY.  Welcome to ‘life in the NBA’ where nothing is ever good enough.

Is the NFL seriously thinking of putting a team in London?  Seriously?  I think this is just a stupid idea.  Football is not football overseas…Well it is, but…nevermind.  If I’m a player I don’t want to play in London.  It’s ok to be a ‘worldly’ company, but you don’t actually have to have teams all around the world.

Former Cyclone linebacker Jake Knott threw out the first pitch Saturday night at the Royals game.  It was ‘Iowa State’ day at the ‘K.’  Reports say the throw was ‘juuuussst a bit upstairs.’  Jake’s brother Luke played the role of catcher.

My 5 year wedding anniversary was on Thursday.  Dinner and a movie with Maria.  When you have a 2 year old, and a 3 month old, that’s about all you have time for.  I’m a lucky guy.  I have a great wife, who’s given me 2 great kids that are more than I could have ever dreamed of.  Cheers to many more great years!!!

June 6th, 2008

Pro Football Weekly is no more. Tough to keep anything going in print that only comes out once a week these days. I haven’t read PFW in years, but I loved it as a kid…

Something tells me Hard Knocks may go away too, but not due to lack of interest. No team wants to put itself through that 24/7 scrutiny…

The people of Muscatine will miss it, but one day of Girls State Soccer in Des Moines, and you can see it’s here to stay…

Good question from PTI: Would you rather watch a French Open semifinal of Djokovic vs Nadal, or a women’s final of Sharapova vs Serena? I understand why many men would pick the final, but I’d take Djokovic vs Nadal…

Just watched video of Secretariat winning the Belmont Stakes by an unthinkable 31 lengths. It’s a thing of beauty. To see the greatest horse of all time at his absolute peak, click here. To see an amazing picture, look below…

That’s a pretty good lead. (Photo courtesy of NYRA)

The Major League Baseball draft receives slightly less coverage than the NBA and NFL drafts…

Heat in seven…

Is there a more pressure packed job in sport than NHL goaltender? Does any player mean more to his team’s playoff chances? Maybe an NFL quarterback. Perhaps a MLB pitcher…

We thought long and hard of the best way to celebrate my mother’s birthday, something she’d really enjoy. We decided on going to brunch and an I-Cubs game at Principal Park. My mom loves the I-Cubs experience, and with a noon game Saturday, we can bask in the sun too (There is also a game at 7 p.m.)…

It should be interesting to see the size of the crowd for the NASCAR Nationwide race at the Iowa Speedway Saturday night. As Rusty Wallace told me, unlike previous years there’s not a calendar full of competition. The Speedway would love a full house, though that’s unlikely. The August Nationwide race draws more fans…

Just received this text from Andy in Fort Dodge: “I’m sitting here at this restaurant in Fort Dodge, laughing to myself about this fat guy a few tables over. He keeps letting out these BIG, rolling belches! And his wife is completely unphased!”. In many countries, that’s a sign of appreciation for the chef. Not this country though…

Ohio State president Gordon Gee will “retire” July 1. By all accounts, Gee was a smart man who did many good things. Unfortunately, Gee will be remembered as a guy who kept delivering condescending one-liners and inappropriate jokes. No one knows for sure how this happened. One way is these really rich, powerful men are often surrounded by too many butt-kissers who laugh way too hard at jokes that often aren’t funny…

Cheers to Bob Stoops for attempting to anonymously help the tornado victims in Oklahoma. Jeers to Bob Stoops for saying of the NCAA student-athletes who transfer, ““It isn’t right that they can just do what they want to do…It isn’t good. I don’t believe in it.”  Don’t believe in freedom of choice? Like the coaches have…

Andy Fales’ Boundary Waters beard was mostly gray. This is welcome news. He really does age…

Ryan Braun got off on a technicality last time. No one suggested the sample had been tampered, and the urine showed dramatically increased testosterone levels, consistent with performance-enhancing drugs. I’m sure Braun will again try to convince us he’s a victim, but this time he’s likely lost the benefit of the doubt. You should be innocent until proven guilty, but no one ever proved Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa cheated. Do you have any doubts? Plus, how many times have we seen a guy convince his followers he really is clean, only to later find out he lied? Lance Armstrong, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez…

I think most of you have reached PED fatigue…

Dollar Shave Club is now trying to sell me One Wipe Charlies. They make the product sound really good, but I just can’t buy the premise…

According to the Wall Street Journal, the best-selling shirt at Wal-Mart is:

Karl Malone left Michael Jordan off his all-time NBA starting five. Not five best players. Starting five. Malone later backtracked and made it a starting six. Here’s my five:

1. Magic Johnson
2. Michael Jordan
3. LeBron James
4. Larry Bird
5. Wilt Chamberlain

Who’s in your five?

My 90-day grace period has come-and-gone, and I’m still here. It’s been 3-months since I moved from southeast Kansas to the capitol of Iowa, and I’ve learned a lot…

To many of you, I’m not Michael Admire, but the ‘new guy’…

Apparently, I look like either Emilio Esteves (The Mighty Ducks man!), Steve Carell (don’t see it), Luke Bryan (my ex-girlfriend wishes), or Scott Disick (I’ve heard this one before. We look like twins)…

I sound southern. I had never heard that until I moved up here. Thanks for pointing it out, y’all…

The Channel 13 News at 9 on Fox 17 is only a half hour on weekends (it’s an hour weekdays). Producer buzzed me after I already missed the ‘sports tease’ and asked if I’d like to join the show. Why yes, I would…

Hide anything incriminating from Murph and Andy, or it’ll be everywhere. e.g. ‘The Red Shirt’…

The ‘Library’ isn’t actually a ‘Library’. Well, not the one in Murph’s neighborhood. At least not the one I’ve seen…

Des Moines is underrated. I explained it to my friends as a smaller Kansas City. Everyone is surprised by the downtown and how fun the city is…

On the flip side, Dayton, Ohio was worse than I could have imagined. Thanks a lot, NCAA Selection Committee…

The Big 12 Tournament was fun to cover. But if you go out once and ride a mechanical bull, you’ll never hear the end of it…

Track and Field is actually a big ‘thing’, and pole vaulting in a mall is a tradition…

Murph and Andy are so famous they have their own picture collage in a Hawkeye fan’s bathroom…

John Sears has just a little too much ‘Dowling pride’. We get it. They’re good…

I’ve made some incredible friends so far. Future roommate and WHO photographer Brandon McCauley showed me around the metro, introduced me to Tasty Taco’s, Jordan Creek Mall, Court Ave, and much more. I repaid him by taking him to a Royals game. Not fair, I know…

Three months into the new gig and I couldn’t ask for more. Appreciate it, Iowa. I’m always looking for creative story ideas. If you have one, please email me at Michael.Admire@WHOtv.com

I’m also on twitter @Admire_OnAir

I went to the Barnstormers game Saturday. I had a good time–always do–but the size of the crowd surprised me. Not sure what the smallest Barnstormers crowd of all time is, but that was the fewest people I’ve ever seen. The organization teaming up with the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival is shrewd. These are the folks who sold more than 8,000 Baconfest tickets in 3 minutes 14 seconds. July 20th will attract, by far, Iowa’s biggest crowd of the season. A bacon and beer tailgate will pull people in. The Barnstormers need to figure out how to keep them coming back for more, when there’s no bacon. (For $25 tickets beginning Thursday, go to http://www.blueribbonbaconfestival.com)…

Brooks Reynolds is happier than he appears in this photo. He just ate 5 pounds of bacon. Brooks LOVES bacon. Who doesn’t? Well, vegans. Respect, but man they’re missing out.

Can’t believe how many people thought the Pacers would win game 7 in Miami. Even if the Big 3 is now the Big 1 plus two under-achievers, LeBron James wasn’t going to let the Heat lose. This is LeBron 2.0, not the version that wilted at crunch time…

No celebrity this side of Amanda Bynes is receiving more bad publicity than Justin Bieber. The Biebs just seems out of touch, and incapable of understanding how silly he appears. The photo below, courtesy of Jimmy Traina, shows Bieber courtside at the Heat game. My mustache thinks Bieber looks ridiculous…

Nice job by the University of Iowa football program sending two semi-trucks worth of food and supplies to the people of Oklahoma. They need it after another destructive series of tornadoes.  Iowa alum Bob Stoops and the Sooner football team unloaded the Hawkeye trucks, and said “thank you” to the people of Iowa several times…

Cyclone fans aren’t crying over the Big Ten taking the Pinstripe Bowl. A trip to New York City, and Yankee Stadium, is fun once, but few wanted a second, expensive cold weather bowl bid in late December…

If you like Jethro’s BBQ, love Make A Wish Foundation, and respect law enforcement, you’ll want to hit Tip$ for Tyler at one of Jethro’s four area locations June 17th. Local law enforcement and FBI will wait on tables and turn over all tips to Tyler’s family. Tyler Cross is a 15-year-old kid who was born with Epidermolysis Bullosa. It’s a rare skin disease that causes skin to blister. Kids with the disease are called “butterfly children”, since their skin is said to be as fragile as a butterfly’s wings. It’s extremely painful, and requires constant attention. Tyler’s been in the hospital for five months…

Tyler loves police officers and law enforcement officials. He collects badges, patches and coins from departments all over Iowa.

The Principal Charity Classic was a success.  Hats off to Wakonda Country Club, nothing but rave reviews from the fans and the players.  I was out at the tournament on Friday, very easy to get around, and fun for all involved.

Courtesy: Des Moines Register

Russ Cochran is your 2013 PCC winner.  I didn’t know Russ Cochran until this week, now I know him.  Cochran shoots 67 on the final day to beat Jay Don Blake by 1 shot.

It was not a good week for Tiger Woods.  Tiger finished 65th at the Memorial.  Woods shot a 79 on Saturday which included a 44 on the front 9, his worst 9 hole score of his career.  It was an even worse week for Zach Johnson who finished 71st.  Johnson shot an 81 on Saturday.

Grant Hill retired from the NBA on Saturday.  19 years in the league.  Hill was a very good player, but take away the injuries and he could have been an all-time great.  People forget just how good he was at Duke and in the late 90′s.  I was 13 when Hill started his NBA career.

Lebron James was fined $5,000 for flopping against Indiana.  He makes $4,400 per MINUTE he plays in a game.  I think Lebron can afford it.  None the less.  STOP FLOPPING!!!  6’8″ 250 pounds, it’s embarrassing.

The US soccer team beat Germany on Sunday 4-3.  Unfortunately it was just a ‘friendly’ and doesn’t count for anything except bragging rights for a while.  Check out this horrendous play by the German goalie.  Not sure I’ve ever seen an own goal like it.

I really want US soccer to turn the corner and become a contender in the next World Cup.  I like watching US soccer in the World Cup.  On of the greatest sports moments I ever saw was Landon Donovan’s goal in the final seconds to beat Algeria.

The Barnstormers again found a way to lose Saturday night.  Iowa lost on the last play of the game to Tampa Bay 65-62.  The Barnstormers had just taken the lead with 20 seconds left but couldn’t stop the Storm.  Iowa falls to 4-7, in danger zone of missing the playoffs.

Speaking of the Barnstormers we’ve been told they have a ‘lay it on the line,’ ‘historic’ announcement on Monday.  It better be good.  Is Tebow coming to Des Moines?

Courtesy: US Presswire

The severe weather here in Iowa finally took a needed day off. Should be a nice weekend for the Principal Charity Classic. Props to all involved. It’s a terrific community event…

Fred Hoiberg turned Iowa State basketball around, in part, by welcoming transfers. Many of whom needed a fresh start, or second chance, somewhere else. Going into season four, it’s clear Hoiberg wants to keep a good thing going. NCAA basketball has become a transfer culture, and Iowa State has a reputation as a good landing spot. Hoiberg seems a calming influence. Just ask Royce White. Or the Rockets…

Most of us don’t like the transfer culture, but the fans who hate it, probably follow teams who aren’t benefiting. As new assistant Doc Sadler told me Thursday, the coaches who complain about the one-and-dones, would take one in a minute…

DeAndre Kane transfers from Marshall to ISU on the Russell Wilson graduation loophole. Kane can play right away. And Kane can play. He’s a big point guard who can score, pass, and rebound. He makes it much more likely Iowa State reaches a third straight NCAA tournament. Kane is 23 years old, and growing up. He needed that. As Randy Peterson of the Register notes, Kane received one technical foul last year, after 14 the previous two. 14! Dennis Rodman thinks that a lot…

LeBron James plays a game Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can’t reach. Game 5 showed why James currently has no peer…

If you love Ohio State, you probably get a kick out of President Gordon Gee’s putdowns. If you’re anyone else, you wonder how a man that smart can suffer from a such a bad case of foot-in-mouth disease. He doesn’t need to lose his job. He does need to think before he talks. In the meantime, former Hawkeye, current Arkansas coach Bret Bielema delivers this Twitter gut punch to Gee:

What a difference a breakout post-season makes. Hundreds of fans lined up at Hy-Vee to meet Harrison Barnes. The line stretched around the store, and that’s a big store. Barnes says he remembers what it was like when he was a kid and met Fred Hoiberg. I’m sure this kid will remember the day he met Barnes:

It’s always smart to get a picture. I collected autographs when I was a kid. I’ve lost track of most of the autographs, and wish I had a photo. I practiced what I’d say to Johnny Bench for a week, but when the moment came, I froze. I couldn’t speak. At least I got the signature. No photo though…

Yahoo’s Jeff Eisenberg reports a women’s golfer at an unnamed school had to pay $20 back to her school because she washed her car on campus. The water and hose were not available to all students. This is the height of the NCAA’s ridiculous rules and hypocrisy. Meantime, the NCAA pretends obvious one-and-dones are “student-athletes”…

Rutgers paid a search committee $70,000 to find out less on Julie Hermann than a reporter found in one day. And as my friend Ryan said, Google is free…

I hadn’t heard of Dioner Navarro before he hit three home runs for the Cubs Wednesday. Not proud of that, but it’s true…

Casey Blake told me the best hitter he’s ever seen is… Manny Ramirez. Manny was–is–a flake, but dude could rake…

Several movie critics say Will Smith’s “After Earth” is one of the worst movies ever made. Like “Battlefield Earth” bad. Smith used to be Mr. Summer. Have you seen this? Is it really that bad?…

Going to see the Barnstormers Saturday night. I may need to bring a radio. When the Stormers score, Jim Brinson has promised to go Tim McGraw: “TOUCHDOWN… BARNSTORMERS! I LIKE IT. I LOVE IT. I WANT SOME MORE OF IT.” There’s only one Jimmy B…

*Yes, that’s an homage to The Program…

LeBron James can’t say of flopping, “Any way you can get an advantage over the opponent to help your team win, so be it”, then be surprised when he fouls out of a game…

Best of three now between the Pacers and Heat. Statistics tell us the team winning game 5 wins the series 83% of the time. The Heat will win game 5…

We asked our Murph & Andy Show listeners who would win a game of one-on-one if LeBron played Jordan, each at the peak of his powers. 94% voted for Jordan. I agree. LeBron may have as much or more talent, but Jordan would be willing to die on the court to win…

Ten members of congress asked Daniel Snyder to change the name “Redskins”. My thoughts: 1) Congress has more important things to worry about. 2) Snyder will not change the name. 3) Most fans do not want the name changed. 4) No football fan uses the word Redskin as a racial epithet. 5) Those same people would not walk up to a Native American stranger and call him or her a “redskin”, therefore the nickname should probably be changed. It won’t be. 6) I don’t find Braves or Seminoles or Indians offensive, but I’m Irish-American. 7) At least one person will send me a sarcastic email that Notre Dame better drop the Fighting Irish nickname…

Rutgers needs to pay Julie Hermann to go away, and start over. There’s just no way to believe Hermann’s loss of memory about key moments in her life. I don’t see any way she can be the leader Rutgers needs after all these revelations. Rutgers just can’t get out of its own way. Make Zubin Mehenti the athletic director. Unlike the Rutgers basketball coach, Zubin actually graduated from Rutgers…

The Blackhawks should have won game 7 vs the Red Wings in regulation, but a bad call forced the most dramatic moment in sport: overtime. Blackhawks advance in thrilling 2-1 fashion over the Red Wings…

The Indianapolis 500 finishing under caution is so foolish and short-sighted, it defies logic. Imagine any other sport nearing the most exciting part of the competition, and freezing the field, and not allowing any further scoring. Fix this before you get to Iowa Speedway, Indy Car…

You ever look at the Jack Trice Stadium turf, and think, “Wow. Nice field.”? Well, the Sports Turf Managers Association did. It names JTS the 2012 College Football Field of the Year. Congrats to Tim Van Loo and staff…

Photo courtesy of ISU athletic department.

Mariano Rivera blew a save without recording an out for the first time in his career. Even when failing, Rivera reveals his greatness…

Nike cuts ties with Livestrong. So much for Lance Armstrong’s trail of lies and serial bullying not hurting the cancer awareness foundation…

I hope this severe weather pauses enough to give the Principal Charity Classic a chance. It’s a great event…

Jeff Hornacek is the new Head Coach of the Phoenix Suns.  Like his entire life Hornacek worked hard, paid his dues, and is now reaping the rewards.   Hornacek was a walk-on at Iowa State before transforming in to an All-Big 12 player, then a 14 year vet in the NBA.  He even made an All-Star team while playing in the league.  I remember Hornacek as a deadly shooter and an incredibly smart, hard-nosed player.  He and John Stockton wore those really short Utah Jazz shorts, but man could he shoot.  ‘Horny’ (yes that is the nickname Jerry Sloan referred to him as) became an assistant in 2007 with the Jazz, worked his way up the ladder and now is the man in charge of the Suns, the team that drafted him in 1986.

Courtesy: Cyclones.com

Hornacek is just the 2nd Cyclone graduate to ever become a head coach in either the NBA, NFL, or MLB.  The other…Take a guess.  Rod Rust.  Rust coached the New England Patriots in 1990.  The Pats finished 1-15 that season and Rust was fired after just 1 year.  There’s your ‘I bet you’ll never guess who…’ question the next time you’re at a bar.

Zach Johnson finished 3rd at the Crowne Plaza Invitational after firing a 66 in the final round.  Johnson was struggling this year, with just 3 top 25 finishes.  Johnson should earn about $450,000 for his 3rd place finish, which is almost the exact amount he’s made in 12 events this year.  Good week.

My favorite Bears player, Brian Urlacher, retired this week.  Tip of the cap to Urlacher.  I loved watching him play.  13 years with the same team.  I’m so glad he didn’t end up playing for a paycheck for the Vikings or some other team.  Urlacher is a Bear, and a first ballot hall of famer.

The Iowa Cubs have won 5 in a row and 8 of their last 9.  Solid pitching, timely hitting are carrying the I-Cubs.  At 23-25 Iowa is just 3 1/2 games back in their division.  I hope they keep it up, the summer will be more fun covering baseball.

I’m not a huge NBA fan, but I do watch some of the playoffs.  Would there be a worse finals than San Antonio vs Indiana?  Yes. Memphis vs Indiana would be worse.  But that won’t happen, the Grizzlies are done.  David Stern is praying every night the Heat beat the Pacers and face the Spurs for the title.  His ratings life depends on it.

Rutgers…What the heck?  It’s like watching a slow train wreck.

Congrats to my cousin Cole on graduating from Valley high school.  Well done.  I graduated from high school 13 years ago.  I’m getting old. 

The legendary Jim Zabel passed away Thursday night at the age of 91.  I don’t know if there’s much more I can add to all the glowing stories about Zabel we’ve heard in the past 2 days.  He was truly a broadcasting legend and icon.  Zabel did it his way, and it worked.  He wasn’t perfect, but he was great.

Big Z worked as the play-by-play man for the Hawkeyes for 50 years.  He worked 69 years at WHO.  69 years at the same job!!!  That’s unheard of today.  His style and voice will be remembered forever.  There will never be another Jim Zabel.  With all the social media available today, radio is far less important than it was 30 years ago.  That’s not to take anything away from today’s broadcasters, but when Zabel was on the mic, for a lot of fans that was the ONLY way to listen to a sporting event.  Smartphones, twitter, HD television, the internet, the ‘hectic-ness’ of life have changed sports watching dramatically over the last 50 years.

Zabel was bigger than life.  There’s a good chance your sister, mother, brother have no idea who Ladell Betts is, or Bob Sanders, or Larry Station, or Chuck Long.  But there’s a very good chance they know who Jim Zabel is.  Zabel reached all audiences on all different platforms.

What a career, what a life.  91 years, over 6,000 play-by-play broadcasts.  He had fun, and he made it fun for listeners.  Raise a glass to Z, he earned it.

Congratulations to Creston/Orient-Macksburg, the Panthers won the Class 3A state golf championship.  Their first in school history.  Carson Whittington is your individual winner.

It’s been a bad year for umpires, this only makes it worse.  I want to give Umps the benefit of the doubt, but it’s getting really bad.

I didn’t know Cincinnatti had a baseball team.  Now I’m a huge fan.  Here’s why, love the fun they have. 

Watch out PCL, The I-Cubs have won 6 of their last 7 games.

Ever heard of ‘Combat Juggling?’  You have now.  This is straight off of ESPN 8, ‘The Ocho.’

I love it!  I love it!  I love it!  Thanks again Z, you’ll be missed. 

A new study shows steroid abusers often suffer mental health problems in their old age. Hope those home runs and big contracts were worth it…

Sergio Garcia can’t get out of his own way. He’s going to make Tiger Woods fried chicken? Sergio apologized the right way. Now he needs to play the quiet game for six months…

Sergio’s insensitive comments brought Fuzzy Zoeller’s name up again, and not for good reasons. Fuzzy probably thought he was finally past that unfortunate interview from 1997…

Matt Kemp took a social media thrashing for “only” pledging $1000 per home run to disaster relief in his home state of Oklahoma. We shouldn’t be so judgmental that we expect a minimum amount that we approve. Kemp is one of the few athletes who pledged any part of his fortune. He’s now added $250,000, and said he planned that amount all along (in addition to the home runs). Not everyone is Kevin Durant. Oklahoma can use every dollar. Besides, I haven’t forgotten how Kemp treated that ailing Dodgers fan when Kemp had no idea someone was recording…

Andy Fales loves the new cover of Sports Illustrated. Cubs fans are not as excited…

Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway told me today, he’s 100% certain Kirk Ferentz will soon have Iowa back in the top ten. Several people sarcastically replied, “top ten of the Big Ten?”. Greenway said, without reservation or hesitation, he knows Ferentz will turn Iowa around again…

Greenway also said the Vikings shouldn’t give up a potential great home field advantage by playing indoors, but he knows it’s happening. Greenway, the son of farmers, just joined Farm Bureau’s America Needs Farmers. Perfect guy…

Greenway says he respect Brian Urlacher for not wanting to wear another team’s jersey. Urlacher retired after 13 seasons with the Bears. Greenway told me he’d retire a year sooner if it meant retiring a Viking. I like that. There’s just something cool about guys who played for only one team. Think of Marino. Now think of Favre…

ESPN just laid off 400 people. Chris Hassel NOT one of the 400. More than anything it shows you how big ESPN has gotten that it can lay off that many workers. I’m sure paying hundreds of millions for rights fees gets expensive…

The Pacers winning game 1 would not have been the same as the Bulls. The Pacers match-up well with Miami, though the Heat will win the series. Credit LeBron James. That was a big-time move in OT with the game on the line. Heat survive..

My wife and I have 15 graduation open houses to attend this weekend. I’m hoping a couple of seniors are held back. I kid…

Photo of Oklahoma tornado courtesy of KFOR/NBC in Oklahoma City.

It’s been hard to get work done. Or anything done. The pictures and videos from Oklahoma are devastating. Heartbreaking. It all happened so quickly, though thankfully, not without warning. One person dead is one too many. The death toll has reached 51 and counting, but when you see the destructive path the two-mile wide tornado left behind, you’d think thousands must have died. Early warnings by meteorologists using advanced weather equipment, and the heroic actions of teachers and first responders, kept a terrible day from being even worse…

The power of the tornado really comes through in this video…

Photo of Oklahoma tornado courtesy of KFOR/NBC in Oklahoma City.

Can you imagine what it’s like to climb out of the storm shelter? This family recorded video…

Here in Iowa it was another day of sirens and tornado warnings, though thankfully we weren’t hit hard. Parkersburg forever serves as a reminder that it can happen. Many of you sent in stunning photos of the abnormal sky…

May 20th at 7:23 P.M.taken from 47th and Michael Drive. Lowering and rotation of clouds.

Ed Wilson and the storm team did a superb job. It was nice to see all the tweets and emails from viewers who really appreciate that, especially after seeing what just happened in Oklahoma. Occasionally, we do receive complaints from those who just want their favorite program back on channel 13. In this case, The Voice. I understand getting into a show or game and not wanting to miss a minute. Happens to all of us. However, please understand our first responsibility as a local television station is to keep you safe. We should, and do, err on the side of caution.  A common complaint is the information is being repeated. As long as there is a tornado warning in Central Iowa, we can never make the assumption that all of our viewers have been watching the entire time. We live in an age when people are constantly multitasking. Right now, I’m watching our 10 p.m. news, KFOR’s feed in Oklahoma, and typing this blog. So on behalf of people like me, thank you for your patience and understanding…

I had a few thoughts on sports and pop culture, but after seeing the apocalyptic scene in Oklahoma, I should wait…

Pray for Oklahoma…

Keith

Weather in Iowa can be downright crazy.  A couple weeks ago it was snowing, now it’s severe thunderstorms with tornadoes.  I love living in Iowa, the weather though…Scary at times.

The state track meet ended just in time, perfect weather for 3 days at Drake Stadium and it showed.  14 records went down.  Hats off to the Waukee girls, Pella boys, and Manson NW Webster boys, all 3 brought home team titles.

Kirk Ferentz said his nickname in high school was ‘Fetus-head Ferentz.’  His football helmet apparently didn’t fit well so his friends came up with the nickname ‘fetus-head.’  Something tells me this may come up in the fall when fans don’t agree with a Ferentz decision.

Cyclone football commit Allen Lazard is the #1 rated WR in the entire country.  The Urbandale wideout recently went to a Rivals.com camp and received rave reviews.  Lazard was voted to have the best hands in the country.  He recently picked up an offer from Notre Dame and will apparently take a visit to South Bend.  If I’m Paul Rhoads, I’m nervous.  I still think Lazard sticks to his word and ends up at Iowa State, but as the ‘big boys’ come calling the offers will be harder and harder to pass up. Signing day can’t come soon enough for Rhoads.

The Preakness was a downer.  I like watching the ‘big’ horse races, but I also like it when a horse has a chance at the triple crown.  Orb was never in the race, finished 4th.  Disappointing.  Hats off to Oxbow, it’s not often a horse leads wire to wire to win.

The Vikings are spending $975 million on a new stadium.  The artist ‘flyover’ renditions are pretty wild.  You can tell the Vikings are going for more than just a ‘football stadium.’  They want this stadium to be the ‘next big thing.’  I have to think they want to host a Super Bowl someday.  Personally I think the Vikings should play in an outdoor stadium, if the Packers can play outdoors why can’t Minnesota?  On the other hand wild, bigger than ever stadiums are the new thing, I get it.

I ate at 801 Grand tonight to celebrate by sister-in-law Shannon’s graduation from Drake.  I’m stuffed, beyond stuffed.  Man they have good steaks.

I’m still writing this blog, so I obviously didn’t win the Powerball.  Reports are 1 winning ticket was sold in Florida.  $370 million dollar cash payout.  Yowza.

“Congrats to the 2nd best player in Ames High School history @HBarnes for making the all rookie team…well deserved honor!”…

Patrick Ingram says he’ll transfer from Iowa to move closer to home. Ingram may or may not move closer to home, but nine times out of 10, that translates to, “I want more playing time”. This could work out well for all involved…

Andrew Wiggins, the #1 basketball recruit in America, picks Kansas. At least he didn’t go to Kentucky. The Jayhawks become favorites to win their 77th straight conference championship…

Cyclone fans applaud the NCAA for changing the block/charge rule, which did need changing. However, fans must remember Iowa State also benefited from the previous rule. Not as much as Ohio State though…

The University of Hawaii decides it won’t change from Rainbow Warriors to just Warriors. Good. PC overreaction runs in both directions…

Chuck Muncie died of a heart attack at age 60. Muncie was an underrated running back. He started with the Saints, but peaked with the Chargers–scored 19 touchdowns in one season. Muncie also wore glasses, not goggles, glasses…

Vikings fan will soon have a palace, but I can’t help wondering if they wouldn’t be better off outdoors…

Did I just hear Ed Wilson say it was 100 degrees in Fort Dodge, but piles of snow are still melting? Only in Iowa…

Why didn’t anyone warn me how uncomfortable it is watching “Hope Springs”? It’s like two hours of walking in on your parents. It’s not the laughfest suggested by commercials…

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