The Other Side of Spartan Sports

Alumni Assn warns of media bias before Izzo suspension stories are written

2010-12-17T19:31:00.006-06:00

Update: I talked with MSUAA chief Scott Westerman, who apologized for the line in question. It has been taken down from the MSUAA's website, and he said he'd be sharing the coverage we did get with Alumni Club leaders.

Westerman's reaction is entirely appropriate. I know Scott, and he's a good guy under whose leadership the MSUAA is growing in the right direction. Kudos to him for recognizing the error and moving quickly to fix it. -DW

Original post is below.

Here's the news you probably knew by this point: Tom Izzo has been suspended for one game for a secondary violation involving hiring a guy who was in some way connected to an unnamed prospect to coach middle schoolers at a basketball camp.

Honestly? Not a big damn deal. But suspending a coach is odd, and it hasn't really been done before for something like this, and certainly not at a program like MSU. Plus, MSU has a squeaky-clean image in basketball, and it's Izzo, so that makes this a bit more newsworthy.

But that's not what caught my eye. What caught my eye was this line from an e-mail sent by the MSU Alumni Association.

"Newspapers are sold by making the worst out of every situation, and I expect
some negativity from people who would love to throw mud at us."

That line was written, I can only guess, before a single line was written in the press. And as a member of the press, I guess I take a bit of umbrage at preemptive suggestions of bias.

Well let's see if it was justified, going one-by-one through media accounts. I'll link, then summarize.

Detroit Free Press: Bias? Not really, but if there is it tilts toward MSU. Tom Izzo's point of view is given in paragraph two, a quote toward that effect is in paragraph four. In paragraphs five, six and seven, Mark Hollis says the rule is BS. The NCAA did not respond to requests for comment, so no opposing point of view is presented.

Detroit News: Bias? Can't find any. This is a short, fact-only piece that states the allegations and MSU's response. A separate link goes to a DetNews file on Izzo's career, and another links directly to MSU's statement.

Lansing State Journal: Much like the DetNews, this is a short and straightforward. Joe Rexrode's blog is the only opinion so far, and it calls shenanigans on the NCAA.

Booth Newspapers: Written by the David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press, this one is straightforward - allegations, then MSU's response. No bias here.

ESPN: Eamon Brennan has a column up saying the rule is complex, and likely means everyone's in violation somehow. Also takes time to say Izzo has a well-deserved sterling reputation, and at no time does he question MSU's company line.

AP: States the allegations, gives MSU's line, no one from the NCAA comments. MSU comes off looking as good as possible.

The point of this exercise? Well, I couldn't find an example of bias against MSU among outlets that cover the school, or on the wire services most will use outside of the local market.

Look, I get that bashing the media is en vogue. But just as people would ask that we not rush to judgement against MSU's athletes, let me ask that our own alumni association not rush to judgement against the graduates of its own School of Journalism (like Rexrode and many of the editors and reporters at papers throughout Michigan and the USA).

And at the very least, they're owed an apology.

The 16-team playoff: 2010 version

2010-12-17T11:13:00.002-06:00

Every year I do a mock-up of what a proper, 16-team NCAA football tournament would look like. Every year, the matchups far exceed what the bowls turned up, but perhaps not nearly as strikingly as this year.

Here's how this is structured:
1) Every conference champion gets an automatic berth. There are 11 conferences.
2) If an independent school makes the top 16 of the BCS, then the top-ranked independent school gets a spot
3) The top 5 (or 4) remaining slots are taken by the highest-ranking non-champions, as ranked by the BCS, without regard to conference. If that means 4 SEC teams, so be it.
4) This is standard bracket style, no re-seeding.
5) First round would have been played last weekend, second round this weekend. Semifinals are on NY Day, Finals the week after.
5) The first two rounds are played at the home school of the higher seed.
6) The semi-finals, national championship and 3rd place game are evenly rotated throughout the BCS bowls, Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Orange.

Champions:
ACC - Va Tech
Big East - UConn
Big Ten - Wisconsin
Big 12 - Oklahoma
C-USA - Central Fla.
Indys - none
MAC - Miami (OH)
MWC - TCU
Pac 10 - Oregon
SEC - Auburn
Sun Belt - FIU
WAC - Nevada

Qualifiers (with BCS ranking):
Stanford (4)
Ohio State (6)
Arkansas (8)
Michigan State (9)
Boise State (10)

So with that, here's the first round:
FIU (unr) @ Auburn (1)
Miami (OH) @ Oregon (2)
UConnn (unr) @ TCU (3)
UCF (25) @ Stanford (4)
Nevada (15) @ Wisconsin (5)
Va Tech (13) @ Ohio State (6)
Boise State (10) @ Oklahoma (7)
Michigan St. (9) @ Arkansas (8)

Only two real wasted games up there, as Auburn and Oregon would easily advance. But look at the absolute crackers at the lower end - A defensive batte at the Horseshoe? A Fiesta Bowl matchup in Norman? Michigan State vs. former Michigan QB Ryan Mallet in Arkansas? Yes please.

Second round (with likely winners)
Michigan St. (9) @ Auburn (1)
Boise St. (10) @ Oregon (2)
Ohio St. (6) @ TCU (3)
Wisconsin (5) @ Stanford (4)

Not a single bad game here, just absolute wonders top to bottom. Could the best LB corps in the USA slow down Cam Newton? Does Boise really have what it takes to go against the high-flying Ducks? You've got your traditional Rose Bowl with Bucky vs. the Tree, and let's see G. Gordon Gee live up to his talk as the Bucks go to TCU. Each one is a Gameday matchup.

Semi-finals:
Sugar Bowl - Auburn (1) vs. Wisconsin (5)
Orange Bowl - Oregon (2) vs. Ohio State (6)

Classics, both ways. And don't tell me that both games wouldn't sell out, they would.

Fiesta Bowl Natl Championship: Wisconsin (5) vs. Oregon (2)
Rose Bowl 3rd Place game: Auburn (1) vs. Ohio State (6)

Yes, I think the Badgers are better than Auburn, as they've shut down defenses with a power QB (Ohio State) before this year. But seriously, either way, wouldn't these be exciting matchups? And the 3rd place game ain't bad either.

The BCS argument for Sparty over Brutus

2010-11-24T11:17:00.004-06:00

Assuming they win out, the argument for picking MSU over Wisconsin for a BCS bowl is simple. MSU beat the Badgers head to head. Plus, it doesn't really come down to an argument because that's the tiebreaker if just MSU and UW are tied atop the Big Ten.

But what if MSU, Wisconsin and tOSU all three win? Well, then it goes by BCS standings and Bucky Badger is almost certainly is headed to Pasadena.

So how could Sparty jump the Buckeyes, and is there an argument to be made for that happening?

In his weekly online chat, I asked ESPN Big Ten Blogger Adam Rittenberg (arguably the finest reporter covering the Big Ten not named Joe Rexrode) what MSU's argument should be over Ohio State. Here's the exchange.

DW: Is there any chance a bowl picks MSU over OSU for an at-large bid? And if you were Mark Hollis/Dantonio, what would your argument be to the Orange/Sugar/Fiesta bowls?

AR: Very little chance, Derek, because bowls like sure things, and Ohio State is a sure thing. If I'm Dantonio or Hollis, I point out the fact that Michigan State hasn't been to a BCS bowl since 1988. I point out how exciting Michigan State has been to watch with all the wild plays. I really emphasize the Wisconsin win. Still, it's a very tough sell.

Unlikely then, but he's sayin' there's a chance...

Sports Illustrated: Former MSU QB took money from an agent

2010-10-12T20:25:00.003-05:00

According to an astonishing Sports Illustrated report out today, in which a former agent spills the secrets on what he says is a common practice of paying college football players under the table, a former MSU quarterback was among those taking payments.

Josh Luchs named Tony Banks, QB here from 1994-95, as among the players he paid. Banks, according to Luchs, got "several hundred dollars a month" while at State. Banks, for his part, declined comment on the allegations.

The whole SI story is worth a read, and can be found here. The LSJ's Joe Rexrode reports that since the allegations covered potential misdoings more than four years ago, the NCAA can't pursue an investigation into it. His report is here.

This report puts a new spin on the question of whether or not athletes should be paid. Perhaps we now need to start from the assumption that the stars already are.

Bobby Cox and my grandmother

2010-10-11T21:36:00.007-05:00

Editor's note: TOSSS reader David Harns is giving away his MSU-Illinois tickets to a deserving fan who wouldn't be able to go otherwise but wants to spend some quality time with their kid. Nominate a deserving person here, deadline is Thursday.

This post below has absolutely nothing to do with MSU athletics, though I guess it unintentionally dovetails with David's charitable gesture. But this post it needed to be written, and I needed to write it. This post is intensely personal, so if that's not your thing then feel free to skip this and come back later when we write something more interesting and Sparty-related. As for now, I need this, so here it is. - DW

I wound up visiting my grandparents in the mountains of north Georgia quite a lot as a kid. It was a free place for a vacation, and if we really booked it we could get there after a 14-hour drive from Miami. You wouldn't want to do that all the time, that drive'll wipe you out and this was well before I could split time behind the wheel with my mom. But then again, we were dirt poor, the stay was free, the meals were good and gas was 37 cents a gallon.

It's not really a secret, I guess, and I don't know that I've said it in such stark terms, but my Gramps was easily my favorite grandparent as a young kid growing up. It's because of him that I have a deep and abiding love for trains - instilled by a man who bought a caboose, renovated it and put it on 50 yards of track in the mountains.

He was eccentric in a sensible sort of way. Every train needs a platform and station house, right? Well, he built those right next to the caboose so it looks like it could just roll at any time. He told me once that the caboose was still rail worthy, but I don't know if that was true or if that was just a story to fuel my 10-year-old imagination. The caboose was bright red, and on the side of it was painted in bright white the initials of me and my cousins, as well as the neighbor's kids and those of a French exchange student who stayed a year with my grandparents in the late 60's. My D was third from the left in the first word.

Gramps was the sort of guy who loved everyone - two people said at his funeral in 1997 that he made everyone feel like they were his best friend, and I think that's probably right. He sent everyone in his church a hand-illustrated birthday letter, with some character from the Sunday funnies on the front. He drew Snoopy the best. He was a Kiwanis member, after having been a Rotarian in the days before his hair turned gray. I hear that sort of thing isn't in the rules, but you bend the rules for a guy like him.

That was Gramps. His wife, my grandmother, was a fiery, stubborn redhead back in those days and despite everything she remains one now. If you wanted to go to a restaurant, she'd go too. She'd be ready 30 minutes after you were, because her hair had to be just so. You'd walk into the restaurant and she'd pick the table - if you picked it she'd ask the waitress to move 10 minutes later. I never saw my Gramps win an argument with her, though he never seemed to mind losing.

To look at the pair of us from the outside, she and I didn't really have much in common. I'd be playing outside with one of those brightly-colored balls you get from the grocery store, and would inevitably get scolded about 15 times inside 15 minutes for putting said ball into her perfectly-manicured rose bushes. We'd go bowling together, she would roll the ball nicely down the lane, I'd hurl it halfway down the lane in the air. I heard about that too. I didn't like her cooking, because I was a kid and she loved to crock pot with a variety of veggies. Frankly, I'm sure I annoyed the hell out of her, yet we talked on the phone at least once a week and every time she'd ask me when I'd be coming back.

Sometimes you have just one thing in common with someone, and our one thing was Atlanta Braves baseball. She only got two TV channels that far north of Atlanta in those days, only one of them without fuzz, and the Braves happened to be on that channel. And man, was she ever a Braves fan. She loved Greg Maddux, thought the world of Tom Glavine and said repeatedly that John Smoltz would look better "if he'd just shave once in a while." She thought Chipper Jones was too cocky when he joined the Braves, but she eventually warmed to him. Above all of them was Bobby Cox, who I guess bears a passing resemblance to a shorter, pudgier Gramps. He was soft-spoken, she liked that, and he wasn't real flashy, she liked that too. He was the sort of guy you could be proud to talk about over a game of bridge with the ladies who'd let their hair fade to blue. She didn't play bridge, but said she'd teach me one of these days, though those days never came.

Now that I think back on it, the first signs that her memory was starting to fade came as we were sitting on the couch watching the Braves. We had had detailed conversations the previous year on the phone about how my Florida Marlins were so much worse in 1998 after their post-1997 World Series fire sale, and we went over the Braves lineup for the upcoming 1999 season. The Marlins won it all in 1997, Gramps would die just before Christmas that year.

But back to the summer of 1999 - my grandmother and I were sitting on that couch, you know the "brand new" kind you're allowed to sit on but can't put your feet on, and we were watching the Braves. I don't remember who they were playing, but we started talking about the lineup. She didn't remember anyone who wasn't on the team in 1998. By now she liked Chipper ("he's cute... and he hits really good" she'd say, blushing slightly), but a good half the team had become a mystery to her.

In 2000, I tried to talk about the Braves lineup with her. "Oh, I don't really know anymore honey," she'd say, even though she kept a team schedule on her coffee table and was still watching 50 or more games a year. "I know Chipper, I like him. And that manager, he's pretty good." I programmed TBS into her "favorites" on her new satellite TV, so she could find it easily. I know she watched the games because I could hear it in the background when I called her.

Some years later, it doesn't matter how many now, she would be diagnosed with dementia. They can't really diagnose Alzheimers outside of an autopsy, so I'm told, but the doctors figure that's the sort of dementia she has, that or something very much like it. She's not in north Georgia anymore, years past the time when she'd be able to live alone. One night she was found stopped on the side of a dark country road somewhere between her house and town. She was lost and couldn't find her way home. Now, she's in a Northern California facility near one of my aunts. My mom moved there from Miami to be with her. She doesn't cook anymore, the cafeteria is down the hall from her room, and she can have meals delivered if she doesn't feel like walking, which is often.

The forgetting has gotten worse. She's got a QVC problem, ordering jewelery and silver coins then wondering aloud when they're delivered why anyone would ship that stuff to her. One year she ordered something like a dozen fruit baskets from Harry & David. You can't return those things. She doesn't control her checkbook anymore. The forgetting has gotten worse - a few months ago she forgot that my mom moved out there to take care of her. She forgot that my mom was divorced (and has been since I was three). She's not in the intensive lock-the-hallway-doors Alzheimers wing, but the family has toured it. It's now a question of when not if. She hasn't watched a Braves game in years.

I wasn't planning on watching the Braves play the Giants tonight. I haven't watched a Braves game since I did so on her nice, cream-colored couch all those years ago. They're not my team, really, though to tell the truth I don't follow baseball that closely anymore. I don't know any of the guys in their lineup. I thought Rick Ankiel was still with the Cardinals.

But someone I follow on Twitter remarked that it was the bottom of the 9th in Atlanta, the Braves were down in what would be the last game of Bobby Cox's career unless they pulled out a run before three outs came and went. So I tuned to TBS. It's carrying the playoff games right now, though I remember it as the network that made the Braves America's team, back when the Expos were still in Montreal and the only question in the National League East was who would finish second to Atlanta.

Out one came and went before I tuned in. I saw Bobby in the dugout. He looked old. He looked tired. Then one of the Braves was walked. Then another got on base. The winning run was now at first, extra innings was now at second. Turner Field, which my grandmother had bemoaned at its origin because she didn't know why they needed to replace the perfectly functional Fulton County Stadium, was rocking. Then came out two. The camera panned to Bobby Cox, he didn't move. I knew what was coming next. I think he did too. I didn't want it to happen, but it did anyways.

Out three. Game, season, career. Over.

When it comes to my grandmother, I know what's coming next. I don't want it to happen, but it will anyways. It's not a question of if with Alzheimer's, it's a question of when. Somehow, she remembers my wife's name. She doesn't always remember that we're married, and she's been told about six times now that my wife and I are having a baby due this February. The old joke that only Alzheimer's families can tell is that it's the one blessing of the disease - you get to tell good news multiple times. But she does remember my wife, and oddly enough remembers her birthday. My mom tells me that she's fighting hard to keep those memories.

Realistically, the first chance we'll have to fly out and see her in San Francisco, where the facility is, is probably August. I don't know that she'll make it that long, but I hope so. I hope she gets a chance to meet her fourth great-grandchild, my first kid. I want that picture with my little one, me, my wife, my mom and my grandma, four generations in one.

She won't remember it, but I will. It's really selfish, I know, but I just want one more inning with her.

How greed ruined the MSU-Florida Atlantic game

2010-09-10T16:34:00.003-05:00

Let's start with a pretty blanket statement and work from there, shall we?

There is no reason MSU should draw a piss-ant 25,000 fans to a game anywhere in Michigan, much less Ford Field in Detroit. Yes, I know it's Florida Atlantic. I get that. But this game should have sold out.

Here's the theory: Spartan Stadium seats 75,005. Ford Field seats 65,000. Detroit likely has more MSU alums within an hour's drive than East Lansing does. Even allowing for the fact that this is "out of the norm" so people have to go "out of their way" to see the game, one would figure that attrition to hit no more than 10,005 fans, right?

Instead, as of right now a scant 25,000 tickets have been sold. It might be a joke if this wasn't so egg-on-face embarrassing.

So what happened?

Well, the game was priced wrong and sold wrong. And as your mother always told you, two wrongs don't make a right.

Let's look at the regular ticket prices for a moment:

On FAU's end: Individual game tickets at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale sell at a range from $12-25 a pop. There's a slight discount on for season ticket holders that can take the best seats down below $21 a game.

On MSU's end: Regular games are sold at $49 a pop, aside from Notre Dame this year which is going for $75 a seat. Full-price public season tickets include seven home games for about $44 a game.

Sideline seats for MSU-FAU started at $79 each.

Yes, that's right, some marketing genius decided that Joey Spartan would rather pay MORE MONEY to see his alma mater play FLORIDA ATLANTIC than NOTRE DAME.

Folks, that's nothing short of greed.

Here's why. Lockhart Stadium seats 20,450 when full (which it rarely is). Ford Field, as I mentioned above, seats 65,000. If this game were at FAU's current stadium AND they charged everyone regular sideline ticket prices with no discount AND it sold out, FAU would take in about $511,000.

That number's high because of my unrealistic caveats, but let's be generous and say that they'd actually take in around $400,000 once you factor in the discounts they're giving.

If they sold out Ford Field at that price, they'd make more than quadruple that amount, or $1,625,000. Even with paying MSU for the road game ($500K?) and covering FAU's travel costs (Maybe $200K), they'd still clear more than double their usual home game amount.

What if they decided to be a little greedy (but still very reasonable) and sell only the good seats at Ford Field at MSU's regular $49 rate for games like Iowa and Wisconsin? Assuming a half and half distribution between sideline and other seats, FAU would then clear $2.4 million for the game.

Now prices have come down. Most reports mention the fact that they're being sold for $19 a pop. Very few mention that there are thousands of tickets being given away for free.

Even still, most guesses are that this game will feature fields of empty seats. In Detroit. For Michigan State football.

For a school that usually gets less than $500,000 for a home game, $2.4 mil should have been plenty. But it wasn't enough. And now, they won't get nearly that.

Big Ten Divisions: The mistake the Big Ten shouldn't make

2010-08-21T22:12:00.002-05:00

Back in June, great excitement surrounded Nebraska’s agreement to join the Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten got one of the “blue bloods” in college football, within the Big Ten’s traditional Midwestern footprint, with one of the best, most knowledgeable fan bases in the country. It was consistent with the Big Ten’s “we do things different here” mentality: while much of the country expected the Big Ten to poach Texas or possibly add Rutgers. Chasing after Texan population growth or Rutgers as an entrée into the New York media market (and Big Ten Network carriage fees) was considered a given. The Big Ten’s decision to take Nebraska instead was seemingly consistent with a league that holds out for only academically elite schools and has staunchly opposed a college football playoff, preferring instead the Rose Bowl and the relationship with the Pacific-10 Conference.

One of the givens when Nebraska joined was that, with 12 members, the Big Ten would hold a conference championship game. The NCAA generally requires that member schools schedule no more than 12 Football contests per season. However, there are series of so-called “exempt” games, which don’t count against the 12-game limit. The most famous, of course, is a bowl game, but for our purposes we’re more interested in the “Conference Championship Game.” The rule allows leagues consisting of at least 12 members to split into 2 divisions of at least 6 members each, and play “round robin” competition within each division (although leagues usually also schedule a few games across the divisions). If a league complies with these rules, then the 2 Division Champions may play in a Conference Championship Game that does not count against the 12-game limit. Ever since Roy Kramer discovered this rule in the early 90s and his Southeastern Conference’s title game became a smash hit, it has been an on-again, off-again (but mostly on-again) trend in college football for leagues to get to 12 members and hold a nationally televised title game.

Almost from the day that Nebraska announced that they had joined, there was speculation about how the divisions would be drawn up. Some factions have said from the beginning that the easiest and most logical arrangement for the Big Ten would be a simple East/West split, with the following divisions:

East: Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue

West: Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska

Immediately after Nebraska joined, Commissioner Jim Delany said that the league would have 3 “priorities,” in the following order: (a) “competitive fairness” (b) “maintenance of rivalries” and (c) “geography.” The emphasis on competitive fairness was thought by many to be a reference to splitting the so-called “Big Four” of Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan, and Penn State evenly into the 2 divisions (2 and 2) – obviously a deviation from a simple East/West geographic model. This sense was generally thought to have been confirmed when Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez was quoted as making statements along these same lines (although the careful reader will note some ambiguity). Although Alvarez was later quoted as reframing the analysis from splitting a “Big 4” to splitting a “Big 6” (including Wisconsin and Iowa), Commissioner Delany later poured further cold water on the possibility of a geographic alignment.

In recent days, further specifics have come out that make it clearer and clearer that the Big Ten has lost its way in drawing up the divisions. Most proposals for divisions have placed Michigan and Ohio State in the same division, on the theory that the best way for their traditional season-ending game to be emulated in the new era of a divisional league format is for them to be placed in the same division, with (assuming Michigan’s program rebounds) the division title and an appearance in the Conference Championship Game on the line in many seasons. However, news recently broke that OSU Athletic Director Gene Smith had suggested that they might actually be split; shortly thereafter, Michigan AD Dave Brandon stated much more specifically that it was likely to happen, and as of this writing it is considered all but a certainty.

Why does this matter to Michigan State? My position is that, whatever our feelings about Michigan, the tradition of the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry is a treasure that belongs to the entire Big Ten. What differentiates the Big Ten from much of the rest of the country is the way our league cherishes traditions – particularly traditions that matter. If we stand idly by and watch the Big Ten sell its soul in a misguided pursuit of a few extra TV nickels, it might be something that affects Michigan State next time. Besides that, there is every reason to believe that this effort will fail: an enormous part of the Big Ten’s brand identity is tied up in the notion that we aren’t the kind of place where we kowtow to TV demands. The Big Ten sat on 11 members for nearly 20 years, when going to 12 would have produced a lucrative championship game. The league has staunchly opposed a playoff, which would be more profitable than the bowl system, because it prefers the tradition of the relationship with the Rose Bowl and Pac-10. (Note: I prefer a playoff, but not because it would be more profitable, and I respect the Big Ten’s willingness to elevate tradition above money.) The Big Ten has refused to play on weeknights and places fairly strict limits on playing Saturday night games in the cold weeks of late Fall, even though making concessions on either point would likely be profitable and certainly would provide for more nationally televised games and greater exposure. The league currently utilizes an “unbalanced” schedule which protects traditional rivalry games over balance; thus Ohio State never loses two of the very good teams (Michigan and Penn State), Penn State never misses one very good team and one middle class team (Ohio State and Michigan State), but Wisconsin never misses only a pretty good team and a crummy team (Iowa and Minnesota). And that’s a good thing, I say: better to preserve those traditions and tolerate a little scheduling imbalance than eviscerate what makes college football special. Thus I am all the more shocked and saddened by the Big Ten’s apparent direction here.

It is worthwhile to take an aside here and address the point that was raised by President Graham Spanier of Penn State. He seems to feel that, so long as 2 rivals play annually, that is enough. But what makes a rivalry sizzle in most cases is jockeying for position in the standings against each other. The only way to do that is if the teams are both in the same division. That way, only one can finish in 1^st place, and there’s more on the line when the game is played than mere bragging rights. I find it absurd and baffling that so many of the powers that be seem to think that, just because two teams play annually, that’s an adequate compromise. Unless they’re both in the same division, playing for the same title, and jockeying for position in the same standings, I fail to see what makes the rivalry really sizzle. I would argue that the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry became what it did because of the “Big 2, Little 8” Bo & Woody era, when so often their season-ending game had the league title on the line. Is there any doubt that it would not have become the same phenomenon if that hadn’t been such a routine situation?

What the Big Ten should do is use the geographic divisions. There are many reasons why. Some believe that geography per se is a sufficient reason to group the teams – a position I sympathize with. Ultimately, I think the Big Ten should use geographic divisions, although for non-geographic reasons (but referring to the alignment as the “geographic model” is a convenient shorthand). I reach that outcome by applying the following 4 rules:

1. Ohio State and Nebraska should not be in the same division. They’re the two most successful programs in the league (now that Nebraska is joining).

2. Ohio State and Michigan must be in the same division, for the reasons stated above.

3. Michigan and Michigan State must be in the same division, again for the reasons stated above.

4. Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota must be in a division together. The Big Ten has always been a league that depends on collegiality and treating the membership as fundamentally equal, even if this is not the practical reality; I consider it an important test of the Big Ten’s commitment to this principle that Minnesota’s traditional rivalries with Iowa and Wisconsin be honored, even if Minnesota’s program has not enjoyed the success of the league’s elites.

This produces two pairs of 3 teams each:

A: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State

B: Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota

Because of the first rule, there are only two options for what to do with Nebraska. The first is to combine these two groups of 3 teams, and then have the other 6 teams form a division. Thus:

A′: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota

B′: Nebraska, Penn State, Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue

I consider this alignment laughably unbalanced; even if we cannot measure balance precisely, we can ask that it at least pass a smell test. As a result, we have to take the only other option for Nebraska, which is to put it with the triad of Plains States teams to form a quartet. Thus:

A: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State

B: Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota

The next central question is what to do with Penn State. It’s been suggested that putting Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan in the same division would be “unbalanced” or “stacked.” So let’s assume that we separate Penn State from those other 2.

A′′: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, [Purdue], [Illinois], [Northwestern]

B′′: Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, [Indiana]

The teams in brackets can be moved around interchangeably within these rules. I selected Indiana because it is pretty clearly the weakest team in the Big Ten. Yet even with Indiana in the B′′ group, it seems (once again) not to pass the balance smell test. Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Iowa all in the same group seems like an unfair slugfest to me – particularly given the clouds surrounding Michigan’s program. At least in the near-term, this alignment might as well be a bye for Ohio State into the championship game. As a result, it strikes me that the only logical thing to do is to put Penn State with Michigan State et al. Thus:

A: Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State

B: Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin

Once you have arrived at this alignment, all of the controversial decisions have been made. At this point, we’re left with 4 teams: Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue. These 4 teams logically can (and should) be split into 2 pairs of in-state rivals. Although the Illinois pair could be put with the “East” teams and the Indiana pair with the “West” teams consistent with these rules, what would be the point? Does anybody seriously believe that this would substantially affect the league’s competitive “balance”? I doubt it, and at this point (given the results of the process outlined here for making the controversial decisions) the only reason to deviate from assigning these 2 pairs east/west geographically would be to somehow assert our independence from geography (or as I like to say, change for change’s sake).

But we can talk about this all day. I, for one, intend to do what little I can about this situation, which I consider an unmitigated disaster for the Big Ten. We should be writing to the powers that be in the Big Ten. Consider dropping a letter or e-mail to some of the following individuals if you agree with me and want to express your displeasure:

Mr. James E. Delany

 Commissioner, Big Ten Conference 

1500 Higgins Road 

Park Ridge, IL 60068-6300

jdelany@bigten.org

Dr. Michael A. McRobbie, Chair

Council of Presidents/Chancellors, Big Ten Conference

200 Bryan Hall

107 S. Indiana Avenue

Bloomington, IN 47405-7000

iupres@indiana.edu

Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon

President, Michigan State University

450 Administration Building

East Lansing, MI 48824-1046

presmail@msu.edu

Mr. Mark J. Hollis, Director

Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Michigan State University

218 Jenison Fieldhouse

East Lansing, MI 48824-1025

hollis@ath.msu.edu

Mr. Joel I. Ferguson, Chair

Board of Trustees, Michigan State University

1223 Turner Street, Ste. 300

Lansing, MI 48906-4363

lucyjif@aol.com

Ms. Julia D. Darlow, Chair

Board of Regents, University of Michigan

P.O. Box 130047

Ann Arbor, MI 48113-0047

jdarlow@umich.edu

As near as I can tell, these are the people who answer to us, as Spartan students, alumni, and fans, who are in a position to do something about this mess. (Although Ms. Darlow is the Chair of the Michigan Regents, she’s elected, so if you’re a Michigan resident, she actually answers to you whether or not you’re associated with the University.) If we speak out, who knows – they might even listen to us. What’s more, they might actually do something about it.

MSU football jerseys on sale to the public Tuesday

2010-07-12T07:33:00.000-05:00

By TOSSS contributor James Hensley

The Other Side of Spartan Sports has learned of a great opportunity for all MSU football fans. The MSU Surplus Store is hosting a sale of football team jerseys. These are game worn jerseys and are available for public purchase on Tuesday 7/13. The public can view them on Monday 7/12.

Location:
MSU Surplus Store
223 Surplus and Recycling Center
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1238

The surplus store's normal public sale hours are:
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Every Tuesday
7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Every Friday

Public Viewing Hours
Noon to 3:30 p.m. Every Monday, Wednesday & Thursday

TOSSS is mathematically challenged

2010-06-30T11:40:00.001-05:00

KJ over at The Only Colors correctly pointed out that we jumped the gun by a month. 1,000 days will be on July 30, not June 30.

So our bad on that.

Still, 970 days since Michigan beat MSU in football or basketball - that's still something to celebrate, right?

1,000 Days since MSU lost to U-M in football or basketball

2010-06-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

It has now been 1,000 days since the University of Michigan beat Michigan State in either football or men's basketball.

Enjoy it!

Inside the Izzo press conference

2010-06-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

TOSSS sent special correspondent James Hensley to Tom Izzo's press conference to get a sense of the scene at arguably the biggest press conference in MSU history. Here is his report.

The scene at the press conference was more chaotic than the normally well organized events put on by the MSU Athletic Department. There were TV vans parked along the curb of Shaw Lane blocking traffic and at times pedestrian walkways and many camera guys running with cables - the last minute announcement caught them off guard.

In the back of the Clara Bell Smith Auditorium, off camera, over a 100 students (many of them Izzone members) and student athletes gathered to show support for their coach and team.

There are several ways to look at the last nine days that lead to the culmination with the press conference, for Tom Izzo and the MSU basketball team. The rest of the media has done great job speculating about if Izzo took too long in his decision, looking at the impact this decision will have on his recruiting and looking at the LeBron factor.

At the end of the day, Coach Izzo said that the process of consideration took longer because his kids were in finals and he was not going to make a family decision without their input and he waited until the end of finals to consult them.

At this point, how the decision was reached is inconsequential. The announcement by Izzo at this press conference was the end to flirtation with NBA coaching. Coach Izzo proclaimed the end the job process with Cleveland by stating “I’m a lifer.” Whatever thought process that he went through to arrive at that moment are part of the past.

Spotlight on the Athletic Department

The most important thing announced, besides that Izzo will stay at MSU, was that both AD Mark Hollis and Izzo signaled that, in Hollis' words, it's “time to move forward…to make the athletic department the best, not just the best we can be, the best."

Izzo followed up on Hollis rallying call by stating his admiration for football coach Mark Dantonio and reiterating that the goal now is to make the MSU Athletic Department one of the best in the country.

The repeated use and focus on the success of the Athletic Department, not just the basketball program, led me to wonder if there were some larger-picture discussions during this process. Will Coach Izzo play a more active advisory role in other sports than his own? Was there an Ron Mason-style informal nod that Izzo could become the AD if he were to ever retire from MSU basketball? Lastly, what were the common strategies that Hollis and Izzo have discussed that will propel MSU to be a leader in collegiate sports?

To me, those questions are much more important than questions lobbed at Tom Izzo during the press conference. Many of them (and most of those from a single Detroit News columnist) involved why Tom shut out the media during this process and claims that his silence lead to the numerous erroneous reports. Others centered on the role of LeBron James, whether he'd stay or not, which doesn't really affect MSU any more now that Izzo turned down the job in Cleveland.

A moment that brought a hush over the crowd was when most of the basketball team (Chris Allen the notable exception), without prompting, joined their coach on stage before he started his speech. Each player hugged or shook his hand before taking a stance behind Izzo on stage. It was a clear act of devotion, support and honor for their coach and a sign that maybe nobody is happier than them that his decision was to call MSU “home”.

When asked if there was an “Ah Ha” moment to solidify his decision to say, Izzo said that one thing that meant a lot to him was when he talked to his daughter. When asked why his daughter wanted to stay her. She replied that if she made new friends in Cleveland they would only be her friends because of who her dad was and the friends that she had made here they had made together while building the program.

Several people teared up at that response.

Lastly, Coach Izzo acknowledged the fans, stating “I appreciate all the support…emails, letters…it was embarrassing, but deeply appreciated.

Dantonio on Nebraska

2010-06-14T09:10:00.003-05:00

Mark Dantonio's statement on Nebraska joining the Big Ten, per the ESPN Big Ten blog:

During my four years as an assistant at Kansas and my first two years as an assistant at Michigan State, I had an opportunity to compete against Tom Osborne-coached Nebraska teams.

Coach Osborne had a Hall of Fame career, winning three national championships. Now, Bo Pelini is doing great things at Nebraska. His teams have won 19 games over the last two seasons.

As you know, I have great appreciation for the tradition of the college game and I admire the coaching connection between Nebraska and Michigan State. Legendary Nebraska head coach Bob Devaney got his start as an assistant under former Spartan head coaches ‘Biggie’ Munn and Duffy Daugherty in the 1950s. All three of those coaches are members of the College Football Hall of Fame.”

Rally to keep Tom Izzo tonight at Breslin

2010-06-10T15:16:00.003-05:00

The Constitution guarantees Americans the right to peaceably assemble and petition for the redress of grievances.

Tonight, Spartan fans will peaceably assemble and petition Tom Izzo to stay in East Lansing with an impromptu rally at the Magic Johnson statue in front of the Breslin Center in an effort to keep Izzo from signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The rally starts at 9 p.m.

If you're within driving distance of East Lansing, I highly suggest you go. It might be your last, best chance at keeping him.

Spartan Tailgate is directing traffic on this one, so follow along here for more inf o.

Nebraska to leave Big 12, join the Big Ten

2010-06-09T15:47:00.004-05:00

Depending on how much you believe Fox Sports Ohio and Rivals.com...

Multiple reports now say Nebraska will leave the Big 12 and seek to join the Big Ten, with a formal announcement coming Thursday or Friday.

The Big 12 gave both Nebraska and Missouri, the two biggest targets in that conference, until Friday to decide if they're in or out. The Cornhuskers are apparently out.

The difficulty for these schools is that they've got to make up their mind to leave the Big 12 before any Big Ten invite formally comes. However, in reality land, there's no way in the world they'd possibly head out of a BCS conference without a golden ticket in hand.

Will the Big Ten give that assurance to Mizzou? We'll have to wait and see.

At this point though, you'd have to think three things:

The Big Ten still wants Notre Dame.
They won't want to become a 13-team league, so Mizzou would have to be paired with someone.
Who's the backup to ND?

Remembering Ernie Harwell: John Kreger

2010-05-05T13:02:00.004-05:00

Note: This is the first in a series of remembrances of the iconic voice of the Detroit Tigers, Ernie Harwell, by broadcasters for and journalists who cover MSU. John Kreger is the voice of MSU Volleyball and the 2008/09 AVCA broadcaster of the year.

Ernie Harwell is the reason I became a broadcaster. Simply put, he is the epitome of what everyone in our profession should aspire to be, and what one or two people per generation actually are.

As a young boy, I would sit with my grandfather Walter and listen to Ernie on a mono Philco radio and be transported through the gifts he possessed to wherever Detroit's boys of summer were playing. A spring training broadcast from Lakeland Florida in March offered the promise of spring when winter wasn't ready to release Detroit quite yet.

Ernie's genteel Georgia manner and friendly delivery made his listeners believe that his broadcast was meant exclusively for them. His signature calls shaped a generation, and forever left an indelible mark on not only the lives of most everyone who heard him call a game, but on the fabric of baseball itself.

I had two interactions with Ernie that speak to the kind of person he was for every day of his 92 plus years on this planet. When I was 14, and a first year reporter at WSDP Radio in Plymouth, I attended a card signing of Ernie's at a hobby shop. I took my tape recorder in hopes of capturing a few words from my Idol. I sat for two hours, trying to work up the courage to approach my larger-than-life idol. As the signing concluded, he looked at me and said "Son, you've been waiting a long while, what is it you'd like to ask me? What followed was a 20 minute interview covering topics from his start in the business at southern megastation WBZ in Atlanta, to the booth at Tiger Stadium, and his advice to a young man in the business. Afterword, he took a photo with me, wished me God's blessing, and left.

Three years later, as a senior in High School, I was featured in the Detroit News. I told reporter Jeff Barr that Ernie was my idol, and the reason I'd become a broadcaster. Ernie read the article, and called me from Lakeland to offer congratulations. Ernie was that kind of a person. His status as one of the game's greatest broadcasters was overshadowed by his status as one of this earth's finest people.

I am deeply saddened at the passing of Ernie Harwell. I have lost an idol, the game of baseball has lost a champion and ambassador, the cities of New York, Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Detroit have lost portions of their living history, and his wife and family have lost their father and husband. I am redeemed, however, by the knowledge that the suffering the Lord asked of this great man in his final days has ended, that the Christian manner in which Ernie lived his life will now be rewarded, and that he has well and truly earned his reunion with Jesus Christ and the rest of a faithful servant in God's kingdom.

I pray that I learn from the lessons he taught all of us, and that I may aspire to be the man he was. I will keep him in my heart and miss him always.

MSU broadcasters, journalists remember Ernie Harwell

2010-05-05T12:55:00.004-05:00

Ernie Harwell, best known as the long-time voice of the Tigers, touched the lives of everyone who ever met him - and many who didn't. Harwell was a legend in the state of Michigan, and influenced countless number of journalists (including myself).

I reached out to several voices of Michigan State, and journalists who cover the university. Over the next few days, we'll print their fond remembrances of Ernie, as they knew him.

TOSSS users give athletics redesign a solid B minus

2010-04-26T01:52:00.000-05:00

With a few days left to vote in the poll, TOSSS readers are giving a decent grade to the athletics redesign.

Overall, our poll is showing a 2.6 on a 4 point scale, a solid B-. Personally, I'd give it an A- or B+, with especially high marks for volleyball.

If you haven't voted yet, be sure to do so.

MSU unveils new uniforms, Nike-inspired branding

2010-04-23T21:28:00.010-05:00

By James Hensley, Special to The Other Side of Spartan Sports

The unveiling of the new Spartan uniforms started in much the same manner that the public first learned about the branding campaign—with a leak on the internet. The Facebook group “The Old Spartan Logo” released a link approximately an hour and half before the beginning of the official press conference. The link was taken down within minutes of being posted, but the commentary on the new age of Spartan jerseys had begun.

By the time the press conference started there were already many different opinions about the jerseys posted on Facebook.

The opening presentation of the press conference had MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis stating that “MSU is a sleeping giant and we’re waking up the sleeping giant” to create a uniform identity for MSU Sports. Mark Vanhorn from Nike said his mission was to “respect the past, represent the future.”

Hopefully, you agree with his vision of MSU’s future.

Hollis commented that a driver of this mission was that at one point there were nine different greens in the uniforms of MSU’s 25 teams.

MSU has now trademarked green, silver, bronze colors, as well as typography, that cannot be used by any other school or organization.

Implementation and Olympic sports

The Athletic Department unveiled the uniforms that will start being used in Fall 2010 with models from the Football, Basketball, Hockey and Volleyball teams. When questioned about the implementation schedule for the teams, he responded that only the five teams shown today will be sporting the new uniforms next year.

MSU and Nike will continue to design and roll out the same template designs to other non-revenue teams as the teams need new uniforms. This will limit the implementation cost of the uniform changes to regular asset purchases already budgeted for by the departments.

Football

The basic rundown on the football jersey is that the jersey has been updated with the new green and the font has been standardized.

The rear pant legs for the uniform now feature a splash of green. Already, the football jerseys have sparked a bit of a backlash on Facebook, with a majority (but not all) comparing the design to a toned-down version of the over-the-top Nike uniforms of the University of Oregon.

Hockey

Considering that this branding mission was designed to present a unified Spartan Image with national recognition, it is hard to miss the white elephant in the room: The two home and away jerseys do not have similar base designs.

The home jersey features the traditional Spartan head logo, but lacks the traditional hockey lettering of “Spartans” or “Michigan State.” The return of the Spartan head to the home uniform marks an end to a 40-year-old absence from the hockey uniform. The away jersey may be the first in the ice hockey world to include the players number on the front and lacks conformity with its home jersey mate by using the traditional “Michigan State” across the top.

When asked what he thought about the new bronze in the hockey uniforms, goalie Drew Palmisano responded that he really liked the accent color and was looking forward to repainting part of his goalie helmet to match. Torey Krug said he felt that the two different jersey styles for hockey would not detract from the team’s image when playing road games.

Men's and Women's Basketball

The uniforms for the basketball teams drop the last Nike branding attempt of “State” in italics and replace it with “Spartans” in the new font with the new trademark colors. Given that MSU basketball seems to change uniforms every three years, these changes will likely be well received by the Spartan basketball community.

MSU basketball stars Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas modeled the basketball jerseys, with Lucas sporting a foot brace as he recovers from recent surgery.

How the decisions were made

Both Nike’s Vanhorn and MSU’s Hollis said that community values and focus groups had consisted of MSU administrators, the Athletic Advisory board and student athletes. This effectively means that no alumni and only one non-student athlete was allowed input during the design phase of the project.

This lack of community involvement was one of the causes of the logo scandal that led to over 80,000 Spartan fans to protest changes to the logo.

Since the Athletic Department and Nike kept much of the design process under wraps, the change could provoke some initial resistance about the addition of the bronze color and the changes to some of the jerseys, especially football and hockey.

Finances

The department has continued to say this was not a financially motivated project, but the hockey uniforms not having a base design seems to contradict the consistence attempt. Nike’s fingerprints of “over the top” design are hard to miss on all but the Volleyball team’s uniforms.

According to Hollis, the design process has not cost the university any revenues or money, but an interesting fact to consider is that Nike will be the only authorized replica jersey vendor. Since the colors and front are trademarked with MSU and Nike, there will be no cheap replicas for fans looking to save money and show team spirit during these economic hard times.

Something to look forward to is that Mark Hollis commented that sales of old used team jerseys could go on sale to the public as early as this fall, but would not rule out a garage sale before the 2011 Spring Football game, as has been done in the past.

First peek at MSU's new uniforms comes and goes

2010-04-23T12:32:00.004-05:00

MSU posted a photo gallery of the new uniforms for football, basketball, hockey and volleyball, but quickly pulled it after it was linked to on a number of MSU sites.

We'll let MSU unveil things for itself, and we'll have a full report from the press conference later today.

NCAA to expand tourney to 68 teams

2010-04-22T11:43:00.003-05:00

There was talk of a bracket-busting expansion to 96, a little March Madness madness so to speak, but thankfully the NCAA has seen sense and tossed that idea in the trash.

Instead, the annual basketball competition will expand to 68, allowing three more bubble teams to make the big dance. This year, based solely on NIT seeding, that means Illinois, Mississippi State and either Arizona State and Virginia Tech would have taken up those last three new spots.

In recent years, the last bubble teams have typically fallen 12 seed line, which is part of why you see so many 5-12 upsets, but far fewer 4-13 upsets. Instead, the last seeds will now fall on the 13 line, which should lead to a few more competitive 4-13 games (Murray State-Vanderbilt notwithstanding).

The other big news out of this is the TV deal. The Turner networks (TNT, TBS and TruTV) will pick up additional games, so you can watch the whole tourney on network and basic cable. Turner is quite good at basketball, having had an NBA deal for the last few years, so the tournament is in pretty good shape.

But mostly, this ends the problem of CBS not flipping to a more exciting finish because it wants to stay with its national game. Now, I can solve that issue with my remote.

Oh, and by the way, the NCAA makes out like a bandit on the cash end. The deal is for 14 years, and CNBC's Darren Rovell reports that the NCAA will take in an average of $771 million a year, up from $545 million a year.

That's a lot of scholarships for people who will go pro in something other than sports.

Bella Notte: MSU-ND to be a night game

2010-04-22T08:01:00.002-05:00

Michigan State will host Notre Dame under the lights at Spartan Stadium, ESPN has announced. The game will kick at 8 p.m. and be broadcast nationally on ABC.

Joe Rexrode points out that this makes three of the last four MSU-ND games night contests, which we here at TOSSS love.

Although, there are some lingering bad memories of night games against Notre Dame. Specifically a certain contest that shall not be named in driving rain where a certain ND QB managed to lead a comeback every time the rain let up, and where a certain MSU squad blew a late lead to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

I happened to be sitting one aisle removed from the ND fans for that game, and actually switched sections after the season because I didn't want to experience another game like that.

This year, with an eye on that game and last year's debacle, it's time to make a more positive memory under the lights.

Watch the Final Four in 3-D

2010-03-30T13:08:00.003-05:00

For those in the Lansing area, NCG Eastwood will be showing the Final Four game between MSU and Butler in 3-D.

Yes, 3-D.

Tickets are $15, and can be ordered through NCG Eastwood's website (click on the date, April 3, then the event).

If you've got other plans on Saturday, they'll also be showing the championship game in 3-D on Monday evening.

Notre Dame AD says school may be interested in a conference

2010-03-09T22:12:00.003-06:00

Notre Dame's storied independence might not be as rock-solid as previously thought, if comments today by ND AD Jack Swarbick are any indication.

"You can each come up with a scenario that would force our hand," Swarbick told a group of reporters in New York, including one from the Associated Press.

Such a scenario would result from a "seismic" realignment push like, say, getting Texas to join the Big Ten, along with, say, Missouri, Pitt and Syracuse. Tell ND that it would be team number 16 in that conference, with all the money that comes with it, and it's a game-changer.

Once the Big Ten is done, the Pac 10 is expected to expand up to 12. Colorado, BYU and Utah are among the schools always mentioned. And if the Big 12 does get its schools pillaged, they'll have to add a few teams as well - TCU, SMU, maybe grab Arkansas from the Big 12.

It would all be a massive shakeup, and Notre Dame doesn't necessarily want to get left out of that.

Oh, who am I kidding. This is all about TV revenue for the Irish, given that Notre Dame ignored its faculty who wanted to join the Big Ten back in 1999 in order to keep their NBC gig. The reason that's so significant is because ESPN's Adam Rittenberg estimated that the TV deal the Irish would get in the Big Ten could be twice as much money as they'd get by staying independent.

Money talks, and Notre Dame may walk... right into the Big Ten's arms.

New Spartan Green A Darker Shade

2010-02-12T14:15:00.003-06:00

The color we know as Spartan green just got a little bit darker.

The new color, Pantone Matching System Color 567, was approved by the Board of Trustees this morning. It will be uniform across Michigan State, from signs and uniforms to flyers and university websites.

It's part of the universal branding scheme being undertaken by the athletic department and Nike, and the plan is for all uniforms to be of this shade of green. The new threads will be unveiled in April.

Currently, the MSU green is Pantone 341, which is the green we presently use on TOSSS.

The Lansing State Journal quotes President Lou Anna Simon as saying that the change will be gradual in some areas, like signs, because the university isn't going to pay for the immediate overhaul immediately. You'll see that in things like letterhead, where the existing supplies will be allowed to run out, then replaced by the new stuff.

Making a single shade of green uniform across the university will be a great step forward for the MSU's branding, given the disparate mess we currently have. I, for one, welcome this change with as much passion as I decried the proposed Spartan head change.

This time, MSU and Nike have gotten it right.

Texas To The Big Ten?

2010-02-12T05:58:00.006-06:00

Now I know what you're thinking when you read that headline... "Whhhhhhaaaaaaa?"

My first thought was "That's crazy! And it makes NO sense." But then I started reading and it turns out it makes a lot of sense. And the Big Ten thinks so too.

The best breakdown for the argument for Texas I've read is here, on an Illini sports blog. I'll give a quick synopsis, but really, take ten minutes and read that. My figures and such are all from there.

Basically the argument goes like this: Money and Academics. The people who make actual decisions in the Big Ten are university presidents, and that is what matters to them. Sure, sports rivalries are great, the Big Ten is a Midwest league, there is a certain character blah blah blah. As Tom Cruise said, "Show me the money!"

Money: Texas made $12 million off the Big 12 TV contract last season, the average school in the Big 12 made $6. Every school in the Big Ten made $22. A large portion of that money comes from the Big Ten Network, which gets money from cable companies on a "per TV" basis. Adding a school like Iowa St. does NOTHING in increase Big Ten Network revenue, because everyone in Iowa already gets the channel. So to dramatically increase revenue for MSU, the Big Ten has to look at a school outside of its current viewing area. Texas is one of the biggest TV markets in America, and would dramatically increase the number of TVs getting the Big Ten Network. That increase in money along with money from a Championship game would increase the amount above $22 million, even when dividing it by 12 schools instead of 11. Texas would like it because it sets the floor of money they are getting every year much higher than it currently is.

Academics: All Big Ten schools are part of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), along with the University of Chicago (a former Big Ten member). This is the academic alliance of the Big Ten, and allows for educational and research cooperation among the universities. The Big Ten is made up of research institutions, while the Big 12 is not. Texas, being a research institution, is not a good educational fit in the Big 12 but would be in the Big Ten, where this addition would benefit both sides.

OK, that's all well and good, but it's still just a dream, right? Well consider this. The Big Ten wants to expand. They have to take someone. People keep mentioning OTHER Big 12 schools. Think about what happens to the Big 12 if a different school leaves. They quickly need to find a 12th team to keep their championship game (and the money it brings in.) If Missouri leaves, then 2 of the top 6 TV markets in the Big 12 come with it (so less money for the remaining members based on the Big 12 TV contract.) Other schools might look at leaving too, example Colorado to the Pac 10 (and if Colorado left, thats another big TV market gone). FYI, besides Colorado and Missouri, Texas has the other big markets. And Texas's markets are the biggest overall.

If Missouri and Colorado left the Big 12, Texas stands to lose a lot of money. At that point they would either have to look for a new conference, or try and bring in new teams to the Big 12. There are not many teams that would bring in the TV markets like Missouri and Colorado, so even if they bring in Boise St or Utah or TCU, they are not getting that money back.

So, Texas has to consider its options now. If they were offered a chance to improve their academics while also being given an extra $20 million a year, and they turned it down and their conference collapsed, they would probably be kicking themselves pretty hard. The Big Ten could offer Missouri or someone else, but really, is there anyone other than Notre Dame that would be a better school to add than Texas? Texas is good academically. It would bring in a ton of money. It would be good for the overall sports competition. It would make the Big Ten an even bigger deal than it already is nationally. And it would balance the conference.

Balance the conference? Exactly. When the Big Ten expands to 12 teams, they could divide into divisions of 6 and 6 in football. Currently, you have three major teams in football, with Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. How would you split them up? Not a great balance there. Does Missouri or Iowa State help? No. Does Texas? Yes. That makes each side have two power teams.

But Texas has no rivalries in the Big Ten! Not really true. Ohio State and Texas played some amazing football games in the last few years, wouldn't that be great to have happen more? You're telling me that fans on either side aren't upset at all about how that series went, and wouldn't love another shot? How about MSU in basketball? We've played Texas the last four years and play them next season too.

So how does this affect MSU? MSU's first choice is still going to be Notre Dame. Tradition here still is going to win, and there are so many positives to that addition to the Big Ten that everyone would be happy. But if Notre Dame isn't interested, there is no better school for MSU than Texas. MSU's athletic revenue increases. MSU's academics are helped by collaboration with another great school. MSU gets it's recruiting door opened in Texas. And MSU gets another rival in sports like basketball and volleyball.

Texas to the Big Ten has my vote.

MSU to Keep Current Spartan Head Logo

2010-02-05T07:44:00.003-06:00

Michigan State will keep the current Spartan head logo during its brand redesign, Athletic Director wrote in a letter released to The Other Side of Spartan Sports.

"Our identity and branding process is nearing completion and is on schedule for a complete rollout in April. The elements and applications of the brand design will be unveiled collectively at that time," Hollis wrote. "After careful consideration, we will use the current Spartan logo design, first used in the late 1970s, to build our visual brand identity."

The entire letter is reprinted below:

We Gather and Engage Our Community to Teach, Support, and Celebrate our Student-Athletes in Their Quest for Excellence!

That’s the mission I had in mind since day one. But it can’t be done alone.

Our vision of a “consistent and national identity” was designed to bring everyone together. By that, I mean everyone -- from our administration to our student-athletes to you as a Spartan.

When I accepted this position, I stated that as your Athletic Director everything would be done with ONE FOCUS. Having been on this campus for more than 30 years as a student, alumnus, and employee, I have often observed that, as Spartans, we have not always been headed in the same direction. Nowhere has this fact more obvious than in the outward appearance of our team uniforms. We have been an athletic program of different greens, logos, word-marks, and uniform quality. There has been a lack of consistency with regard to our brand. This inconsistency was a result both of using multiple suppliers for our apparel and of uniform decisions being made without a department-wide focus.

After assuming the Athletic Director position, one of my initial objectives was to outfit each of our sports teams in a consistent manner and to do so as a component of a unique and cohesive national brand identity program. To accomplish this task, we expanded our partnership with Nike so that every one of our 25 teams and nearly 800 student-athletes will all wear Nike-designed uniforms and apparel. We feel fortunate to have Nike as a partner, not only to improve the way our teams look, but also for the unique performance advantages their products provide.

As part of the expanded partnership, we requested Nike conduct a department-wide assessment of our brand and identity. It’s important to note that this request came as part of our agreement with Nike, but was not a condition of it. There was no cost to MSU for this service. Members of my staff, university administration, and I guided Nike designers through this in-depth process that is still in the final stages of completion.

In this process, Nike has suggested various innovative concepts and design elements, yet it is always Michigan State University that determines the direction we will take. Input from student-athletes, coaches, alumni, donors, students, faculty, and university public relations advisors have been involved in this process.

The recent disclosure of an updated Spartan logo from a trademark registration process has resulted in a flurry of concern and discontentment among some of our students, alumni, and fans. I have given careful attention to thoughtful comments received and sought additional counsel regarding how ideas might be incorporated into the overall strategic brand and identity process. Our primary objective is to achieve a strong and consistent Spartan brand, but rest assured that, as our mission statement attests, bringing Spartans together is one of our fundamental values.

Our identity and branding process is nearing completion and is on schedule for a complete rollout in April. The elements and applications of the brand design will be unveiled collectively at that time. After careful consideration, we will use the current Spartan logo design, first used in the late 1970s, to build our visual brand identity. Using sound branding principles, the university will continue to register some variations of our Spartan logo in order to ensure that this symbol is well protected and firmly associated with Michigan State University. As an athletic department, we are excited about our branding and identity process. We understand, given the tremendous exposure we bring to the university, that our work is an important part of Michigan State’s overall university brand. As we go forward, we will ensure that elements of the athletics visual brand identity align with and support the university brand.

As an athletics department and as a university, we are dedicated to maintaining an appreciation for our past while also being committed to moving our university and athletic program boldly into the future. As Spartans, I believe we can all pull together and embrace the mission of standing together with one focus—a focus broad enough to encompass both the vital importance of community and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Thank you for your support, and Go Green – Go White!

Sincerely,

Mark J. Hollis

Director of Athletics

Big House to Host Cold War II

2010-01-27T15:44:00.002-06:00

The University of Michigan will get a chance to try and break the world record for biggest crowd at a hockey game when they host Michigan State in the Cold War II at the Big House this December.

The Detroit News reports a deal has been finalized, and that the two squads will face off on December 11 at 3 p.m. in Ann Arbor.

Michigan will play Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison in February, an event that is expected to draw about 50,000 fans - far short of the Cold War record 75,544, even though Camp Randall is larger than Spartan Stadium.

However, the Big House at more than 106,000 fans could set a record that may not be broken for decades to come. Michigan Stadium is the fourth-largest stadium in the world, and the largest among schools in the U.S. with a varsity hockey program (Beaver Stadium at Penn State is larger, but they don't have a varsity team).

If Cold War II doesn't set the record, Ohio State may try. The Buckeyes' Ohio Stadium (capacity: 102,329) has been mentioned frequently as a future outdoor hockey site, not just for the Buckeyes but also as a potential Winter Classic venue for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets.

Why MSU Shouldn't Change the Spartan Head Logo

2010-01-21T19:27:00.005-06:00

Michigan State athletics officials have confirmed that they will be rolling out a new Spartan head logo this April.

As first reported on Spartan Tailgate, the new logo (right) will replace the current version (left), which has been in place since 1983.

Fan reaction so far has been swift - and mostly negative. An MLive poll was tracking at 84 percent against. Thousands of Spartan fans have flocked to Facebook, where they're organizing protests and campaigns against the change.

Look folks, I'm not going to be able to be impartial on this one. I'll just throw that out right now, so I'll just say what I think.

This new logo sucks. I get that the trend now is making things look mean - from the angry Miami Dolphin to Detroit's Roary the Lion. But why do we have to follow that?

The Spartan head is classic. In a word filled with this and this and this, we've got something that has stood the test of time and still looks cool. If anything, we should put the Spartan head on MORE stuff.

For example, the only logo that can go on specialty license plates is MSU's block S, because that's the one the university controls (the Spartan head is overseen by the athletic department). The S is fine in Michigan, but no one in Maryland will know why you've got a big green S on your plate.

Problem two is the slippery slope argument. Give in to Nike on this one, and something else later, then something else, and where does it end? Oregon football, that's where. Do you want MSU football uniforms to become the joke of the Big Ten? I don't either.

I know this is planned, and I know everything's on track for an April rollout. And if someone from MSU Athletics wants to use this space to state their case, we'll let them.

But as for this reporter, I say throw this one in the dustbin of bad ideas.

The Other Side of the Alamo Bowl: Tailgate, Stadium, Impact

2010-01-18T15:23:00.006-06:00

So yeah, about that whole "tomorrow" thing... Well, that didn't happen. How does a few days later work for ya? Last time we looked at the food, location and sights and sounds of the Alamo Bowl. Today, we'll get to the game day experience itself.

Tailgate

The Alamodome isn't exactly downtown, but it's not exactly far. You know that in-between walk you don't really want to do, but isn't that terrible? The 20-25 minute kind? Yeah, it's about that. There's an odd feature to the stadium parking lots, and that's that the ones MSU fans were tailgating in are separated from the stadium by active freight rail tracks. So there's actually about two flights of stairs down and then two back up to reach the stadium entrance doors.

No real problem there - but there was one little quibble I'd make. There weren't any port-a-potties in a Spartan-designated area. instead, every portable toilet was parked smack dab in the middle of Texas Tech fans. Given that Tech fans are overwhelmingly nice, that wasn't a problem. Make them Ohio State fans, however, and all bets would be off.

Stadium

The Alamodome is arguably the best piece of architectural design in west Texas, with a domed roof supported by suspension cables anchored by four spires. Unlike most suspension-supported structures, the supports holding the roof run upwards from the cables, rather than down. It's very cool, if you're into that sort of thing (which I am).

The sight lines are great too. The upper deck is high above the field, so you better like looking down. The best thing about it though, is that there are no corners in the upper deck, so every seat has a straight view down to the field.

Again, nothing is perfect, and neither is the Alamodome. Going up to the 300-level seats? Yep, you're huffing it up stairs. Despite this being an NFL-caliber facility, there are no escalators. And as for drinks, almost all the soda/pop is sold in 20 oz. bottles - for $4 a pop. Yes, $4 a pop.

Impact

Perhaps the biggest difficulty the Big Ten will face leaving the Alamo Bowl is that it was always a cash cow for ratings. MSU-Texas Tech was the most-watched bowl game on ESPN this year. Sure, that might have just been the whole Mike Leach thing, but keep in mind that MSU-Nebraska was exceptionally well watched too.

Will the games in Houston or Dallas do as well? Probably not, but we live in hope.

The Other Side of the Alamo Bowl: Location, Attractions and Food

2010-01-13T22:31:00.004-06:00

I've long said that the Alamo Bowl provides the best fan experience of any Big Ten-affiliated bowl match this side of the Rose Bowl. After going again this year to San Antonio for my second Alamo Bowl (I was working the game for the Spartan Radio Network in '03), I can honestly say my previous opinion was confirmed.

This being a blog about everything but the games themselves, let's take a look at the other side of the Alamo Bowl.

Location

The difficulty with this playing a game in San Antonio - something that will be rectified next year when we trade this game for ones in Dallas and Houston - is that it's hard and expensive to get to. Flights from Detroit basically start at $400 from about 10 minutes after the destination is announced.

Yes, there is the occasional direct flight, but in reality there's almost no way to fly there directly on the cheap. American Airlines flies you through Dallas, Continental and Southwest route through Houston and the Sky Team Alliance (Delta/Northwest) primarily uses Memphis.

But once you're there, wow.

Sights and Sounds

First off, let me disabuse you of a misconception regarding the Alamo City - It's not all about the Alamo. The old Spanish mission and site of the famous battle is certainly worth seeing - once - but after about 35 minutes you're pretty much set. Six flags have been officially flown over the Alamo (Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederacy and USA), but we found out the hard way that you can't hoist a 5x7 Spartan flag on a 15-foot pole on the Alamo grounds. They also had a problem with the MSU cheerleaders doing stunts on the grass inside the walls. Bah humbug.

There's a small tourist trap area around the Alamo (Guinness Book of Records AND Ripley's Believe it or Not attractions are both across the street), but you don't want to stay there forever. Other decent attractions in SanAn are the Tower of the Americas, which has a cool observation deck with a restaurant on top (if you like paying through the nose for your food). There's also a Sea World.

But the real treat of San Antonio is the River Walk, a collection of bars, restaurants, hotels and shops that run along the banks of the San Antonio river. It was so successful when constructed that it has served as the model for waterfront revitalization efforts across the country. The food is a bit pricey - figure in about a 20% premium for pretty much anything - but it's worth it. You could spend hours here, and we did.

Food

Now this is the real treat. When you think of Tex/Mex, you should think of San Antonio. We're not saying you should only go to one Tex/Mex restaurant, but we are saying that one of your visits should be to Mi Tierra in Market Square, the undisputed king of Mexican food in SanAn. What Zehnder's in Frankenmuth is to chicken, Mi Tierra is to Mexican food (except it's good). The restaurant is open 24/7 and seats more than 500 at a time. When we went, on Saturday night, there was a one-hour wait. When we were seated, the wait had grown to two hours. No one complained.

The flank steak was perfect. They nailed the tamales, chips and salsa and folks, you didn't know refried beans could be this good. Perhaps the only let down was the merely average hard tacos, but that was more than made up by the fact that the fajita tortillas were made from scratch - think Panchero's tortillas - and served piping hot. We didn't have room for dessert.

When not in the mood for Tex/Mex, one can only assume that since you're in Texas you're looking for barbecue. Texans seem divided between two chains: Bill Miller Bar-B-Q and Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q. We can't figure out why, because Rudy's is clearly superior.

I've had good turkey, but their BBQ turkey put that on it's ear (in fact, since Rudy's sells whole cooked 12-lb. turkeys for $20, one wonders why any Texan risks it on their own for Thanksgiving). The sausage casing was crisp, with a juicy meaty center. I'm not a brisket guy, but even that was on point. The food is sold by weight, so you can get as much or as little as you want - cheap white bread and sauces are all-you-can-eat. If it's your first time, as it was ours, they'll even let you sample EVERY SINGLE THING THEY SELL before you order.

In contrast, Bill Miller's spawned a new foodie rule - the Bill Miller's BBQ Rule - which basically means that it's good enough but the presence of a far superior alternative nearby means you'll never go again. It's the corollary to the Mitchell's Seafood Rule, which says it's good enough but you'll never go again because it's too damned expensive for the merely good food.

You know, this post is running a bit long. What's say we pick up where we left off tomorrow?

RIP Amo Bessone

2010-01-11T21:09:00.002-06:00

I was going to post our recap of the Alamo Bowl, but I wanted to instead devote today's column to giving our heartfelt sympathies to the family and loved ones of Amo Bessone, the long-time MSU hockey coach who put Michigan State on the national hockey map.

Bessone died recently at the age of 93.

The man was an icon from another era, when it was Jenison Fieldhouse and Dem Hall, not the Breslin Center and Munn Ice Arena. Bessone coached the Spartans for 28 years, and brought home a national title in 1966 (possibly the greatest year in Spartan sports history).

Thanks for everything Coach. We'll miss you.

Does Color Matter?

2010-01-08T01:33:00.002-06:00

Once again at the bowl game, one of my biggest pet peeves with the Spartan Marching Band happened. Let me first say that I love the SMB. I get as excited about them as I do any other aspect of a football Saturday. I always see the pregame and postgame concerts.

I'm also color blind. I was born with it, had it all my life. I'm red-green technically, but I mess up on a lot of colors. So the color of something is not the first, or even the fifth thing I generally notice. And I generally pay little attention to color, and really don't much care, cause I hardly see it anyway.

But...

Why do our flag girls always seem to support the other team?

Has anyone else noticed that our flag girls will OFTEN have what seem to be randomly selected colored flags? And that many times, by what I can only guess is whatever fabric was on sale recently, our flags are the colors of our opponent in the game? Does this bother anyone else?

From my point of view, it is annoying and distressing. I'm out there in full MSU apparel. So is everyone else around me. So is the team. So is the rest of the Marching Band. The Cheerleaders. The dance team. Those fraternity kids that rings the bell. And then our flag girls will use Texas Tech Red as the color of their flags at the bowl game, and it will be on national TV.

If I was in charge of this, I would have a simple solution. They would be allowed different flags in a "green" category, and additionally, they could have an assortment which included some "white." On the rare occasion, they could perhaps use a color outside of this, but only once they checked the schedule (posted years in advance) and saw it was NOT a color which supported our adversary on that day. And never yellow or blue.

Now, why does this happen anyway? I've been told the argument that "The flag girls need to stand out somehow from the rest of the Spartan Marching Band. That is the way they do it."

This argument made me almost fall over. First, they don't need to stand out. It's not what Spartans do. We're 300 strong, not 295 plus those 5 people wearing neon. The guy who stands out in the crowd at Spartan Stadium is generally going to get popcorn thrown on him for being an Iowa fan, not celebrated for his diversity. Second, they are wearing a completely different uniform than the rest of the SMB, and if that didn't help, they are furiously waving flags. Yeah, we noticed you, you stand out plenty!

So please, for the love of Sparty, can we please see some green flags next season?

MSU Alumni Assn Giving Free Memberships to Unemployed Alums

2010-01-07T18:08:00.002-06:00

I may have missed this before, but this is just such a classy move that I can't let it sit there.

The MSU Alumni Association is offering complimentary memberships to unemployed alums, as part of an effort to help bridge the gap between jobs.

Alumni Association benefits include job boards, resume critiques and interview practices. That can be a problem, however, if you don't have the $45 to spring on a membership.

So kudos to the MSUAA on the program, and pass the word.

If you want to sponsor an unemployed alum, call Jennifer Rahn at (517) 432-1951. If you or someone you know needs to take advantage of the program, call David Isbell at (517) 432-8023. More details here.

MSU-Texas Tech Lights Up TV Ratings

2010-01-06T22:14:00.002-06:00

Sorry I didn't get to this earlier, but it's worth mentioning: The 2010 Valero Alamo Bowl was the most-watched bowl game in ESPN history.

Pick your reason why people tuned in - Mike Leach being fired that week, the Adam James scandal overall, the 14 players MSU suspended or the game itself. But they stayed for a great game between two schools that battled until the very end.

About 5.6 million viewers saw the MSU-Texas Tech game, which has to be a good sign for MSU given the good showing we put up under difficult circumstances.

We'll be doing a full Alamo Bowl recap on Monday, so watch for that.

ESPN 3D Coming in June - With Plans to Cover College Football

2010-01-05T20:12:00.003-06:00

ESPN will launch ESPN 3D this June at the World Cup, providing the first sports network with full 3-D coverage of games. The move is a follow-on to limited testing done during the USC-Ohio State football game this year which apparently "wowed" the audiences.

The plan is to broadcast some games in the World Cup, the X Games and then college football and basketball. Given that ESPN/ABC holds the primary contract for Big Ten football, it's quite probable that an MSU game may be broadcast.

Even better, the schedule sets up very well for that to happen.

The technology is expensive - it has been compared to how broadcasting in HD was far more expensive than regular definition when HD first rolled out on a wide level - so expect ESPN to only use it for the biggies.

Speaking of... MSU hosts Notre Dame and Wisconsin, and travels to Michigan, Iowa and Penn State. Given how good those respective teams are expected to be (not Notre Dame, but the Irish are always good for decent TV ratings), there's a high chance that the Spartans will wind up on ESPN 3D at some point.

I can't wait.

Texas Tech's Footprint and Other Quick Hits from Texas

2009-12-31T18:17:00.003-06:00

DALLAS - I'm sitting in one of the five terminals at the sprawling Dallas/Ft. Worth airport complex, and I've got just a few minutes before my connecting flight to San Antonio boards. With that, let me throw out a few quick hits that may be of interest to TOSSS readers.

I thought that Texas Tech fans would be out in force in Dallas, connecting from points around the country to come to San Antonio. Nope. So far, I've seen fans of the following schools: Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Air Force and, of course, MSU. No Texas Tech.

The shops at DFW carry a range of shirts - U Texas is the biggest seller, according to shop stewards, followed by the Cowboys. I didn't see any Texas Tech gear, and two different shop attendants told me they think the airport doesn't carry any.

They've just called boarding for my flight, so let me leave you with this - Reports from TOSSS contributors already in San Antonio say that the pep rally earlier today was packed with MSU fans, and they vastly outnumbered Texas Tech fans.

Granted, many Tech fans will drive in day of, but so far it's not the fan support I'd expected.

An Ethical Question for ESPN and Craig James

2009-12-30T22:08:00.004-06:00

By now, you probably know that Texas Tech fired its head coach, Mike Leach, over allegations that he had ESPN analyst Craig James' son (a Tech WR) locked in a confined space for hours on end amidst questions of whether the younger James was really as concussed as he and a physician claimed.

This being a blog about off-the-field things, I won't really get into how much I think this will hurt Texas Tech (a lot, given Leach called the plays), or how this affects the matchup (definitely helps MSU). I want to focus on something that hasn't gotten a lot of play.

Craig James was scheduled to call the Alamo Bowl before all this mess broke. Not before it happened, mind you, not before an internal investigation began. Just before it broke. Of course, as soon as the news broke, ESPN pulled James from the broadcast.

Here's my question: Why in the blue hell was James scheduled to call this game at all? Your son's at the heart of an investigation you very well know could cost the coach his job (which it ultimately did). Your subsequent comments to the media show you obviously think Leach was abusive towards some of his players - your son for one - and that he needed to get canned for the protection of the rest of the men on the squad.

That is a stunning conflict of interest. For one, I don't think parents should call their kids' games. But ESPN obviously thinks that's OK. Set that aside for now though.

As a professional journalist, I can tell you that one of two things happened. Either James didn't tell his assignment editor that this was going on, before or after he got picked to work the game, or the editorial staff at ESPN didn't care.

Michigan State fans who watch the game from home deserve a neutral broadcast booth. Texas Tech fans deserve analysts who aren't out to get their coach. ESPN almost failed their audience and really lucked out that they didn't. Fans deserve more from the "worldwide leader".

I've e-mailed a copy of this post to ESPN's ombudsman, Don Ohlmeyer. If he responds to me or on his blog, I'll be sure to post that.

Outnumbered 11 to One, Good Odds for Any Spartan

2009-12-27T21:12:00.004-06:00

Michigan State will only sell about half of its 11,000 bowl ticket allocation, while Texas Tech sold theirs out in just two days. As of this writing, Tech fans have bought up 50,000 more, meaning Spartan fans in San Antonio will be outnumbered 11 to 1.

I'm going to tell you right now that won't matter a bit.

Yes, San Antonio is a nine-hour drive from Lubbock, and an easy drive from Red Raider alumni hubs in Dallas, Houston and Austin. It doesn't matter.

Granted, MSU is going in as an underdog. We're already down 14 players, including Mark Dell, B.J. Cunningham and Chris L. Rucker. We're so thin at WR, that reportedly Keith Nichol is taking reps at the position. That, plus a 6-6 season and the expense of going to San Antonio caused most Spartan fans to understandably pass on going to the Alamo Bowl. It doesn't matter.

Five friends and I will be sitting in the upper deck, second row in the MSU section. These are the friends who, two years ago at Purdue, literally out-cheered Ross-Ade Stadium for 3/4 of the game. One of these gentlemen, who just so happens to be the co-founder of TOSSS, has been kicked out of the Palace at Auburn Hills for booing so loud a college basketball postgame show was having trouble broadcasting. These are not quiet people.

Texas Tech does not have an Izzone. They do not know what that style of cheering looks like. They'll be sitting down, or cheering when they do well - and no doubt silent for the rest of the game. We live for the second quarter, the third quarter and we'll be there in the fourth quarter whether MSU's up 20 or down 30.

The enemy outnumbers us eleven to one. Good odds for any Spartan.

The Airing of Grievances

2009-12-23T07:46:00.003-06:00

Today is Festivus, and as astute Seinfeld watchers know, every true Festivus celebration begins with the "Airing of Grievances", where people unload on all the stuff that happened that year that really grinds their gears.

This has been both a great and rough year for MSU athletics, and while TOSSS is usually (and quite correctly) considered a giant homer for the green and white, certain correctable things haven't escaped our notice.

As Frank Costanza would say, "I got a lot of problems with you people! And now, you're gonna hear about it!"

In no particular order:

The idiots at Rather Hall - Guys, what were you thinking? OK, so someone jumped your buddy at a club the other night. Call the cops. Tell Mark Dantonio. Tell your leaders on either side of the ball (Kirk Cousins or Greg Jones). Don't go over there with a posse to beat the crap out of the guy. Now MSU is down a ton of players for the Alamo Bowl, and two young men were rightfully kicked off the team.
The idiots who started that the night before - Yeah, don't think I'm going to just blame the footballers. I get that you want to be the "Big Men on Campus", but picking a fight with the football team? Really? To me that not only disqualifies you from BMOC, it makes me question why anyone let your sorry self into MSU in the first place.
Kirk Cousins - Mate, you played well (mostly), but the off-the-field leadership thing just wasn't there. At all. You want to hold a players-only meeting after a bad loss? Fine. But don't go out and lose the next week in the exact same fashion as the week before. You're the school's first-ever sophomore captain, and that comes with some responsibility. Learn from this in 2010.
Dantonio's Depth Chart - You cannot have ambiguity at the QB spot heading into the Notre Dame game. At that point, someone is the clear winner, and someone isn't. And if you've made up your mind (which you had, Nichol never started), let that guy try out the position without worrying that after every mistake he'll get pulled. This Cousins OR Nichol thing is thankfully gone for the Alamo Bowl - and it needs to stay gone.
The University of North Carolina men's basketball team. Enough said.

There, I feel better. Now on to the feats of strength!

Big Ten Could Expand to 14 or 16

2009-12-17T07:16:00.000-06:00

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Big Ten officials are discussing expanding to 14 or even 16 teams - and that the one-team deal we've all been assuming may be too small for a conference with these grand ambitions.

That would be a huge deal - no major football conference plays with more than 12 teams (SEC, Big 12 are at that number). The Big East plays with 16 teams in basketball, and they have trouble with that system.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say I like 14. It's not unwieldy, but it would allow the Big Ten to add three high-quality schools that would improve the conference's standing nationwide. The general assumption, by the way, is that Notre Dame is still not interested.

So who's a good fit? TOSSS has long advocated adding Pittsburgh, and we stick by that. Others in the mix seem to be Missouri, Iowa State, Rutgers and Syracuse - adding all five gets the Big Ten to 16 teams.

The question then turns to conference alignment - and at bigger numbers it gets easier. Consider these Big Ten East and West alignments:

East: MSU, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Indiana, Purdue
West: Ohio State, Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern

I'm putting Ohio State in the West because otherwise the B-10E is too stacked, especially in the minor sports where Michigan, Penn State and OSU are often three of the strongest. They've got a huge athletics budget, and frankly could handle the increased commuting costs.

If we go to 14 schools, just drop Syracuse and Iowa State, and the alignments still work great. And if it's 12, then just keep Pitt as the only newbie and the numbers still work fine. But looking at these potential alignments, one can see how 14 or 16 might be a better number than 12.

MSU Picked as Away Team for Alamo Bowl

2009-12-08T06:45:00.002-06:00

Texas Tech will be the home team at the Valero Alamo Bowl, meaning MSU will likely take the field in it's away whites.

There isn't a chance of color overlap, as the Red Raiders' home uni is black with red accents. MSU has two away unis - white jersey and matching pants or white jersey with green pants. Personally, I'm a fan of the white-on-white

The color palate should make for good viewing, unlike when Indiana and Wisconsin play and it's a red-and-white fiesta. Differing colors just make for a better visual experience.

I'm Going to the Alamo Bowl, Are You?

2009-12-06T20:52:00.004-06:00

I have to start this post by saying that my wife is awesome. Less than an hour after we found out that Michigan State would go to the Alamo Bowl, she told me my Christmas prezzie was a trip there.

San Antonio is an amazing place. Actually, amazing isn't the best word for it.

Along the RiverWalk is some of the best Mexican food you've ever had. The bowl game itself is well staffed, smooth running and always a great contest against a great Big 12 team. This year, we'll get all we can handle from Texas Tech, and that was before we lost three starters (and seven others) to suspension stemming from the Rather Hall fight.

Oh, and did I mention it's cheap? I booked a flight from DC for $300 (American does a discount). Didn't do the team hotel (which is right on the RiverWalk, as is the media one), instead got one a few miles out of town for less than $50 a day.

The cheapest tickets to the game are $25. Get into the MSU section for $55 (that's just $6 more than it cost for MSU-Montana State). If you're going, get them through MSU so we sell out our almost-11,000 ticket allotment. The MSU Alumni Association has travel deals as well, which can be found here.

All in all, I wouldn't miss this game. You shouldn't either.

I'll be at the Motor City Pizza Pizza Bowl, and I hope MSU is too...

2009-12-03T04:30:00.004-06:00

If you want to find me on Dec. 26th, my friends know to just look somewhere in downtown Detroit. I've enjoyed the Motor City Bowl almost every year, and not for the stellar matchup on the field. It has just been an event, a gathering of my friends, and often the last live football game I see each year. Plus it's cheap.

On years where there is a chance that a Big Ten team will be in it, I often buy my tickets several weeks before the end of the season, forking over the higher ticket money for some pretty good seats. This season you'll see me sitting on the 40 yard line. And hopefully, I'll be cheering on Michigan State.

Why would I want MSU to go to this game this year? First and foremost, my personal selfish reasons: It would save me a lot of money, and I already have great seats! It's hard to argue with that, right? If I have tickets either way, I would be pretty weird to be rooting for Middle Tennessee Atlantic Gulf Academy against Central Michigan. But my rational makes sense for a lot of people: It's close and it would save money.

First, lets look at the general fan perspective. There is no possible bowl location this year where more MSU fans could cheer on their team. Look at the Final Four as an example. Detroit turned green that weekend, and there were three other teams supposedly playing too. Sure, the importance of the Motor City Bowl isn't on par with the Final Four, but if MSU can sell fans 74,000 tickets to see them play Montana State in East Lansing, they should be able to sell 50,000 tickets to play someone better in Detroit. Where travel, hotel, tickets, food, other attractions and souvenirs for either the Alamo Bowl or the Insight Bowl would place a trip out of price range for many Michigan families, a day trip to Detroit with dinner at the Coney Island after the game is not much more than going to the movies on a Friday night.

Plus, if you are a hard core State of Michigan sports fan, you could decide to catch MSU in the noon game, and then either the home Pistons or home Red Wings game that night. You'll probably not even see those on TV if you traveled down to Texas or Arizona. The City of Detroit could use the extra tax dollars, and if we want a Motor City Bowl to be around much longer, at some point it would be nice if it actually sold out, or even came close. And the only way that is likely to happen is with Michigan State, Michigan, or perhaps Notre Dame in attendance. Weren't all of those feel good stories on TV about how great it was for Detroit that MSU was in the Final Four nice? You could get your DVR ready for a whole bunch more of those!

Now, lets look at a school perspective. Even before this week's embarrassing "excuse me for a minute Mom while I run across the street and kick the crap out of some short guy" episode, Detroit was not a bad option. Financially speaking, MSU spends a lot of money to play in a bowl. Sure, I'll buy your argument that MSU makes a lot more money, and the bowls pay a lot of expenses. Plus money goes to the Big Ten and is then split between the teams to help everyone. But even with a smaller overall payout to MSU coming from the Detroit game than another possible game, MSU could choose to dramatically save money on their expenses. Just look at all of the people we travel: Football team and staff, athletic department staff, administrators and Board of Trustees, University Relations, SAF (Sparty), Spartan Marching Band, cheerleaders, Spartan Radio, high level donors, Alumni Association staff. We could treat a trip to Detroit like any other bowl game, where many of them get sent days early and put up in hotels, many receiving per diem for every meal. But if MSU plays in Detroit, we wouldn't HAVE to. Many of these people wouldn't need a hotel at all, and if they did it may only be for one night, not three or more. You can forget the cost of the chartered airline plus the additional airfare for all of the people who are not on the chartered flight, plus the cost of the semi trucks of equipment driving across the country (Yeah, we truck the helmets and pads and tubas).

There is a fair argument for the element of prestige. Playing in Detroit is simply not as cool as playing in Texas or Arizona. It may not look as appealing to recruits, to fans hoping for that trip to warm weather, or to the high school student whose looking for a school to apply for college (and is not as interested in how great the Math department is). But I'll make this argument for prestige: It is more prestigious to sell out your ticket allotment and then another 30,000 tickets than to leave half your section empty. It is more prestigious to compete and win a game than to get blown out by 50 against Oklahoma or Texas Tech. It is more prestigious to have your team take the field to thunderous cheers than the boos from the sea of Orange or Red that would far out-number those wearing green. And it is more prestigious to look at this team's goals from the beginning of the season, and be able to say "accomplished." A big goal this season was to WIN a bowl game, not just go. No matter where MSU goes, they will have gone to three straight bowl games, something that has not been done in a long time. That's pretty prestigious too.

So even though I have been hoping for their destination to be Detroit for a while, my mind was firmly made up this week after "the incident." The effect on fan enthusiasm for traveling to a bowl could simply be devastating. If this had happened a few weeks earlier, or a week later, it may not have mattered as much. But the site is announced Sunday, and it came out this week. The timing simply could not be worse for trying to excite fans and trying to sell tickets.

The scenario I fear is that MSU will draw the Alamo Bowl and have to play Oklahoma. For the third straight year, MSU would play the top QB prospect going into the NFL Draft. Winning that game would be difficult at best, and with 6+ starters possibly out for the bowl, it would take darn near a miracle. Knowing this, a large number of fans that may have attended the game now stay home, and our reputation as a school that travels well is hurt badly. That hurts our future bowl selections. And losing the game badly doesn't impress recruits or anyone else. So we would spend a lot more money to go and hurt our recruiting, our future bowl selection chances, and our pride.

Now picture what I've been picturing for the last month: 65,000 screaming fans in green, a bowl victory, family and friends all around, tailgating with hot chocolate and snow football, and an athletic department that can save enough money on the trip to avoid having to make cuts to Volleyball and Wrestling. Recruits with smiles on their faces, and TV stories about how this MSU team has adopted the City of Detroit, lifting it from the ashes one more time, instead of TV stories about our how we didn't travel half our team cause they are thugs.

Either way, I'll be at the Motor City Bowl on December 26th. I just hope MSU is too.

Suspensions Could Cost MSU in Bowl Hunt

2009-12-01T18:37:00.003-06:00

A fight between Michigan State football players and members of a fraternity, coupled with the dismissal of two players and indefinite suspension of eight more, will almost certainly play into the decision process over where MSU goes bowling.

The only question is how much.

Alamo Bowl spokesman Rick Hill said in an interview here last week that the makeup of the team on gameday is a factor in the selection. His remarks came in the context of Minnesota losing all-everything WR Eric Decker for the season. Well, now MSU has lost starters Mark Dell, B.J. Cunningham, Chris L. Rucker and a host of backups. Actually, we didn't lose them, per se, they took themselves out by being morons last week. But I digress.

Ask yourself, who is the better matchup for a Big 12 team with a prolific offense like Oklahoma or Texas Tech? Minnesota, without Decker, or MSU, without Dell, Cunningham and Rucker? Not such an easy question.

And then there's the question of fan enthusiasm. Before this incident, I would have bet serious cash that MSU would out-travel Minnesota. Now? Who knows. San Antonio didn't get any less cool as a destination, but how many alums will pay to see a disappointing team going through the worst scandal since the days of Damon Dowdell and Eric Knott?

Will it all matter? Yes. Will it be enough to keep us from San Antonio? That remains to be seen.

MSU's Bowl Chances: Final Draft

2009-11-30T06:56:00.000-06:00

By Sunday evening we'll know where Michigan State is going bowling. It could be San Antonio, it could be Phoenix or, if unlikely events converge, it could be Detroit.

Currently, there are just two big questions remaining. First, will the Big Ten get two teams in the BCS? If they do, then the Big Ten won't have enough teams to send one to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Under that scenario, the Alamo Bowl would pick between MSU and Minnesota, with MSU seen to be the favorite.

That scenario seems most likely. There are six conferences that automatically get BCS invites, and undefeated TCU will qualify for an automatic slot as a high-ranking mid-major. That leaves just three spots open. One goes to the loser of the SEC Championship, leaving two. The options remaining are a second team from the Big Ten, (likely) undefeated Boise State and, maybe if Cincy loses to Pitt, the Bearcats. Given how much the Fiesta Bowl wants Iowa, and how much the Orange Bowl wants Penn State, one of them will get picked.

That much is certain, unless Nebraska upsets Texas in the Big 12 championship. In that case, you've got to like Texas' odds of picking up an at-large spot, leaving a big-time bowl the option of choosing between Iowa, Penn State and Boise State.

Question two is more difficult: Who do you like between MSU and Minnesota? Both teams are 6-6 and Minnesota won the head-to-head matchup. On the other hand, MSU finished stronger and travels MUCH better.

Should the Big Ten only get one team in the BCS, I think George Perles and Lloyd Carr will find a way to talk the Insight Bowl folks into taking the Gophers, possibly by guaranteeing their entire ticket allocation. That way, they could have an in-state team and a possible MSU-Central rematch. Of course, if the Big Ten can't send a team to the Detroit game, there's a good-sized chance that Notre Dame might fall there as an at-large, and ND-Central would actually be a pretty good game.

As it stands, with no more games to be played by State and just one more week to go, the guess here is that MSU winds up in the Valero Alamo Bowl. I'll say that's an 85% chance, with a 10% chance we go Insight and 5% that we fall to Detroit.

A New Argument for Notre Dame to Join the Big Ten

2009-11-24T07:04:00.000-06:00

After yet another season of mediocrity, a Chicago Sun Times columnist has taken an interesting tack to the question of whether or not Notre Dame ought to swallow their pride and join the Big Ten.

The argument in many ways makes sense, and it's what you've heard before. It's better for the non-football sports - especially men's and women's basketball. It's better for academics.

But as veteran writer Herb Gould points out, the best incentive for joining the Big Ten is that it would reduce the pressure on Notre Dame. "At Notre Dame, having no conference pretty much puts the Irish on a jittery tightrope from the opening kickoff every season. The Subway Alumni need to realize the days of Rockne and Leahy and Ara -- and even Holtz -- are over. Everybody's on TV. Everybody can recruit and play a national schedule."

Gould said the money issue with NBC could be worked out, and there's a really sensible way to do that. Give NBC the option on taking the #1 Big Ten game every week that Notre Dame is at home, and first choice of Big Ten games that don't involve the Irish when they're on the road. NBC would pay more and, in return, get the occasional Michigan-Ohio State, Penn State-MSU or Iowa-Wisconsin, big games that drive national ratings.

That said, Gould also calls for ND to fire Charlie Weis and hire Cincy's Brian Kelly (the guy MSU would have hired had it not been for one M. Dantonio). And that would make sense - so don't worry about that happening. Still, we can dream can't we?

Alamo Bowl Official: MSU an Attractive Candidate

2009-11-23T16:29:00.005-06:00

Given that present discussion that's dominating among MSU football fans - that being where MSU will be going bowling - I thought we'd talk with someone who could shed some light on that. So I called up the good folks at the Valero Alamo Bowl, whose pick is likely to decide the matter. Should they pick us, we'll go there. If they don't, we're headed to Phoenix.

The Alamo Bowl is preparing to pick between Michigan State and Minnesota, assuming two Big Ten teams make a BCS bowl, Alamo officials confirmed today. Rick Hill, vice president of marketing for the Valero Alamo Bowl, declined in an interview today to say who the favorite was between the two, but said MSU was an attractive candidate.

Key among the factors is the ability to quickly mobilize fans to buy tickets and book their flights. "We’ve learned that within 48 hours of the announcement, if your fan base hasn’t decided, they're probably not going."

Several factors are working in MSU's favor. For one, MSU has a higher average home attendance, though Minnesota sold out every game in the new TCF Bank Stadium. Secondly, MSU has a strong history of traveling well to bowls - both the last two years in Orlando and in 2003 to the Alamo Bowl. Officials in San Antonio haven't forgotten the sea of green that descended on the town then, and that works in our favor now. Lastly, MSU has a massive alumni base in Texas, which could just drive to the game.

Given that MSU and Minnesota are both a disappointing 6-6, and the options from the Big 12 are largely between nearby Texas Tech and Oklahoma, Hill said they're expecting the Big 12 to carry the day in terms of ticket sales. While Alamo Bowl officials want both teams to sell out their allocations, the large base of fans from the Big 12 will allow them tilt further in favor of the team that will give the best game.

Bowl selections based on competitiveness don't hinge on who necessarily beat whom during the regular season - though that does matter. Instead, Hill said, it's who will give you the best game on January 2.

It's a little tougher there - especially given that Minnesota beat MSU in Minneapolis on Halloween. However, the Gophers have fallen precipitously since then and continue to be without their star wide receiver, Adam Decker. MSU, on the other hand, has come to play against two heavily-favored squads the last two years that both featured legit NFL prospects (Boston College, led by Matt Ryan, and Georgia, led by Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford).

I asked Hill again who he thought might be there - if he'd put a percentage on MSU's likelihood of being involved. He, quite politically correctly, declined so to do.

It's worth noting that if only one Big Ten team makes the BCS, MSU is all-but certain to miss the Alamo Bowl. Hill said they'd have to add in either Wisconsin or Northwestern to the mix and, while he wouldn't say it, I'd put money down that we won't jump either of those squads.

Coverage Map: MSU-Penn State

2009-11-20T20:53:00.004-06:00

Michigan State's regular season-ending clash against Penn State will be the national game across most of America Saturday, the only exception being a small swath of ACC country from Georgia to Washington D.C.

The battle for the Land Grant Trophy is the ABC national game in most major alumni markets like Michigan, Chicago, Orange County, Texas, Denver and New York. Alaska and Hawaii, not pictured at left, will also get MSU-Penn State on ABC.

ESPN will carry the game for the rest of the country, but strangely enough, only in standard definition. ESPN News will run on ESPN's HD channel.

I don't really understand that call, but apparently someone in Bristol thinks the rest of the country doesn't need to watch football in high def, but needs their studio news recap in crystal-clear HD.

FYI, the game opposite ours is Virginia @ Clemson.

U2 Tickets On Sale Tuesday

2009-11-16T19:54:00.005-06:00

Tickets to U2's June 30 Spartan Stadium show go on presale to Spartan fans Tuesday at noon, and you can get them if you know the secret passcode. Luckily enough, it was e-mailed to everyone and their mother today, including certain blog writers.

To get your tickets, click here and enter the passcode GREEN.

There is a presale for paying members of U2's fan club, which starts two hours earlier, but I think most of our readers have better things to do with their cash than pay to join a band's fan club. Just saying.

By the way, we're hearing that U2's opening act has been confirmed as the Black Eyed Peas. So that's something.

Equipment Manager Gets Game Ball for Making Nike Uniforms Look Good

2009-11-15T21:50:00.004-06:00

It had to happen, just like a stuck clock happens to be right once a day, but someone has finally figured out how to make a new Nike uniform look good.

The person who did was Texas Christian's equipment manager, who came up with this look. The front of the jersey says "Horned Frogs", inside the collar says "Don't Back Down". There are two red lines on the helmet, representing the twin streams of blood a horned frog shoots from its eyes as a defense mechanism. And, of course, there's the incredible charcoal gray pants - a highly underutilized color in uniforms, I think. For comparison, compare the new uniform at left to TCU's old uniform. It's not even close.

In fact, the change was so good that TCU's coach gave a game ball to the equipment manager who designed the new unis.

I'm not usually a fan of changing MSU's traditional home uniform (green shirt, white pants, green helmet with the Spartan logo) too much, but I am one of those Spartan fans that doesn't mind a third color in the black/gray scheme - and wouldn't mind us trying those charcoal gray pants.

MSU's men's basketball squad occasionally rocks the newest Nike designs - those tight-hugging shirts for example - and while sometimes they'll have a few nice features, you'll never look at the jersey and go "whoa."

Perhaps that kid from TCU would be free to lend a hand on a new design.

Gameday Forecast: Michigan State @ Purdue

2009-11-14T06:34:00.004-06:00

The sun just rose over Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana where the temperature is already 47 in route to the predicted high of 70. Slight winds of 10-20 MPH won't do much to cool the air and spoil what might be one of the last beautiful weekends before winter. You'll see some clouds roll past but nothing should be too permanent, and the sun should stay out most of the day. The first tailgating lots opened about 40 minutes ago, and you can already hear that annoying train horn.

It's a beautiful day for football!

MSU's Bowl Chances: Two Weeks Out

2009-11-13T20:49:00.003-06:00

We'll start this week by outlining the rules. Slight update from the last post: The Champs Sports Bowl picks before the Alamo Bowl this year. Also, if a 6-6 team gets picked before a 7-5 team, the 7-5 team must have an affiliated bowl to land in. With that, let's get to it.

To me, the Big Ten splits into three levels at this point. Iowa has one loss, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin have two. Iowa is @ Ohio State this weekend, and the winner of that will almost certainly go to the Rose Bowl. Realistically, the loser probably isn't going to get picked for the BCS. Penn State closes home to Indiana and @ MSU and if the Nittany Lions win both then they and their massive fan base will have an in at a second BCS bid. Should TCU lose to Utah, but especially if Boise State loses to Idaho, that shot would become almost automatic.

However, for these purposes, I'm assuming that Iowa/OSU gets to the Rose Bowl and that Penn State doesn't get picked as an at large. Three reasons: I think the MSU game may actually go our way. I also think that it would be next to impossible to pass on an undefeated Boise or TCU. Finally, Oregon and Arizona have the inside track on winning the Pac 10 and a two-loss USC would get picked ahead of a two-loss Penn State.

Given that, I've got Penn State in the Capital One Bowl, the loser of Iowa @ OSU (the guess here is Iowa) in the Outback Bowl and Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl.

That leaves the second tier schools: MSU, Minnesota, Northwestern and Michigan. Purdue, Illinois and Indiana can only finish 6-6 at best, and none would get picked ahead of the four second-tier schools.

Minnesota is an almost near-mortal lock to finish 6-6. Their next game is against South Dakota State, a good FCS school, but an FCS school nevertheless. Their final game is @ Iowa. 'Nuff said.

Northwestern and MSU both have a game they'll be favored in followed by a game they'll be picked to lose, though both are winnable or loseable. For NW, it's @ Illinois then home to Wisconsin. For MSU, it's @ Purdue then home to Penn State.

Michigan has by far the toughest road to a bowl, finishing up @ Wisconsin then home to Ohio State.

So who gets in? Well, we'll start by assuming that Minn., NW and MSU all finish up at 6-6. I simply don't think Michigan has another win left in them, and will finish 5-7. Their chance to get bowl eligible died when they let Purdue come back from two touchdowns last weekend.

Minnesota beat both Northwestern and Michigan State, but that doesn't matter at all compared to who will fill up the Alamo Bowl best. Frankly, that's probably Michigan State. Add that to the fact that MSU traveled very well in 2003 to the Alamo Bowl, and you'll see MSU headed to Texas once again.

That leaves Minnesota and Northwestern for the Insight Bowl, and conventional wisdom says Northwestern goes to the Insight Bowl. I wouldn't pick that way, but I think that's the read people much closer to the situation are getting, so I'll defer to their wisdom. That leaves Minnesota with a trip to Detroit and the Little Caesars Bowl.

Should Penn State get picked to go to a BCS bowl, who would go to Detroit? Well, another team would have to qualify, and of the other three schools, Purdue has the easiest road. They finish home to MSU and @ Indiana, and I think it would be easier for Purdue to win both than for Michigan to beat either Wisconsin away or Ohio State at home. Indiana has to win @ Penn State before that Purdue clash, and Indiana has never beaten Penn State, ever. Illinois closes out with winnable home games against Northwestern and Fresno State sandwiching a game they won't win - @ Big East leader Cincinnati.

With two games to play, the pick is MSU to the Alamo Bowl.

Live Sports Radio?

2009-11-13T10:45:00.001-06:00

So I have to assume that many of you season ticket holders, as well as those of you fortunate to be on MSU's sports mailing lists (probably from ordering a ticket in the past at some point) have been receiving the email blasts every few games touting Live Sports Radio. First they wanted you to simply trust and buy, but now they are offering a "free sample" which I can only assume is something to the effect of: Here, try the radio for the Penn State game. If you like it, just keep it and we'll charge you.

My understand of this radio (from my limited attempt at research) is that it basically is a um... radio. It gets the local broadcast of the MSU game, which I'm sure we all love. Thing is, everyone's radio gets this. It's on 1240AM, and it comes in pretty good in Spartan Stadium.

Where I could see myself really enjoying this is at away games. When I visit Purdue this weekend, there is no chance I'll be able to hear George Blaha's "Touchdown, MSU!" If I had this product, my understanding is that it should work.

Their website suggests that it will work at every stadium, but is being broadcast on low power so if you head out early, or are coming late, you may not get reception at your tailgate. They also are very heavily mentioning that there is "No Delay." Is this a current issue when listening to local radio?

One other item of note: The website mentions that it will work "all season." It also mentions that new radios may be available in coming seasons. A FAQ on their website asks about turning it in at the end of the season, and the answer is "There is no need to turn your radio in, once you purchase it is yours to enjoy. It will continue to be useful as an FM scan radio." Notice they did not say something like "It will be useful again next season." Finally, in the FAQ's is a mention that it will need to be reprogrammed for each upcoming season in order to work. Cost: Currently $10.

There are many questions I have with this, but I will be looking at one during the Penn State game. Has anyone used this? What was your experience? Is the value at home games significantly greater than using a normal AM/FM radio? What about away games?

Right now, my instinct says that this is only a product I would want if I needed it at away games to hear George Blaha.

Twitter Hearts Shannon Brown

2009-11-13T00:36:00.002-06:00

Former Michigan State basketball star Shannon Brown has become an absolute phenom online, thanks to his sensational aerial acrobatics, including thundering dunks that seem to come from the rafters.

Brown outdid himself Thursday, with a breakaway jam from almost the top of the key against the Suns. That dunk helped make his name the third biggest trending topic on Twitter after the game concluded. The dunk in question can be seen here:

About the only question left is whether or not Brown is the best former Spartan in the NBA - which is precisely why we've got polls on this site. Check the right rail and let us know your opinion.

Steps to Becoming Duke

2009-11-12T10:50:00.002-06:00

The Lansing State Journal ran a great package this week comparing MSU basketball to Duke, noting that the last great hurdle to clear in MSU's rise is to get it into the conversation of the absolute top-tier basketball programs in America.

North Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Duke. That tier.

Tom Izzo told the LSJ's Joe Rexrode that his goal was to take care of every notch between now and that level before he retires. Filling up Midnight Madness was one such notch, but there are more. Izzo's remaining notches are unknown, but here are my thoughts.

Sell out every home game. There are still tickets left for our opener against Florida Gulf Coast, for example.
Move the Izzone so the TV cameras see it. It boggles my mind that the head-on section the main TV camera sees is the only one in the lower bowl without the Izzone in it. At Duke you see the Cameron Crazies in all their glory. Should be the same at Breslin.
Get big games on big TV every year. We're doing that already, with games against Texas, UNC, Gonzaga and Illinois getting the big TV treatment. That has to continue
Win those games. The two big losses against UNC hurt, and can't become a trend. You don't want to become the Ohio State football of the college basketball world. With all our injuries, that game against Gonzaga actually scares me.
Second round or better every year. Getting to the tournament is key for any school. This year we should go a bit further, but in a bad year we should get to the second round of the tournament.

This is the biggest one though: Don't change how we recruit.

MSU has never recruited a one-and-done player. We never should. Let the Greg Odens and John Walls and Kevin Durants of the world go to Ohio State, Kentucky and Texas, respectively. MSU cannot try and out-sexy these folks. We need to keep that blue collar attitude and the four and five-year players that make MSU what it is.

There are a lot of shady characters in prep basketball and on college basketball coaching staffs (ahemJohnCalipariahem) and thankfully MSU hasn't been mentioned in connection with any of them. Tom Izzo is the biggest reason why it hasn't been.

Actually, not changing how we recruit isn't the biggest thing. Keep Tom Izzo - that's the biggest thing. If Tom Izzo becomes our version of John Wooden or Joe Paterno, that's more than OK by me.

Suzy Merchant Expecting Two Bundles of Joy

2009-11-06T21:35:00.003-06:00

MSU women's basketball coach Suzy Merchant is expecting a big season from her 10th-ranked Spartan team, followed by a big summer capped by the expected birth of her second child.

Merchant told the team she before the season, which began with a big exhibition win over Wayne State, that she was pregnant. Merchant has a two-year-old son Tyler.

Big things are expected of the Spartans, who are led by 6'9 center and All-America candidate Alyssa DeHaan. Last year's season ended in the Sweet Sixteen with a crushing come-from-ahead loss to Iowa State. This year's team is talking Final Four. Making it there would be the first "bundle of joy" referred to in the headline.

After the season closes, Merchant will add another member to the Spartan family. Let me take this chance, from all of us at TOSSS, to wish nothing but the very best to the entire Merchant family.

Lowered Expectations

2009-11-05T22:44:00.005-06:00

There used to be a sketch on MadTV titled "Lowered Expectations." In it, characters who haven't had luck in the dating scene decide that the only way to finally find "The One" would be to go on TV and talk about what they're willing to settle for.

That's this football season for me.

At the beginning of the season, we were Rose Bowl bound. After the loss to Notre Dame, it was that we could still make a New Year's Day bowl. Before the Iowa game, it was back to win out and make the Rose Bowl.

Now our best case scenario is a middle-tiered bowl game.

At the beginning of the season, the predictions were that MSU would go 10-2 or 9-3. The lowest available selection in one media poll was 7-5 - predictions below that being dismissed as wild, pessimistic antifantasies or the results of some online Wolverine trolls.

Now we've got to win out for 7-5. Just to make a bowl game we'll have to either beat a surging Purdue team on the road or take out #11 Penn State at home, not to mention take care of Western Michigan on Saturday.

Michigan State football is like that pudgy guy at the bar who only has eyes for the former cheerleader in the far corner. Well, she shot him down, her two friends followed suit and now, an hour before last call, he's slumping in a corner, beer spilled on his shirt, talking about the banalities of his job to some poor sop who couldn't find another open seat.

But there's still time left on the clock. This season, like that poor guy's night, can still be a success. Just with lowered expectations.

Sellout Uncertain For Western Game

2009-11-03T14:05:00.003-06:00

About 1,000 tickets remain for Michigan State's must-win clash against in-state rivals Western Michigan, MSU football officials announced today.

Tickets are priced at $49, and that could be a problem given how cheap they are online on resale websites. As of this writing, a pair of tickets in Section 9 (opposite the press box, between the 50 and south side 30) were going for $40. The cheapest tickets available were listed for $18.

Tickets are available through the athletic ticket office. Here's hoping for a sellout.

MSU's Bowl Chances: Three Weeks Out

2009-11-02T13:57:00.003-06:00

Michigan State is sitting at 4-5 with three games to go, the upcoming one being against 17-point-underdog Western Michigan. Following that are games away to Purdue (3-6 overall) and the final at home to #11 Penn State (8-1).

MSU needs to win two games to become bowl eligible and three to guarantee a bowl bid. Assuming that happens, what bowl is MSU likely to make? Well, let's start with the position MSU might have in the pecking order.

The top three, in some order, are almost certainly Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State. Wisconsin, at 6-2, is riding high and will likely claim the fourth spot. That leaves us on the next tier with Minnesota, Northwestern and Michigan, all at 5-4, while MSU and Indiana sit at 4-5. For argument's sake, since Indiana's remaining schedule is @ Wisconsin, @ Penn State and home to Purdue, I'm going to guess that IU won't win two games, thus making them ineligible.

That's eight teams for seven bowl games. Minnesota's remaining schedule (vs. Illinois, vs. South Dakota State, @ Iowa) is favorable, while Michigan and Northwestern are even money to, like MSU, finish 6-6.

So let's allocate the bowl games, for the moment assuming that the Big Ten sends both Iowa and Penn State to BCS bowls. The Capital One and Outback, the other two New Year's bowls select Ohio State and Wisconsin, respectively, while Minnesota goes to the Alamo Bowl. By rule, a 7-5 team must get picked over a 6-6 squad, so the fact that Minnesota is a terrible traveling team won't hurt them in this scenario.

The Champs Sports Bowl gets to choose next, between MSU, Michigan and Northwestern. MSU beat both squads, but that doesn't matter nearly as much as which school will travel best. Michigan does travel better than MSU, however we've done well two years in a row bringing fans to Orlando. Still, Michigan hasn't gone bowling in a year, so there's a little more pent-up demand on their end.

Whoever doesn't get picked is likely the favorite to go to the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., with Northwestern headed to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit.

Right now, the most likely scenario would see Michigan State head to the Insight Bowl. That prediction assumes we'll win two of the next three games, likely against Western Michigan and @ Purdue.

Granted that it's not the destination we were all hoping for in August, but I could do with a New Year's Eve in Arizona, couldn't you?

Gameday Forecast: Michigan State @ Minnesota

2009-10-31T07:28:00.000-05:00

Today's game in Minneapolis won't just end under the lights, it will be a true night game from start to finish. Sunset is expected at 6:02 p.m. Central time, with kickoff starting after 7 p.m Central (8 p.m. Eastern).

Game time temperature will be about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, though it'll feel like 32. Winds will stay around 10 miles per hour all game. There's barely any chance of rain at all.

It's a beautiful day for football!

Final Four Friday: Halloween Costumes for the Minnesota Game

2009-10-30T12:16:00.004-05:00

Michigan State will be the first Halloween visitor at Minnesota's new TCF Bank Stadium, and if you're going to go you might want to dress the part. But what Halloween costume to wear? That's where we come in, and that's this week's Final Four Friday.

Eric Decker - Minnesota is generally an hospitable destination for visitors, but this outfit might be pushing your luck. The Golden Gophers' best player, wide receiver Eric Decker, is out of the game with a foot injury. Make the costume with a pair of crutches, and exaggerated plaster cast on your left foot. Problem is, you'd have to wear Gophers colors to pull off the outfit, and it is a bit subtle unless you've got a Decker jersey, and that makes it a very expensive costume indeed.

King Leonidas - It's a typical one for Spartan fans since the movie 300 came out, but King Leonidas is always a popular getup. Roman sandals, a Spartan-style helmet, short shorts, leg and arm shields are mandatory for this one. Most costumes come with a red cape, you'll want a dark green one instead. Be careful because some folks consider a shield a weapon - and every stadium security guard will take issue with a spear.

Mark Dantonio - This is probably the easiest costume on the list. Start with a green MSU sports polo or hoodie and khaki pants. Complete the ensemble by finding an old set of aviator headphones with a mouthpiece (check your local thrift or pawn shop) and removing one of the earpieces.

You'll want to make sure to have a constant scowl on your face, or people won't quite get it. For extra oomph, find a gaudy ring to double as his 2002 Ohio State national championship ring.

Lou Anna Simon - This is one of the best ladies costumes, and very very easy to do. The key is to find a green suit, and again I'd check the thrift stores for that. Put a black turteneck under it and a simple piece of chain jewelery, preferably with an MSU charm on it. Glasses are optional.

The nice thing about the Simon costume is that it's a ladies costume that doesn't have the word "sexy" in front of it. Typically, good costumes are either sexy or funny/creative, with the trend for women going toward sexy at all costs. There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but it's nice to have alternatives like this one. However, if you decide to make a sexy President Simon costume, be that on your own conscience.

And the winner is... King Leonidas.

Anyone willing to stand in Minnesota weather in late October wearing little but a Speedo in the name of MSU should get a medal - and a psychological evaluation.

Would Publicly Accountable Refs Clean Up Bad Calls?

2009-10-28T12:56:00.003-05:00

The Lansing State Journal published an unsigned editorial today calling for Big Ten football officials to attend post-game press conferences as one of a two steps it said could help clean up officiating mistakes in the conference. The other move the Journal is key on is hiring full-time referees to lead the otherwise part-time crews (currently all refs are part timers).

The idea of media (and therefore public) accountability is one that has been traditionally shunned by most sports leagues. No major U.S. sports league has referees make public statements after games. And some European sports leagues - the English Premier League for example - gives stiff fines to any player or manager who dares to harshly criticize the referees who worked their match.

That attitude may be changing, however, and it has started with a league not known for being on the leading edge of progress - Major League Baseball. It started with a terrible call in game four of the American League Championship Series by third base umpire Tim McClelland, when two Yankees were standing off third base, both were tagged out yet only one was called out. McClelland, who has a fairly good reputation among MLB officials, decided to sit down with the media afterwards, take his medicine and explain how he botched the thing.

The Southeastern Conference has begun exposing referees to scrutiny as well, publicly reprimanding and suspending the officials who worked the Arkansas-Florida game this year and missed calls that wound up helping Florida on its winning drive. Such public reprimands are anathema to the Big Ten, which by its internal policy doesn't comment on officiating.

Could such scrutiny help clean up officiating? Perhaps. But it certainly won't help MSU after the fact when it gets hammered by a non-existent personal foul call and a non-review of a clear fumble. No one is going to go back and change the result and Sparty doesn't get a do-over of the whole Iowa game.

I'd love to see penalties be reviewable under the current replay system, particularly if they are large, drive-sustaining ones late in the game. Subjecting officials to post-game press conferences does nothing to change egregious errors on the field.

Confirmed: U2 to Play Spartan Stadium

2009-10-26T11:22:00.002-05:00

It's official. Bono, the Edge and the rest of U2 will play Spartan Stadium on June 30, 2010.

The band is planning to use a central stage, which would allow for the use of all the seats, plus the possible addition of floor seats. U2 is the first rock supergroup to play Spartan Stadium since the Rolling Stones did so in 1994.

The best news for MSU football fans in all this: Playing in late June should give the turf time to recover - or give MSU officials time enough to install new grass - before the first game of football season in late August.

An Actual Terrorist Threat on Campus

2009-10-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Those MSU fans who attended a game before 9/11 will recall the vast difference in security procedures before and after the terrorist attacks. The thought at the time was that terrorists might target dense groups of people like those at football stadiums in their next attack.

To this day, there have been no credible terrorist threats on campus, until now. A 17-year-old freshman was arrested last week for making a terrorist threat. That student is now no longer enrolled at MSU, university spokesman Terry Denbow told the State News.

So far there's no information as to what threat was made, or how close to execution it was. That information is critical before adjusting any security protocol at sporting events.

But rest assured that there will be an increase in security at on-campus sports events. There always are after these sorts of scares. We'll be tracking this case as it continues, as well as any event security changes that may be made as a result of it.

Gameday Forecast: Iowa @ Michigan State

2009-10-24T07:05:00.003-05:00

Today will best be described as damp in East Lansing as the cold air will turn colder and wetter throughout the day. Expect the morning and early afternoon hours to be high 40's and cloudy, but mid afternoon should see a drizzle start as the temperature drops.

By game time, expect temperatures in the low 40's and that cold drizzle to continue into the second half. Winds should be moderate, between 10 and 20 MPH. Look on the bright side: Rain always looks cool under the lights!

It's a beautiful day for football!

Tickets Available for Tomorrow!

2009-10-23T21:17:00.004-05:00

If you are interested in seeing MSU's only home night game this season, in what may end up being the biggest game of the season, tickets are still available here.

This is such a big game that I find it very surprising that any tickets are still available. This game needs to be a sellout.

One other note: MSU has closed Munn Field for parking tomorrow due to weather. This is probably a good thing since this is one of the worst places to tailgate anyway...

MSU-Iowa, UFC in Bar TV Fight

2009-10-22T07:10:00.000-05:00

If you're outside East Lansing and planning to head to a sports bar to watch MSU-Iowa you might be out of luck - not just to find a TV with the game on but also to find a seat at the bar.

The reason for that is an unfortunate match up with the most popular sports bar destination programming today, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. UFC 104, featuring a Light Heavyweight title fight between Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Typically UFC events start at 10 p.m., which one wouldn't think would be an issue going up against a first kick in the MSU-Iowa tilt at just after 8 p.m. There are two problems with that logic, however.

First, the UFC event is on pay per view, meaning that if any bar is showing it they're paying a cover fee against the estimated total capacity of their venue. Since they're literally on the hook for you watching the UFC anyways, many sports bars refuse to change even one television to alternate programming. Second, in order to up their buy rate, the UFC broadcasts some preliminary bouts free on Spike TV at 9 p.m. Before they did that, most bars showing the fights were full at 8:45. Now, you're lucky if you can get a seat by 8.

For some Spartan bars, like the Capitol Lounge in Washington, D.C., this won't be an issue. The basement of the bar is packed to the gills for any MSU football game, and the crowd goes from "standing room only" to "packed like sardines" for the bigger games.

However, if it's just a small group of Spartan fans attending, you likely won't be that lucky. Don't make the mistake of showing up to watch a game that won't be broadcast. Call ahead to make sure, and be sure to speak with a manager who has control of the televisions to make a reservation and arrange which TV will show the Spartan game.

By the way, there are two MSU alums who fight in the UFC - former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans and lightweight contender Gray Maynard. Neither are fighting at UFC 104, so you won't have to worry about missing a Spartan in action.

Broadcasting at the Breslin Center

2009-10-21T06:41:00.001-05:00

I don't need to tell any Michigan State fan just how magical a venue the Jack Breslin Student Events Center can be. The banners in the rafters attest to the iconic players and teams that have graced its floors. And for broadcasters, calling a match at the Breslin Center is as sure a sign as any that you've officially made it.

The MSU volleyball team will take to the hallowed floor of the Breslin Center tonight at 7 p.m. when they face arch-rival Michigan. It's likely to be the largest home crowd volleyball crowd this year - and no wonder since anyone with an MSUFCU membership or credit/debit card gets in free, while the first 500 fans get a free "Bust Breslin" shirt.

With all that in mind, we asked the nation's best volleyball broadcaster, MSU's own John Kreger, what it's like to call a game at the Breslin Center, and what it means to be doing so for a game involving the always-hated Wolverines. His remarks are reprinted below.

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I'm very excited to get the chance to broadcast another match at the Breslin Center. As someone who has a great respect for the traditions at MSU, to be able to call matches from a building that has seen so much success makes the Michigan-Michigan State match mean even more. I'm also at the scorers table, as opposed to in the upper deck at Jenison, so I'm right on top of the action, and I feed off of that. It makes for a fun night.

The Michigan-Michigan State matches are the highlight of my broadcast year. This will be my 17th State Pride match (The annual competition between the two schools) and the energy I get from being a part of these matches is unlike any other. I think, however, that's because I get to enjoy them as a fan. When I've asked the two coaches I've worked for about their feelings on the match, they've told me that playing Michigan presents unique challenges. It's important to do well against your rival, and understand the tradition that goes with competition between the two schools. That said, they do their best to keep the routine as normal as possible. Athletes sometimes rely on routine to get them ready for a match, and so they keep things relatively static no matter who is on the other side of the net.

Last year's UM-MSU match was one of the top 5 matches of my nine years behind the Spartan microphone. When you factor in the fact that MSU had just lost Jenilee Rathje for the season with an ACL the night before, the heart showed by Cathy's team as they won in four sets ranks as one of the all-time grittiest performances I've ever seen.

The crowd at the Breslin will be key. Last year a school record 5200 plus fans packed Breslin, and believe me, they had an impact. You could see the players being lifted by the crowd all night. The student presence was HUGE, and we need that again this year.

What does Michigan State-Michigan mean to me personally? When it comes to sports, If I could only watch two teams play against each other, in any sport, for the rest of my life, I'd choose Michigan State-Michigan. I have been on both sides of this rivalry. One of the reasons I got in to broadcasting was listening to longtime Michigan football play-by-play man Bob Ufer. My Grandfather on Mom's side lived and died with the Wolverines, and my mother has three Michigan degrees. On my dad's side, eight members of our family, including my father and myself, over three generations, have called MSU home. To have the rivalry I hold most dear also be a part of my profession is a true blessing.

Michigan brings the #11 team in the nation into Breslin tonight. They are the second of three straight ranked teams we'll play, and they present a stern challenge. The Wolverines were within 3 points of ending Penn State's 80 plus match win streak this past weekend, and are the only school to take the Nittany Lions to 5 sets this year. They say though, that when these two teams meet none of that matters, so the only thing I'm sure of is that both sides will leave everything on the floor.

I can't wait.

Things a Mascot Should Never Do

2009-10-20T11:04:00.005-05:00

Mascots exist to help rile up a crowd, pose for pictures with little kids and, during games, lightly piss off the other team's players. Minnesota's Goldy Gopher, it seems, took that a step too far.

In the clip, Goldy is mimicking a Penn State player while holding his nose. No one really has a problem with that. Then the Penn State player takes a knee and begins a pre-game prayer. Goldy mimics him throughout the prayer and gets up to again hold his nose at the player. Not cool.

There are just some things that are off limits for mascots to poke fun at. Generally, racial stereotypes are the biggest no-no. Disability is high up there too and I think religion has to be as well.

Unfortunately, MSU is sitting in a bit of a glass house on this one as I'm sure many universities with mascots are. Back in 2003, Sparty did a "blind ref" sketch video for a mascot competition that the Council for Students with Disabilities found out about (because he happened to stumble into a CSD event at the Union while wearing a ref jersey and using a cane). Full disclosure, while at school I was a member of CSD and, while I wasn't there for this incident, fully supported their condemnation.

On balance, however, the Sparty program is one of the university's biggest successes. Multiple national championships and even a video game cover have been awarded to the most recognizable college mascot in the world. Negative incidents are, thankfully, rare.

However, when they do happen the folks in charge of the Sparty program promptly apologize and change their behavior. The folks running the Goldy Gopher program at Minnesota would be wise to do the same.

Update: The University of Minnesota has issued an apology, which is reprinted in full here.

Sorry Folks, No College GameDay for Iowa Game

2009-10-18T15:56:00.002-05:00

After beating Northwestern, some Spartan fans took to the blogosphere wondering if MSU might have a shot at landing its fifth College GameDay broadcast.

As Lee Corso might say, not so fast my friends.

GameDay will originate live from the "Battle of the Believers" in Provo, Utah, where #10 Texas Christian takes on #16 Brigham Young. I call it that not just because it's going to be the highest-ranking clash between two faith-based schools this year, but because the winner of this game will still have faith it can crash the BCS.

Michigan State has hosted the football version of GameDay four times, in 1997 and 1999 against Michigan, in 2004 against Notre Dame and in 2005 against Penn State. MSU is 1-3 in those games, the only win coming in 1999 against Michigan.

MSU's last shot at hosting GameDay this year will be the November 21 tilt against Penn State which, if both teams win out from here, will be played for a Big Ten title and an almost guaranteed shot at a Rose Bowl bid.

Here's hoping.

Gameday Forecast: Northwestern @ Michigan State

2009-10-17T05:02:00.000-05:00

Spartan football in October ought to be contested on a clear, crisp autumn day. It just feels right with that nip in the air, the hot chocolate vendors flogging their drinks in souvenir mugs and folks starting to bundle up in their green coats, scarves and earmuffs.

So it will be today, as an overnight low of 34 degrees warms to just 47 in the afternoon under partly sunny skies, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. Winds will be consistent but not strong, between seven and 13 miles per hour.

It's a beautiful day for football!

Breslin Hits Capacity for Midnight Madness

2009-10-16T22:14:00.004-05:00

Midnight Madness has officially attracted a capacity crowd for the first time in MSU history!

The Detroit News reported that a crowd of 14,759 jammed the Breslin Center, which they said was full by 10:30 p.m. The LSJ said the lower bowl was filled minutes after the doors opened at 9:30 p.m. Way to support your team Spartan fans!

Any Chance of a Capacity Crowd Tonight?

2009-10-16T15:28:00.003-05:00

Tom Izzo wants a capacity crowd for Midnight Madness and he's got a good argument for getting it this year. The men's basketball team is ranked by almost everyone in the top two or three heading into the 2009/10 year, while the women are a consensus preseason top ten.

Tonight is your the first chance to see a bulked-up Tom Herzog and a slimmed-down Derrick Nix in action. It's also your chance to see what crazy costume Izzo will don this year (my favorite remains his Leonidas from 300 getup a few years back).

But despite capacity crowds being a near certainty at most big-time basketball schools tonight (Kentucky and Kansas, for example), MSU has never had a sellout for midnight madness. Its a streak that shouldn't exist, given the rich basketball tradition at Michigan State.

This year, there's even more to do. In addition to Izzo's usual theatrics, the 2009 Final Four banner will be raised to the rafters before the event begins. If you're planning to get to East Lansing earlier, women's swimming takes on Illinois at 5 p.m., the homecoming parade begins at 6 and women's volleyball takes on the always dangerous Ohio State at 6:30.

For Midnight Madness, doors open at 9:30 p.m. to an autograph and picture session in the Breslin Center concourse. The program begins at 10:30 p.m. and the men's team takes the floor around midnight.

If you're in or around East Lansing tonight, be sure to be there. You'd make Tom Izzo very happy.

Could the Big Ten Leave Detroit?

2009-10-15T07:03:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week it looked like a done deal that Detroit's Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (formerly the Motor City Bowl) would continue to be affiliated with the Big Ten Conference, albeit as the eighth choice rather than the seventh.

However, the Big Ten's official bowl announcement for 2010-13 came and went with no mention of a Detroit game. At that point, the guess was that it just wasn't officially signed but would be worked out quickly.

Perhaps it's not that simple. The latest word out of Detroit, according to the Associated Press, is that a decision could come sometime next week. However, lost in the story is a little nugget of information that the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is in talks with the Big East to step in and face a top team from the Mid-American Conference should a deal not work out with the Big Ten.

Detroit is the capital city of the Mid-American Conference, as evidenced by the conference's championship game being played at Ford Field and the sheer number of MAC schools located within 3-4 hours of Detroit. However, it's also a huge city for the Big Ten (arguably the second most prominent city in the conference, behind Chicago). Every team but Minnesota, Iowa and Penn State is within a six hour drive.

Perhaps a bigger blow to the bowl's leaders like MSU Trustee and former coach George Perles and former Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr, losing the Big Ten affiliation would likely kill the founding dream of the bowl game, that being a contest featuring Michigan or Michigan State.

What a turnaround from a few years ago when folks in Detroit seriously talked about moving up to fourth in the Big Ten pecking order when the Alamo Bowl contract expired en route to possibly crashing the BCS someday. Now, they're in danger of losing a regional tie-in, replacing schools within driving distance with those a flight away. That would likely mean fewer fans and less revenue for a bowl game already not in a traditionally "desirable" destination.

As Perles said, we should know by next week.

Some Buckeye Love for Sparty

2009-10-14T07:02:00.000-05:00

ORANJESTAD, Aruba - My recent trip to the Caribbean has convinced me that MSU and Ohio State, no matter what ever happens in the future of both football programs, will never be serious rivals. We both hate Michigan too much.

Those of you who know me know that about half of my wardrobe is made up of green or white Michigan State shirts. If you just consider t-shirts and other "warm weather attire" that number jumps to about 2/3 or 3/4. Ergo, it should be no surprise that I was walking around Aruba last Tuesday wearing a Spartan Final Four souvenir shirt.

That green shirt may as well have been a scarlet sweater vest because of the way it attracted Ohio State fans. "Hey Sparty!" one yelled out as I left a duty free store in Oranjestad, "Nice win!"

The guy was a Buckeye alum who just couldn't get enough of how we stuck Michigan with their first loss. "Well, just take care of them when you play them," I said, thinking that would be the end of it. Boy, was I wrong. That exchange repeated itself twice more in Aruba, again in Curacao the next day and even more in St. Thomas on Saturday.

The thing that struck me wasn't just that the Bucks wanted Michigan to lose. It was that they were positively giddy that MSU had done it. I got the impression that these folks weren't just rooting against Michigan, they were actually rooting FOR Michigan State. I guess it's the old axiom of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," but taken to a whole new level.

The feeling is mutual. I mean, have you ever seriously found yourself rooting against Ohio State in football? They own their rivalry with Michigan, which is a good thing. We rarely compete with the Buckeyes for bowl games, but they routinely help Sparty out by knocking off folks we're competing with for good destinations. Once you get to the bowl games, you're rooting for them to win and make the conference look good. Frankly, the biggest problem with OSU I have is that they don't win more often against big-name competition.

So to all the Buckeye fans on vacation last week, thanks for the thanks, I guess. Just make sure you get it done when you play Michigan and we'll continue to get on just fine.

New Bowl Lineup Not Good News for Fans

2009-10-13T10:46:00.004-05:00

The new bowl lineups for the Big Ten for 2010-2014 have been reported, and the first insta-analysis is that they might be better for the Big Ten teams on the field. However, if the conference was looking for a better fan experience, or for more fans to travel for that matter, then I think they missed the mark.

The upshot of the changes are thus: The Alamo Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl depart, replaced by the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, the Texas Bowl in Houston and a new game in Dallas as a sort-of sub-Cotton Bowl (like the Champs Sports is a sub-Citrus/Capital One Bowl). All other tie-ins would remain.

For those scoring at home, that's eight guaranteed slots for an 11-team conference. But since the bowl system is all about fan experience and subsequent cash flow from said fans to the bowls and participating schools, it's worth taking a look at what we're giving up and what we're getting.

The Alamo Bowl was always an underrated venue, primarily because the experience of attending the game was so amazing. San Antonio rolled out the red carpet to traveling fans and media, all of whom spent considerable amounts of time on the city's famed RiverWalk. Great margaritas, great Mexican food, great weather, great all around. Oh, and it's consistently one of the most-watched bowl games all year.

The Champs Sports Bowl was cool for two reasons. One, it got you to Orlando between Christmas and New Years. Two, because it was tied in with the Capital One Bowl, attending fans got to experience a big bowl atmosphere with a smaller-tiered game.

Of the new ones, the Gator Bowl is the only one I'm really excited for. It'll be a New Year's game in Florida, which is nice, but there's a significant downside - it's in Jacksonville. All in all, that's a nice enough town, but is it really a major tourist destination? Not really. Would you ever choose to vacation there over other Florida cities like Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Daytona, Ft. Lauderdale or Key West? Probably not.

The jury is out on the two Texas bowls for me. The destinations are good - Houston and Dallas - but I don't know how many fans are going to want to head to Dallas to watch their team play some random C-USA team. For me, I'd rather MSU go to Detroit and play a good MAC team - it's cheaper for everyone involved.

The biggest problem is the elevation of the Insight Bowl from 6th in the pecking order to 4th or 5th. That's a terrible idea. Some Big Ten schools might be big in Phoenix/Tempe - Ohio State for example - but not many are, and Michigan State surely isn't. Remember two years ago when MSU almost went to that bowl game (but we were saved by the Champs Sports and the Insight's daft idea to take Indiana over anyone else)? The entire Spartan fan base basically said they'd go to Orlando or Detroit, but not Phoenix. That should tell you something.

Now, if these new bowls can provide the same fan experience as the Alamo or Champs Sports bowls, I'll revisit this posting. For now, however, I'll keep up hope that MSU qualifies top three in the Big Ten, so Spartan fans don't have to be the guinea pigs for the new bowl affiliations.

Gameday Forecast: MSU @ Illinois

2009-10-10T05:50:00.003-05:00

Early tailgaters today had better bundle up, as temperatures will remain in the 30's until around 9:00 A.M. Central Time.

By game time, fans can expect the temperature at Memorial Stadium to reach 50 degrees, and for it to remain sunny throughout the game. A light wind will still feel pretty crisp with today's high of 57. Anyone remaining in Champaign tonight for the post-game celebration should take note of a Freeze Warning expected for tonight, meaning temperatures are expected to drop into the 20's, the lowest since last winter.

It's a beautiful day for football!

Destination: Urbana-Champaign

2009-10-08T05:59:00.007-05:00

If you are heading down to the University of Illinois this weekend, we wanted to give you some tips on places to go from an actual Fighting Illini. Luckily, this is where living in Chicago comes in handy. Here were some suggestions:

Campus Bar: Murphy's

Murphy's Pub is a typical Irish bar located on Green Street (Think Grand River.) While it's "pretty popular for your middle of the road good time," you may encounter some youngsters, as many bars here allow 18 and 19 year olds inside. You'll find food, darts and pool here, and the vibe seems similar to The Riv.

Sit down meal near campus: Papa Del's

If you're looking for more of a sit down dinner, walk one block north of Green Street to Papa Del's for some pizza. I'm told to start with the cheesy garlic bread, and then move on to the stuffed Chicago style pizza.

Sit down meal away from campus: Radio Maria

Located in downtown Champaign, Radio Maria's menu is described as a "more eclectic" choice. Here you can get Spanish influenced dishes, and they also have a tapas bar.

Be sure to see: The Campus Quad

You haven't seen campus until you walk around the Quad. Start near this statue, wander south through the Union, and keep going until you reach the Undergraduate Library (hint: a lot of it is underground!) From there, it's just a short jaunt south west to Memorial Stadium.

If you lose a bet: The Illini Inn

If you make some wagers and happen to lose, the Illini Inn is a good place to end up. Described as a "Total dive" bar, you can win back some respect by attempting to join "The Mug Club." You don't wanna know too much, just be prepared to chug a beer. And you may get a card to go in the wallet for your trouble...

Elation, Anguish in Paradise

2009-10-04T07:52:00.002-05:00

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The difficulty with flying from Baltimore to San Juan is that the best flight option leaves at 8:15 a.m. It's a four-hour flight and wouldn't you know we found out on arrival that Puerto Rico isn't exactly Big Ten Network country. Ergo, my wife and I saw precisely none of the Michigan-Michigan State football game.

Thank goodness for internet-capable cell phones, and for a certain couple we met Saturday afternoon on the streets of Old San Juan.

She was dressed as a typical tourist, a sun dress with a hat and sunglasses far too big for her face. He was indistinguishable from every other cargo short-and-cap American but for a big blue shirt with maize letters spelling "MICHIGAN" stitched on. So I did the only thing I could do.

"Hey, do you happen to know who won the game today?"

His wife smiled broadly, he winced in pain and started the story. "Well, you see, Michigan tied it up in the 4th quarter..."

"... and MSU won 26-20," his wife interrupted.

At that, my wife went ecstatic. I'm trying to play it cool with a composed look, she's almost jumping out of her teva sandals. So Michigan fan recants the loss, blow by blow, and we reminice about painful losses on both sides to try and make him feel a bit better about having just delivered wonderful news to a pair of now-deliriously happy Spartans.

His wife explained that she's a Spartan too, as is their only child. He, despite going to Western, is a life-long Wolverine fan. I almost felt bad for the guy, surrounded by Spartans and wounded by a final score that would haunt him for the next 365 days. I'm fairly sure that the rum Puerto Rico is so famous for will help him soothe the pain.

I went for some of that rum too. A toast to victory was in order.

Spartan Marching Band on Spartan Radio

2009-10-04T07:16:00.007-05:00

Yesterday morning, before MSU's big win over Michigan, John Madden and the Spartan Marching Band joined the Spartan Sports Network pregame broadcast with a quick concert in the North Parking Lot of Spartan Stadium. It was added to YouTube, and is worth a full watch. In addition to the great performance, you can see many of the other guests that were featured on yesterday's broadcast, including Men's Basketball Coach Tom Izzo, President Lou Anna Simon, and Athletic Director Mark Hollis. Watch to the end for a special treat... Derek will tell you that this is just another reason that the North Stadium Lot is the best place to tailgate...

Gameday Forecast: Michigan @ Michigan State

2009-10-03T06:30:00.004-05:00

The temperature today should not even reach 50 degrees by kickoff, and it is already a wet one in East Lansing as rain has been coming down since well before tailgating began.

Today's high of 53 degrees at Spartan Stadium isn't much better, and fans in East Lansing should expect steady showers to continue throughout the game. Stronger than normal winds at 10-20 MPH should make today's game even more interesting.

It's a beautiful day for football!

Gameday: Memories of Michigan

2009-10-03T05:30:00.001-05:00

Well, now that it's gameday against Michigan, the memories of past games are at their strongest.

Al from Waterloo, IA wrote in with two memories:

1984. I was new to the area working in Ann Arbor (O' joy!) for a nameless business at the time. the Spartans where coming into the game as underdogs @ 1-3 (Record sound familiar) I had stated firmly and directly on that Monday, that the Spartans were going to win. Period. Straight up, no points.

In what started out as a friendly wager, became almost violent with Michigan fans coming to my office from everywhere to see if it was true. That someone would actually take the Spartans.
Man did they love me. It was like they never found anyone in all their years of living in Ann Arbor, willing say such a thing, let alone bet on it.

Well, as we all know, Sparty won that game fair and square. Kicking the Blue Boys right in the teeth, 19 - 7. The next Monday, I never saw so many dead pan faces in my life!

1995. Why so many people skip over this game is beyond me.
It had everything. Spartan Stadium under lights (I love night games the best anyway!). Cold. (Real football weather.) We even had snow.

Before 2001 "this" was "the drive" game. Banks, Carter, Mason, Green. All of them making plays when needed. And having the game end on a great defensive stand to finish it, 28 - 25.
Two talent laden teams on the field. With most going on to NFL careers.

For whatever reason, Tony Banks and company have always been one of my all time favorite era's of Spartan football.

--

For what it's worth, MSU was 1-3 (like Al reminded us) before that 1984 game, and was 4-3-1 before that 1995 game. We ended '84 in the Cherry Bowl, and '95 in the Independence Bowl. I also have fond memories of that 1995 game, sitting under the lights in the upper deck watching the snow come down as MSU drove for the victory. Thanks for the memories Al!

Final Four Friday: Biggest Football Rivalry

2009-10-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

It's Michigan week, universally regarded as the biggest weekend for Spartan football each and every year. Or is it?

Michigan State plays a total of four trophy games in football, so using those as a jumping off point, here is the final four of MSU football rivalries:

Indiana

Everyone loves a winner, right? Well, the Old Brass Spittoon is the only trophy game MSU has won more times than it has lost. In fact, MSU holds a 40-12-1 series edge over the Hoosiers, including wins in the last two. The three biggest things holding back this game? 1) Indiana is usually terrible. 2) Indiana, while close to East Lansing, is arguably 11th on the list of Big Ten must-visit venues, and a good away experience is critical for developing rivalries. 3) The game almost never matters in the context of big-time bowl games.

Michigan

But for a few exceptions, Michigan has owned this series, both historically and recently. Sure, we had a good run under Nick Saban, and Bobby Williams won in 2001 (thanks in large part to Jeff Smoker, T.J. Duckett and - if Michigan fans are to be believed - Spartan Bob). Since then, however, we've only won one - last year's contest in Ann Arbor.

That said, Spartan fans don't get up for any game like they do for Michigan. It's a singular story line that dominates entire seasons. Last year, despite the run to the Capital One Bowl, was all about whether MSU would get back at Michigan after Mike Hart's "Little Brother" comments. Bobby Williams got fired following a blowout loss. It's the only game on the schedule that carries that kind of weight.

Notre Dame

This one comes close, however. And, it has the added benefit of actually being an annually competitive series.

Notre Dame has always been a big game, but it seems like the rivalry has managed to grow in recent years. The planting of the Spartan flag at Notre Dame Stadium, Charlie Weis' "guarantee", the phantom punch that Weis whined about, all of it. And that's just the last few years. Add in the Game of the Century and you've got a great rivalry tradition that's as good now as it ever was.

Penn State

The Land Grant Trophy is the largest of all of MSU's contested trophies, a metaphorical sign of how big the two schools hope the rivalry becomes. There was some talk last year that this end-of-season game might supplant Michigan-Ohio State as the premier closing game, however MSU has never really held up its end of the bargain by being good enough on a consistent basis.

As is, this is a rivalry most marked by how polite it is. I mean, Penn State fans gave M. Peter McPherson a standing ovation at Beaver Stadium when he retired as MSU's president. Penn State doesn't hate MSU, if anything they barely care. Sure, there's that whole "who was the first land grant university" thing, but it's hard to get really energized about a timing question from 1855.

And the winner is... Michigan.

Notre Dame is a huge rivalry, but nothing comes close to Michigan. Nothing.

A Renewed Assault on Chanted Vulgarity

2009-09-30T19:53:00.004-05:00

Michigan State officials are launching an initiative in hopes of convincing the sellout crowd against Michigan will abandon all vulgarity upon entering Spartan Stadium. No "One, two, three, first down bitch" or songs that begin with "F*** the Wolverines..."

And to do that, they're planning to convince fans with the opinions of... other fans. According to a university study:

84 percent of MSU fans in the stands think it is unacceptable for fans to yell at or insult fans of the opposing team.
80 percent of MSU fans never participate in a group chant that involves swearing or vulgar language directed at the opposing team.
70 percent of MSU fans disapprove of players engaging in prolonged celebrations after a score or big play.
68 percent of MSU fans in the stands think there is at least some need to improve the sportsmanship of fans at college or university sporting events.

Here's the thing I don't get though. Apparently, according to that study, just 73 percent of MSU fans approve of yelling or chanting to make it difficult for the opposing team to communicate.

So about 27 percent of MSU fans don't approve, or are unsure of whether it's OK to yell loudly when Michigan is playing a key third down near the goal line. What, does everyone need to be quiet like Spartan football is the next iteration of Wimbledon or the Masters?

It's ridiculous, and unfortunately it obscures the whole point of the survey, which according to TOSSS readers is a welcome thing. Recall that in a previous poll, a clear majority of fans said the level of vulgarity in cheers needs to be reduced or eliminated.

Regardless, the message was e-mailed to 150,000 Spartan fans today, so we'll see how well it takes. However, if Michigan finds itself down four and driving late, I would hope that Spartan Stadium would be rocking, profanity or no.

Memories of Michigan

2009-09-29T23:39:00.002-05:00

Given that this week leads up to the biggest rivalry game on MSU's calendar, we thought we'd take a look at MSU fans' favorite memories of the Michigan football rivalry.

Perhaps it's dialing every Michigan fan in your cell phone after the Appalachian State loss "just to say hi." Maybe it's where you were when MSU beat Michigan in 2001.

Whatever your memory, we want to hear it. Leave it in the comments or e-mail it to tosss.1855@gmail.com. In the interest of brevity, please limit it to 200 words or less. We'll post our favorites on Friday.

Don't Give Up Yet

2009-09-27T07:08:00.000-05:00

The loss to Wisconsin hurt, bad. Nevermind the final score, MSU wasn't really in that game at any point. That makes three losses in a row with Michigan up next, and already the Spartan bandwagon seems to be a bit emptier.

I'm not among those bailing on this season - yet. Granted this season has started worse than anyone thought possible, but I just think it's too early to give up. And, given how MSU's preseason goals are still attainable, you shouldn't either.

The goals for every MSU football season are simple. In no particular order, they are:

Make a bowl game
Beat Michigan

Yes, most of us thought that bowl game would be in Orlando, Tampa or San Antonio - maybe even in Pasadena. I know I checked my work schedule before the season to see which ones I might be able to make. But frankly, MSU hasn't made a bowl game in three consecutive seasons since Nick Saban left, so even a date in Detroit in December would be a significant accomplishment.

Teams need to be 6-6 to be bowl eligible, while a 7-5 record practically guarantees it. At 1-3, MSU clearly has its work cut out for it, but such an achievement isn't impossible.

As for goal number two, well the Spartans have a chance to cross that off the list on Sunday. Don't give up hope yet, Spartan fans. There's still plenty of season left.

Gameday Forecast: MSU @ Wisconsin

2009-09-26T05:08:00.004-05:00

The temperature is supposed to stay in the 60's on State Street for tailgating before the game, and the good news is that the rain shouldn't come until after kickoff.

Madison has a high of 70 today, and is showing a 30% chance of rain, including possible thunderstorms. Light wind at 5-10 MPH shouldn't be much of a factor.

It's a beautiful day for football!

Destination: Madison

2009-09-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

If you're going to the Wisconsin game in Madison, you're in luck. Not just because the last two games have been decided by a total of four points, but because Madison is quite simply the best tailgating town in the Big Ten.

The state capital of Wisconsin, Madison is sandwiched between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. The capitol dome lies in the center of an isthmus, walking distance down State Street from the university.

No trip to Madison is complete without heading to the student union (which serves beer, but that's not why you're going there). The union building is on the shores of Lake Mendota, and there's a massive multi-level patio facing the lake. Stop by the Badger creamery which makes arguably the second-best ice cream in the Big Ten (tied with Penn State, behind MSU), then take the ice cream and a book and just spend some time near the water.

The walk to the stadium is a difficult, yet rewarding one. Difficult, because a good half of the fans will trash talk you the entire way. Rewarding, because the other half will invite you over to their house for beer and brats. Both of those are Sconnie specialties, by the way.

The brats in Madison are the stuff of legend. It's no surprise, given that the town is home to a working Oscar Mayer factory, while the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum sits just a 20 minute drive from the city. My recommendation for the best of Madison brats is at a joint called State Street Brats, just a few blocks from the heart of campus. Get a red and a white brat, add spicy mustard and relish to taste.

The beer is also sublime, thanks to a preponderance of craft breweries in the area. The pick here is the Great Dane, a pub with a pun name that only true Wisconsinites would get because only they'd know that Madison is located in Dane County.

Speaking of food, let's talk about the press box spread for a moment. Indiana has a burger buffet, MSU gives you two hot dogs and all-you-can-drink soda. Penn State has ice cream. That's all nice. Wisconsin does brats and Amish sticky buns. My friends, that's what we in the media world call game, set, match. I know some folks who will argue for Notre Dame's layout (I had great roast chicken there once), but to me, nothing tops Camp Randall.

Now that we're talking about Camp Randall, let's talk about what happens inside. Wisconsin gives some visiting fans tickets in the first row, in addition to the normal visiting sections. The two things to watch for are the fifth quarter, a great post-game band concert, and the infamous "Jump Around". For the uninitiated, that's when, after the third quarter ends, the entire student section jumps around to the old House of Pain song so much that the entire stadium shakes.

I took my dad to a game at Camp Randall when he lived in Madison and he swore to me that the upper deck would fall down it was shaking so much. In fact, Wisconsin officials have had to ask people in the upper deck not to jump because fans were genuinely concerned about the structural integrity of the stadium. That request is generally ignored.

Needless to say, if you have a chance to go to Madison this weekend, go.

Why the State's Budget Woes Will Increase the Number of In-State Athletes

2009-09-23T21:47:00.004-05:00

Monday, we looked at how this year's state budget cuts will affect MSU athletics. Tuesday, we looked at how those cuts will hit the university as a whole. Today, we pull out our crystal ball and peer into the future.

It will come as no surprise that the cash-strapped state of Michigan just isn't investing in higher education like it used to. State appropriations rose 18 percent from 1997 to 2007, which might sound good on it's own, but it isn't. The cumulative rate of inflation over that time period was a hair over 30 percent, which means that state appropriations to MSU actually fell in real dollars over those ten years. Not only that, but it's way below the national average of a 55 percent increase over ten years.

So what does the future hold for state funding? Nothing good. The small cuts this year, minimized by federal stimulus funding rules that prevented them from being sliced even more, will likely be magnified next year when those rules go away.

That, in turn, will increase tuition, placing a further burden on athletic budgets. The department doesn't get discount rates for tuition, it pays at the same rate as everyone else. However, the athletic department brings in out-of-state students at a much higher rate than the general student population, so those tuition payments are even more expensive. Consider that the estimated room/board/tuition cost for an out-of-state student is about $35,276 a year, while in-state students pay just $18,878.

My guess is that over the next few years we'll see that ratio swing back closer to the general student population's averages. In fact, we're already seeing such a move with the football team. According to Rivals.com, MSU has 12 verbal commits in its 2010 recruiting class, and eight of them are from Michigan.

Using those tuition estimates, MSU's football program is poised to save more than $520,000 over the next four years just from those eight kids not being out-of-state students. That's not chump change, and if Mark Dantonio can find a way to recruit mostly in-state and still win consistently on the national stage, this could be the money-saving wave of the future.

How the State Budget Crisis Could Affect MSU: Part Two

2009-09-22T19:45:00.004-05:00

Monday we looked at how the state's budget crisis could directly affect MSU athletics. Today we turn our attention to the university as a whole.

The item on the most chopping blocks is also the one that would impact MSU the most - the $4,000 Michigan Promise scholarships that are given to most in-state high school students who attend a state university for at least two years.

Simply put, it would be hard for many people who have been counting on that cash to make their Spring tuition to pull it out of their backsides if it's taken away now. Perhaps student loans, or parent loans are an option for some, but there are many who are maxed out on Stafford loans and can't qualify for private loans. And given the dive home values, forget about getting a home equity loan.

Another sticking point is paying for the new State Police headquarters, currently nearing completion in downtown Lansing. The deal was headed up by MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson, a developer who also headed up construction of the Anderson House Office Building. The State Police are renting their current space off Harrison Road on campus for $1 a year, though that building needs repairs, the projected costs and relative value of which are a source of amazingly heated debate.

Rent on the new building is estimated at about $4 million a year, and neither the House nor Senate are eager to provide that amount of cash. In fact, several legislators have said they flat-out won't provide it.

If the State Police stay, nothing really changes. If they go, MSU gets a massive building located on prime parking space near the Breslin Center. There's no formal plan on what to do with that space, but the best guess is that it will become parking in some form, either as a flat lot or garage.

MSU will likely be spared significant mid-year appropriations cuts because of federal stimulus rules that say if universities are cut too much the state will have to give back some of its stimulus money.

Coming Wednesday: Decisions made to resolve Michigan's budget crisis this year could have far reaching effects that reach far beyond the current fiscal year. And if you think this year is bad, next year promises to be far, far worse. We'll look at what the next year has in store, as well as how the persistent budget deficits will hit the university in the years to come.

Your Team Sucked, Here's Your Money Back

2009-09-21T18:43:00.003-05:00

Ever been to a game that was so terrible you wish you could just get your money back? I can think of a few: The 2003 loss to Louisiana Tech was brutal. That come-from-ahead loss against Notre Dame in 2006. Central Michigan a week ago.

Well, the Oregon-Boise State game a few weeks ago was just such a game for Tony Seminary, a 1996 Oregon grad who e-mailed Coach Chip Kelly and asked for his money back - not just for the tickets but for the entire cost of his trip to Boise - some $439 in all.

And guess what? Kelly cut him a check. Seminary didn't cash the check, but wow, what a display from the coach.

Perhaps I should invoice Bobby Williams...

How the State Budget Crisis Could Affect MSU: Part One

2009-09-21T06:11:00.005-05:00

Facing a massive budgetary shortfall, state lawmakers are looking to cut roughly $1.2 billion out of about $9 billion general fund budget, and almost nothing is safe.

Mid-year cuts to schools, shuttering prisons, scaling back even further on road repairs, everything is on the table. However, none of those cuts are likely to directly threaten MSU sports in any significant way.

How's that, you ask? Simple. MSU athletics isn't funded, in whole or in part, by tax dollars from the state of Michigan.

MSU requires its athletics department be fully self-sufficient, meaning that its revenues are solely drawn from things like ticket, concessions and merchandise sales. It also makes money from sponsorships and Big Ten revenue sharing. Profits made by the athletics department stay within the department and aren't filched by the university for educational purposes.

The reason for that rule is simple. You never want athletics to "compete" with, say, the College of Education for money. However it comes in extra handy during times like these, when one wants to protect the sports (and things like Tom Izzo and Mark Dantonio's multi-million dollar contracts) from state funding cuts.

Now, there is obviously some overlap. Big-time donors to academic pursuits often get sports tickets or facility tours as a "thank you" for their generosity, for example. But should the state cut, say, $30 million from MSU's budget mid-year, you won't really see the impact on the football field.

If no budget is passed by October 1, state government in Michigan will shut down for the second time in three years, and that could potentially impact football Saturdays in a small way. In a government shutdown, essential services performed by the State Police would remain in operation, however it's unlikely that directing traffic for MSU football for the Oct. 3 game against Michigan would be seen as "essential" under that mission. It would be an inconvenience for MSU to replace those officers, sure, but the university doesn't rely that heavily on the State Police and could likely pick up the slack by bringing in more officers from other municipalities.

Coming Tuesday: While the budget mess won't affect MSU sports directly, it is likely to impact the rest of the university quite severely. We'll take a look at what cuts are on the table, and what the fallout might be.

Gameday Forecast: MSU @ Notre Dame

2009-09-19T06:38:00.005-05:00

If you're traveling down to Spartan Stadium South for today's game, bring along a sweatshirt for tailgating, but leave it in the car and take some extra sunscreen and water for the game. The sun is already up over South Bend, with tailgating temperatures rising to the 60's quickly.

By game time, the temperature will be mid 70's with sunny skies. There will be a light wind, but nothing that Swenson needs to worry about.

It's a beautiful day for football!

What We're Playing For: The Megaphone

2009-09-18T20:11:00.003-05:00

We're putting off Final Four Friday for a week to examine the thing MSU and Notre Dame are playing for Saturday: The Megaphone.

The Megaphone trophy is a college football institution, begun in 1949 and handed out annually to the game's winner. The trophy is jointly sponsored by the Detroit alumni club of MSU and Notre Dame. Half of it is blue, half is green, and it sits on a base so you can't actually talk through the thing.

Unlike the three other trophies MSU plays for, however, they're not actually going to be presenting the original Megaphone on the field.

Instead, the trophy MSU's 2008 team is holding aloft in the picture at left is the third such megaphone. Each score is printed on the trophy and they've run out of room twice, hence the three trophies. However, the schools do take possession of all three trophies between games.

Notre Dame is one of four trophy games Michigan State plays (the others are Indiana, Michigan and Penn State). Notre Dame has five trophy games (USC, Purdue, Boston College and Stanford are the others).

The Irish have dominated the series with Michigan State, 44-27-1 since the Megaphone was introduced. The Irish won it in each of their first eight tries, and 15 of the first 17 times. However, MSU has owned the series of late, winning nine of the last 12 games (including the last six away contests).

Here's hoping those winning ways continue.

U2 in Spartan Stadium

2009-09-17T07:24:00.015-05:00

For over a week now, there have been rumors circulating that U2 will perform in Spartan Stadium on July 8th, 2010. The U2 blog has done a good job of researching this possibility, breaking down the evidence from the websites StubHub and Eventful. The date was after Spring Football ends, and well before the actual season, so it didn't bother or excite me much. But then one thought crept into my mind.

"What about the football field?"

A concert can do major damage to grass. It doesn't have to do damage, and doesn't always do damage, but it can. There are so many factors involved with an outdoor concert that even with all precautions to prevent damage, the risk cannot be reduced to zero. If you are having a hard time following me, just think about driving a semi truck through a field after a big rain storm.

If you're still not with me, look at the Chicago Bears. Two concerts in Solider Field last weekend did so much damage, the entire field needed to be re-sodded before this weekends home opener. The band that did the damage? U2.

I tried to remember the last major non-football events in Spartan Stadium, and how they affected the field. The Rolling Stones performed there once, way back in 1994. The Cold War hockey game in 2001 certainly could have torn up a field like a concert. But neither of those damaged the field at all, because natural grass wasn't introduced until 2002.

Now I began to get worried, because while I am a big music fan (my friends know that my dream was to someday see Michael Jackson perform in Spartan Stadium), I am a football fan first, and would never want to compromise the field turf for a concert.

That was when the thought of removing the grass for a concert crossed my mind. After all, the field in Spartan Stadium is not just some basic grass field. According to Sports Illustrated back in 2002, the field is made up of 4,800 grass modules.

"The major benefits of a modular field include rapid drainage, air exchange and forced heating capabilities. If a section of the field gets damaged, the individual modules can be replaced in a few hours, The Detroit News reported.
When each of the sections are locked in place, Michigan State will have its first grass football playing surface since 1968, according to the Lansing State Journal. About 1,200 replacement modules will be ready at all times."

Not only does this suggest that the field modules could be replaced if damaged, but intuitively would suggest that they could be removed to prevent damage. These were the questions I put to MSU athletics this week.

According to Greg Ianni, MSU Senior Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Sports Management,

"While initially designed for potential removal, the field modules in Spartan Stadium would not be removed for a concert. Should a concert be held in the stadium, we would protect the field as best we can and evaluate after move out, if the field can be saved. If it is beyond repair, we would have it replaced, at a cost of around $200,000."

So there you have it. If U2 does come, they may end up damaging the field. I have to assume that any agreement MSU would make to have this concert would have the potential costs of field replacement being covered by concert promoters and insurance as opposed to simply risk taking that big of a hit on the facilities budget. But is it worth the risk?

Destination: South Bend

2009-09-16T06:19:00.002-05:00

I wanted to write something about things to do in South Bend, but there's just one problem. Each of the three games I've been to there I've never strayed off campus. Don't get me wrong, the campus is gorgeous, but there's got to be more to South Bend, right?

So to give our readers a real feel for the place, I turned to my friend Ed Ronco, a former State News editor-in-chief who was until recently a reporter for the South Bend Tribune. I asked Ed to give me an idea of a few things people shouldn't miss in South Bend.

He kindly obliged and what follows is a local's guide to the best spots in South Bend. Enjoy!

Restaurants

IRISH/AMERICAN: Fiddler's Hearth, 127 N. Main St.: An Irish pub big on authentic atmosphere (everything on the wall has a reason for being there, for example; not just a decoration from "corporate") and very comfortable. Lots of beers on tap, food late, and all ages welcome at all hours. Live (generally acoustic) music every night. My favorite place in town.

ASIAN: Cambodia Thai, 229 S. Michigan St.: If you didn't know where it is already, you'd never find it, but it has the best Thai food in town. Small; could be hard to get a table, but robust and tasty -- the way Thai food would be if you picked it up from a street vendor. Siam Thai, 211 N. Michigan St., also has good food, but in a more delicate preparation and a fancier atmosphere. Thai food for a less adventurous palate, I think. Mandarin House, 2104 Edison Road, near campus (and five doors down from my old house): Traditional Chinese food in a white-tablecloth atmosphere. Reasonable prices. Walkable from campus.

PIZZA: Barnaby's Pizza, 713 E. Jefferson St.: Just across the river from downtown. GREAT pizza in a dark, cavernous Bavarian-style beerhaus. Family friendly. And seriously, the pizza is crazy good.

WHOLE FAMILY: The Emporium, 121 S. Niles Ave.: Standard fare, right on the St. Joseph River. Nice atmosphere, great view of downtown's "skyline," if you could call it that. Salads, burgers, steak, etc.

BEST KEPT SECRET: Chicago Taqueria, 2920 W. Western Ave.: Authentic, DELICIOUS Mexican food on the city's West Side. Breakfast all day, including huevos con chorizo, my favorite. The tacos al pastor are great as well.

FINE DINING: The Vine, 103 W. Colfax Ave.: AMAZING food and a lovely atmosphere. Reasonable prices for a fine dining establishment. LaSalle Grille, 115 W. Colfax Ave.: The most upscale restaurant in town. Go upstairs to its "Club LaSalle" bar for some classy music in a classy environment.

OTHER: Trio's Jazz Club, 129 N. Michigan St.: The jazz is great, the food is incredible, and the bar is a lot of fun, too. Great listening without the music being too loud to have a conversation. And if you can't get there for dinner, check out the Sunday brunch. One of South Bend's newest places, it's really taken off, and deserves to.

Bars and Hangout Spots

Simeri's Old Town Tap, 1505 W. Indiana Ave.: Simeri's Old Town Tap doesn't look like much from the outside, or from the inside, for that matter -- your run of the mill neighborhood bar. But take a few more steps out the side door just beyond the bar, and you end up in a huge courtyard/performance space. Simeri's bought the house next door, and installed a garage door in the side of it, then put up a stage outside the door. It's one-of-a-kind, and well-hidden from outsiders. 21+, but a varied crowd.

Corby's Irish Pub, 441 E. LaSalle Ave.: College bar. Depending on the time of day, it's either empty or jam-packed full. Thumping tunes, lots of dancing. More room to stand than sit. Pitchers o' beer. Pool tables and darts, too. You know the kind of place.

Club Noma, 119 N. Michigan St.: Put on the good shoes and iron the collar for this uberstylish "go clubbing" kind of place. Pricey.

Madison Oyster Bar, 129 N. Main St.: After Fiddler's Hearth closes at a relatively early 1 a.m., many people migrate here to keep the party going. This is more bar than restaurant, although you can get food late.

Things to Do

South Bend Civic Theatre, 403 N. Main St.: Catch a play here Friday nights, after an early game, or Sunday afternoon. With 15 shows a year, something's always playing. One of the country's best community theatres with numerous awards to its name, including a production named second place in the country this year. Beautiful old Scottish Rite temple converted to two performance spaces: a 200-seat traditional stage upstairs and a 90 seat black-box theatre downstairs. Some shows sell out quickly. Info at http://www.facebook.com/l/20f15;www.sbct.org.

Potawatomi Zoo. For directions/info, http://www.facebook.com/l/20f15;www.potawatomizoo.org.

A Touch of Class From Ann Arbor

2009-09-14T22:38:00.008-05:00

There's an old and sacred rule in sports media: No cheering in the press box.

According to the New York Times, the violation of that rule wasn't just a freak occurrence, but it was actually encouraged in the press box at Michigan Stadium as their PA guy announced the final score from the MSU - Central game, at which point a huge roar went up from the assembled media.

The PA guy's quote: “Cheering is not allowed in the press box, but it is right now.”

The first draft of this post had me going off on those journalists' credibility, decrying the cheering lot of them as unprofessional hacks. That seemed a bit, um, direct, so let me instead remind all the Michigan reporters at that game that a large part of their beat this year is chasing the fallout from a single report that saw each of them got their journalistic backsides handed to them by the Detroit Free Press. Hope that's going well for ya.

As for the Notre Dame writers, well, I'm actually disappointed. I've never had a bad experience in covering 3 MSU games at Notre Dame Stadium. Everyone I met, from the staff to the writers, were professionals who truly seemed to take pride in what they did. They all understood what it meant to cover Notre Dame football, Touchdown Jesus, Wake up the Echoes, all of it. Epitome of class, every one of them.

That's why this was really out of character. Rubbing salt in an opponent's wounds just isn't the Notre Dame way.

I don't expect to hear of much cheering in the press box this weekend. Either A) the Notre Dame media will have learned their lesson, or B) their team will have lost. And given that MSU is on a six-game winning streak in South Bend, I like the odds of option B.

Update: Just saw Joe Rexrode's post on this subject, where he points out that not everyone in the press box is working media. That's true, but I'd make the following three points:

The no cheer rule is still always explicitly stated before (and usually during) the game.
The overwhelming majority of people in the press box are working press or athletic department staff. Usually about 90 percent or so.
"Waiving" that rule, even if you're trying to be funny, is tacky at best and classless at worst.

I should mention, by the way, that the next time folks head into the Spartan Stadium press box to cover a game it will be against the Wolverines.

Sparty's Humiliation

2009-09-14T07:32:00.005-05:00

My fears have come true, as the lack of a true Victory Burrito in Spartan Stadium is the only possible reason I can imagine for this weekend's unfortunate events. We'll leave the rest of the game discussion to other blogs...

But, to add insult to injury this weekend, there was an unfortunate incident involving Sparty.

During the game, Sparty was "engaged" with Central's mascot, as often happens when an opposing mascot is in Spartan Stadium. During this engagement, Sparty's head was unfortunately... removed from his body. In other words, it sort of fell off.

While this is incredibly traumatic for me, I cannot even begin to imagine the nightmares children had on Saturday night. I know that images of Dan LeFevour throwing touchdowns and then wearing the head during his "EA Sports NCAA '09 style celebration dance" were running through my head all night...

Joking aside, this has got to be disappointing for the Student Alumni Foundation, the Sparty Escorts, and Sparty himself. They all go to great lengths to keep Sparty's identity a secret until graduation, and for a Sparty to be "outed" in this way is sad.

Image courtesy of the Student Alumni Foundation.

Gameday Forecast: Central Michigan

2009-09-12T05:27:00.002-05:00

If you're in East Lansing for today's game, you'd better send a little thank you note skyward because you're never going to see a more pristine day in your life.

The weather at kickoff is forecast to be 70 degrees and sunny, rising to 74 throughout the game with winds less than five miles per hour all game.

It's a beautiful day for football!

MSU to Mark 9/11 Anniversary Before Kickoff

2009-09-11T13:26:00.004-05:00

Michigan State will pause to remember the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 a few minutes before kickoff Saturday.

The tribute will come via a public address announcement before the national anthem, Athletic Department Spokesman John Lewandowski said. Unlike in some years past, however, there are no plans for to unfurl huge flag, have a military flyover, or pause for a moment of silence.

It would be a huge mistake to forget to take note of one of the worst terrorist attacks in history at the football game nearest 9/11. And while I am personally a big fan of huge patriotic displays – flyovers especially – a simple pause to reflect can be a beautiful and poignant thing too.

We should always be mindful of the folks who have risked their lives in the service of this nation so that fans like you and I can watch football on a Saturday afternoon. We should always remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and the families they left behind.

Thank you all.