Michigan State 37, Iowa 21...and how a Spartan football win always leaves me in a warm glow

I assumed my favorite MSU football viewing position, lying down on my side directly in front of our living room's Samsung flat screen television, and watched with great pleasure the first half of MSU's pummeling of the Iowa Hawkeyes.  I was thrilled to see the Spartans jump all over the Hawkeyes from the get-go, and play with a focus and determination certainly not seen in last year's game.

At halftime, I drove over to OfficeMax to pick up some school supplies for my son, and arrived home in time to, unfortunately, suffer though most of the third quarter.  I'm sorry folks, but when James Vandenberg made the long pass completion to Marvin McNutt, setting up Iowa's second touchdown of the quarter, I about lost it.  I said, F@$k this sh*t! and went out to rake leaves.  I know, I'm a bad fan.  Oh me of little faith.

I felt as if I'd seen this script before. MSU gets off to a big lead in Iowa City and blows it.  Once agin, me of little faith.  I was having flashbacks of all the times Hayden Fry's bunch delivered heartbreakers to the Spartans (1985, 1986, 1996 to name a few), and those heartbreakers and ass kickings of more recent vintage (2007, 2009, 2010).  I needed to work off some steam in a manor more constructive than sending my foot through my precious Samsung TV.

When I came back inside, about 2 minutes remained in the game.  Kirk Cousins and the offense were in "victory formation".  I could breathe easier.

A Spartan football win always puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day and sets the tone for the entire weekend.  Sad but true that the outcome of a relatively meaningless athletic contest between 18-22 year olds, the outcome of which I have no control, can either make me giddy or depressed for the remainder of the weekend.  I'm 43 years old, for God's sake--you'd think in my advanced age I'd have acquired the wisdom and perspective to be over this sort of silliness.

With the Spartans getting a huge win on the road--and in Iowa City, a place where they'd lost seven straight--I am now free to enjoy the next week.  I can watch other college football games and not care too much about the outcome.  I can read the "Blue Wall" Detroit sportswriters and laugh at their commentaries, I can peruse the Red Cedar Message Board and look forward to Sunday morning, when I will pour over the Lansing State Journal sports section and count down the minutes until the "dean of mid-Michigan sports" (ha!) Tim Staudt comes on with his local Sunday morning sports show.  And I know that I need not avoid sports talk radio in the upcoming week, but can embrace it.

Carrier Classic basketball game and the Iowa football game

What a scene last night on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson.  Kudos to Mark Hollis and Michigan State University for pulling off what looked to be a beautiful evening of basketball on an aircraft carrier.  Everyone was a winner last night: MSU, the University of North Carolina, the United States Navy, and everyone involved with last night's spectacle.

Despite the Spartans' loss in the game, there are reasons to be encouraged.  The team played tough defense, were great on the boards, and hung with the Tar Heels through the entire game. 

One minor quibble I have is that it was difficult to enjoy watching the game on television, though the overhead, panoramic shots of the harbor and the carrier were splendid.  However, the glare from the court, due to the sun, was not easy on my eyes.  That's the end of my complaining.  It was, overall, a great event.

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Now, on to today's Iowa football game.  If the Spartans can overcome the mistakes they made in last year's Iowa game, they should be fine.  Come out focused and mean, and MSU should beat Iowa.  Still, Kinnick Stadium is a daunting place, and for whatever reason the Spartans have struggled there.  Eventually, their luck has to change. Right?  We shall see.

Yet another opinion regarding Joe Paterno and Penn State

By this time, everyone in the world has weighed in with an opinion, take, or commentary on the incredibly ugly situation at Penn State.  Here's one more...

I always feared that the longer Joe Paterno remained head coach at Penn State, the greater the likelihood his tenure would end on a bad note.  I knew that it couldn't possibly be anything as awful or embarrassing as Woody Hayes punching an opposing player, but it seemed more likely and certainly possible that the Nittany Lions would have a string of losing seasons, and Penn State would be placed in the uncomfortable position of asking for the old man's resignation.

But never in a million years would I have guessed that Joe Paterno's 45-year head coaching career (61 years counting his time as an assistant) at Penn State would end in such sadness and disgrace.  Never would have I guessed that a football program that, from all outward appearances, represented all that was right and good about college athletics would be brought down by a scandal so sordid and reprehensible.

When Penn State went undefeated in 1994, in the school's second year in the Big Ten, I became interested in and fascinated by Joe Paterno.  I read his autobiography Paterno: By the Book and another book that was an insider's view of the PSU football program called For the Glory.  I came away impressed with Paterno's integrity, and to this day--despite all that has happened recently--still think that overall Paterno is a good man.  Am I wrong to think this?  Have I been duped all along?  It seems possible that as this story continues to unfold, my opinion of Paterno, his staff, and the entire Penn State program may change for the worse.

Of course, the real bad guy in all of this is Jerry Sandusky.  What he did to those boys, if he is proven to be guilty, is nothing short of despicable.

But what was Joe Paterno's role in all of this?  (I suppose all will be revealed in the coming months).  Did Paterno purposely cover up what his friend and assistant Sandusky did?  Did Paterno not fully grasp the seriousness of the sexual abuse accusations?  Was he in a state of denial?  Did he think it would just blow over?

Is it possible that Paterno, like so many others in positions of great power and influence, had achieved a level of arrogance--making him believe that his program was above all of this and it would just all go away?

So far, all I've done is ask questions that, as of right now, have no answers. 

The only thing I know for sure is that I always had the greatest respect and admiration for Joe Paterno and the Penn State football program.  Penn State football seemed to embody such great attibutes as humility, dedication, integrity, and commitment to excellence.  Now I'm not so sure what to think anymore.

Spartans eek past the Gophers

Yesterday, I was looking forward to a calm, relaxing MSU football game, with the Spartans ringing up the scoreboard like a pinball machine and cruising past the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Well, apparently Minnesota didn't get the memo that they were supposed to roll over and play dead on Saturday, and it seems that the Spartans themselves didn't arrive to the game until sometime in the fourth quarter.  Plus, MarQueis Gray decided that this week he'd play like the greatest quarterback in college football history (at least until the last five minutes or so of the fourth quarter).  This all added up to a lackluster 31-24 win for MSU.

I was actually able to watch this game on our living room flat screen TV, but retired to the bedroom television by the third quarter because by that time I didn't care if my six year-old took over the living room to watch Cars 2.

I'll take the win, of course, but I'm concerned about the running game and specifically Edwin Baker.  I don't know whether it's just due to the patchwork offensive line, but Baker doesn't seem himself this season--and the fumbles he's had seem quite out of character.  Thankfully, Le'Veon Bell has been around to pick up the slack.

Now it's on to Iowa to see if the Spartans can win a big road game.  Iowa City hasn't been kind to MSU, as the Spartans haven't won there since 1989.  That's seven straight losses at Kinnick Stadium if you're keeping score.