Matt and Maggie Review "Beastly"

So, now that I'm living at home - I get to spend more time with my little sister Maggie. One that we got to do during my visits were to go movies and then review them together. It was a nice way of doing something with her each time I was home and got her comfortable speaking on camera. Maggie wants to be an actress and is very talented on stage.

I've been home for exactly 8 days and here is our first movie review.

One thing that "Beastly" does an outstanding job of is highlighting how hurtful superficiality can be to young people. I didn't mention this in the video below but I thought the message of this movie was outstanding and really worth showing your pre-teen or high schooler.

The message makes the movie.

Top 10 Things I've Covered

I spent the better part of the drive back from Arch Madness thinking about endings and the fact that on Friday I will be driving my life back home after leaving 11 years ago. I never like this week, the final week because all I do is reflect on what I just experienced. I really don’t like endings. 

I never have.

There are clear memories in my brain of crying as a 10 year old when my summer camp experience was over after being away from home for 2 months. I hated that I had to go home and would ask my mom if I could just stay for one more day. 

While I’m very excited to be going home, I can’t help but feel like my summer camp experience is over and now, after 11 years, it’s time to go home. It’s caused me to be introspective and reflective on the experiences that I was lucky enough to enjoy.

I thought it might be fun to list my Top 10 favorite things that I got to cover since I left Andover in August of 1999.

10. Play by Play Voice of the NBADL’s Huntsville Flight: The first year was by far the best of the four seasons of play by play I did for the minor league of the NBA. That was the season that I went on the road with the team. I will never forget Eric Chenoweth, former KU player, lighting off firecrackers in the parking lot of a Georgia gas station at 2 am. He earned the nickname “Cheno-bomb” for the rest of the season from Bob Thornton who was the head coach. I’ve stayed in touch with Bob over the years and he now coaches with the T-Wolves. I learned a ton about the game and the business of basketball.

9. Virginia vs. Virginia Tech: The only football game I saw between these two featured a certain QB named Michael Vick in 2000. He was kinda good that year. It was my first taste of a instate college football rivalry and I’ll never forget the first time seeing guys and girls dressing UP to go to a football game. It blew my mind but southern belles sure know how to go to games.  

8. Iowa vs. Iowa State: I only covered two of these games but the build up to them will be what I remember. It’s a pretty angry, intense rivalry that can get nasty on message boards. The only problem was the games were not competitive as Iowa rolled in both years. Honorable mention goes to Nebraska vs. Iowa State though.  

7. Creighton vs. Nebraska basketball: For six years, this was the best college basketball rivalry that I got to personally cover. I never saw the Jays lose at home but only saw 1 win at Nebraska for CU. My radio show in Omaha had a lot of coverage of this yearly brawl. I still don’t like Nebraska basketball and probably never will.

6. Broadcasting from Cameron Indoor: In college, I called a men’s game from Phogg Allen Field house at Kansas but as a pro, it was a women’s game that I called from atop the crow’s nest at Duke’s home arena that was awesome. It’s crazy how high the broadcasters have to go up, including climbing a ladder, to get up to the location but it's a mecca of basketball. Honorable mention goes to the 2000 ACC tournament that I covered too. 

5. Four full seasons of Alabama football: During the middle of the 2000’s, I went to every Alabama football game in a RV. It was crazy but so much fun like the time we partied with a millionaire dentist and his wife inside their 1 million dollar RV, complete with stripper pole. I got to see so many awesome football games as well, in some of the best college towns in this country. I also learned how to drive one of those beasts around.

4. Arch Madness: For six seasons, I traveled to St. Louis to cover the Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament. In 2007, Creighton won the whole thing and went to the NCAA tournament. From drinking on Morgan Street at Sundeckers and Big Bang to seeing the sites of the city, it’s one of the most entertaining weekends you can have. If you’ve never gone – go! It's an amazing 4 days of basketball. 

3. 2007 World Series win for the Red Sox: This wasn’t an event that I covered at first but I became a media member as I got to go on the field after Game 4 in Denver. Because of the combo fan/work angle, I dropped this to 3. It’s my favorite sports moment that I witnessed personally however.

2. Alabama vs. Auburn: AKA The Iron Bowl. There is nothing like it in college football. The passion, the tailgating, the players, the atmosphere is all second to none. Throw out the records and buckle up for a crazy ride. I’m really happy I watched one of the four that I was present for from the stands. It gave me a great perspective of just what the game means to the fans.

1. The NCAA Tournament: I went to one as a college broadcaster and 3 as a pro and simply put – I think that March Madness is the greatest thing we do as a sports country. It’s my favorite thing to cover. In 2007, I watched Creighton play Nevada in New Orleans. Then in 2009, Omaha hosted eventual National Champ Kansas for their first two games and then last year – I watched UNI pull the upset of the dance by sending No. 1 seed Kansas home. That win sent me to my first Sweet 16 game as UNI lost to Michigan State in St. Louis.


Other fun events worth mentioning:

-2010 and 2011 Insight Bowls for Iowa State and Iowa.

-Every Nebraska football home game for 4 years 
-Every Creighton basketball home game for 4 years
-Big 12 Media Days for 6 straight years for football

I’ve seen some awesome things over the past 11 years and I know I won’t be seeing as many games in person with my new job but I feel like I’ve been very lucky in what I’ve be able to witness. 

New Dropkick Murphys Out Today!!

So on the week that I get to announce I'm moving home to New England, the Dropkick Murphys release their new album and I get to see them live in St. Louis!!!

It's been an awesome Boston-oriented few days for me and I can't wait for Saturday night! Now, if you remember, the last time I saw DKM live, I dislocated my shoulder. I'm going to behave at the show I promise. I've got to move home a week later!!

New Album "Going Out In Style" - kinda describes how I hope to in Iowa. So perfect huh?!

Enjoy the new video!

2011 Oscar Picks

It’s Oscar night. Tonight, Hollywood will reward the work of the talented men and women who work to entertain us on the silver screen. The field is extremely deep this year for the golden trophies and I really had a tough time picking winners in certain categories. 

I was a film minor in college so I’ve often taken the opportunity to see all the nominated films for best picture and try to see as many of the performances of the actors and actresses who have been singled out by the committee. It's one of my hobbies that I really enjoy. 

However, it’s gotten a lot harder to see all the films because we now have 10 films selected for the category of Best Picture. That’s a lot. I try to see about a movie a month but having 10 pictures nominated has bloated the category. I’m sorry but Toy Story 3 should not be nominated. It should be the winner for animation but it’s not in the same category of a movie like The Social Network.

After getting off my soap box, here are my picks and predictions for tonight.

Best Picture:

This was extremely difficult for me to pick. Winter’s Bone is a tough look at life in the Ozarks in Missouri and wonderfully acted. True Grit takes you back to a time of cowboys and sheriffs. The Kids Are Alright tackles homosexual families and the challenges that they deal with. The Fighter dives into a family of boxers dealing with the drama that comes out of the struggles to get to the top of the sports world.  

All amazing movies and I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. But they aren’t going to win.

In my opinion, I chose from The Black Swam, The Social Network, Inception, and The King’s Speech as legit contenders for the award tonight. This was really hard to pick but I have to go with my first blush reaction to the movie after screening it and only one completely blew me away after viewing it.

My Pick:   Inception

Runner Up: The Social Network

Who will win: The King’s Speech. (correct, damn it)

Best Actor:

This is a two horse race in my opinion. Colin Firth vs. James Franco.

Firth did an amazing job of bringing you into the world of a stutterer and stammerer and made you feel the frusration that comes from not being able to get words out of your mouth. Franco took you into the horror of being trapped and being forced with unbelievable choices. As someone who overcame a speech impediment, I love what Firth brought to the role but Franco was just tremendous, carrying the entire movie. 

My Pick: James Franco for 127 Hours

Runner up: Colin Firth for The King’s Speech

Who will win: Colin Firth  (correct blah) 

Best Actress:

This is isn’t even fair. The race has been over for a weeks.

My Pick: Natalie Portman for The Black Swan 

Runner up: Jennifer Lawrence for Winter’s Bone

Who will win: Natalie Portman (correct!!)

Best Supporting Actor

Again, we have a two horse race but this is one is going to be VERY interesting to watch. For most of the year, Christian Bale’s gritty performance was thought to be the pick here but The King’s Speech popularity has rocketed Geoffery Rush into the conversation. I think the momentum of Firth helps Rush here. 

My Pick: Christian Bale for The Fighter (winner!!!!)
Runner up: Geoffrey Rush for The King’s Speech

Who will win: Geoffrey Rush (wrong)

Best Supporting Actress:

This a tough category because the names do not jump off the screen. I was only really moved by one performance and that’s why she is my pick.

My Pick: Hailee Steinfield for True Grit

Runner up: Amy Adams for The Fighter

Who win will: Helena Bonhamn Carter for The King’s Speech (wrong)

Best Director:

This is going to be a REALLY tough pick. So many good movies to go with here.

My Pick: David Fincher for The Social Network

Runner up: Darren Aronosfky for The Black Swam

Who will win: Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech (correct F!)

Cinematography: Inception (correct)

ENJOY!!

THE NEXT STEP FOR MY CAREER

It’s not everyday that you get to write about achieving something that you have been working towards for 11 years but today is one of those days. First, thank you for all the interest, emails, twitter messages, and phone calls. It means a lot to me that people care what is happening with my career.  

Thanks to the pieces falling into place finally, I can now say that I’m going home to take a run at big time radio in New England.  

When I was 22, I was working in the basement of a news/talk station in Nashua, NH for my first professional radio job. I was the board op for a conservative talk show for 2 hours everyday and I got to host a sports talk show from 8 to 9 am every Saturday.  I did that for 3 months after I graduated college and my college buddy Brett reminded this week that I used to put him on as a guest so I had someone to talk to during the show.

Little did I know that I would be returning to that city over a decade later.  

In August of 1999, I left my newborn sister with my mother, stepfather and 3 brothers back in Massachusetts in order to get the experience needed to one day get to work on the radio in Boston. I went to Virginia, Alabama, Nebraska, and Iowa and had a blast covering some amazing sporting events and cutting my teeth in the sports talk business.

When my contract was not renewed in Omaha in 2009, I thought that I was going to have to start over from scratch because I wasn’t sure that I was going to reach my goal after being passed over by several major market jobs. I even thought I was going to Seattle right up until my contract expired in Nebraska but I lost out to someone who worked for ESPN in the final hours.

Then Ken Miller called me and asked me to join the afternoon show on KXnO.

A man named Joel McCrea runs KXnO. I didn’t know it at the time but he would become the second greatest boss of my career, behind only Bill Dunnavant who hired me with the sole purpose of turning me into a talk show host. Without Bill, there is no career but without Joel, there is no announcement right now.

Over the past 2 years, I have been allowed to fill-in on sports talk stations in St. Louis, Kansas City and most recently, my dream station of WEEI in Boston. Being able to show off my talents in major markets has opened so many doors for me and put me in the position to be coveted. I would like the audience of KXnO to know that I was not actively looking to get out however. From 25 to 30, I applied for as many jobs as I could but for the last 2 years, I have honestly not applied for a single position. Every opportunity was presented to me, not pursued by me and I turned down 2 job offers in just the last year.

And now the announcement:

I will now be hosting afternoon drive on WGAM in Nashua/Manchester, NH beginning in March. Being in the area will open so many doors for my career but I'm so excited to be joining an awesome organization. Mike Winn, my new GM, has been someone that I have wanted to work for for years and I can't wait to get going with him. 

It was the combination of working in market 11 while getting to talk Boston sports every weekday on a great station that was just too much to pass up when it was offered. Plus, I’ll be 20 minutes from my family after living over 1,000 miles away the past 11 years. My sister is now 11 and I've missed countless birthdays, plays and special moments. Now, I get to tape more "Matt and Maggie Movie Reviews"!!

This opportunity would not have been possible if it wasn’t for Joel McCrea letting me spread my wings and grow. I was not pushed out at KXnO. I was not told to find another job and I sure as heck was not fired. Anyone saying as much is lying and trying to take away from the hard work I put in to earn this opportunity. Yes, Joel has taken a ton of heat for me but he believed in me as a broadcaster and has tutored me through some very tough situations.   

There is more to this story too. Justin Bastinelli is co-host of the new show in New Hampshire. He and I went to high school together and Justin introduced my brother to his wife. Having him to work with everyday only increased the attractiveness of the job and I can’t wait to get started working with him.

However, I want to thank Ken Miller for telling KXnO that I was the guy he wanted to work with and going to bat for me to get the job. Without Matt and Miller, there is no way I ever get the chance to be on WEEI. I grew as a talk show host by working with Ken and learned a ton about football from him. His sports knowledge and ability to breakdown games is truly remarkable and I hope I stay in touch with him for years to come. It was truly an honor to get to work with him and he is first class all the way.

I’ll start on the air in March on WGAM but you can hear me this Sunday on WEEI from 4 to 7 Eastern Time if you want to hear some Boston sports talk from me before I head to New England officially. And for those wondering, the Rivals site (TheBluejaycafe.com) that I run will still be part of my day-to-day job.   

Thanks to everyone who has been a friend to me along as this journey. I have met so many amazing people. It’s been a wild ride but after a few more days ….

it’s time to go home.