MSU flops on big stage

Ford Field is incapable of holding a well spectated basketball event. 

Aside from the game being on a Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. (which is not the venue's fault), the Lion's home field is not a fan friendly basketball arena. 

Students drove an hour and a half to Detroit from East Lansing, and for what? 

To pay for a Spartan "home game" when they already paid good money for season tickets. Not only that, but they were split up into two different end zones on the floor. For those who couldn't tell, the Breslin Court that lay at the 50 yard line was raised a few feet in the air. This made it nearly impossible for any student to actually enjoy the game. 

Along with that, the cheers from the fans were drained out so much that I could clearly hear a vendor yelling "hot dogs, water!" Keep in mind, I was in the 7th-Level Press Box, and the vendor was on the field. 

Now I understand that many MSU fans didn't have much to cheer for, but it was still ridiculous that people had to pay for to sit at a game that had a terrible atmosphere and bad seating. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the point of attending a sporting event live was to get the atmosphere that you can't get through your television. 

Nonetheless, the game turned out to be a terrible one and all of the MSU students had to drive back in less than gracious weather. Hopefully next time Ford Field decides to hold a major basketball event (Final Four) they get the kinks worked out, so the fans that pay good money to sit in the uncomfortable plastics seats can actually enjoy the game. 

Big Game

With the biggest game in the program less than two days away, what is the big question facing the players?

Will they root for Michigan when the Wolverines square off against OSU at noon before the Spartans play the Nittany Lions.

Otis Wiley made it very clear, that he despises both programs and there will never be a day when he is a Michigan fan. He also said that "it doesn't matter what happens in other games, we just have to focus on our job-at-hand, and focus on what we can control."

The MSU coach seemed to agree with his senior safety as he also made it clear that he was not going to become a "Michigan Fan" for the weekend, and that his team was only going to focus on the game that they were actually playing in. 

As for the game itself, MSU hasn't won at Penn State since they have been in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions come into Saturday on top of the Big Ten, and playing for a trip to the Rose Bowl. 

But lets not forget about the Spartans, who time and time again this season, proved that they weren't the MSU football teams of the past. 

Other than the one blemish against the Buckeyes earlier in the season, and the first game of the year, the Spartans have played a nearly perfect season. 

MSU has done all of the things that the program has been targeted as not being able to do. The Spartans are in the bottom half of the Big Ten in penalties, which is a great improvement from two years ago. 

They also have arguably the best runningback in the country, and with a solid game on Saturday, he will be making a trip to New York in December. Javon Ringer and the rest seniors on the '08 Spartans have watched a program make a complete  360. Among all of the accomplishments that this team has made, the seniors such as Ringer, Hoyer, Wiley, Long, Martin, and many more, can be proud that they are a key part of this program's success now, and in the future.  

MSU Basketball - Chris Allen

Well one game is in the books, and what do we know about the Spartan basketball team that we didn't know before Sunday?

Not much. Other than the fact that MSU will be the most deep team in the Big Ten Conference, if not the country.

"Chris Allen and Durrell Summers might be the greatest wings that I have ever had," Tom Izzo said in the post game press conference. He went on to add that they are not there yet, but the certainly have the potential.

Last season, Allen came into the season with high expectations. He was slated as a shooter and a player that could get to the hoop and create his own shot. What did we see last season? Nothing. We watched a young freshman too scared to take a shot. Too scared to dribble. Not tough enough to play "Izzo" defense.

This year.

Well in the first game of the season, Izzo pulled Allen aside in the locker room at halftime, he told him that he would need to step up in the second half and start playing aggressive.

What did Allen do?

He came out in the second half and scored 17 of his 21 points, including a tip dunk off a rebound that sent the Breslin Center into a frenzy.

Hold on a minute, Iverson isn't the Pistons

Okay, I was disturbed while watching ESPN Sportscenter this morning. While running through the Piston's highlights of Wednesday night's game against the Raptors, they said a few things that just upset me. 

First off, the anchor started the highlights with Iverson being in Toronto, but not being able to play. That was fine, but when they then cut to Rodney Stuckey, and said "he is filling in nicely while Iverson can't play" was ridiculous!

Finally, at the end of the highlight, the lovely female anchor finished by saying "and the Pistons survive tonight's game without Iverson." Survive? They survive? Sounds like Iverson is now the team. 

Um...hello? The Pistons have been successful before Iverson got here. The Pistons were successful before A.I. arrived. This organization has never been built around one player, and that includes Billups or Iverson. 

It is a horrible depiction saying that they survived without Iverson. The Detroit Pistons have been the beast of the East for almost a decade. They have rotated in multiple point guards in that time, and no one, not even Allen "The Answer" Iverson is bigger than this team.

I sure hope when he starts playing on this team, the focus doesn't shift from "team basketball" to "superstar basketball." When the Pistons make it to their seventh straight Eastern Conference Finals, and then to the NBA Finals, it won't be because of Iverson, it will be because they played very well as a team and Dumars and Curry led them to victory. 

So long "Mr. Big Shot"

In the wake of the Billups-Iverson trade, I am stunned to hear that people are still doubting whether the 'Stones got the better of the deal.

Let me make something clear, it is a very rare occasion that Joe Dumars makes a bad move. Aside from some of his draft picks, his in-season transactions have been phenomenal.

Are people forgetting the Allen Iverson is fourth in career average points per game? That he leads the league every year in steals? That the guy can at will get to the paint and score at will.

The team doesn't lose anything in terms of points and steals.

The team doesn't lose anything in terms of toughness and the will to win.

Iverson is 33 years of age, and is yet to obtain his number one goal as a NBA player...to win a championship. And if it isn't obvious, this team is by far his greatest chance that he has had, and will ever have to win one.

With Billups goes his three more years on his over priced contract. With Billups goes scoring droughts that plagued the Pistons the past three Eastern Conference Finals. With Billups goes the 'Same Ole Pistons' that struggle to score and can't seem to get over the edge.

It has been a good run Chauncey, but I am sorry to say that the Pistons are getting a great deal by adding Iverson, getting a play maker, dumping your contract, and freeing up salary cap room for the all-important 2010 free agent market.

Election Day

"There are more than two presidential candidates?"

Yes, I can assure you that I heard those exact words today while standing in line waiting to vote. A group of girls, while looking at the mock voting ballot, were shocked to see that they were going to be voting for more than just McCain or Obama. 

I am not saying that I am the most politically savvy person out there, but I at least know that there are more candidates for president, let alone all of the other elections taking place today such as Proposal 1 and 2.

I get the feeling that for many people in line, voting wasn't as much an act of democracy, but rather a fad. Something they can go back and tell their friends and show them their little "I voted" sticker. 

Voting needs to be more about actually caring about the issues and our nation's future. 

I understand that aside from the presidential election, there are many elections that people just don't know. The Lansing Public Schools isn't a very hot topic around Michigan State's campus, but that still doesn't negate the fact that many of these people in line today seemed uninformed, and didn't care.

MSU-WISC Preview

In the wake of the most important win in the program of the past decade, the Spartans look to take on the Badgers this weekend at home.

Any Concerns?

Yes!

Michigan State is still trying to shed the 'Same Ole Spartans' title that has been given to them the in past years after terrible let downs. Normally, the team is having to bounce back after a tough loss in Ann Arbor, but this year, they have to bounce back after a big win.

Is that fair to say?

Sure it is. The last two times that State beat the Wolverines, they lost the next game. At this point in the season, MSU cannot afford to lose a game. 

The Badgers come into East Lansing with a poor 4-4 record, but they are clearly a much better team than their record suggests. Yet another reason why the Spartans are on an upset alert for this weekend.

The one thing that State has going for them, John L. Smith is sitting at home somewhere with a bucket of chicken watching his players compete for a Big Ten Championship.