*Greetings.
*Here's a quick thought..why is it every time I say that to people when I'm out and about, someone always associates it to aliens by responding in an "Unearthly way" or hold up the peace sign? It always makes me chuckle. That is "my phrase" as a reporter and if being an alien makes me unique, so be it.
*Continuing the top 10 football movies of all-time countdown continues. 
*Number 9 greatest football movie of all-time is: We Are Marshall
*This is a pretty solid film...nothing flashy, but it gets the job done. It tells the story of the tragedy of the Marshall football team's plane crashing and them making the decision to continue with the football program. With the likes of Nate Ruffin, Marshall went on to have some pretty good dang years as a football team.
*Favorite quote: "We're not honoring them, Jack, we're disgracing them." I think this might tie into the Penn State situation that has occured/occuring. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in Happy Valley.
*The second of ten teams outside the metro on our Sports Fource coverage leading up to the season is: WOODBURY CENTRAL
*The Wildcats return some key players from a team that won its first playoff game since 1980, when their coach Kelly Manker, was in pads for the blue and white.
*The 'Cats are a pretty confident bunch. But they will have to get through some excellent competition to reach where they want to go, the Dome.
*It will be fun for locals to watch the Paulsen twins over the next few years. With their size and for only being sophomores, they might go pretty far.
*Shout out to everyone I know from Moville, which it seems about half the town.

 *Greetings
*Today is the countdown to the start of high school football in Northwest Iowa. To get ready, I will be spotlighting ten high school football teams around Sioux City and also covering the metro teams..(this corresponds with our Sports Fource coverage.) Not only that, I will be taking an inside look at all the local college teams getting ready for the upcoming season. And last but certainly not least, I will be counting down the top 10 football movies of all-time.
*Let's just start right there because that's probably why you are here.
*Number 10 greatest football movie of all-time is: Little Giants
*Myself being in my early 20's, this movie came out at a perfect time. Whether you liked Icebox or Spike, Brother Danny or Brother Kevin, there is no denying this great movie...and with a special appearance and inside coaching from John Madden, the movie had it all. There is no doubt Becky should of been a Cowboy..but she got the last laugh against Spike and those bratty Cowboys. #JuniorandBeckyForLife
*Favorite quote: "Giants, Giants, HELP US GOD!!"
*The first of ten teams on our Sports Fource coverage leading up to the season is: HINTON
*The Blackhawks are using last seasons 2-7 record as motivation for this year. With some more seniors on this years squad and the motto of "One game at a time," Hinton makes the move down from Class 1-A to A. Don't worry, it doesn't get easier. With West Lyon, Woodbury Central, and Lawton Bronson all in that class, it is going to be a tough schedule.
*Coach Held really likes their line, saying it is one of the strongest points on the team. Luckily for Hinton, and the rest of the state, Trevor Bouma is graduated and gone. That means this years game against LeMars Gehlen at Elwood Olsen Stadium on August 25th should be much closer.
*Much more tomorrow.

*Greetings
*We are now two weeks away from MOST high school football teams starting in the state of Iowa.
*I like the idea of starting off with a bang. This means Valley vs. Dowling for central Iowa fans, East vs. Heelan in my neck of the woods. I, like many people, seeing these great, early football season matchups when we are used to seeing a powerhouse play a middle school team.
*Sioux City East coaches think that this might be one of their best team in years. Talking with head coach Bob Goodvin, he likes the idea of the new competition his team will get this year. Valley is the clear favorite in the district, but Goodvin says don't overlook the other teams.
*In talks of the new 4A districts, I'm on the fence. I like the balance it will bring, but I don't like parents having to travel three hours every other weekend to see their kids play. I guess if there is one good thing, it will spike the viewership of the news.(Wanting to see highlights because they didn't want to travel.)
*Iowa State will always be the underdog. They have no problem with that.
*The Olympics have been fun to watch and I think the USA Men's basketball team will crank it up three notches in pursuit of a gold medal. They are no "Dream Team."
*Speaking of, if you're looking for a good read, "Dream Team" by Jack McCallum is a fantastic book. It has all the inside info on the 1992 team, with Mac giving his opinion. He has the past and present quotes to back everything up. Truly a great author.
*I will start counting down the Top 10 best Football movies leading up to the season. Expect some quotes from Rudy, Boobie Miles, Gary Bertier, and Billy Bob.
*Have a nice weekend, and Go America!!

*Greetings
*We are two weeks away from high school football kicking off in the state of Iowa. 'Nuff said.
*Today is Husker fan day in Lincoln. Our very own Nick Filipowski made the trip to Lincoln. Martinez has a goal of completing 70 percent of his passes this season and says he hasn't felt this good in a very long time.
*I think Taylor will have a solid season IF Tim Beck understands his quarterback better than last season. Those INTs. Martinez threw at Wisconsin, Beck deserves more blame than Martinez.
*Martinez is a different character than Husker fans are usually used to seeing at the QB spot, a reason why I believe they are so easy to get on his case. This season is "Put up or shut up" time for Martinez...and his biggest fan Bo Pelini.
*I think it's a good thing that Bo has Martinez's back...gotta show him that you have confidence in him.
*Martinez is the best Nebraska has until a young man named Johnny Stanton steps on campus.
*Iowa State has one of the best linebacker cores in the country...they don't have a favorable schedule.
*How can you hate against Paul Rhoads? Gotta love what he's doing in Ames.
*I think the QB competition is a healthy one in Ames..it's only going to make the Clones better.
*Some Nebraska reporters were saying that Iowa would take any one of Nebraska's top 4 or 5 running backs. I would have to agree.
*The lack of running backs at Iowa might open the door for Michael Malloy to get plenty of reps as a true freshman. Hopefully he has a better career as a Hawkeye then the former last Heelan player to wear the Hawkeye uniform.
*I think 7 to 9 wins is reasonable for Iowa this fall..If they can go 5-0 before their bye, watch out.(and it's a reasonable goal.)
*If you're not on Twitter, that sucks. Saw a number yesterday that is mind blowing...just shy of 1 million Twitter accounts in the 2008 Olympics...over 300 million for these games...stunning.

Football is among us, Olympic talk, and Penn State thoughts

*The fact that most conferences around college football have had their media days is exciting. It means college football, the greatest sport in the world, is right around the corner.
*Bo Pelini and the media go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. That guy loves the media so much, I'm sure all the sports reporters in Lincoln and Omaha get a Christmas card from The Pelini's every year.
*It would not be a B1G Media Days without Bo dropping the term "process" or "attention to detail." We got one.
*Some people think this is a "make or break" year for Bo. I don't think it's that extreme. Here's my expectations for Bo's Huskers(as it has been the last 3 years under the Pelini era): 11 wins would be surprising, Husker fans would take 10 wins, 9 wins the conservative guess, and 8 wins is disappointing.
*Hold the phone right there Husker fans. Husker fans would "take 10 wins." Remember Frank Solich did that year in and year out and got fired. I'm not sticking up for Solich because that train was headed down the wrong track when the Osborne players were graduated. But the Callahan era is over and if Husker fans thought 9 wins wasn't good enough with Solich, they need to stick to their guns and say the same for Pelini.
*Talking with Hawkeye fans, they think this year is going to be very, very interesting.
*As I'm writing this, at the rate it's been going for Iowa, another one of their running backs is getting arrested. The curse lives on.
*Ferentz has had no problem kicking players off his team when they have ran into problems with the law. That is a good thing. The bad thing is them getting into trouble. I know the stories about Iowa City but come on.
*I think the fact that Greg Davis is the offensive coordinator complimenting what Iowa has coming back on offense is promising. Vandenberg is a smart enough kid that he can get the playbook down going into his senior year. With a strong receiving core, Iowa might be passing even more than last year.
*Nothing is ever set in stone as a win when you're a Hawkeye football fan. However, the schedule is favorable not only in the non-conference but conference play as well.
*Much more on Iowa State next week, but I think it's great how they were the darling at the Big 12 Media Days.
*The Olympics is a great time for the world to come together and for us, as Americans, to swell up with pride for our country.
*Now more than ever, the tape-delay thing is frustrating. I can't get on my Twitter timeline without seeing who won gold, and it not being able to watch it on "quality" TV for another six hours. I guess that's what happens when you follow over 900 people, most of them sports people on Twitter.
*I got to do a story on A.G. Kruger and Derek Miles this past week, both locals who will be competing in the Olympics. Let's just say I will be yelling at the TV cheering them on. (Kruger went to Morningside, originally from Sheldon will be in the Hammer Throw. Miles is a pole vaulter who an assistant coach at USD, also nearing the age of 40.)
*Bo Pelini is taking the right stance on Penn State players. It doesn't surprise me that teams are making a push to get their players but I don't see it as right. Other programs don't care what has happened, but if they see a chance for themselves to make their team better, they'll do it.
*When was the last time people talked about the Ohio State scandal from last summer. We tend to forget things really fast...especially when it comes to college football.
*I love the fact NBC is opening up with its coverage of the NFL on a Wednesday night. Ratings will be high for that game (Giants vs. The Boys) but give me Pittsburgh and Denver the following Sunday night. Can't wait.

Midweek sports thoughts

Greetings
*Iowa basketball has a long, long way to go. Again, Woodbury and Gesell cannot graduate early enough if you're Fran.
*Fran was in the house to watch Gesell's South Sioux Cards take on Woody's Raiders from East. THIS is why McCaffery got both players to come to Iowa City, not to Lincoln.
*Every passing year, Nebraska fans will hate Doc more and more for letting one of the best players in their state slip across the river.
*Iowa State showed its true potential in the first half against Iowa. Royce White can score at any point, any time. The question is, does he want to?
*Iowa State is the most talented team in the state, by far. But as we all know, the most talented team doesn't always win. Bring in the Panthers from Northern Iowa.
*Ben Jacobson is taking the same highway that made Coach Mac so successful at the mid-major level. Average athletes, great kids, brilliant basketball smarts. Jacobson was an assistant under Mac and is installing the same system that turned UNI basketball from nothing into a team that no one wanted to play in March.
*UNI is a couple months away from being a tourney team. Hence, the Panthers are going dancing.
*This Tim Tebow mania is nothing, NOTHING, like anything that I've ever seen in my lifetime. If this were a movie, everyone would walk out because no one would believe it could happen in real life.
*It really does seem bizarre doesn't it? How in the heck does Marian Barber run out of bounds? All the guy had to do was run it up the middle, stay in bounds, and the game would of been over. Then, he fumbles in OT and Denver gets the ball back to win it. Of course, there was timeout called before the game-winning field goal so Tebow could switch into Praters jersey and kick the field goal.
*Brady and Co. come to town this weekend. Everyone is saying that this will be a wake up call for the Denver Tebows. Not so fast. Did anyone see Rex Grossman and the WASHINGTON REDSKINS hang with the Pats and take them down to the wire? The New England D is not very good, and Tebow could do some damage. That being said, I think that New England does win.
*Its nice to see that Tom Brady does get mad. In case you missed it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPfiiW32GCY
*Speaking of getting mad, a lot of people are upset over the Xavier-Cincy brawl. I don't blame them. If this would of happened anywhere but a basketball court, some would be behind bars. But since it happens on a basketball court, no arrests were made. Makes sense.
*Some of the quotes after the game are more disturbing than their actions on the court. A black eye for college basketball indeed. NCAA...where are we??

Conference games, College hoops, First Snow

*The state of Iowa is expecting its first "snow storm" of the weekend. I, like many others,enjoy the first snowfall of the year. Most of the snow is expected to hit Saturday and with nothing to do, conference football games all day, and hopefully some great Christmas movies on television, I will not be leaving the couch.
*One of those movies that will be watched is Home Alone. #keepthechangeyafilftyanimal Wet Bandits>Sticky Bandits
*How many people are going to be watching the Pac 12 Championship tonight? Its on a Friday night which wont attract a large audience and UCLA is playing in it. Sure, Oregon attracts a nice following, but really UCLA??
*If Georgia were to beat LSU, the BCS computers would blow up. Hey, I've seen crazier happen.
*Rumors are that Nebraska D-Cord. Carl Pelini is leaving Lincoln and taking the job at FAU. Let the Pelini coaching carousal begin. Bo is late to the fair but will be hopping on board shortly.
*Someone was telling me the other day they thought Harrison Barnes was a good player in college but would not be able to make it in the NBA. I couldn't disagree more. I think Harrison will be a great player at the next level.
*Every day that goes by, that Ames team looks better and better from a few seasons back. Obviously, we knew how special of a player Barnes was. But look what McDermott has done at Creighton. Bubu gets some good minutes at ISU. Speaking of Creighton, look how much talent they've taken from the state of Iowa. People harp on Roy Williams getting Iowas gems but Creighton has pulled in Korver, Funk, and now McDermott. Not a bad trio.
*I think Wisconsin will win by 2 touchdowns plus this weekend.
*Aaron Rodgers is a great, great player. The Packers say they're not worried about going 16-0, just 12-0.
*The Buffalo Bills mojo has ran out. They will be lucky to get 7 wins, after starting 5-2. As I've always said, it takes a good team to win the Super Bowl, but it takes a great, a truly talented franchise to go to four straight Super Bowls...and lose all four.
*Ohio State is the best college basketball team in the country.
*Iowa State had talks of going to the NCAA Tournament. If you cannot beat Drake and UNI, you do not deserve to play in the tourny.
*Iowa basketball had some hopes of improving this season. They have a long way to go. Woodbury and Gesell can only do so much as they're eying down state titles