Harrison Barnes' Mom doesn't like Marty Tirrell

Don't take my word for it ... read the release yourself from Mrs. Barnes, Shirley:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Marty Tirrell, Mouth of the Midwest at it again


Ames, Iowa - Marty Tirrell of Mouth of the Midwest and Calling All Sports, acting apparently on his desire to be in the know, is again making inaccurate and uninformed statements about former Ames High student and current University of North Carolina freshman, Harrison Barnes.

Early Monday on Calling All Sports.com Tirrell reported that Barnes had made a decision about his collegiate future and would make those plans known on April 5th. Tirrell also made several tweets on the subject:

Harrison Barnes returning to Chapel Hill for sophomore years..."unfinished business " and cites desire to win a championship

2:38 PM Mar 29th via Mobile Web from Des Moines, IA

Harrison Barnes to make it official Tuesday.... Back to Heels-

about 19 hours ago via Mobile Web from Charlotte, NC

Harrison Barnes prattle 10a east at callingallsports.com Monday

about 16 hours ago via Mobile Web from Augusta, GA

Harrison Barnes commits to "work left to be done" at NC Tells family and friends wants and feel Heels can move forward and " win a title "

about 12 hours ago via Mobile Web from Georgia, US

In 2009 as Ames High was preparing for their first state tournament appearance in 18 years, Tirrell, who worked for KXNO Radio at the time, reported that then-junior Harrison Barnes would attend Oak Hill Academy, a college preparatory school in Virginia known for its basketball prowess, in the fall of 2009. 

This major distraction for the school and the team resulted in Barnes' family responding with a press release stating the report had no merit and was solely generated by those reporting it. 

Again, Terrill's statements have no merit and are solely speculation by the reporter.

Terrill has not spoken to the Barnes family or to anyone in their inner circle. His actions are irresponsible and amount to harassment. As a result, the family is fielding calls to rectify inaccurate reporting.

Harrison Barnes and members of his family will not field further questions on the subject of his future until a decision has been made.


EDIT: Ken Miller of KXnO contacted Shirley Barnes to make sure the press release did come from her. There were some saying that the release was a fake:

Ken,

Thank you for checking. Yes, the release did come from me and sorry for spelling Mr. Tirrell's name incorrectly in the closing paragraph.

Sadly Mr. Tirrell gave his opinion as fact which included a decision date.  What should be a low key private family decision has turned into a media circus.

-Shirley

Pretty Cool Birthday Gift

It's been a crazy few weeks for me and I haven't had much time to write about the opportunities that have been flying at me or how great it has been to be back in New England but with tomorrow being my birthday (April 4th) and the Red Sox about to get swept to start the year, I've found a few moments to write.

First, the new show on WGAM, The Hometeam, has gotten off to a tremendous start. Justin Bastinelli and myself have gelled quickly and our chemistry on air is easily heard. I hope you will check out the show from M-F 4 to 6 pm est either on air or stream it. We are really enjoying ourselves and I think it's a good show. I've know Justin since I was 16 years old and to host a radio program with someone who you have that kind of history with is extremely rare. It's been a lot of fun and we start our 4th week on the air tomorrow. The first month has FLOWN by, which is great.

The other angle of my job in New Hampshire is that I've returned to selling ads on my own show. This was something I did for 6 years earlier in my career in Virginia and Alabama. While it can a frustrating at times and tough given the economy, I've always enjoyed the business side of radio and frankly, I missed it. My mind has always been geared towards radio promotions and marketing and getting to have control over my own show in that capacity again has been refreshing. I'm working for a locally owned company again which has give me the flexibility to use my full arsenal of ideas.

That's job 1. Most of you know that I run a Creighton Bluejay website which is job 2. The latest job is the one that will get me the most exposure.

This past Saturday, my new show on the WEEI Sports Radio Network debuted as 'Sports Saturday' with myself along with Rob Bradford and Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com hit the airwaves to talk about the Red Sox.  The show will be on every Saturday from 9 a to 1 pm.

I was so pumped up after the first show that I crashed my car in the parking garage across the street from the station. Not good, but it was just cosmetic damage, nothing major.

For the past 8 years, I've been telling Jason Wolfe, the PD of WEEI, that I was going to work for him one day. While hosting a Saturday show is not the end of my career climb in Boston, I am very proud that I was able to finally land a position with WEEI. Next week, I'll cross off another career bucket list item as I'll get to host a radio show live from Fenway Park before the Red Sox and Yankees play that afternoon!!

To say that I'm over the moon for that show would be a dramatic understatement and with tomorrow being my birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.

As I turn 34 tomorrow, it hasn't been lost on me that I'm finally able to relax about my career.  Gone is that ticking clock in my head that kept me awake at night countless times. I'm covering the teams I've always wanted to cover and while still working to get up to speed on everything that has happened in New England over the past 10 years, I'm where I'm supposed to be.

I've been able to spend time with my family in a way that I haven't been able to for over a decade. While I'm still not moved into my own place and won't be for a few more days, being home is as great as I thought it would be. I'm needed here.

It hasn't been all good news as my past caught up with me here in New England like I thought it might and a cool opportunity was taken away from me because of something that happened years ago but for the most part, this is has been a dream come true.

I'm not sure I'm fully aware of how much fun I'm having yet but as soon as I get my own place set up, I'm sure I'll be letting you all know!

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!