Max-ed out on Bullough: does the public have a right to know the truth?

I've been wrestling, the last few days, with whether the public has a right to know why Max Bullough was suspended from the MSU football team. I find myself going back-and-forth on the issue.
 

I've heard the argument that, if the truth is disclosed, the speculation will end, the story will soon die, and the focus can return to the Rose Bowl. I'm not convinced of that. Instead of the story being, "Bullough is suspended for undisclosed reasons, oh and by the way, MSU is playing in the Rose Bowl" the story would become, "Bullough is suspended for [name the infraction], oh and by the way MSU is playing in the Rose Bowl. Now, back to why, how, when, and where did Bullough [commit the unknown infraction]."
 

It seems that the Bullough story has already lost some steam, but I suppose we won't know for sure until January 1.
 

Ultimately, it's up to Max Bullough and his family to come forward when they see fit to do so. Their silence may be as much about protecting the team as it is about protecting Max.
 

I, for one, intend on focusing all of my attention on the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game, and not on Max Bullough's travails.

...and just when everything was so "rosy"

"Sometimes, at the height of our revelries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us." --Jean Shepherd, A Christmas Story

Happy Boxing Day, everyone.

MSU football fans' "unthinkable disaster" was discovered late Christmas evening. It feels considerable worse than the Bumpus hounds tearing apart the Christmas turkey.

I woke up briefly late last night, and checked my phone, as I often do when I wake up late at night for some reason. At the top of my Facebook feed was a photo of Max Bullough, with the headline, "Michigan State's Max Bullough suspended for Rose Bowl" (or something similar). I (along with countless other MSU fans, I'm sure) was in utter disbelief. How could this happen to one of MSU's team captains, the "quarterback" of the defense, a kid who has worked his entire career to reach this pinnacle, scion of the famous Bullough family of Spartan football?

What could Bullough have possibly done to get him suspended from the Rose Bowl? And why is it that it never seems easy for MSU football? The Spartans finally make it back to Pasadena for the first time in 26 years, and arguably the heart and soul of the team will not be making the trip. It puts a big damper on the whole game now, which will only be relieved if the Spartans find a way to beat Stanford without Bullough.

I applaud Mark Dantonio for taking a stand and suspending Bullough for whatever his transgression was. I'm sure it's extremely painful for Dantonio, but I have a feeling that Max is receiving as much punishment, if not more, from his grandfather, father, and uncles. This has to be extremely disappointing and embarrassing for the entire Bullough clan, and especially Max himself. It's an incredibly sad way for him to end his, up to now, outstanding Michigan State football career.

It's time for the MSU defense to pick up the slack in Bullough's absence, though his loss creates a large void. Thankfully, the defense has depth, and this is a perfect opportunity for someone like Ed Davis, Kyler Elsworth, Denicos Allen, or Taiwan Jones to have a big day on January 1. Someone had to replace Max Bullough soon anyway, it'll just happen one game earlier than anyone expected.

Bringing the Payne

I have to admit, I was surprised by how thoroughly and convincingly the Spartan basketball team beat the Texas Longhorns today. I didn't see that coming, but one would think that after almost 19 years of Tom Izzo-coached teams pulling out great gutty win after great gutty win, I should have expected it.

The game was actually nip-and-tuck through at least the first 30 minutes and change, but that's when MSU's experience, grit, and talent took over. Despite Matt Costello's absence, despite Adreian Payne's lingering aches and pains, despite Gary Harris not being at full strength, the Spartans beat a talented athletic team on its home floor, and made it look like a breeze. One would never guess that any of MSU's players were playing through health issues.

This could be one of those games we will consider a pivotal win once the season is over.

How about Adreian Payne? I'm trying to decide if that was the best game I've ever seen him play. It just might be. To borrow the tired old cliche, he was a man among boys, as he completely took the game over. If he can bring just 3/4 of that effort throughout the Big Ten season, the Spartans could roll to a conference title.

Gary Harris had a productive return into the lineup, with 19 points. Travis Trice also chipped in with perhaps his best game of the season. 13 points in 21 minutes and an astounding 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. Gavin Schilling also continues to grow by leaps and bounds. His emergence in Costello's absence has been extremely important for this team. Schilling had 4 points and 5 rebounds in only 12 minutes, and actually hit both of his free throws--quite remarkable considering the struggles he had from the charity strip against North Florida.

So there you have it, a fantastic hoops win for MSU and a splendid way to welcome in the official start of winter.

Impressions from the North Florida basketball game

On Tuesday evening, I attended my first MSU basketball game of the season, a somewhat snooze-worthy blowout win of North Florida in front of a vaguely disinterested, Izzone-less crowd. The biggest excitement of the evening, quite frankly, took place during the timeouts. In the first half, the seniors for the Spartan football team came out with their championship trophies and saluted the crowd and were received with the most rousing applause of the night. Late in the second half, Tom Izzo called timeout and addressed the crowd, saluting Ed Hightower, who was officiating his last game at Breslin Center before his retirement. Hightower has taken quite a bit of abuse from MSU fans over the years, but he received a warm ovation and he seemed truly touched by the gesture.

As for the game itself, the play of Gavin Schilling and Russell Byrd was encouraging, but given the competition is probably not worth getting overly excited about. Certainly, it'd be great to see Schilling continue to improve this season since this basketball team's biggest weakness is in the front court. Derrick Nix's departure has left a hole that the Spartans have had a difficult time filling. Russell Byrd played the best game I've ever seen from him. He made some big shots and looked confident. He was even able to drive to the basket and lay it up and in. I've never seen that from him. Yes, I know it's "only" North Florida, but maybe this is a good sign. Maybe, just maybe, Byrd can become a guy to come off the bench and provide a spark. One can't help but root for this kid.

The last highlight of the evening occurred after the game, when Adreian Payne and Branden Dawson joined in the singing of "MSU Shadows" and offered some interpretive dance moves to go with it. It was an amusing moment.

Coming up is the game against Texas, and this game will probably be a big challenge for MSU. I watched most of the second half of the Longhorns' win over North Carolina at the Dean Dome, and Texas looks like a very good team. Considering how depleted the Spartans currently find themselves, it'll be tough for MSU to come away with a win, but I'm sure they'll play hard and you just never know--stranger things have happened. Never count Tom Izzo out of any game.

Still basking

It's been over a week since the Spartans defeated Ohio State for the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl, and I'm still on cloud nine, with no sign of falling off anytime soon.
 

A 26 year wait will do that.

MSU played Oakland in basketball yesterday, and it barely registered a blip on my personal radar screen. Sure, I was a bit concerned with how the Spartans struggled--though to be fair, this wasn't too surprising considering the ten-day layoff between games and Harris, Costello, and Kaminski out of the lineup-but I've been so consumed with Spartan football that I barely felt any angst regarding the hoops team.

 

I don't know how many times I've watched the Big Ten Network's replay of the championship game. I've lost count, but I'd guess about four times. I can't get enough of it. Sometime before January 1, 2014, I'll have to snap out of this euphoric state in order to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl game, though I know the second I see the Spartan Marching Band turn the corner on Colorado Boulevard, I will have tears streaming down my cheeks.

 

I feel a certain amount of vindication this season from a fan's perspective. I may have already mentioned this here, but my single biggest regret from college (besides obtaining my fairly useless liberal arts degree) is not purchasing season football tickets in 1987. I was so angry over the disappointing '86 Spartan football team that I decided to save my pennies in 1987.
 

Collossal mistake, and big failure as an MSU student and fan.

 

I only attended two football games in 1987, the two worst home games of the season: Florida State and Illinois. The only good that came out of the Florida State game was that it was a warm, sunny September day, and I can say I saw, in person, Deion Sanders play as a collegian. The Illinois game was Homecoming. A rainy, cruddy cold day in which John Langeloh's potentially winning field goal was blocked, resulting in a tie.

 

I missed the 17-11 win over Michigan, and the Rose Bowl-clinching victory against Indiana. (I had to settle for a mad dash from Shaw Hall to Spartan Stadium immediately after the game to join in the celebration).

 

This year, I enjoyed a warm, sunny Homecoming win over Indiana, and then the most electrifying atmosphere I've ever experienced at Spartan Stadium when MSU crushed Michigan, 29-6.
 

It only took me 26 years, but I got it right this time.

Sixth Annual Treasures from the Spartan Attic Big Ten Football Awards

For the sixth year in a row, I give out my much coveted Big Ten football awards. This is my list, and if I can ever find more time to spend on this blog in the next week or so, I'll elaborate further on why I chose these particular honorees.

Most Valuable Player: Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Best quarterback: Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Best running back: Carlos Hyde, Ohio State

Best wide receiver: Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin

Best kicker: Jeff Budzien, Northwestern

Best defensive linemen: Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State

Best linebacker: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State

Best defensive back: Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State

Best punter: Mike Sadler, Michigan State

Coach of the Year: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State

Rose Bowl bound!

It couldn't possibly get any sweeter than last night. In my 45 years on this planet, I can not remember a bigger MSU football victory than yesterday's Big Ten championship win over Ohio State. Considering the opponent, and the stakes involved, it was the most important Spartan football game since 1966. I don't think that can be disputed.

Since the game ended late Saturday evening, I've been taking it all in and completely basking in the afterglow. I watched ESPN and the Big Ten Network late into the wee hours of the morning. I have watched the game replay twice, devoured the coverage in the Sunday papers. I can't get enough of it.

To not only win the Big Ten title, but defeat Ohio State and ruin their national championship dreams? And end Urban Meyer's 24-game winning streak while clinching a trip to Pasadena. How could it possibly get any better than that?

As I texted my brother immediately after the game, and I'm paraphrasing, moments like tonight are the reason we stick with MSU through thick and thin.

I have looked over some of my hysterical, sky-is-falling posts from the first month of the season, and I will go on the record right now and admit that I was a complete idiot. I'm particularly embarrassed by my post-Notre Dame post, in which I compared the MSU coaching staff to the Keystone Kops and questioned Mark Dantonio's competence and sanity. I admit I was dead wrong, although I am still puzzled by the decision to bench Connor Cook on the final possession against the Irish.

I can't believe how much this team improved from the beginning of the season until now. The coaching staff and players deserved a tremendous amount of credit for their hard work and determination.

This season has been an exciting and fun ride.

A few thoughts before the big game

The 2011 Big Ten championship game broke my heart.

I can still picture the official tossing the yellow flag while Keshawn Martin was in the process of returning a Wisconsin punt deep into Badger territory in the waning moments of the game, and knowing with a heavy heart that his long return was not only coming back, but the game was essentially over. I can also picture Russell Wilson, on fourth down, eluding MSU defenders like a matador and throwing a spectacular 36-yard pass to keep the winning Wisconsin drive alive. If MSU had stopped Wilson on that play, the Spartans probably could have sealed the victory. There were many "what-ifs" and "woulda coulda shoulda's" in that game. It took me days to get over the agony of that loss.

I don't want a return of that game.  I don't know if my heart can take it. Of course, I've said that on countless occasions, but I always come back for more.

The thing about being a fan is that we always want our team to be successful no matter what. But the more successful ones team becomes, the higher the stakes. Now, MSU compiling an 11-1 record and the Big Ten Legends Division title isn't quite "good enough"--which is completely absurd. I would have been ecstatic if someone had told me, during the dark days of the Bobby Williams/John L. Smith era, that the day would soon come when the MSU football team would record three double-digit win seasons in four years and go to seven straight bowl games.

But it's just not enough. Gotta win that outright Big Ten title. But I have to keep in mind that, regardless the outcome of tonight's game, it's been a great season. This beats the hell out of the misery we Spartan fans have had to endure for far too many seasons.

I know I'm biased, but I see this game as a battle between what is right about college football versus what is wrong with the game. I don't like Urban Meyer, as I've already mentioned in this blog. He seems just a little shady and at least somewhat ethically challenged, not to mention arrogant. I see a Michigan State victory as proof that a team can win with players that were overlooked as high school recruits. Proof that hard work and a team concept (MSU) can overcome an athletic budget equal to the GNP of some small nations and a team loaded with 4 and 5 star players (OSU).

And then there are the Ohio State fans. I'm sure there are some out there who are intelligent and reasonable, but I have yet to encounter many of them. Most seem completely maniacal and almost comically arrogant with little to no knowledge of any school or team beyond their beloved Buckeyes.

So let me conclude this post by imploring the football gods to smile down upon the Spartans tonight. How much longer must be suffer? Isn't 26 years long enough to wait for an outright Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl berth? Can you please throw us a bone? Thank you in advance...and as always, Go Green!

Gearing up the Big Ten championship game

If this was boxing, Michigan State would be Joe Frazier. The battler, the scrapper, the fighter who, despite being a bit undersized, never ever quit and made his opponents earn everything they attained. Frazier didn't win every fight, but if you fought against him, you damned well felt every punch.

In this boxing analogy, Ohio State is Muhammad Ali. Glamorous, sexy, seemingly effortless.

As is generally the case in almost any big athletic contest it enters, Michigan State is the underdog. The Spartans enter the game with a chip on its shoulder. MSU is a defensive team, and defense is decidedly unglamorous.

I have no idea who will win tonight, but MSU definitely has a shot. Play within themselves, don't get too caught up in the emotion of the moment, play the same aggressive, relentless defense that got them there. The same defense we saw against Michigan. I don't expect the Spartans to dominate Ohio State's offense the same way they did Michigan's, but the key to victory may be to simply limit the Buckeyes' scoring chances in the red zone. On the other side of the ball, Connor Cook needs to remain the same steady performer he has been for the last 3/4 of the season, and don't be surprised one bit if Coach D throws in a few trick plays.

And don't forget special teams. Great special teams play has been a hallmark of the Dantonio era, and this year is no exception. Mike Sadler is the best punter in the Big Ten, and it's obvious why Michael Geiger was the most highly recruited placekicker last year. In a close game, the final could very well be decided by special teams play.

There is still a part of me that isn't sure what to expect from Ohio State. Are they a team that has been playing with one arm tied behind the back all year? Have they put in just enough effort to win their games, but are saving their very best for this game? Could we be in for a repeat of the 2011 Capital One Bowl against Alabama? I highly doubt it, but it's in the back of my mind. I'd prefer to compare this to the MSU basketball team's 1999 Elite Eight game against Kentucky. It was, to that point, Tom Izzo's biggest game as coach, and the MSU basketball team was on the ascent and trying to make a name for itself. Most of the national pundits predicted a Kentucky win and gave MSU little chance, but the Spartans shocked everyone by decisively beating the Wildcats, though the game got off to a rocky start with MSU falling behind early 17-4. Still, it was a signature win and established MSU basketball as a program to be reckoned with on the national stage.

Speaking as a fan, I have come to despise Ohio State almost as much as Michigan--(although Michigan has been such a Keystone Kops operation in recent years, I've come to pity them more than hate them). It's really the Urban Meyer factor, the guy comes across as so incredibly smug and arrogant. I have never really had that much of a problem with OSU in the past, but I'd love nothing more than to stop that 24-game winning streak and deflate Meyer's enormous ego just a tiny bit.

This is probably the biggest football game Michigan State has played since 1966. A victory would be huge for the program and for the national perception of MSU football. As usual, I'm trying not to get overly jacked for the game, but realistically I know that no matter what the outcome of the game, I'll probably be up until about 4:00 in the morning. That's just how I operate when it comes to MSU sports.

Win or lose, I'll be back later to either celebrate or commiserate. And, as always, Go Green!

Another ugly loss to the Heels; and bring on the Bucks

I'm back home after a long 12-day vacation. Believe it or not, it's good to be back in slate gray, soggy Michigan.

***

Uptight, uninspired, sloppy, soft. All of these adjectives are appropriate descriptions for the MSU basketball team's 79-65 loss last night to North Carolina.

It was a game that reminded me a little bit of the 2003 blowout loss against Duke at Breslin (which coincidentally took place ten years and one day prior to last night's game): The Spartans finally get a big name, blue blood opponent into East Lansing and completely wet the bed. It was not a good night to be a Spartan.

For whatever reason, Michigan State is snake bit against North Carolina. It's amazing to think that Tom Izzo is 0-7 against Roy Williams. At this point, MSU's perpetual struggles against the Heels seem psychological. Something about the mere sight of those baby blue uniforms causes the Spartans to freeze up and play horribly.

I'm still in a football mood though, and I hope that this Saturday's Big Ten championship game has a better result than last night's horror show at Breslin Center. Nothing would give me more pleasure than for the MSU football team to wipe the smirk off Urban Meyer's pompous face.

I watched the Big Ten Network's replay of the Michigan/Ohio State game, and couldn't get over how terrible Ohio State's defense looked. Now, that's not saying the Buckeyes will play the same "matador defense" against Michigan State, but I don't see OSU suddenly transforming into the 1970s Pittsburgh Steel Curtain in a week's time, so the Spartans should be able to move the ball and score points on Ohio State. If MSU can find a way to contain OSU's offense, particularly Carlos Hyde, who is perhaps slightly more dangerous than Braxton Miller, then victory is certainly attainable. Containing that Buckeye offense will be MSU's biggest test of the season. It's really a matter of "picking your poison" when discussing Hyde or Miller. Both players are dynamic offensive play makers.

Ohio State is the final stop in the "Payback is a Bitch Tour 2013." Time to make the Bucknuts pay for the game they stole in East Lansing last year. I have no doubt the Spartans will, as the cliche goes, "leave it all on the field" Saturday. As long as Jim Delany and his black robed Big Ten minions don't send a decree to the officials to "assist" Ohio State in the game, I like the Spartans' chances.

As far as the conspiracy theories regarding this championship game, I'm happy that this has already been addressed by the media. (Kudos to Drew Sharp, by the way, for bringing this up at the MSU press conference this week. As you all know, I'm not a big Drew fan, but he deserves props for addressing this issue). This places the spotlight squarely on the officiating crew. Any questionable call will be magnified, so the officials should go to great pains to call the game as fairly as possible...or so it would seem.

***

Where would a win over Ohio State rank in the pantheon of great Michigan State football victories? It's a question I've been mulling over in my head the last few days. Considering the stakes in this game, and the national prestige and high ranking of the Buckeyes, a win in the Big Ten championship would have to rank in at least the top three MSU football wins of my lifetime.

Reporting from vacation

I'm reporting from Warner Robins, Georgia. On our way to our family vacation in Orlando.

Naturally, I missed the Spartan football game, since we were driving. We were in Kentucky when the game started and had taken a restroom pit stop in Tennessee when it ended. Happy to see MSU took care of business.
 

Checked into our hotel room just as the MSU basketball game started, but it was nowhere to be found on the cable TV here, and honestly I'd have been too wiped out to watch the whole game, anyway. The Spartan hoopsters got the job done.
 

Yesterday was a great day to be a Spartan, and I've been proudly wearing my gruff Sparty sweatshirt.

Back to football, though. I admit I was wrong about Connor Cook. Early in the season, I (along with many others) doubted whether he could be an adequate starter. He has become more than just adequate, he's a leader of the Spartan football team.
 

Now the Spartans are Legends Division champions for the second time in three years. Now, many doubt whether they can beat Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. To paraphrase Robert Kennedy, "Some people ask 'why?,' I ask 'why not?'" Why can't MSU beat Ohio State? Just because the Buckeyes have won 23 in a row? That streak has to end eventually. All the pressure should be on OSU in this game. The Spartans, as the decided underdog, can play loose and with no worries.

MSU football has been proving the doubters wrong all season. Even the Detroit "blue wall" media have thrown up their hands, given up, and have written glowing stories about them. The Spartans can continue to silence the critics with a win over the Buckeyes. Why not?

Off on vacation

I'll be on vacation in Orlando, Florida until the first week of December. I don't know if I'll get a chance to write in this blog, so farewell for now.

I'm still much more in a football mood than basketball, so my focus is much more on the MSU football team's final two games than it is on the hoops team's tournament in Brooklyn.

Northwestern might be the best 4-6 team in the country. Talk about a hard luck team. After I saw the 'Cats conference opener with Ohio State, I was convinced Northwestern was truly the main contender for the Legends Division title. Unfortunately, injuries and bad luck have plagued them ever since. Still, I expect Northwestern to give MSU a tussle tomorrow, but the Spartans should pull away in the second half for the win.

I'll be driving from Indiana to Georgia on Saturday, and won't see any college football, so I'll have to get updates on my phone and the car radio.

So unless I can write some blog posts via Android RAZR, as I'm doing now, farewell 'til we meet again, and as ever: Go Green.

Did MSU lose to Nebraska on Saturday? (A comment I wrote in the comments section of a Detroit Free Press article)

You'd think MSU lost to Nebraska, the way the "pundits" have been talking about the game the last few days.  Nebraska presented the most multi-dimensional offense the Spartans have seen all year, and though MSU did give up chunks of yardage, it was less than Nebraska's season average, if I'm not mistaken. Is it possible that the bye week, though it was beneficial in giving the team time to come down emotionally from the Michigan game, was detrimental in that it also caused the defense to be a little rusty going into the Nebraska game? I have no idea, just throwing that out there.                                                                                                              

It's worth noting that Nebraska also had much to play for in this game, and the Cornhuskers played extremely hard--and they benefitted from having the rabid, red-clad fans at Memorial Stadium on their side. 

In the long run, playing against an offense like Nebraska's may be good for MSU. Maybe it will help them be more prepared for what they'll face against OSU (provided MSU takes care of business against either or both Northwestern and Minnesota).

Izzo and basketball attendance; and Dantonio's place in MSU football history

Tom Izzo and last night's basketball attendance

Last night, after the Spartan basketball team dispatched the Portland Pilots at Breslin Center, Tom Izzo expressed his extreme displeasure that so few people had turned out for the game.

While I can understand Izzo's disappointment, or can at the very least empathize, the terrible storms in lower and mid-Michigan must have had something to do with this. Thousands of people lost power late on Sunday night and the wee hours of Monday morning. I speculate that this is what kept people away.

While I always welcome Tom Izzo's candor, and generally think he's on target with his comments and criticisms, I don't know if his anger over this was well-timed. I wonder if he considered that the damage caused by Sunday night's storm, and its aftermath, had anything to do with the empty seats?

Whatever the case may be, I certainly hope that attendance improves for the upcoming home basketball games. After all, we do have the number one team in the land. If we continue to see empty seats at Breslin Center, than there is a problem due more to complacency than bad weather and power outages.

Mark Dantonio's place in MSU coaching history

From Tom Izzo, undeniably the greatest coach in MSU basketball history (and possibly the greatest coach MSU has had in any sport), to Mark Dantonio, a coach who is staking a claim as one of the best the university has seen.

With the victory at Nebraska, Dantonio won his 60th game as MSU's head football coach. Yesterday, I did a quick Wikipedia search to see how he stacks up with other Spartan football coaches.

Dantonio currently has the second highest Big Ten winning percentage in MSU football history. He's behind only Biggie Munn, who coached the Spartans in their inaugural year of conference play before stepping down to become university athletic director. Munn had a 5-1 conference record in 1953, an .833 winning percentage. Dantonio's current Big Ten record is 36-18 (.667). So among Spartan football coaches who have coached multiple Big Ten seasons (probably a better basis for comparison than Munn's lone conference season in '53), Dantonio is all alone in first place.

Coach D, in only his seventh season, is already fourth all-time in victories. His 60 wins are behind Duffy Daugherty (109), Charlie Bachman (70) and George Perles (officially 68, with 5 wins from the 1994 season forfeited).

Dantonio, with an overall win/loss record of 60-29, has a .674 winning percentage. This is third all-time behind Biggie Munn's virtually unapproachable .846 and Chester Brewer's .699.

It's true that, unlike Munn and Daugherty, Dantonio doesn't have any national championships. But let's face it, the landscape of college football has changed since Munn and Daugherty were coaching in the '40s, '50s, and '60s. It may not be completely realistic at this point to expect MSU to contend for national titles when Alabama and the SEC rule the roost. Demographics have changed substantially over the last few decades, and the Big Ten may never be as powerful as it was in the days of Munn and Daugherty.

For what Dantonio has accomplished, with the resources he's had at his disposal, he ranks among the best football coaches in Michigan State University history.

(Addendum: At the conclusion of the 2013 football season, Dantonio's overall record is even better than it was when I originally wrote this post. He has an overall record of 64-29 (.679), and a conference record of 38-18 (.688)).

 

47 years ago today: the Game of the Century

 

 

On this day, forty-seven years ago, Michigan State and Notre Dame clashed in a titanic battle of #1 versus #2. In a controversial ending, Notre Dame "settled" for the tie, and maintained its number one ranking. Though unsatisfactory at the time, the fact that the game was a tie is the reason people still talk about the game to this day.

Enjoy this vintage black-and-white YouTube video of the entire game.

Demons exorcised

What a huge win for MSU; and the Nebraska demon--or demonS--have been exorcised.

The game was much higher scoring that I or probably anyone thought, but isn't that usually the way it goes with these games?

I only caught bits and pieces of the game, and not because I was too nervous to watch. I saw the first quarter in its entirety (except for a brief few minutes when i was outside raking leaves and listening to the radio broadcast), but then my wife and I had to attend a work-related dinner at the Fireside Grill, south of Lansing. The good part was that, though there was no television in our large banquet room reserved for all the attendees of this dinner, the restaurant portion of the establishment had several large screen televisions. I was no the only person at this dinner who was interested--or rather, obsessed--with the result of the MSU/Nebraska game. Though we tried to be sociable, three or four of us husbands/boyfriends found ourselves occasionally meandering into the dining room to check the score. Of course, I also had ESPN.com up on my Android Razr so I could sneak a peak at the score. The game ended just a little before dinner wrapped up, and it made the whole experience much better.

By the way, the Fireside Grill is good. If you're in the Lansing area, go check it out. And I'm not getting paid for that endorsement.

So, I missed most of the game, and will have to catch the replay on Big Ten Network, whenever that is. After I have seen the replay, I'll attempt to write a bit more about the game. For now, I plan on just savoring this great Spartan win.

Tonight, I posted the following update status on Facebook, "MSU's "Payback's a B**** Tour 2013" continues. Latest victim: Nebraska. Next week: Northwestern. Go Spartan Dawgs!" I've also threatened to create t-shirts with the slogan, "MSU: Payback's a Bitch Tour 2013," with a list of all the teams the Spartans fell to in close losses last season. Next to the name of the school will be boxes with check marks in them. So far, we have Iowa, Michigan, and Nebraska, with Northwestern and Ohio State left. Of course, this t-shirt will only be any good or desirable if MSU beats all of these teams. 

Well, I feel a slight headache coming on from staring at this computer screen and the two Bell's Two-Hearted Ales I drank at dinner. Yes, I'm a lightweight in my advanced age.

Until later, Go State!

The Columbia Lions roar, and the Spartans narrowly escape an upset

I thought that tonight, I'd be able to relax on the couch, glass of wine in hand, and casually enjoy a Spartan basketball blowout of Columbia. Little did I know that MSU would play sloppy, uninspired basketball against an efficient, disciplined, and fearless Columbia Lions squad, and that the two teams would be engaged in a life-and-death struggle that was not decided until the last two minutes of the game. Meanwhile, yours truly felt his blood pressure rising in the second half as he hurled angry, colorful oaths at the television screen.

I suppose the bottom line is that, when it mattered, the Spartans did enough to win. They may have learned some valuable lessons along the way. First, the target on their backs is larger than it usually is and they'd better get used to it. Second, they should never underestimate or disrespect an opponent. I hope that this scare against Columbia will be beneficial in the long run.

Time to slay the Nebraska demon

It's time to exorcise some demons tomorrow in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Michigan State has never beaten Nebraska in football...ever.

Seven games, seven losses.

Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. The fans may be friendly, but the results for Michigan State have been most unpleasant.

Streaks can't last forever, can they? The Spartans, without a doubt,  have a better team than the Cornhuskers this year, I'm sure they remember all too well last year's hearbreaking loss, the stakes are higher in this year's game, and I have a feeling that the Spartans come away with a hard-fought win.

But I'm sure you all know me too well at this point to think I'm coming into this game with too much bravado. As a lifelong Spartan fan, I must have contingency plans in the event of defeat. Lincoln is a difficult place to win for opposing teams, and Nebraska seems to be living a charmed life in recent weeks with their miracle win over Northwestern and last week's come-from-behind sniping of the Wolverines.

But Michigan State, just to reiterate, is the better team, and Nebraska's squad is a M*A*S*H* unit. Taylor Martinez is out for the season, the Huskers' offensive line is beat up, and wide receiver Kenny Bell has been banged up in recent weeks. It may come down to Ameer Abdullah to carry the load for Nebraska, and he is one of the best running backs in the Big Ten. If the Spartans can at least contain Abdullah by holding him under 100 yards rushing, and prevent quarterbacks Ron Kellogg or Tommy Armstrong, Jr. from pulling any miracle plays out their hats (helmets?), then MSU should win.

The victory could be more comfortable if MSU's sometimes erratic offense can play well and avoid mistakes. Nebraska's defense can, when they want to, play quite well. But Nebraska's defense tends to be as unpredictable as MSU's offense, and in fairness, the Spartan offense has improved drastically since the first month of the season.

If all goes well for the Spartans, I can see them winning something like 24-14. But I wouldn't be shocked if the game ended up as a 13-10 slog. It's just really hard to predict. Heck, if the Spartan Dawgs dominate on defense and the MSU offense revs up, then MSU could win by three touchdowns. It's a difficult game to gauge.

Whatever happens, I don't think I can stomach the disasterous result of the 2011 game, in which the Spartans looked they we were wearing concrete shoes en route to a 24-3 shellacking. But I don't think this will happen again. MSU's defense is way too good for that to happen, and Nebraska is a damaged team that may be hanging on for dear life. My only reason for not believing MSU will win in a rout is that this game is in Lincoln. The red-clad home crowd at Memorial Stadium will probably keep the Huskers in the game.

I'm looking at this game much as I did MSU's 2010 game against Penn State. As you may recall, the Spartans were playing for a share of the conference title, but in a place where they hadn't won since 1965 (well before any of the players were born and maybe before many of the players' parents were born). It was not a stellar Penn State team, and it was a game in which the Spartans were clearly the better team entering the game, but still there was that lingering doubt (at least from yours truly) that they would succeed in a stadium that had been so unforgiving in the past. As it turned out, the Spartans did win the game, though they blew a big lead in the fourth quarter and the final wasn't decided until MSU recovered a Penn State onside kick. But the Spartans got it done and exorcised the Happy Valley demon.

Tomorrow, it's time for the Nebraska demon to receive the same fate.

MSU knocks off Kentucky's latest collection of one-and-doners

Not a lot of time to write this morning.

I'm thrilled with last night's Spartan basketball team win over John Calipari's latest collection of Kentucky Wildcat one-and-done mercenaries.

There's no doubt that Kentucky is loaded with talent, but they made so many mistakes and were so terrible at the free throw line, it's amazing they were able to tie the score late in the game, before succumbing to the Spartans' experience and poise down the stretch.

So, we have one big game down this week (MSU's basketball win), with another coming up on Saturday (football game against Nebraska). Here's hoping for a 2-0 record.

***

For what it's worth, I'm not a fan of the rule changes in college basketball. All the touch foul calls last night limited the flow of the game, and I couldn't believe how long it took to play with all the clock stoppages. A college basketball game shouldn't last much more than two hours, but the MSU/Kentucky must have taken at least 2 1/2 hours to play. This is ridiculous and hurts college basketball. It certainly has an adverse effect on the watchability of college hoops and may lead casual fans to the NBA game.

***

I'm coming back to this post a little later in the day. I've heard basketball experts on the radio, Tim McCormick in particular, who believe that the college basketball rule changes will be beneficial in the long run, it'll just take time for players and coaches to adjust. I'm willing to wait it out and see if this is true.

Basking in the afterglow

It's been a great week to be a Michigan State Spartan fan.

I slept like a baby on Saturday night, visions of Spartan sacks of Devin Gardner in my head. Sunday morning, I woke up and enjoyed reading various Michigan fan meltdowns on Facebook, wrote my celebratory blog post, and then caught the highlights of the game on our local Sunday sports show, Staudt on Sports, while reading the Lansing State Journal Sunday sports section.

The fun extended throughout the week, as I listened to practically every local sports radio show, re-living the game. The most enjoyable schadenfreude of my life came on Tuesday, when I listened to podcasts from WTKA, the Ann Arbor sports radio station. Sam Webb, Stanley Edwards, and especially Rick Leach sounded like they were attending a wake.

I'll spare you the minute details of all I have taken in this week regarding MSU's rout of the Wolverines, but suffice it to say that the last six days have been wonderful. The best part is that, as a fan, I can continue to bask in this win and don't have to worry about getting ready for Nebraska on November 16.

***

Today, while outside raking leaves, I thought of Mark Dantonio's "Pride comes before the fall" comments after the 2007 Michigan loss. At a time when MSU had lost six straight to Michigan, and suffered through the aimless Bobby Williams and John L. Smith eras, Dantonio's declaration was exactly what Spartan Nation needed to hear. It may have rubbed some Michigan people the wrong way, but too bad. The man understands this rivalry--and the cold fact is that the MSU/UM series hasn't been the same since that heartbreaking '07 loss when Mike Hart ran his mouth with the "little brother" crap.

***

Michigan State played its first official (i.e. one that counts in the won/lost record) regular season basketball game tonight, a 98-56 blowout win of McNeese State.

The college basketball season starts far too early. I miss the days when the the first game wasn't played until late November, coinciding with the end of the football season. Heck, I just made the transition from Tiger baseball to Spartan football, so I'm definitely not in a basketball mood yet.

"Letting the lion out of the cage." Michigan State 29, Michigan 6

I took the above quote from Mark Dantonio, who used it to describe how he expected his players to perform when the ball was kicked off at 3:30 yesterday afternoon. It was a great performance by the team as a whole, and the defense resembled lions on the hunt: constantly, relentlessly circling, stalking and eventually pouncing on their prey.

I'm still in awe of what I witnessed yesterday at Spartan Stadium. It was the greatest spectacle I've ever seen there, and the most dominating defensive performance from an MSU team in my lifetime, and that includes the 1987 Big Ten championship/Rose Bowl team.

As I told a few people yesterday, it was the game I'd waited my entire life to see. It was a thorough, methodical, and relentless annihilation of the Wolverines. Michigan's offensive line was completely over-matched, and as I hoped would happen, Devin Gardner's football life on that wet, sloppy field was made a living hell. To borrow the "Wild Kingdom" analogy once more, Gardner looked like a gazelle being relentlessly pursued by lions. He had absolutely no place to run before being pounced on by the predators in green.

As I mentioned in a previous post, this was the very first time I had ever attended an MSU/UM game in person, and it couldn't have been a more perfect one in terms of the result. The weather, on the other hand, was nothing short of horrendous: cold, rainy, wet. I told my wife that if MSU lost the game, I'd be pretty angry that I'd sat in such terrible weather for 3 1/2 hours. But the Spartans' dominating performance, and the almost Mardi Gras-like "Sparty Party" atmosphere in the waning moments of the game and the immediate aftermath, made the entire experience worthwhile. I have to admit I was practically in tears (or joy and happiness) in the final few minutes of the game. It was the resounding football victory over Michigan that I've been waiting for and longing for my entire life. I didn't feel the wetness or chill after the game ended, I was warm, giddy, bouncing up and down, and completely impervious to inclement weather.

There was also no worry of me ending up in a holding cell Saturday evening. I was on my best behavior, but there was little reason to get angry with anyone anyway. The game was such total domination by MSU, that one barely heard a boo from the smattering of Michigan fans in Section 19, where our seats were located. The only drawback was having to stand the entire game to see anything. I don't necessarily mind standing, since I'm used to the experience at rock concerts, but I felt bad for the folks behind me who wanted to sit. We had a couple sitting behind us, folks probably in their fifties, who didn't want to stand. At one point in the game, I apologized to them for standing but explained that I HAD to stand in order to see anything on the field. They didn't seem to mind. (I don't know if they lasted the entire game. They may have left early). But, for cripe sakes, it's the MICHIGAN GAME!! If you get angry about people standing through the whole game, go home and watch the game on TV!

Halftime was the only time I remember being actively annoyed by any Michigan fans. I ventured down to the concession stands in the concourse to buy some coffee in order to fight off the chill a bit. Two Michigan fans stood behind me in line, and spent the entire time complaining: "They didn't lay this [the concourse] out very well." "They don't even have TVs down here?!" I guess Michigan fans expect the Ritz-Carlton when they go to a college football game. I was a good boy and bit my tongue.

***

I just watched the replay of the game on the Big Ten Network, and MSU's complete defensive domination is even more profound watching the TV broadcast. I also had no idea how much Michigan's Taylor Lewan completely lost his mind during the game. I suppose getting destroyed by Shilique Calhoun all afternoon caused Lewan to completely lose his composure. Let's just say my already rather low opinion of Lewan just approached basement level. I hate to throw a college athlete under the proverbial bus, but there it is. I'm not a big fan of that kid. He has some growing up to do.

I'm impressed with how far this MSU team has come since the Notre Dame game. I don't remember ever seeing a Spartan defense this ferocious. (How appropriate, by the way, that the great Percy Snow, lynchpin of the 1987 "Gang Green" defense, was honored at halftime in a game in which MSU's defense dominated so completely). The offense is making strides, too. Sure, they had some difficulty in this game: Connor Cook and his receivers seemed to have some communication issues, some passes were bobbled, some receivers were both over and under-thrown. Overall, though, the MSU offense moved the ball and scored when it needed to. The touchdown drive to close the first half was beautiful, and Bennie Fowler made an incredible catch in the corner of the end zone, and Cook's pump fake was a thing of beauty. Connor Cook also had a brilliant completion to Fowler in the fourth quarter, when he was eluding Michigan's pass rush and connected with Fowler, who then dragged a few Wolverine defenders to the nine yard line. This set up a Spartan touchdown that made the score 22-6 and essentially iced the game.

So in conclusion, Michigan State's offense isn't great, but it's efficient...and it's slowly improving. Jeremy Langford and Delton Williams are a formidable running tandem. R.J. Shelton is making big contributions as a freshman, and MSU's kicker Michael Geiger displays incredible poise for a freshman. Josiah Price, though he bobbled a few passes on Saturday, is becoming a good tight end. Trevon Pendleton has also come on strong in the last few weeks and is becoming a multi-dimensional threat from the fullback position. I have to give major props to Dantonio and his staff for developing these players. They know their roles and play them perfectly.

And what more can be said about the defense? This has to be, if not the best defense in the country, definitely in the top two or three.

Now comes what I consider a perfectly scheduled bye week. The Spartans will have some time to absorb this win, get some players healed, and prepare for what I think should be a payback game against Nebraska. 

The Spartans have three tough but certainly winnable games coming up, and this 2013 season is shaping up as one that could be special.

T minus six hours

I've had a pit in my stomach for a few days now about this football game, which of course is completely ridiculous to any rational person, but I'm hardly rational when it comes to my alma mater's sports teams.

I have no idea what will happen today. I believe MSU has the better team, but that doesn't always determine the winner in any game. Often in college football, the game turns on which team makes the fewest mistakes. If one of these teams throws costly interceptions, has fumbles deep in its own end of the field, or special teams snafus, they could be in trouble. With the rainy, wet weather we've had in the Lansing area for days, the ball and the footing on the field could get a little slippery.

I'm having technical difficulties with this computer, to I'm signing off for now. Go State!

Look who's going to the Michigan game...

...thanks to my familial connection, it looks like it's me. This was a most unexpected but pleasant surprise.

Of course, in my last post I said that I could never go to a Michigan State/Michigan football game because I might end up in jail. I'm here to pledge that I will absolutely be on my best behavior. I'll be humble in victory or gracious in defeat.

Since this will be my first ever Michigan football game, I will try to treat it equally as a sociological research study and an exciting sporting event.

The last time I saw an MSU/Michigan sporting event was the 2013 basketball game at Breslin, which was a resounding Spartan victory. I hope that whatever "good luck charm" I possess will be effective in this football game.

Looking back at Illinois and ahead to Michigan...(and my secret shame)

Michigan State relentlessly bludgeoned Illinois on Saturday, coming away with a resounding 42-3 win. It was a slow, methodical drubbing, with the Illini's will essentially broken by the middle of the third quarter.

Many in the local media thought that Illinois would beat Michigan State. But now, suddenly, Illinois went from being a potential offensive juggernaut to being essentially worthless. At least if one listens to Drew Sharp, Graham Couch, Joe Rexrode (and maybe a few more that I missed). Look, I can't fault anyone for questioning MSU's offense after the Purdue ho-hummer, and even I thought that if things went Illinois' way, and the Spartan offense continued to sputter, the Illini could pull an upset. And really, I can't even rip anyone too much for picking Illinois to win. These sportswriters are paid to put themselves on the line with their predictions, so they deserve some leeway. What bothers me most is when writers backpedal, and suddenly the team that they predicted to spring an upset becomes the most pathetic excuse for a team on Earth.

I will give Graham Couch credit for sheepishly, and somewhat humorously, making fun of his Illinois prediction. I don't know what Rexrode has said about this pick. As far as I know, he hasn't said anything about it. Naturally, the curmudgeonly and never self-effacing Drew Sharp hasn't said boo about his pick, and instead has decided to bad-mouth Illinois.

I've never said anything bad about Drew Sharp on this blog, but lately the guy has gotten on my nerves more than usual. The thing is, I actually think Drew is a pretty...er, sharp guy and a decent writer. I don't think he needs to be a cheerleader for local teams, and he does need to maintain objectivity, but it seems that he takes it too far. In fact, he goes so far to the grouchy extreme that it has become his schtick. Anyone who's read enough of Drew Sharp can predict his opinion before he even writes anything.

***

Michigan State is now 7-1. Which makes me wonder: what if MSU had beaten Notre Dame? Where would they be in the BCS rankings? Would it be higher than 24? and does it really matter? Maybe it's better for the Spartans to fly under the radar for the rest of the season.

***

I'm guardedly optimistic about the Michigan game, but I've been disappointed too many times in the past to put the cart before the horse, to use that tired expression. Having come of age during the Bo Schembechler era, when Michigan was the big bully on the block, it's still hard for me to wrap my mind around the idea that this rivalry is not as one-sided as it was in the 1970s and '80s.

Michigan State has won four of the last five games against Michigan, and each game against the Wolverines in the Mark Dantonio era has at least come down to the last few minutes of the fourth quarter before the final score was decided. In MSU's four wins under Dantonio, three of the victories were by double-digits.

And still I view the Spartans as underdogs. It's just part of that mentality, formed at a young age, that I can't shake.

As far as the game itself goes (and not my usual jitters as a fan), I read in the Lansing State Journal that Damion Terry will be playing the role of Devin Gardner in this week's practices. I'll go out on a limb and assume that Terry's athletic abilities are at least on par with Gardner, and he may very well have a better arm. I'd advise him to go all-out in practice, as Earvin "Magic" Johnson did before the 1979 NCAA basketball championship where Magic played the part of Larry Bird. Magic lit up his teammates in practice, making shots from everywhere on the floor. If Damion Terry relishes his role as Devin Gardner on the scout team, the Spartans should be well prepared for Saturday's tilt.

***

Even at my age, I take the Michigan game quite seriously. I know I take it more seriously than it probably warrants.

I want the Spartans to beat Michigan badly. It gets to the point where I don't know how I can possibly watch the game and not completely freak out through the entire ordeal. Somehow, I managed to do it last year until the very end when Michigan got the ball and kicked the game-winning field goal. I had a bad feeling about that ending and just couldn't watch it unfold.

In 2011, the only part of the game I was was part of the second half at a bar/restaurant in Detroit Metro Airport. I thought I was about to have a coronary during that game. I was so jittery and worried about punching out people in the restaurant that I was forced to pace and follow the end of the game on my phone. After watching the replay on Big Ten Network, I was further convinced that I may have been close to a coronary with all of MSU's ridiculous penalties.

In 2010, I made it through the entire game by drinking beer after beer after beer. It also helped to have friends with small children over to our house because it forced me to be on better behavior. I did manage to watch the entire game, and what a joyous sight to behold the despondent Michigan fans moping in the "Big Hole" throughout the fourth quarter.

2009 was perfectly fine until Michigan mounted it's fourth quarter comeback and tied the game on the final play of regulation. I was so pissed off that I went for a walk during overtime and missed MSU's game-winning touchdown.

2008. After the heartbreaking 2007 loss, I decided to spend the majority of this particular year's Michigan game raking leaves--only catching the end of the fourth quarter. I was just too damned nervous. (I did watch the replay of the game in its entirety later).

At this point, many of you have probably declared me a big wimp and a nancy boy. I can't fault you for this assessment. I assure you that I don't have this same reaction towards other games MSU plays, but something about the Michigan game just sets me off. It's just the sheer hatred I have when I see those blue and yellow candy-striped helmets and hear the Michigan's obnoxious Barnum and Bailey circus-like fight song. My blood boils to the point where, quite often, I find it better to just step away (and watch the replay if Michigan State wins the game).

As far as ever attending this game in person? Forget it. If I ever did that, I'd probably end up spending the night in jail.

So there you have it, but deep dark shameful secret: my aversion to watching the MSU/UM football game in its entirety. I hope all of you don't feel to much less of me. I may be able to make it through this year's game if I imbibe about three glasses of wine per quarter.

Michigan State football helmet logo (1965-1968, 1970-1972)

This is a facsimile of the logo MSU used on its football helmets from 1965-1972 (interrupted in 1969 when the Spartans used a football-shaped sticker with the number "100" in the middle, commemorating the 100th anniversary of college football).

I have never been able to find a decent example of this old logo (which I love, by the way, for reasons I'll explain in more detail in this post), so I decided to recreate it myself. (If I haven't already made it abundantly clear, I am indeed a giant dork).

On the web, I found a photo of a reproduction of the 1960s helmet, enlarged the photo, printed it, and then made the logo bolder by coloring it in with a Sharpie marker. My younger son has a drawing board that lights up, so I was able to trace this from the photocopied logo. (I'd love to lie and tell you that I drew this freehand, but there's no way I could have reproduced it [reasonably] accurate without tracing it). Using more of my son's art supplies, I traced it and colored it in with a green pencil. Finally, since I wasn't able to scan it because my scanner isn't currently hooked up to our desktop computer, I photographed it with my phone and then uploaded it to Facebook. (That's probably way more detail than anyone could possibly care to read).

So there you have it, my version of the 1960s Michigan State Spartans football helmet logo. I think it's classic, I don't understand why MSU doesn't at least use it on some of its Nike "throwback" clothing. The logo had a brief resurrection in 2006 for the 40th anniversary of the "Game of the Century" Notre Dame game, but that 2006 game was such a disaster for the Spartans that it seems MSU is in no hurry to bring it back.

The logo has a charm to it. It hearkens back to a time when logos weren't created with an eye to how they'd appear on TV or how much merch they'd sell.  It also just has a distinctive "1960s" look to it. I mean, is it just me, or does the Spartan's profile look a little like a young Charlton Heston?

I don't know what I'll do with this logo, besides write a boring blog post about it (and use it as my Facebook profile picture), but at least I have a decent version of it after searching endlessly for one. Maybe I'll write a letter to Mark Hollis and suggest the university give it another chance.

Looking back at Purdue and looking ahead to Illinois (and Michigan)

 I didn't see any of the MSU/Purdue game, as I was out of town and had no access to a television. It doesn't sound like I missed much.

The game was apparently so much of a snooze fest that Big Ten Network seems to have deemed it unworthy of repeated viewings, so it's nowhere to be found in the "Big Ten Football in 60" capsule games that BTN shows the following week. Instead, we get about a dozen replays of the Indiana/Michigan shootout, in which the defenses only made sporadic appearances.

The oddest part of the MSU/Purdue game is looking at the box score. MSU had no turnovers, rushed for over 180 yards, and though Connor Cook's numbers were nowhere close to Aaron Rodgers-like, they weren't necessarily awful. Having seen only the meager highlights of a game that featured few true "highlights," it just looks like MSU must have had several drives that just staggered and sputtered.

It's disappointing from the standpoint that it looked like, after the Iowa and Indiana games, the offense had made strides, but it looks like there is still work to be done. The offense, though definitely improved from the non-conference slate, is a work in progress.

Next up is a road game against Illinois, and though the Illini were beaten fairly soundly by Wisconsin, they are still able to put points on the board (the Illini scored 32 against the Badgers), and they could give MSU a tough time on Saturday--particularly if MSU's offense continues to sputter. In addition, the Spartans have a rivalry game the following week and if MSU is caught looking ahead to Michigan, it could be an upset down at Champaign-Urbana (or Urbana-Champaign--I have no idea what that place is calling itself these days).

As far as Michigan goes--and I suppose as a fan, I am allowed to look ahead--they haven't looked good all year despite having lost only one game, but no game against them is ever a given. The Wolverines have an explosive offense that, like Illinois, is capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Devin Funchess may be one of the top tight ends in the country, and he scares me. Sure, Michigan's defense has largely been a no-show this season, and Devin Gardner erratic at best at quarterback, but that doesn't mean this will be the case on November 2. Michigan will also have two weeks to prepare.

In short, I never see the Michigan game as a guaranteed win, no matter how good (or not good) the Wolverines happen to be. But having said all that, I fully expect MSU to be jacked to the moon for this game, and Pat Narduzzi's defense will play its most intense game of the season. I just hope that it's a controlled intensity and the the Spartans don't face the same problems they did against Notre Dame, with yellow flags flying all over the field. The MSU D should make Devin Gardner's life hellish on the field and there is no reason to give Michigan a break with any stupid penalties.

But here I am getting ahead of myself. MSU needs to take care of Illinois first.

Gideon Smith

Here is a link to a great piece by sportswriter Steve Grinczel on the life and legacy of Gideon Smith, the first African-American football player in Michigan State history, and only the third African-American football player in college football history. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Smith's gridiron debut with the M.A.C. Aggies. This is an extremely well-written and well-researched article. Enjoy!

Gideon Smith article

Hello, is there anybody out there?

Hi folks, I don't know if I have that many (if any) people reading my goofy blog, but if you're out there, I'd like to hear from you. What, if anything, do you like about the blog? What can I change? What else do you want to hear or read?

From the outset, I've wanted this to simply be a fan's observations of MSU sports, and I suppose in that I've been successful. This is not a place to go for recruiting information or in-depth analysis. It's just one guy's look at MSU fandom.

I apologize for the fact that I don't seem to have much time to devote to the blog, so the "Spartan attic" part of my mission has largely gone to the wayside. I have had ideas that I've wanted to expand upon, but haven't found the time to do so: such topics as games from my past that had an indelible impression; favorite Spartan athletes from the past; and maybe a few essays on the pieces of Michigan State memorabilia I have in my possession.

Anyway, if you're out there, let me know what you think. If you are at all interested in this blog, and there's a topic you'd like me to explore, or have any ideas whatsoever, feel free to let me know. I'm open to feedback from all one or two of you out there.

Spartans knock off the Hoosiers, and I was there in person!

No sooner had I lamented the possibility that I may not attend an MSU football game in person than I was the lucky beneficiary of a ticket to yesterday's Homecoming game between the Spartans and Indiana. I have my brother-in-law to thank, who found himself with an extra ticket early Saturday morning and rang me up.

So my relatively modest streak of consecutive years attending at least one MSU football game has been extended to 21 seasons. It was also a privilege to be physically present for the 500th game in Spartan Stadium history.

The weather in East Lansing was glorious yesterday, with temperatures in the 70s and only one small cloud in the sky that I could see. It was certainly the most beautiful Homecoming I've seen in several years, and definitely better that last year's rainy, cloudy, wet day that also featured a disappointing loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Against Indiana, the Spartans played a good, if not great, game. The Hoosiers did manage to break a long touchdown run on their first possession, taking a quick 7-0 lead. The Spartan defense, however, got things straightened out and did a good job containing Indiana's no-huddle offense. Of the the four touchdowns that the Hoosiers scored, two were the result of MSU miscues: With MSU up 14-7, MacGarrett Kings fumbled a punt return late in the second quarter and Indiana took over in great field position and scored to tie the game at 14-all. Then, late in the fourth quarter and up 42-21, the Spartans gave the Hoosiers the ball on a bizarre interception that deflected off an MSU receiver's hand and into the arms of an Indiana defensive back. The Hoosiers had possession inside the MSU 40-yard line and quickly punched it in to cut the score to 42-28. The final score is deceptive, as I don't think the game was quite as close as one would assume by looking at the box score.

In any case, it was a good win against a much improved Hoosiers team, and I'm encouraged by the strides the offense has taken in the last three weeks. I feel a little ridiculous freaking out as I did after the Notre Dame game: perhaps I should have had a little more confidence in the coaching staff's ability to get it straightened out and find the right players to fit in the correct spots.

Time to take a time out and watch a little Staudt on Sports to relive yesterday's game. I will try and get back to this later, with the operative word being "try" because you know how that goes.

A big improvement, and a big win

I need to write my post-game observations earlier--i.e. immediately after the game--rather than wait until two days later when the inspiration isn't quite there anymore.

My stress-o-meter for this game was high, and it reached dangerous levels when Iowa took advantage of the Darqueze Dennard/Isaiah Lewis collison (temporarily knocking Dennard out of the game) to score a touchdown, and quickly followed that up by throwing a touchdown pass that Dennard misplayed. In a half in which Iowa had been thoroughly outplayed, the Hawkeyes took a 14-10 lead into the locker room. I can't repeat the language I blurted at my TV screen--but by now you probably know me enough to guess that it was deeply emotional and contained a few choice four-letter words.

I calmed down in the second half, and the Spartans took control and played perhaps their best 30 minutes of football this season.

Yes, I know that Iowa isn't Alabama. They aren't even in the top 25. But Iowa has been a constant thorn in MSU's side going back decades--particularly at Kinnick Stadium. Going on the road and knocking them off is an important win for the Spartans, I don't care what the naysayers believe.

I also have to give the MSU coaching staff credit for the offense's vast improvement between the Notre Dame game and the Iowa game. Like a lot of fans, I freaked out after the Notre Dame game (read post below), but it looks like the Spartans are working things out on the offensive side of the ball.

Remember when I wrote that the Notre Dame isn't always a good litmus test for how the rest of the MSU football season will go? The opposite is true with the Iowa game. The Spartans tend to play the Hawkeyes in September or October (I don't why that is). If one looks that the years in which MSU defeated Iowa, the Spartans have almost always gone on to have at least a winning season (1987, 1989, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2011 for example).

***

My modest streak is in jeopardy.

Since 1993, I have attended at least one MSU football game each season for a total of 20 consecutive years. It looks like that streak will end this year.

I should have bought tickets for one of the non-conference games, but for whatever reason (still in a baseball mood, perhaps? Not excited to spend good money to watch an inferior opponent?) I didn't pull the trigger.

The final home game against Minnesota is one I could easily attend and not break the bank in doing so, but I will be driving home from Disney World that day.

I'd love to see the Michigan game, but I don't have an extra 300 bucks (or so) floating around waiting to be spent on a football ticket.

The Purdue game could be a possibility, but I'm scheduled to be at a family event that Saturday, so that's probably out. The only legitimate possibility is this weekend's Indiana homecoming game, and I'm still trying to figure out if I can make that happen. We'll see. But chances are, I don't see an MSU football game in person this season--and it's breaking my heart.

An anniversary, the Iowa game, and Brian Hoyer

Today is the 4th anniversary of this great game between Michigan State and that team southeast of us. Full disclosure: I was so angry about how Michigan had tied the game with seven seconds left in regulation that I stormed out of the house, took a walk up the street, and missed the overtime. Wonderful fan I am, eh?

Watching these highlights, it's clear that Kirk Cousins had not become the quarterback that we knew in 2010 and 2011. He makes two ill-advised throws that he would later learn not to attempt, and either tuck the ball or throw it away. It was Cousins the sophomore still learning to play at the college level.

Anyway, it was a memorable and exciting win for the Spartans.

Back to 2013 now. I have to admit I'm still not sold on this year's Spartan football team, but in fairness it takes me at least the first third of the season to warm up to any MSU football team. This Saturday's game against Iowa will tell us a lot: a win, and MSU could be looking at a very good year--maybe even despite the anemic offense, a loss and it's right behind the eight ball again. This really is a pivotal game.

I couldn't be happier for former Spartan Brian Hoyer, who is now the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. I never thought he deserved the abuse he received from some fans when he was at MSU, and he deserves praise for sticking with it in the NFL before finally getting his chance on the big stage.

If Hoyer is still starting for the Cleveland when the Lions play the Browns, it will be a rematch of the 2009 Capital One Bowl. Matthew Stafford led the Georgia Bulldogs to a 24-12 win over Hoyer's Spartans. I'll be rooting for the Lions against the Browns, but I'd like to see Hoyer have a big game. My ideal final score would be something like 35-31, with Hoyer throwing four touchdown passes with no interceptions; and only losing because the Browns' defense can't stop the Lions.

What in the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks is going on with MSU football?

Mark Dantonio and his koaching staff? (or is this the officiating crew at the MSU/ND game?)

I'm not sure if the above picture is that famous incompetent police force, the Keystone Kops, or the MSU football coaching staff (or should I say, koaching staff). In any case, they both have the same degree of expertise--at least in recent weeks. And the same can be said for the officiating crew that worked the Michigan State/Notre Dame game.

I've had a few days to stew over the latest head-scratching, gut-wrenching Michigan State football loss. The more I think of it, the angrier I get.

What in the hell is going on with this team. More specifically, what in the hell is going on with this coaching staff? Has Mark Dantonio lost his mind? I never thought I'd be so critical of Mark Dantonio, but he has really bungled this 2013 team from the spring game until now.

Yes, the team is 3-1; but it's the rockiest, ugliest 3-1 I've seen in quite some time.

Why in the world was Andrew Maxwell thrown into the game on the final drive, only to inexplicably run out of bounds on 4th and 20, sealing MSU's fate. Did Maxwell forget the down-and-distance? Even if so, it doesn't look good for him to make such a huge mental error in a pressure situation. It didn't look good for the coaches to throw him into that situation in the first place. And was Connor Cook really playing that badly? I don't think so. The team was only down by four points!

The coaching staff is in serious danger of alienating all of the quarterbacks and dividing the team if this dog and pony show continues.

And don't get me started on some of the offensive play-calling, specifically the ridiculous R.J. Shelton trick play, which destroyed a promising Spartan drive in which MSU was gashing Notre Dame on the ground.

But not all of what happened on Saturday was MSU's fault. I don't like to crow too much about bad officiating, but the pass interference calls against the Spartans were some of the worst officiating decisions I've seen since last year's Nebraska game. When poor officiating has a direct impact on the result of a game, there is a problem. This was definitely the case in the Notre Dame game.

That's all I have for now. I think I need to take some prozac and decompress.

A step in the right direction

I missed almost the entire first half of the MSU/Youngstown State game because my cable provider, Xfinity, deemed it necessary to not only show the Michigan/Akron game on the primary Big Ten Network channel, but on both of the overflow BTN channels. I'm assuming this was Xfinity's decision, or maybe it was the Big Ten Network. Either way, I found this to be disappointing. Still, I probably can't fault BTN/Xfinity too much, because the Michigan/Akron game was exciting and without a little homecooking that saved the Wolverines' hides, may have been the biggest college football upset this side of 2007's Appalachian State/Michigan game...(and Appalachian State was arguably a much better team than Akron).

Not having the MSU game on television forced me to do what I used to do in the old days, listen to the game on the radio. (At least the first half of the game, that is). So I had George Blaha and Jason Strayhorn describing the laugher at Spartan Stadium while Michigan was fighting for its life on my TV.

I don't know what the takeaway is from MSU's 55-17 win over Youngstown State. I suppose it was the best case scenario. Connor Cook, in his first start, played extremely well and, at the very least, saved Damion Terry's red shirt from being removed.

It was good to see MSU's offense with a pulse, and to see the receivers make catches. Yes, it was only Youngstown State, but it was still an encouraging sign.

After last year's CMU game, I lauded the play of Macgarrett Kings. For some unknown reason, Kings was not heard from again after that game. Against Youngstown State, Kings was the leading receiver and is, in fact, leading all MSU receivers in yardage. He has good hands and is shifty and elusive. At this point, the Spartans can use all the help they can get at receiver, and Kings provides hope at that position.

And hey, it turns out MSU has tight ends after all. They even showed up to make some catches on Saturday.

Next on the docket is Notre Dame.

I have absolutely no idea what to expect in this game. Is Notre Dame as mediocre as they have appeared in their first three games? It's hard to believe they are. Will MSU's offense continue to make the strides it displayed against Youngstown State? or is that performance, indeed merely fool's gold? It's still extremely difficult to gauge MSU's team, or have any sense of how much Notre Dame has dropped off since last year's strong season.

I've heard it said before that, for Michigan State, the result of the Notre Dame game is often an indicator of how the rest of the season will go for the Spartans. I think using this game as a barometer for the rest of the season is overstated. In 1986, the Spartans beat the Irish 20-15 at Spartan Stadium, but went on to a mediocre 6-5 season. The following year, MSU got run over by Tim Brown and ND, a game that started off badly and never got better--but MSU went on to win the Big Ten and go to the Rose Bowl. In 1998, MSU massacred the Irish 45-23 in East Lansing, but went on to a lackluster 6-6 season. In 2011, the Spartans were routed in South Bend, but ended up playing for the Big Ten title. So my point is, you just never really know.

That said, it's always great to beat Notre Dame, and MSU hasn't done it since the Little Giants play of 2010. With the Irish off the schedule for the next two years, it'd be awfully sweet for the Spartans to knock them off this season. I don't think anyone wants that more than Mark Dantonio.

So regardless of what happens this Saturday at Notre Dame, there's no point in getting either too high or too low.

Is it Terry time?

Well, it's Thursday and I'm finally posting in here.

At this point, I don't have much to add to what has already been said about MSU football and its putrid offense, which continued its...er, "offensive" ways against South Florida in a lackluster 21-6 win. It was a game in which, once again, the Spartan defense outscored the offense.

So, the quarterback carousel continues. Now, reports are that Connor Cook will get the start Saturday against Youngstown State, and freshman Damion Terry may get playing time as the backup quarterback.

I'd hoped that Terry would be red shirted this year, but I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures. And speaking of "desperation," it does seem odd to use that word for a team that HAS won its first two games--but this is despite the offense performing appallingly bad against two extremely weak opponents.

I don't expect Damion Terry to be the savior. That is expecting way too much from a true freshman. But if he could at least provide a spark, as well as a true passing and running threat, that could be a positive step. Maybe Terry can also inspire his teammates, in particular the wide receivers, to play better as well.

I don't have much hope for Connor Cook. Hey, I would love for Cook to start the YSU game and perform great and eliminate all quarterback questions, but based on how he's looked in the first two games of the season, there's no indication that will happen.

But really, the problem is more than the quarterbacks. This team has NO tight end, and has receivers that have a difficult time "receiving" anything. They continue to struggle to get any separation from defenders and even when they do, they can't hold onto the ball.

The thing is, the offense doesn't have to be great. It just needs to be adequate or average.  With MSU's defense, that's all that may be necessary in order for this team to have a good season.

There's a part of me that thinks that it would be just MSU's luck that, in the season they have one of their best defenses ever, they are saddled with possibly the most inept offense in program history.

Worst fears confirmed (Michigan State 26, Western Michigan 13)

The offense was more putrid than I ever could have imagined.

MSU's offensive ugliness, combined with the weather delay that pushed the game well past midnight, plus the Big Ten Network losing its feed for several minutes, made me simply turn the game off in the second half and watch Breaking Bad instead.

Then I went to bed after checking the score on my phone. I'd had enough. Call me a terrible fan, but I couldn't subject myself to the horror show anymore.

Where does one start with this offense? The receivers look like they haven't progressed from last year. In other words, they still can't catch a ball to save their lives.

The best catch of the day was Kurtis Drummond's one-handed interception of a WMU pass. In fact, MSU's defense outscored the offense, 14-12.

Andrew Maxwell has a great arm, but I think I can beat him in a sprint. He also still seems to think that every pass has to look like a Max Scherzer fast ball. Connor Cook, on the other hand, is a good scrambler with some speed but his passing ability is closer to Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn from the movie Major League.

On a positive note, the defense was excellent. But unless the offense improves to at least respectability, this team is looking at another 6-6 season.

Tomorrow the roller coaster starts up again

I've spent the last four months not thinking much about MSU sports, which explains my absence from this blog. I've spent the summer watching Tiger baseball, reading, and catching up with Breaking Bad on Netflix (and thoroughly enjoying the final season of the series). I've also taken up running, and my exercise regimen has occupied a good portion of my thoughts and energy this summer.

To tell you the truth, I'm still not that excited about college football season...but I'm slowly getting there. By Friday evening, I may be fully in football freak mode. But for now, I'm not quite feeling it.

The Spartans take on the Western Michigan Broncos tomorrow in the first game of the 2013 campaign. It will most assuredly be a sweltering Spartan Stadium and I'll be happy to watch the game in the air-conditioned comfort of my living room. I'm sure that at least some of my humdrum attitude towards the beginning of football season has to do with the hot and humid weather that has been hanging around mid-Michigan for the last week.

Now on to the 2013 Spartan football team:

As usual, I enter an MSU football season with guarded optimism. There are so many unknowns and what-ifs with this team, that's hard to know exactly what to expect. At least the coaching staff finally decided on a starting quarterback, but who knows how long Maxwell keeps the job. (For what it's worth, I'm rooting for Maxwell). MSU fans have to be encouraged that Damion Terry was so outstanding in camp that he pushed the other three quarterbacks to step up their game. At the very least, this bodes well for the future. I'm looking forward to 2014 and beyond when Damion Terry should be leading this offense.

The defense should be excellent--that at least seems to be the only known quantity with this team. But I'd like to see them create more turnovers this year, thereby creating more opportunities and shorter fields for the offense.

How will the receivers do? They improved slightly as the 2012 season went on, and Aaron Burbridge and Keith Mumphrey stood out. I've also heard that DeAnthony Arnett has shown improvement. I hope that Bennie Fowler can have a big senior year and perhaps Macgarrett Kings (who looked impressive to me in last year's CMU game) will get a chance to shine.

Okay, hold that thought. I'll try to get back to this later...

Terry McClowry, R.I.P.

I just heard that former Michigan State linebacker Terry McClowry died on April 21.  McClowry was a member of the 1974 Spartan team that defeated Ohio State, 16-13 in one of college football's biggest upsets.  On the Buckeyes' final drive, McClowry had a near interception that would have most likely ended the game right then and there, and spared everyone the long and drawn out controversial ending (and at least some of Woody Hayes' temper tantrums).  In fact, if instant replay review existed in 1974, it's likely the call on the field would have been overturned.

McClowry had a great game that day, and in its November 18, 1974 article about the game, Dan Jenkins of Sports Illustrated referred to him as the defensive player of the game.

I don't know much about McClowry's post-MSU life, but I did learn that he was married to the same woman for 33 years and was a loving father of four children. By all accounts, he was a wonderful guy. Rest in peace to a great Spartan.

(For those interested, here's a link to the SI article about the 1974 MSU/OSU game):

The Touchdown that Didn't Count (MSU 16, OSU 13)

Back for a little spring housekeeping

It's been about two weeks since I last wrote in this blog. At that time, I was lamenting the fact that Michigan was playing in the national championship game, and considering the possibility of a life in hiding if they won. (Tongue firmly in cheek).

Well, lucky for me and most of Spartan Nation, the Wolverines lost. But I'm here to give the Wolverines their props for a great tournament run and peaking when it mattered the most. Congratulations Michigan on a great tournament (but I'm happy you didn't win the whole thing. Call me petty, but that's where I stand).

So now the college basketball season is over, and the college sports season as a whole is slowly winding down.

Overall, it was a good year for the MSU men's basketball team. Quite frankly, I thought they overachieved. I had no idea how they would perform without a great leader like Draymond Green, but the team exceeded my expectations. A game out of first place and a Sweet Sixteen finish in the tournament isn't too shabby. We already know that Gary Harris is returning for his sophomore season, and if Adreian Payne also comes back--this is still up in the air as I write--I can see the team being a definite Final Four contender in 2013-2014.

***

I had intentions of attending the MSU spring football game yesterday, but the weather was abysmal. Call me a bad fan, but I had no desire to sit in Spartan Stadium and suffer through mid-30 degree temperatures. The game was televised on the Big Ten Network anyway, so there was little need to schlep over to campus to see it.

It's very difficult to glean anything from the spring game, since it's just a split squad game with the quarterbacks not "live." (If the defenses look great, does that just mean the offenses are bad? The spring game presents that type of conundrum).

From what I could see, the defense looked good, which wasn't a surprise. The White team defense had an interception and a fumble recovery that both went to the house for touchdowns. Max Bullough looked beastly, and should be poised for a big season in 2013.

None of the three quarterbacks really stood out. All three had their share of good and not-so-good plays. The position is still up for grabs, as far as I can tell.

Riley Bullough looks like a viable option at running back, with this straight-ahead bullish running style.. Nick Tompkins and Jeremy Langford had a few nice runs, but this is yet another position with a giant question mark looming over it.

There also seemed to be far too many dropped passes by the wide receivers, and that was disappointing. But Keith Mumphery, Bennie Fowler and Aaron Burbridge all had some "wow" moments, and were the game's standouts at receiver. In addition, DeAnthony Arnett had a splendid touchdown catch in double coverage and A.J. Troup had a nice hitch-and-run for a touchdown. This is a position with talent, and there is hope that these guys will perform much better than they did last season.

Overall, the game left me (and probably most Spartan football fans) with more questions than answers. The one thing we can count on is that the defense will be outstanding once again.

I have to give a special mention to Kirk Cousins, who was the color commentator on the BTN broadcast. He was outstanding, and there really doesn't seem to be anything this guy can't do.

***

Last year, when basketball season ended, I had intentions of posting periodically during the summer. Of course, I didn't do that at all. I won't make any promises or guarantees this time, though I doubt anyone is waiting with bated breath for my musings. We'll see how inspired I am, and whether I can ever find an open computer in this house.

So, for now, so long. If I'm incommunicado during the summer, I'll definitely be around in the fall.

Someone wake me up from this bad dream

Michigan is playing for the basketball national championship tonight. I can barely contain my nausea.

I am bracing myself for the very real possibility that they win. Last weekend on Facebook, I joked that if Michigan won the national championship, I would grow a big "Al Gore" beard, find a secluded wilderness cabin in northern Michigan far from human contact, and live off the grid for several months.

It now looks as if I may have to follow through with this jest. Time to start pricing secluded cabins in the deepest, darkest woods of Michigan.

It's really hard to dislike this Michigan basketball team, even for an MSU fan.  If you appreciate exciting well-played hoops, than this is a team for you. Trey Burke is undeniably a great player and the Wolverines' supporting cast has stepped it up when it matters the most, in the tournament. They are easily playing their very best basketball of the season. But it's still MICHIGAN, and I can not root for them precisely for that reason--they are MSU's archrival. If those players wore other uniforms, I'd probably like for them to win and might be wholeheartedly pulling for them, but since they represent the University of Michigan, forget it.  If that makes me petty or small, so be it. Does anyone think that Kentucky fans are waving their red and white pom-poms for Louisville tonight?...I rest my case.

I've heard quite a few people say, "why aren't you supporting the state of Michigan or the Big Ten?" Here's my answer: The Michigan Wolverines basketball team represents the University of Michigan, not the state of Michigan. I mean, come on, the U of M basketball team has exactly FOUR players out of 15 who are even from the State of Michigan. (For what it's worth, MSU has seven players from the Great Lakes State). And can you think of another city more unrepresentative of the Great Lakes State than Ann Arbor? It prides itself on its progressiveness and sophistication. It is much closer to a trendy East Coast city than a hardscrabble Midwestern town like Flint, Saginaw, or Lansing. Ann Arbor has more in common with Austin, TX or Portland, OR than any place in the state of Michigan.

While we're on the subject of "unrepresentative of the state of Michigan," how about the University of Michigan itself? It is a public university in name only. According to U.S. News and World Report's latest findings from November 2012, the University of Michigan has the seventh largest endowment in the nation at approximately 7.7 billion dollars (for the fiscal year 2011). The only universities with larger endowments are all private institutions (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, and Columbia--in that order). In fact, U of M is the only "public" university in the national top ten. (Yet, Michigan has historically received more money from the state of Michigan than any other public university. I attempted to find current statistics, but haven't found anything recent).

The University of Michigan is at least a somewhat elitist institution (I'm trying to be diplomatic here), so I have always found it unusual that so many working class Michiganians indentify strongly with the school. Is it just the sports teams to which they gravitate? Is it because the name of the school is shortened to simply "Michigan" and not "Michigan STATE"? As far as I'm concerned, the true school of the proletariat in Michigan is MSU, but maybe it is true that Americans have no class consciousness...then again, maybe it's only about prolongued success on the football field that has gained Michigan so many "unaffiliated" fans.

Top ten university endowments in the nation

So what I'm trying to say is that I don't think the University of Michigan represents the entire state of Michigan, and in fact the entire institution is quite UNrepresentative of our blue collar state, so the heck with the "state pride" argument.

As for the "support the Big Ten" argument, I have little allegiance to the Big Ten as a whole: certainly not the likes of Michigan or Ohio State. If it were any of the other ten schools, I might root for them...(okay, probably not Wisconsin. Add the Badgers to the list of Big Ten teams I'd not pull for). So, the hell with Big Ten pride. My allegiance is with Michigan State University. So there.

You may wonder if I will be watching the game tonight. Right now, I say probably not. I don't want to watch a game simply to root AGAINST one of the participants. I'll find somthing else to do tonight.

But my one last parting shot is, "Go Louisville!"