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.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
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!"
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!"
Monday, April 1, 2013
Not exactly the sports weekend I had hoped for...
First Kansas performs one of the worst choke jobs I've ever seen in the tournament, Trey Burke makes an incredible cold-blooded three-point shot to send the game into overtime, and Michigan prevails over Kansas. At least some credit must go to Michigan, they made the plays down the stretch to win the game and they have clearly saved their best basketball for when it matters the most.
Then Michigan State lost their heads in the second half against Duke and lost by 10 points. The game went as I feared it might. MSU racked up fouls, could not hit the broad side of a barn, turned the ball over way too much, and played completely into Duke's hands.
Then Michigan State lost their heads in the second half against Duke and lost by 10 points. The game went as I feared it might. MSU racked up fouls, could not hit the broad side of a barn, turned the ball over way too much, and played completely into Duke's hands.
Friday, March 29, 2013
MSU vs. Duke, my ill will towards Michigan, and the 1927 MSC yearbook
It's 8:00 and I'm on the computer drinking a glass of wine, trying to decide if I want to watch the Michigan/Kansas game currently playing.
If you haven't already deduced from this blog and my previous posts, I want Michigan to lose. If Michigan loses to Kansas, I can watch the MSU/Duke game with at least the relief of knowing the Wolverines will not advance further in the tournament than the Spartans. Is that petty of me? Perhaps. But it's also indicative of the Michigan/MSU rivalry and my antipathy towards the University of Michigan. I just can't bear the thought of Michigan playing on in the tournament while the Spartans go home.
***
I've been going back and forth about the Duke game. It will be tough, and should be a close game either way. This is not a unique analysis, but MSU must cut down on the turnovers because Duke will take advantage of that. Duke rarely makes many mistakes and will not beat themselves. The Spartans can't make the game easier for the Blue Devils by making too many unforced errors.
The Spartans also must play smarter in the late stages of the game. Mental errors late in the second half against Indiana (at Breslin), Michigan (at Crisler), and Ohio State (in the Big Ten tournament) cost MSU the chance to win those games. They can't afford to do the same against Duke.
As Jack Ebling pointed out this week on his afternoon radio show, officiating will also play a big role in this game. If the officials let the players play, then MSU should be fine. But if physical play is punished, then the Spartans could be in trouble. It scares me to think of Derrick Nix picking up a couple fouls in the first few minutes of the game.
Did I mention I'd really like the Spartans to beat the heck out of Duke tonight. As if there was any doubt, I thought perhaps I should make it official.
***
Checking the ESPN web site, I see Kansas has a six point lead over Michigan at halftime. Rock chalk Jayhawk! Keep it up, fellas!
***
In non-sports--but still MSU-related--news: Today, I bought the 1927 Michigan State College yearbook (ironically named The Wolverine). I had originally found it way back in September at a used book sale at my place of employment (a library) and have had it on hold ever since. The price was $40, and though that doesn't sound like much, I'm one who constantly frets about spending too much money on non-essential items. Finally, the guilt over keeping this item on hold for so long got the best of me, and I decided to purchase it. (As it turned out, the book sale manager--probably relieved that I was finally buying the book, knocked off another $10 from the price).
I'm happy I finally purchased this yearbook. It's quite a fascinating window into collegiate culture at the still-remote and provincial MSC in the 1920s. The genders were highly segregated, with the scientific and agricultural clubs strictly male and the women relegated to the human ecology club and other more "feminine" organizations.
1927 also saw the construction of a few MSU and East Lansing landmarks. Kedzie Hall (what is now North Kedzie) neared completion, and the People's Church on Grand River Avenue had been finished the previous year. The Wolverine also proudly trumpets of the soon-to-be-built Demonstration Hall.
I hope that once the MSU sports season is over I will take some time to write a more detailed blog post about this historical curio.
If you haven't already deduced from this blog and my previous posts, I want Michigan to lose. If Michigan loses to Kansas, I can watch the MSU/Duke game with at least the relief of knowing the Wolverines will not advance further in the tournament than the Spartans. Is that petty of me? Perhaps. But it's also indicative of the Michigan/MSU rivalry and my antipathy towards the University of Michigan. I just can't bear the thought of Michigan playing on in the tournament while the Spartans go home.
***
I've been going back and forth about the Duke game. It will be tough, and should be a close game either way. This is not a unique analysis, but MSU must cut down on the turnovers because Duke will take advantage of that. Duke rarely makes many mistakes and will not beat themselves. The Spartans can't make the game easier for the Blue Devils by making too many unforced errors.
The Spartans also must play smarter in the late stages of the game. Mental errors late in the second half against Indiana (at Breslin), Michigan (at Crisler), and Ohio State (in the Big Ten tournament) cost MSU the chance to win those games. They can't afford to do the same against Duke.
As Jack Ebling pointed out this week on his afternoon radio show, officiating will also play a big role in this game. If the officials let the players play, then MSU should be fine. But if physical play is punished, then the Spartans could be in trouble. It scares me to think of Derrick Nix picking up a couple fouls in the first few minutes of the game.
Did I mention I'd really like the Spartans to beat the heck out of Duke tonight. As if there was any doubt, I thought perhaps I should make it official.
***
Checking the ESPN web site, I see Kansas has a six point lead over Michigan at halftime. Rock chalk Jayhawk! Keep it up, fellas!
***
In non-sports--but still MSU-related--news: Today, I bought the 1927 Michigan State College yearbook (ironically named The Wolverine). I had originally found it way back in September at a used book sale at my place of employment (a library) and have had it on hold ever since. The price was $40, and though that doesn't sound like much, I'm one who constantly frets about spending too much money on non-essential items. Finally, the guilt over keeping this item on hold for so long got the best of me, and I decided to purchase it. (As it turned out, the book sale manager--probably relieved that I was finally buying the book, knocked off another $10 from the price).
I'm happy I finally purchased this yearbook. It's quite a fascinating window into collegiate culture at the still-remote and provincial MSC in the 1920s. The genders were highly segregated, with the scientific and agricultural clubs strictly male and the women relegated to the human ecology club and other more "feminine" organizations.
1927 also saw the construction of a few MSU and East Lansing landmarks. Kedzie Hall (what is now North Kedzie) neared completion, and the People's Church on Grand River Avenue had been finished the previous year. The Wolverine also proudly trumpets of the soon-to-be-built Demonstration Hall.
I hope that once the MSU sports season is over I will take some time to write a more detailed blog post about this historical curio.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sweet Sixteen bound
Well don't I look silly worrying about a Valpo upset. Michigan State dispatched the Crusaders without any trouble and then, despite a whopping 18 turnovers, thoroughly dismantled Memphis in one of the best defensive performances the Spartans have had all season.
I want to write more in here: about CBS' coverage, the Cinderella victories of Florida Gulf Coast and LaSalle, the blown calls in some of these games, and MSU's next opponent--the hated Duke Blue Devils. If I can make it to a computer, and have some time, I'll write more soon.
***
Amazingly, I found a moment when a computer was free here at home and I'm back.
Do I really hate Duke? I have tremendous respect for Coach K and his program. Maybe it's not so much Duke I hate as the constant adulation the program receives, but when you get down to it, the ubiquitous media fawning is deserved. Before Coach K arrived in Durham in 1980, Duke had a good--if not great--program. Krzyzewski elevated the program to heights it had never seen before, much as Tom Izzo has done at Michigan State.
Duke has presented the one obstacle that MSU's program has had difficulty crossing. In seven head-to-head match ups, Izzo's Spartans have only won once (2005 Sweet Sixteen featuring Mo Ager's oft-YouTubed in-your-face-disgrace dunk on J.J. Reddick). Most of the games between Duke and MSU have been close, with the only blowout I can remember coming in the 2003-2004 season when the Blue Devils hammered the Spartans at Breslin Center. (For what it's worth, that game has to rank as one of the most disappointing home games in MSU history, and a game that--in my opinion--haunted that MSU team all season).
Then there's the Jabari Parker situation. In a hotly contested recruiting battle, Jabari Parker chose Duke over Michigan State. That Duke brand is still a tough one to beat, and I know many MSU fans would like nothing more than to beat Duke as vengeance for losing the battle for Parker.
Duke is the gold standard of college basketball, and Coach K is arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time. Yes, I know many would argue in favor of John Wooden, and a valid argument can be made for the Wizard of Westwood, but college basketball wasn't nearly as competitive in Wooden's era as it has been in Coach K's tenure. What Krzyzewski has done at Duke over the last 33 years is more impressive in an era in which there are so many more good programs and great coaches.
It'd be an outstanding accomplishment, and another feather in Tom Izzo's already well-decorated cap, to beat Duke this year and move on to the Elite Eight.
I want to write more in here: about CBS' coverage, the Cinderella victories of Florida Gulf Coast and LaSalle, the blown calls in some of these games, and MSU's next opponent--the hated Duke Blue Devils. If I can make it to a computer, and have some time, I'll write more soon.
***
Amazingly, I found a moment when a computer was free here at home and I'm back.
Do I really hate Duke? I have tremendous respect for Coach K and his program. Maybe it's not so much Duke I hate as the constant adulation the program receives, but when you get down to it, the ubiquitous media fawning is deserved. Before Coach K arrived in Durham in 1980, Duke had a good--if not great--program. Krzyzewski elevated the program to heights it had never seen before, much as Tom Izzo has done at Michigan State.
Duke has presented the one obstacle that MSU's program has had difficulty crossing. In seven head-to-head match ups, Izzo's Spartans have only won once (2005 Sweet Sixteen featuring Mo Ager's oft-YouTubed in-your-face-disgrace dunk on J.J. Reddick). Most of the games between Duke and MSU have been close, with the only blowout I can remember coming in the 2003-2004 season when the Blue Devils hammered the Spartans at Breslin Center. (For what it's worth, that game has to rank as one of the most disappointing home games in MSU history, and a game that--in my opinion--haunted that MSU team all season).
Then there's the Jabari Parker situation. In a hotly contested recruiting battle, Jabari Parker chose Duke over Michigan State. That Duke brand is still a tough one to beat, and I know many MSU fans would like nothing more than to beat Duke as vengeance for losing the battle for Parker.
Duke is the gold standard of college basketball, and Coach K is arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time. Yes, I know many would argue in favor of John Wooden, and a valid argument can be made for the Wizard of Westwood, but college basketball wasn't nearly as competitive in Wooden's era as it has been in Coach K's tenure. What Krzyzewski has done at Duke over the last 33 years is more impressive in an era in which there are so many more good programs and great coaches.
It'd be an outstanding accomplishment, and another feather in Tom Izzo's already well-decorated cap, to beat Duke this year and move on to the Elite Eight.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Bring on March Madnesss
(I'm coming to you from my Nook, so when I publish this post, it'll probably look like one huge paragraph until I'm able to fix it on a real computer). Well, MSU lost to the red hot Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament semi-finals. For whatever reason, Aaron Craft always goes off against the Spartans. He's one of those guys you'd love if he was on your team, but seeing in Ohio State's uniform makes your blood boil and causes you to hurl epithets at your TV screen.
Speaking of Ohio State, they are on a roll and, for what it's worth, in my bracket I have them playing in the national championship game against Miami. I predict Miami to win because I just can't bring myself to wish too much good fortune towards the Buckeyes.
I'm nervous about Valparaiso, MSU's first opponent in the NCAA tournament. They are a good perimeter shooting team led by five seniors, all of whom start. MSU has had some occasional trouble defending the three this season. (Listen to me try to pretend I know what I'm talking about. Ha!). If MSU doesn't take these guys seriously enough, they could be upset.
***
Today and tomorrow are the two most exciting days of the sports calendar. Forget about the Super Bowl, which I contend is the most overrated sporting event of the year, and give me the first two real days--I don't count the "play-in games"--of the NCAA tourmament ANY day. For pure exitement and drama, the NCAA basketball tournament can't be beat.
I'm not a big fan of the "First Four" games of the tournament, and liked the NCAA tourmament much more when it was simply 64 teams all staring play on the same two days. (The NCAA hates for these games to be referred to as "play-in games," but let's face it, that's what they are). Of course, the NCAA doesn't realize when it has a good thing and has to endlessly tinker with the format. At least the field hasn't been expanded to 96 teams, but I would not be surprised if that happens sometime in the not-to-distant future.
I happen to be home today and tomorrow and will be able to watch the games. I haven't been able to do this since 1998, the first year that Tom Izzo took MSU to the NCAA tournament. I vividly recall watching Mateen Cleaves and company taking on a pesky Eastern Michigan team led by Earl Boykins, and then two days later beating Bill Carmody's 27-1 Princeton Tigers. Many pundits didn't give MSU much of a chance against Princeton, who had only dropped one game all year up to that point (a 60-52 loss to a great North Carolina team), but the Spartans pulled it out. That win proved that MSU basketball was back, and I'll never forget being able to see those both of those games.
It's rather fortuitous that I'm home today, because the MSU/Valpo game tips off at 12:15, the first game of the afternoon. I'd completely miss it if I was at work, and would proably not get much work done anyway because I'd be constantly checking the score.
It's less than hour from game time, so I'm out of here. I'll check back in after the game.
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