How about this weather for the state track meet?  AWESOME.  70′s, 80′s, sunny, little breeze, not sure mother nature could do much better.  Wasn’t it snowing like 2 weeks ago?  Hope it stays like this.

I’ve already got my SPF 50 out.  If I don’t wear sunscreen in the summer I turn in to a beet.  In the winter my skin resembles the actor from the movie ‘Powder.’

In his new book, Phil Jackson says Michael Jordan is/was a better basketball player than Kobe Bryant.  Is this surprising to anyone? Is there a person living who thinks Kobe is better than Jordan?  Seriously?  Kobe is a great player, top 10 all-time, but he’s not Jordan, and never will be.

Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel is projected to be the Top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.  Noel is 6’10″ 206 pounds.  Yes, you read that correctly, 206 pounds.  I’m 6’3″ 195, Noel is just 10 pounds heavier than me.  I have serious doubts about this guy.  Not only is he ‘twig-like’ but he’s coming off a torn ACL.  If I have the #1 pick I look elsewhere.  11 points, 10 rebs, 4 blocks a game for Noel, I’m not sold.

There’s only 9 horses running in Saturday’s Preakness.  Is that a low number?  I’m not a horse racing guy, but only 9 horses seems really low.  Orb is the heavy favorite.  Watch out for ‘Governor Charlie, 12/1, he will be in it till the end.

The I-Cubs and Padres (Tucson) combined for 35 hits Friday night.  Tucson holds on 9-8.  What a great night for baseball, except for the fact the I-Cubs lost.

The Powerball is $600 million.  If you win and take the cash option, that’s a cool $376 million.  Straight cash homie.  $600 million.  Man, that’s just nuts.

Dominos created a DVD that smells like pizza.  I’m hungry.

With just 8 teams left, the Dutch feel this could be their year, but they will have to do it from the loser’s bracket.

Central fell in round one on Friday to Montclair State 4-1.

The Dutch face Tyler-Texas Saturday afternoon in the double elimination tournament.

For two metro athletes in particular, the practice is paying off. In class 4-A, Urbandale’s Shaquille Wells threw 59 feet 7.5 inches to defend his state title. Roosevelt’s Alexa Hunt was out for revenge after coming in second at the Drake Relays. She threw her personal best at 45 feet 7.5 inches to defend her state title also.

In class 3-A, a slow hand-off cost the boys from Pella in the 4 by 200 relay. Lemars wins, Pella takes second.

In the girls 2-A distance medley Des Moines Christian came in as the top seed and they dominated. Giving the Lions the first relay state title in school history.

On the girls leader board, West Hancock leads 1-A, Davis County 2-A, Solon the new 3-A leader and Pleasant Valley on top of 4-A with Waukee not far behind.

On the boys side, Manson NW Webster leads 1-A, Monticello pulling away in 2-A, Fort Madison just ahead of Pella in 3-A, and Cedar Rapids’ Kennedy on top of 4-A.

It was a quiet first day for central Iowa teams.

Among the stories, the Roosevelt girls are trying to stay in the fast lane after a big win at the Drake Relays.  Coaches took Agne Sayeh out of the relay races in hopes of spreading the points out to bring home a team state title. Sayeh qualified in the 100 m and 200  m preliminary races, but she tweaked her knee in the 400 m. Coach says she will be ready to go by Saturday.

In girl’s high jump, Ankeny’s Kelsey Arneson clears 5 feet 4 inches putting her in second place.

After five events in girls 4A Pleasant Valley leads the team standings, with Waukee a close second, followed by Ankeny and Dowling.

In boys class 3A the 4 by 800, Wade Pingel brings it home for Pella with a 7 minutes 58 seconds win.

In the same race for Class 2A a 13-year-old state record was in jeopardy, and Monticello knocks it out, crossing in with 7 minutes 53 seconds.

Standings for the boys 4A have Cadar Falls in first, followed by a three-way tie for second.

The only local team in the top ten is Waukee holding on in tenth.

Real-time event standings are available here.

Security at the stadium will be checking bags at the gate.

Items that will not be allowed in the stadium include backpacks, large bags, coolers, thermoses, lawn chairs, camera tripods and umbrellas.

Events begin Thursday morning and continue through Saturday.

But the Roughriders will have to win the relays races that they dominated at Drake without one of the top sprinters in Iowa.

Coaches have decided to use Agnes Sayeh in an open event instead of on the dominant relay team in an attempt to rack up enough points for the state title.

The girls say they are excited and surprised that it hasn’t been done before, “We’ve had so many talented runners come through, all these Olympians have been at this school and it’s just weird to think that we’ve never won state.”

Just hours after learning he made the NBA’s All-Rookie Team, Barnes took the court and became the first player in NBA history to score 25 points in back-to-back playoff games, after never before scoring 25 points in any previous game. That’s 51 points in the past two games for Barnes.

He told Channel 13 by phone Wednesday, he is having a blast on the big stage. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball, I mean just playing on this stage now after watching it growing up, always seeing the playoffs and not only to be playing in it now, but to have a chance and have some success it’s just been a lot of fun.”

Barnes and the Warriors must win Thursday night in Oakland to force a game 7 in San Antonio.

Jim Brinson’s voice sings through radio waves, his play-by-play is like music to the ears.

“Arena football is supposed to be fun, so I try to make it fun,” he laughs.

“Jimmy B has the natural pipes for it first of all… I enjoy his play-by-play and he does what a play-by-play guy is supposed to do and that`s create the theatre of the mind,” Joe Stasi says.

It not just his pipes he known for, it’s his creative use of song lyrics to celebrate Barnstormer touchdowns that people have noticed.

“You know how you get a song stuck in your head, then you can`t get it out. It was going on with me. Game starts Barnstormers score right away. I just blurt out the lyrics to the song,” Brinson explains.

And it stuck, now each time the `Stormers find the end zone, Brinson belts out a lyric.

“I`ll throw a little rap in, throw a little old school in, I’ll go in the way-back time machine. I went Elvis in the San Antonio game, you ain`t nothing but a hound dog,’” he smiles.

Through 8-games they`ve score 54 touchdowns… That`s 54 touchdown calls with 54 different song lyrics.

“I listen to the radio all week, people will email, text or tweet me something, so i take peoples suggestions all the time. I just try to pick song that will be affective during the broadcast.”

But how he chooses which song…Well a performer can`t reveal all his secrets.

“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…

If you’d like to receive SoundOFF video segments in a newsletter each Monday, please sign up. You’ll receive the following: I Think, look-alikes, What’s Bugging Andy?, Who’s In Your Five?, and FaceOFF. Sign up here…

The Rails have a Drake Relays Championship under their belt, now they want to double up at state.

Despite temps in the 90′s, the Rails team of Vybert Greene, Mason Downing, Jordan Bryson and Jordan Cheatem are working hard to become the first Lincoln Sprint Relay Champ.

They won at Drake by just 3 thousandths of a second.

They say they are ready for all their challengers.

The co-ed state track meet at Drake Stadium begins Thursday.

“I had a corporate job, a really nice job,” says Adam.

The Genesers moved from Denver to Des Moines last year and opened Power Life Yoga.  It’s a powerful physical and mental workout.

“In your practice today, find your Goliath and take him on,” encourages Caryn Lee Meeks, one of Power Life’s instructors.  “Meet him head to head.”

“Our foundation is power yoga, which is a physical form of yoga,” says Adam.

We’re trying the Power Sculpt class.  It incorporates power yoga with weights, cardio and plyometrics.

“It’s a real ass-kicker,” says Adam with a smile.

We begin with some traditional yoga moves, like plank and tadasana, then add weights.

Caryn Lee doesn’t let up, “Come on.  Breathe through it!”

The weights help tone the muscles and ramp up the heart rate.

“What year is it?” asks Caryn Lee.  “The year of the rear,” responds a client.

“It’s not stretching in a hot room, which is traditional.  It’s modern yoga, fast paced, but it’s all levels, ” says Adam.

Speaking of fast-paced, just when we think we’re wrapping up, Caryn Lee incorporates that cardio we talked about.  First comes the fast feet, then some dancing.

It’s fun and challenging.  And by the end of the class, we’re ready for Goliath.

The Vikings should just budget in another 25 million and make it a cool billion…

The Maple Leafs lead the Bruins in game 7 by two goals with under 90 seconds to play, and the Bruins scored twice, then won in overtime. Playoff hockey rules. The tension of next goal wins is unlike anything in sport…

Another awesome feature in Stanley Cup playoffs: the post-series sportsmanship handshake line. Love it. Can’t imagine how hard it was for the Maple Leafs to go through after blowing a three goal lead in game 7…

Charles Barkley on Kevin Durant, “He’s Michael Jackson playing with a bunch of Tito Jackson’s.” The TNT show is what every other show wants to be: fun and informative…

The Bulls in game one did just what we thought. They woke up the Heat…

The lamest new trend in sports is Tiger-haters and rule nerds sitting at home calling in what they think are illegal drops. Among several reasons it needs to end is basic fairness. Tiger Woods is on TV far more any other golfer. If the golfers aren’t scrutinized equally, it’s simply not fair…

Another mountain lion sighting, this one in Oskaloosa. If true, I guess mountain lions don’t need mountains. Or hills…

I put a tire swing near our yard on the boulevard this weekend. My son Colin played on it a good 45 seconds before asking if he could get back to video games. The tire is a little on the big size, but neighborhoods kids keep stopping to play on it. Some for more than 45 seconds…

Andy’s life changed this weekend. He fulfilled his dream of a Corvette Summer. I’d say it’s a midlife crisis, but he’s been on this mission since his 20s…

Barnes is averaging 16 points and 7 rebounds a game in the playoffs. Game five tomorrow night in San Antonio.

It’s What’s Bugging Andy…

ESPN’s Todd Mcshay and SoundOFF producer John Sears have similar jobs and similar faces according to Maria in Urbandale.

How about Cloris Leachman and Shawn Johnson?

The Central Dutch punched tickets to the national finals and a chance at their 5th national championship.

Central took on St. Thomas Sunday in the regional final.

The Dutch head to the national finals thanks to a 2-1 victory.