Is Osgood a Hall of Famer?

photo credit: Getty Images

I've heard this question tossed around this town many a time, and there seems to be a divide, at least locally, on the issue here. Is Christopher Osgood a hall of fame goaltender? Or is he just a guy that was lucky enough to play in Detroit during this dominant stretch of 19 playoff seasons? In my opinion, he is indeed, a hall of fame goalie.

Let's take a gander at Mr. Osgood's resume. Three-time Stanley Cup champion, 400 career wins, 50 career shutouts, .905 save percentage, and a very respectable 2.49 goals against average. Oh and he scored a goal against the Hartford Whalers. That is a pretty damn good resume for any goalie, if you ask me.

I mean check out the list of other goalies on this list here, Osgood joins the likes of Patrick Roy, Terry Sawchuk and Martin Brodeur in the exclusive 400 win club. Only 10 goalies have achieved this goal. Read that list twice if you have to, Ozzie is in some elite company. Also take note that Dominick Hasek is at 389. The two-time Stanley Cup champion, the six-time Vezna trophy winner for best goaltender, three-time Jennings Award winner for fewest goals allowed (in 08 he split it with Osgood,) the two-time Pearson award winner for most outstanding player and the two-time Hart trophy winner for league's Most Valuable Player, has 11 fewer wins than our own Chris Osgood. I will admit, Dom had to play for Buffalo, who wasn't good at all while Dom was there and he carried that team, but just think about it. The Dominator, who was arguably the best goalie in the League during his prime, has fewer wins than Chris Osgood. Dom will be a Hall of Famer, of that I have no doubt, so then shouldn't Osgood be one too?

But alas, there are two sides to every argument, so let me play a little devil's advocate here for a moment...

Put Osgood on another team. Does he get 400? Well he had four seasons away from the Winged Wheel, and he wasn't totally bad. He went 84-67-20 in his four seasons not in Detroit. Not too shabby, if you ask me. But not great either. Osgood has never been considered one of the elite in the league, his success is often credited to the fact that he plays in Detroit, where frankly you will face about 20 shots a game on a good day. A Wing goalie just have to stop what he faces, and never really has to be outstanding.

Ozzie was decent to good is when not in Detroit, but he wasn't anything special. If he didn't play the majority of his career here, there's no way he gets 400 wins. Put him on the Buffalo team Dom played for and I bet he struggles.

Osgood won the Jennings trophy in 08, but other than that doesn't have any hardware to solidify his career and resume as a hall of fame goalie. Three Stanley Cups is three more than many hockey players, but in 97 it was Vernon's team. 98 he is called the worst starting goalie to ever win the stanley cup. 08 was his most impressive cup, but Osgood never really stole a game in that postseason. He turned the Wings around when he came in for Dom, but he never stole games the way a Brodeur would.

But at the end of the day, only one thing matters: The numbers. If Osgood had been short of 400 at the end of his career, I legitimately think he would not be elected into the hockey hall of fame. Achieving this amazing feat I think is the difference between Osgood, Detroit legend, and Osgood, Hall of Famer.

If you scroll down in this link, you will see a comparison between Osgood and other Hall of Fame goalies, makes a compelling argument for him to be in.

Congrats go to Chris Osgood on joining such elite company and getting his 400th career victory. Ozzie is a great hockey player and an even better man, and he deserves this 400th win. Say what you will about Ozzie, but he's in the exclusive 400 win club, and it may be awhile before another goalie joins him.

Magical Number 400

Get Calvin the Damn Ball

Let's ask ourselves... Who is the best Detroit Lion? Is it Calvin Johnson? Is it Ndamukong Suh? Is it Drew Stanton? Well you could make an argument for any of these guys... only two of them though will people actually take you seriously. But for the sake of this article, let's go with Calvin Johnson, who's easily the best player on our offense.

So what do you do with your best player on offense? You get him the ball. If you have a star runningback, you're going to get him 25-30 touches a game. Arian Foster gets the ball on what seems like every other play in Houston. You ride your stars. Houston rides Foster, Titans ride Chris Johnson, Cleveland rides Peyton Hillis. The Colts live and die with Manning, as the Packers do with Rodgers. Bottom line, your offense revolves around your best player.

So why doesn't Detroit's revolve around Calvin? I know it is a tad more difficult to get the ball to a wideout as much as a runningback, but here's what I'm thinking... How many times do the Lions throw the ball? Well for a stretch they were number two in the NFL in pass attempts. So let's call it 30-40 pass attempts a game from a TYPICAL Lions game... typical meaning they're losing and needing to throw it. So why can't Calvin see 15-20 targets a game? On a side note, lately the Lions have had success running, and have thrown it less

He is 6'5, 4.3 speed, bigger and stronger than every corner in the NFL, just let him make a play. THat's what playmakers do, and teams let their playmakers make plays. But Detroit does not do it enough, if you ask me. He had three targets against the Jets, for example. Revis is good... But just throw it high and there's nothing he can do about it.

Valenti and Foster interview Calvin every week, and they asked them why the Lions seem to never run the stop fade in the red-zone... and all he could say is "I don't know, but I'd love it if we did." I agree with Calvin. HE'S 6 FOOT 5. No one will out jump him. It should be ran at least once every time their in range for it.

So, bottom line, the Lions need to find ways to get Calvin the ball 15-20 times a game. It sounds outlandish for a wide out, bu think about it. Your best player should get an abundance of touches. WIldcat, end arounds, fade routes, I don't care. Just find a way to get Calvin more touches, and we will have more success on offense. And if you get Calvin going, teams will try even harder to take him away, opening up the Burleson's and Pettigrew's of the world

Three in a Row... And it's Wins, not Losses?!?!?!

Photo Credit: Detroit News

Hello my beloved, and admittedly lately, neglected fans. It's been far too long since I've written a blog, and I feel that I should probably do this. I've been mega busy thus far over break, and I haven't even thought about the blog much at all, and for that I apologize to both you, the fans, and myself.

But anyways, let's talk sports, shall we?

First off, the Lions, where has this been all season. And before all my Sparty Brethren start telling me how good Drew Stanton is, let me tell you the defense beat Green Bay, and Tampa Bay was not a sign of Drew's future NFL greatness. Two coaching staffs have seen nothing promising from Drew Stanton and there's a reason for that. He was a waste of a second round pick, so please, just stop it... you're embarrassing yourselves every time you call in to 97.1 saying that "he coulda been great with playing time..." No... he's bad. First season he was on IR, just like every season in college it seemed like, and then Culpepper, fresh out of the unemployment line, won the job over him. A one armed-Hill started over him. He's not good.

Anyways, the Lions have looked like a real NFL team for the first time since they flirted with all of your hearts by starting 6-2. They put together three impressive wins in a row, beating a playoff team, Green Bay at home, a contender and good team in Tampa Bay on the road, and yesterday beating a solid, but inconsistent and underachieving Miami team also on the road. The win against the Buccaneers ended a 26 game road losing streak, which broke their old record set earlier this decade... Only the Lions, right?

The defense impressed me very much against Green Bay and Miami, and the offense stepped it up against the two Florida squads. The Lions have really put something together here at the end of the season, I just wish that Stafford were in, so we could perhaps be getting a glimpse of things to come.

I have two more planned blogs this week, IF I find the time and remember to stay on top of things. One is about what the Lions need to do on offense, and the other will be dedicated to my friend Conor, and about our favorite player... that's right... Tim Tebow

By the way, I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and is having a wonderful winter break

Let's go Bowling...

Photo Credit phawker.com

The bowls are set, and my favorite time of the year is upon us. It's time to go bowling. Sure most of these teams feature two teams that people can't even name one player on them. But I am a bowl junkie, I love the bowls, no matter who's playing in it, if there's a bowl on, I'll probably be watching it.

But like every bowl season, there are games that no one in the country cares about, and then there are those "must watch bowls." So let's take a look at the Bearded Fellow's "Can't Miss, Non-BCS Bowls" of 2010/2011.

Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs Utah
Say what you will, I have this one on my "Can't Miss Bowls" list because I want to see how Boise comes out. They missed out at a chance at the Rose Bowl or a national championship when Kyle Brotzman "missed" that field goal against Nevada. Boise is far superior to Utah, I know this, but it could be an interesting matchup. Next year (I believe it takes affect next season...) Boise will be a Mountain West rival of Utah. I'm curious to see how they're first matchup goes.

Chick-fil-A Bowl: Florida State vs South Carolina
This'll be a hell of a matchup. I absolutely love everything the Gamecocks got going on for them. Steven Garcia and Marcus Lattimore have been pretty damn good thus far for South Carolina. Christian Ponder had himself a 20 touchdown season for the Noles and is a very solid quarterback that I do like. This bowl, is under-hyped, I've yet to hear anyone talk about it... So I'm talkin about it. Watch this one folks.

Gator Bowl: Michigan vs Mississippi State
So we all know why you should watch this on Michigan's side. Denard is a super athlete, that offense is really dynamic, and it wil be Rich Rod's final game. But what about Mississippi State? I bet you don't know much about them... cuz neither do I... I did some research and found that they are a solid overal team. Not spectacular, just solid. They are 91st passing the ball but 19th rushing it. The Bulldogs lost to Auburn only by 3, so this should be a pretty good matchup.

Capitol One Bowl Michigan State vs Alabama
This is the game I am most looking forward to. You got the preseason number one team, who is still a pretty damn good team, in Alabama verse the cinderella story of the season Michigan State Spartans. Saban is going against his old school. Ingram is versing the school he almost played for. MSU has a chip on their shoulder after being snubbed from a BCS game and wants to show the nation that it was a mistake to leave out Sparty. This is going to be one hell of a football game.

For a full line up of all the bowl games, you should take your cursor and click riiiiiiiight here.

Also, check out these games:

Navy v San Diego State

Notre Dame v Miami

NC State v West Virginia

Northwestern v Texas Tech

Penn State v Florida

Why I Hate Fifa

Photo credit: onislam.net

I have never really been a big fan of Fifa. I felt they failed in the handling of the France Ireland fiasco, and I've done some homework and find that they've always been a little shady. To give them credit, recently they've done a good job at being ambassadors to the world, trying to use the game of soccer to unite people. The World Cup is a phenomenal event. In 06, Ivory Coast declared a cease fire and stopped their civil war so the country could watch and support it's football team. They brought Africa it's first World Cup and South Africa did an amazing job and made the continent proud.

But what I don't like about Fifa is their anti-American attitude. Most international committees have it, and Fifa is no different. No American refs were chosen for the the 2010 World Cup. We saw how bad the officiating was, especially when USA was screwed out of a win because of it against Slovenia. By the way, the ref that blew the Theiry Henry handball was selected for the World Cup. Kinda bogus if you ask me, especially since the American refs are becoming some of the most respected in the world, believe it or not.

And how about the fact that Fifa threatened to throw out there bid for the World Cup because of Arizona's immigration law, requiring immigrants to carry with them their paperwork showing their now American citizens... or something like that? Fifa is so quick to throw America under the bus, and yet they give the World Cup bid to Qatar.

Let's go over some laws that exist in this tiny, black gold-ran country...
Homosexually is illegal in Qatar.
Drinking alcohol in public is illegal in Qatar.
Public intimacy is illegal in Qatar.

Oh and they are first in carbon emissions per capita. Seems like a great place...

They are Muslim, I have no problem with people's religious beliefs and what have you, but let me just say this... The culture breeds hate. It's no secret what goes on in the Muslim culture. Honor killings, Christian killings, suicide bombings, constant war... we all know what goes on in that area.

Granted, Qatar is pretty stable all things considered, but If Fifa wants to throw a hissy fit over what Arizona is doing, then why haven't they said anything about Qatar's discriminatory laws?

Fifa is a bunch of corrupt, hypocritical, scumbags. Bottom line.

United States Better Choice, not Qatar

I'm left distraught and confused too, Alexi

Photo Credit: insidesocal.com

So let's face it, we got screwed out of hosting an international sporting event despite clearly being the better choice. Okay yes, that statement is riddled with opinion, but there are facts that back up my statements. So now it's time for me to ramble angrily but yet factually on why the good ol' US of A was the clear and better choice for the World Cup.

1994, Soccer's greatest and biggest display comes to the United States. A country that had little interest in the game. The team was mediocre at best. Fifa gives them the 94 world cup, but with a million strings attached. They had to qualify for the world cup in 1990, and they also needed to qualify for the Olympics, just to keep their bid. I bet Qatar, a country that's never qualified, won't have strings attached to this honor.

But I digress, the point I want to make about the 1994 World Cup is that it set records, records that still stand, for ticket sales and revenue brought in. The World Cup here was a huge success back when soccer was a dead sport that very few even pretended to care about. Now our tam is on the up n up, interest in the game has never been higher, just imagine how successful the World Cup would be here given 12 years for the game to grow even further. Our culture is diverse, more hispanics are coming into the country which reflects the growth in the interest of the game. It only makes sense to have the World Cup here.

This decision is one riddled with corruption. But is it all about money? Well it can't be, because the US would have generated the most revenue of all the bidding nations, check it y'all.
"The decision might reflect the United States’ diminished standing in the world because an internal study conducted by FIFA showed the U.S. would produce the wealthiest and most successful tournament of all the campaigners"

Granted, we don't have that oil money Qatar has, and probably didn't bride Fifa as much as Qatar did. I said it, live with it. Putin knows it's true, and so much of the world also knows that Fifa is corrupt and a shady organization ran by scumbags and sleezeballs.

"Basically, oil and natural gas won today. This was not about merit, this was about money," former U.S. national team star Eric Wynalda said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. Qatar "is a country that is really going to struggle to host this event. A successful World Cup would mean the attendance would be twice the population." Here's that article too

Look, bottom line is the US was the right choice, not Qatar. We'd bring in the money, put the meat in the seats, and we'd put on one hell of a World Cup. And it's a shame they didn't give us the bid because they don't like our country, because 26 is pretty much set as China and 30 will likely be in Europe. This is devastating for the United States.

But what makes me mad is that the committee itself recognized that the tiny country, that has never qualified for a world cup, that gets up to 130 degrees in the summer, and that needs to build all the facilities in a small area to host the games, was a huge risk.
"Qatar’s bid was one of the most audacious proposals submitted and steadily moved from being a dark horse to pre-vote favorite despite being classified as 'high risk' by FIFA’s own inspectors."

It's upsetting to me that they knew the United States would make perfect sense, and yet they went with a risky choice, just because they don't like us as a country, and because we can't grease their palms with oil money.

And later tonight, part three of my anger blog, "Why I hate Fifa"

Rusia and Qatar?

Photo Credit: football.uk.reuters.com

Today Fifa announced what lucky countries would be hosting the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. The United States was a finalist for the 2022 bid, along with Qatar, Japan, and Australia.

I'll cut to the chase, Fifa made two intriguing decisions for the host nations... For 2018 Fifa chose Russia, over England, the "Motherland of Football," as the head of Fifa Sepp Blatter put it. A controversial decision, let's look at it.

Russia draws at most 20,000 for there local league games, nothing compared to England and other European nations. Russia is not known for it's soccer, although they usually have a solid squad. Russia did not qualify for this past World Cup and their best finish was 4th when they were still the Soviet Union.

It looked like England was the best choice, the other two candidates were Netherlands/Belgium and Espania/Portugal.

What made this decision controversial was the fact that Vladimir Putin declined to attend the event Thursday, citing that he feels the actions taken against some of the committee members voting (these members were accused of taking kickbacks) was a smear against Rusia. He didn't explain how it was a smear against Rusia getting the bid, but he did say he felt Fifa was corrupt and no longer felt good about his country's bid.

Vladimir Putin called Fifa corrupt... that's bad... Granted his statements are a little confusing, because they took action against guys taking money, but he felt that by doing that it was a smear campaign against Russia... but he was onto something...

Then it came time to announce the 2022 World Cup bid winner. To me, there were only two worthy choices: USA and Australia.

Fifa felt differently.

When Blatter announced Qatar won the bid, my reaction was "WHO?!?!?!"

Let's dig a little deeper into what makes Qatar a "qualified host nation"
1) Qatar is smaller than Connecticut
2) The population is less than the city of Houston
3) In the summer it gets up to 120 degrees, even 130 degrees. Great soccer weather
4) Qatar has never qualified for a World Cup.
5) They have a ton of money

If you guys couldn't tell, there is only one thing on that board that got them a bid. MONEY. Fifa is a corrupt organization that disguises itself as ambassadors.

It's all about who can bribe the most, and congrats to Russia and Qatar, you have the biggest checkbooks. I have to break this up into two more blogs, just so you guys don't read a giant post, but here's my initial post on the matter.

Up next, why Qatar over the United States is the WRONG choice.

Are the Spartans Getting Shafted?

Photo Credit: zimbo.com

With the new BCS standings out, we have learned that Michigan State is behind Wisconsin and Ohio State in the rankings. Which means Wisconsin will be going to the Rose Bowl, and if there's a Big Ten at largre taken, which there will be, it will most likely, but not for sure, be Ohio State.

Bummer right? I know the feeling up here in Sparty Land is "Oh we're getting screwed! Hating on the new team on the block! We beat Wisconsin, how can they be higher than us?"

But let me give the Bearded take on this folks. I may be a Sparty, but by being raised a Wolverine, I feel like I now have an unbiased perspective on both squads. Michigan sucks right now... see, unbiased. But anyways, I'm here to tell you why Michigan State is not being screwed over.

First of all, on why Wisconsin is going to the Rose Bowl. They beat Iowa, beat Ohio State, and there one loss was a ten point loss to a good team on the road. They won in convincing fashion against Northwestern, Indiana, and Michigan. Yes, bad teams, but they won impressively. They didn't need to rally against a bad team (see MSU vs Purdue.) Wisconsin is the clear easy choice for the Big Ten representative for the Rose Bowl.

But now the question is Ohio State over Michigan State. The teams didn't play each other, Ohio State loss to Wisconsin, who we beat, why pick Ohio State over Michigan State? Is it purely reputation based?

Well let's get all the factors out there. FIrst, when did OSU lose compared to MSU losing? Yes folks, part of college football isn't how you lose, but when you lose. Michigan State was the last of these three teams to lose, Wisconsin the first. Wisconsin is first in the standings and we are last. Funny how that works... It's no secret, if you lose late in the season you're screwed out of so many things, including a chance at a BCS bowl. It's better to lose sooner rather than later.

But let's also look at the two losses. Ohio State lost 31-18 on the road against Wisconsin. Not pretty, but not as bad as MSU's 37-6 loss on the road against Iowa, never impressive. But Ohio State kinda sorta showed up and it was interesting for awhile. Michigan State never showed up. It was there one big game on the schedule, and they did not show up. On the road against a very good Iowa team, and they were exposed. If MSU would have lost a closer game, maybe they go over Ohio State, but MSU got their ass kicked.

But is that enough to put OSU over MSU? For a computer, probably, but the human vote still... kinda sorta?... matters. Why would the coaches and the writers put OSU over MSU? It's hard to say who's better in this kind of situation when the teams don't play each other... Thank God Nebraska is going to prevent that from ever happening again. But I digress...

If Michigan State were to play the Buckeyes, The Bearded One would have to take Ohio State, and here's the key, no matter where they play. If it's in Columbus, I would expect a double-digit defeat for the Spartans. If it's in East Lansing, it would be a close affair, but my edge would still go to Ohio State. If the Buckeyes have a big game, I will take them nine times out of ten, no matter the opponent. Jim Tressel is a fantastic coach, and wouldn't allow his boys not to be ready. Nothing against Dantonio, he's done an excellent job turning the program around, but MSU escaped vs Notre Dame, escaped vs Northwestern, escaped against Purdue, and lost in their one big road game, by a lot.

So considering that only two Big Ten teams can go to a BCS bowl, would I like it to be the Spartans? Yes. Should it be? Considering all the factors, no. If there could be more than two Big Ten teams in BCS games, then yes they do deserve it, but they don't deserve a bid over Wisconsin, who of the three has the most impressive wins, nor do they deserve a bid over Ohio State, who frankly is the better team if you stopped, and unbiasedly looked at the two teams.

You can say 11-1 and no BCS bowl is a crime, especially when a Big East team has to get a bid. I get it, and I agree with you. But they have a contract agreement that makes them a BCS conference, so nothing we can do about it. And the BCS has the rule of no more than two representatives per conference is in place to keep some parity.

My one question is why is there a rule for the bowl games to take one non-BCS conference team every four years? The BCS bowl game itself, like the Rose Bowl, is required to have at least one non-BCS conference team in it every four years. Isn't apart of them being non-BCS mean they don't get an automatic bid? This is pretty much an automatic bid. What if a bowl needs to fill the requirement and they take, oh let's say a Boise, over a team that's more deserving just to meet the requirement. If they're good take em, if not, then don't force the bowls to take one. That doesn't make sense... But that's another story for another time.

Spartan fans, don't be angry at the system, or at the circumstances. This was an amazing, unexpected season. No one saw 11-1 and a share of the Big Ten title going into this year. Yes, we'd love some Rose Bowl action, but it wasn't meant to be. But we've had one magically season, and Spartan fans should enjoy whatever bowl we go to and whichever opponent is sent our way.

And who knows... maybe the Spartans will get taken over Ohio State... you never know...

My latest out of class story, enjoy

The Izzone is the rowdy student section that makes its presence known at every Michigan State Spartan basketball game.

The Izzone is the student section at Spartan basketball games. They fill the most of the lower bowl and the upper decks with a sea of rowdy students wearing their white Izzone shirts.
The Spartan student section has been called the Izzone for about 15 years now, when Tom Izzo took the reigns as head coach of the Spartans, according to Justin Wojtkowiak, associate direct of the Izzone.

The Izzone creates an atmosphere like no other. Whether it’s putting your arms around the people next to you during starting lineups and move side to side as the team does in their huddle, or it’s jumping up and down and yelling when the opposing teams is on offense, the Izzone makes it’s presence felt at every Michigan State home game, according to Ben Himelhoch, associate director of the Izzone.

But what does it take to be an Izzone member?

For starters, you must attend the Izzone Campout to be lower bowl eligible, according to Himelhoch.
Also, fans of the opposing team can’t sneak their way into the Izzone. Shirts of the opposing team are banned from the Izzone, according to Himelhoch.

Izzone members with lower bowl tickets line up hours before game time to ensure they get the best seat possible in the lower bowl.

“Getting rowdy and belligerent is what makes the Izzone great,” according to senior fourth year Izzone member Matthew Smith.

Crowds have huge effects on college basketball games. Home court advantage can be the difference in a close game. Whether the crowd rallies the team, or distracts the opposition, a strong crowd can be the difference in any basketball game.

“A strong student section is essential in college basketball. The passion, energy, and enthusiasm can be a great aid in helping the home team win,” said Himelhoch, “Coach Izzo has said countless times that we are responsible for at least 4 to 6 points per game and more than likely about two wins per season. This is pretty significant in a brutal Big Ten conference where every game is important”

A strong student section pumps up the home team and energizes both the players and coaches, according to Wojtkowiak.
“I know for a fact that Coach Izzo and the players would like the Izzone to be as loud as possible,” said Wojtkowiak, “The louder we are the more amplified the players are for the games.”

However, the reputation of the Izzone is known by more than just those who are in it at every Michigan State basketball game, it garners the attention of collegehoops.net.

Writer Dan Daitchman, a Marquette alum and Marquette basketball blogger, “Stuck in 1977,” made a top ten list of the best student sections in the country.

Where did Daitchman rank the Izzone? Daitchman and the writers at colelgehoops.net put them third behind Kentucky and Duke, according to an article written by Daitchman
.
“The Izzone is right up there with the best of the student sections. I don’t think anybody will second-guess you if you say that The Izzone is the best student section in the Big Ten,” said Daitchman.

The Izzone is one of the most intimidating student sections in college basketball. The fans are always into the game, and MSU has one of the largest student sections in the country.

“I not only watch college basketball on TV any chance I get, but I also study student section videos on ‘YouTube,’” said Himelhoch, “I think the Izzone is as good, if not better, than any other student section in the country.”

Home court advantage is crucial in any basketball game. The Izzone gives MSU an edge at home that other teams don’t have.
The Izzone may not be the loudest; that belongs to New Mexico, according to Daitchman. Their arena, “The Pit,” is built underground, aiding the acoustics of their wild crowd.

They may not be the most creative, that belongs to Gonzaga, who researches everything about opposing schools and players, from player grade point averages to team academic standards, they use any dirt they can find to make their insults as creative as possible, according to Daitchman.

However, the Izzone is right up they’re with these other schools, according to Daitchman.
“They may not be the clear-cut leader in any of these three categories, but they’re top-5 in all of them, which makes them a top-tier student section,” said Daitchman.

The Izzone makes it’s presence felt. They make opponent miss free throws and cause careless mistakes by rattled opponents. They have the qualities of a great student section, according to Daitchman.

“What makes a strong student section have an impact on a game is that they will directly affect the outcome of the game,” said Daitchman, “Causing a player to miss the first free throw of a one-and-one down the stretch can easily translate to a W for the home team.”

Here's the video I shot with the story.

Just Another Weekend in College Football

photocredit: Rivals.yahoo.com

College Football... Any given Saturday... or sometimes Friday... But those are just minor details.

Big slate of important games this weekend, Auburn took on Alabama, Oregon played Arizona, and Boise had it's last challenge of the season verse Nevada; all in one Friday night, and what a crazy Friday it would be.

Let's start with Auburn Bama, and what a game that was. I missed the first half because I was getting my Tim Tebow on... and by that I mean I was getting hit many times while completing passes. But what I missed was Bama jump out to a 24-0 lead that was a Mark Ingram fumble away from being 31-0. It looked like Auburn was going down...

But see folks, they play four quarters in this crazy game of football, and what ensued was pretty miraculous. Auburn rallied to take a 28-27 lead on the Crimson Tide and injured quarterback Greg McElroy, who had been tearing up the Auburn secondary. So when Bama needed a game winning drive, they couldn't turn to the senior quarterback. They had to turn to the back up A.J. McCarron, a redshirt freshman. Well the young kid couldn't lead the rally for Bama and Auburn was let off the hook on the road against an Alabama team that should have won.

Then the next game on this slate of Friday was Oregon Arizona... it was a good game til my friend and I went to go get pizza at about the end of the third quarter. We get back and it's three minutes into the fourth... and it's a blow out. Shocker, Oregon wins again.

But the game of the week took place in Reno, Nevada. Boise State with a win would jump TCU for sure. Boise looked to continue it's miraculous run, looking for it's 25th straight win.

Boise jumped out to a 17-0 lead and looked to be cruising to victory, but the Wolfpack rallied and tied the game at 24. Boise took the lead on a big touchdown run to go up by 7 with little time left. But senior quarterback Colin Kaepernick had other plans.

Kaepernick led Nevada down the field for the game tying touchdown with only seconds left in the game. Certainly this game would be going to over time...

But aahh Kellen Moore did not want to let that happen. Boise got that ball back with 9 seconds left. Enough time for a chuck and pray, or maybe a post over the middle of the field to get them into field goal range.

It was a spectacular play, surely Boise would win... But kicker Kyle Brotzman had other plans...

It was the most heartbreaking thing in sports I've ever seen... the Boise sideline thought he made it, I'm sure Brotzman did too. And a point to bring up is... did he make it? Watch it again, full screen it, pause it multiple times. All things I did. Sometimes I go "Oh that's no good," but other times I go "Hmmm perhaps if those posts were longer, you could tell it was actually in." Even the guy working the ESPN scoreboard thought he made it... hmmm perhaps they shoulda taken some looks at it?

I'm not going to play conspiracy theory, but that is soem food for thought. Also notice, that Titus Young catch, the ball shoulda been spotted closer to the left hash, which means, in theory, he makes the field goal.

Either way my heart goes out to that kid, only God knows how hard it must be for him missing not one, but two chip shots that cost Boise the game.

Happy Thanksgiving

Photo Credit Getty Images

Ah yes, Thanksgiving. Family, Food, Friends, and Football. The important F's of life. It's one of my favorite holidays of the year. The Lions play, the family's over, and I get to eat as much as I want without being judged. It's a great day.

Since I'm the Bearded Fellow on Sports, I guess that means I have to talk about the Lions game today... Despite the fact I don't want to...

Well the Lions "snatched defeat from the jaws of victory" in typical Lions fashion today. They gave up 28 unanswered points in the second half. That's not what good teams do. Let's face it, we all knew the Lions were gonna lose, but did they have to toy with our emotions like that?

The team just flat out fell apart in the second half. It all started when Deon Branch my Alphonso Smith look foolish on that big touchdown play. After that, the team just fell apart. They weren't picking up penalties, and then all changed in the 4th quarter as players were clearly frustrated. Trying to get in a fight after the extra point was pretty awesome. At least they showed some fight...

Well the Lions are a year and some new additions away from being contenders. This year is over, but next year folks... We'll contend.

So let's talk Thanksgiving. I love this holiday. So many memories of watching football with my family. Going down to Tennessee (we didn't this year) to see my mom's side of the family. Eatin turkey and watchin football. Can't think of many better things.

But it's also important on this day to think of the things you are thankful for. I am thankful for a lot of things. Friends, family, all that jazz. I'm also thankful for the series of events that led to this blog, which started with me getting rejected by Michigan and being dumped. Yes, being dumped made me wanna get away from everything so I chose MSU. But had those events not happened, there'd be no Bearded Fellow on Sports, so for that I am thankful.

I am also thankful for all my loyal readers and fans. I appreciate it guys, couldn't do it without you.

Home Court is Everything

Photo Credit: http://brianbarrons.typepad.com/

Home court advantage is crucial in the game of college basketball. The roar of a crowd can intimidate even the best of basketball players. Fans yell, scream, hoop 'n holler, all for the sake of pulling their team to victory.

Some schools have great home court advantages, but you wouldn't expect them because they are small schools, or just not in the national spotlight.

But where does the Izzone ranke amongst the best? According to collegehoops.net they are third. Not too shabby for the Green and White.

MSU has one of the best home court advantages, and the best student section in the Big Ten. That's not just me, that's a consensus by the folks at collegehoops.net, according to Dan Daitchman of collegehoops.net

The student section of a college basketball game is crucial to any team that wants to make a run at championships. If you can't win at home, then you're going to struggle putting together winning seasons.

Michigan State has put together winning season after winning season. Back to Back trips to Final Fours, a national championship in 2000, a 366–146 record under head coach Tom Izzo

Crowds are important factors in games. Why do you think Duke, North Carolina, and MSU are good every year? Because they win at home. Why do they win at home? Home Court Advantage. Without the Izzone, there's no home court advantage. Without home court, MSU isn't nearly as good a team as it is at home.

Don't let anyone tell you differently, home court advantage matters.

Webcast

Bearded Weekend Recap

Photo Credit: Mlive.com

It's been too long since I posted, so I'm going to give you guys a brief recap of what happened this weekend...

Michigan Wins
Lions Suck
Vick won me fantasy
Wings are dominating

But let's elaborate a tad...

Michigan won in one of the sloppiest games I have ever had the displeasure to watch. I was, admittedly, actively rooting against Denard, and even Michigan a little bit... Tate's a better QUARTERBACK, key word, hence the caps, than Denard. I can't stand Richard Rodriguez Rodriguez Rodriguez he's a snake, and he's "Tricky Dicky the Second" The defense is the worst the program has ever seen, and I don't want you RR slappies to preach to me about that dynamic offense that he has here and at West Virginia. I will blog later, perhaps tonight, as why I don't think his job should be saved despite at least a 7-5 season... (Remember, Lloyd goes 7-5, he was him fired, why isn't Rich held to the same standards?)
Anyways, Purdue and Michigan both played terrible football games. They both just were terrible. Here's the numbers to support my statement, pay attention to the category "turnovers"

The Lions managed to lose to the winless Bills... Need I say more? I will... Shaun Hill sucked, and it's scary that Stanton couldn't have been better than that... Just cut him,,,,

Vick dropped 51 fantasy points in my league, I was down 47. Michael Vick looks better this year than he ever has at any point in his entire career. He is patient in the pocket, accurate with his passing, and his elusiveness is back. Watch out for the Eagles... and The Bearded Ones, championship here I come!

Wings beat the Avalanche on Saturday 3-1, I didn't get to watch most of it, but what I saw I loved. Wings are my cup favorite.
Here's some numbers for ya.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I am planning on doing the second weekly Bearded Cast. So please tune in, first one was a success, let's make the second one even better

Michigan Wins Triple OT Thriller

Credit: thebleacherreport.com

Michigan beat Illinois on Saturday to get themselves bowl eligible for the first time under Rich Rodriguez. It took three overtimes, but Michigan actually pulled it off. Despite giving up 45 points, (not counting the overtime points, I don't count those because the other team always starts at the 25, so it's too easy to score.) Despite turning over the ball five times, despite giving up a ton of yards and big plays, Michigan managed to pull out the win.

This game was a fun game to watch, for those that hate defense. Although, even though it wouldn't seem like it, there were a few kew stops in this game. Michigan held Illinois to field goals, which ended up being key. Michigan's offense as dynamic, as always, gaining 419 yards through the air and 257 on the ground.

Michigan put up 45 points in regulation, and 67 points overal. The 67-65 game was the highest scoring game in Michigan history. The atmosphere in the stadium was not quite like any other stadium in the country. 111,000 plus fans on the edge of their seats, all knowing how much was riding on this game; Rich Rod's job, bowl-eligible season, what could be a four game losing streak. Michigan.

Roy Roundtree set the Michigan record for receiving yards in a game 246 yards on nine receptions and two touchdowns. Roundtree had a fantastic day and no one in the Illinois secondary could cover him.

The Wolverines got their win to make themselves bowl eligible. I expected Illinois to win, but they proved me, and a lot of other people wrong. They hung tough, faced much adversity, and still managed to win in triple overtime. Denard left with a possible concussion. Tate came in and fumbled on his first play, but Michigan still managed to bear down and get the win.

This is a good win going forward, especially since there's only one game left they have a legitimate chance at winning.

Michigan vs Illinois Preview

Credit: dailylife.com

I wrote this for my JRN 200 class, but it works for this too

The Michigan Wolverines are taking on the Illinois Fighting Illini this Saturday at the Big House in Ann Arbor. A must win game for the struggling Wolverines. All they need is one win and they're bowl eligible, and looking at the remaining schedule... this might have to be the game.

Michigan is coming off a road loss in which they fell down big but came back to make it interesting, but still lost by double digits. The amazing Michigan defense was torn apart by stud quarterback Matt McGloin, 5 star recruit, everyone wanted him... For those of you that don't know, he's a redshirt sophomore, walk-on quarterback from Scranton, Pennsylvania, yes that Scranton.

The Illini are a good defensive team, and they have a good offense. Nathan Scheelhaase is a quarterback, so therefore he will have a big game. The Michigan defense is horrendous, 88th in the country in points against. I expect Illinois to be able to move the ball up and down the field against that "defense" and I use that term lightly.

The good news for the Wolverines is Mike Martin should be good to play, but unfortunately for Michigan Fitzgerald Toussaint and J.T Floyd will be out. Floyd is done for the season with his ankle injury. A defense that's already bad in secondary is losing the one decent corner. Which spells disaster for the defense.

SO who's going to win this one? Illinois. Michigan just does not have the talent on defense to stop anyone. Michigan will score, but Illinois will score more. They are solid on defense and offense, and Michigan is just so bad defensively.

Unfortunately for Rich Rod, this game could decide his job. If he loses this game, he is done, finito. If he loses, he will be fired at the end of the year. Done, count it, chalk.

This is a must win game for the Wolverines.

Top 10 goalies in the NHL.

credit nhl.com

And now, the post you all have been waiting for, the top 10 starting goaltenders NHL.

Tommy and I have debated, discussed, and if we weren't separated by these computers, I probably would have punched him in the mouth... But we have put aside our differences, to bring to you our top 10. The fans are already disagreeing with us, but they aren't the ones with the blog, no that's me...

So here it is, the Top Ten Starting goalies in the NHL.

10. Vancouver Canucks: Roberto Luongo
Luongo is a popular choice and often in people's top 5, but Tommy and I agree he's overrated. A few years ago my tone was different, but he's not the same dominant goalie anymore. Having said that, he is still very good. He is big and positions himself very well. A bit slow on the lateral movement, but Luongo is still a very good goaltender.

9. New York Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist
King Henry has had many good years in New York, won championships in finland (frolunda indians before going NHL) and at a young age led Sweden to a gold medal, but he is not the goalie we are used to seeing. Still incredible but he is not the elite goalie anymore.

8. Phoenix Coyotes: Ilya Bryzgalov
Ilya had an amazing season last year, he had the Bearded Fellow's vote for the Vezna Trophy, but the reason he finds himself here is that he's not an elite goalie yet. He is very good, but I couldn't honestly put him with the upper echelon of goalies. He is another good season away from being a top five goalie in my book, but right now he's number eight. But top ten ain't too shabby.

7. Carolina Hurricanes: Cam Ward
Cam Ward is the glue that hold Carolina together. And at 26, he's going to be a great goalie for years to come in Carolina. His rookie year he won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smyth, and he hasnt looked back by continueing to be stellar every season. The sky's the limit on Cam Ward, and if he can avoid injuries, then he's going to be a Vezna trophy contender and probably win at least one Vezna. I'll hop on his bandwagon everyday.

6. New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur
What can you say about Marty? He's the best goalie of all time, made famous by that lightning quick glove. All time wins and shutout leader, 4-time Vezna Trophy winner, Calder Trophy winner, 2-time Gold Medalists, 3-time Stanley Cup Champion, 10-time all-star, Marty has accomplished so much in his career. He's here at six because this isn't about his accomplishments. He's still a very good goalie, one of the best, but he's not the same Marty of a few seasons ago. Age has slowed his reactions and injuries may be a concern, but we still love you Marty, keep doin work.

5. Minnesota Wild: Niklas Backstrom
Niklas Backstrom has never had a losing season with a team that has no offensive talents whatsoever (especially with departed Gaborik) and with the exception of an average season last year, his GAA and SV% have never been worse than 2.33 and 92%. this is incredible on minnesota who is a struggling team. minnesotas defense first style makes him better, but he is still a crafty veteran who (along with tuukka) could give Kipper a run for the starting job next olympics. Backstrom is consistant game in and game out, and he gets the job done.

4. Calgary Flames: Mikka Kiprusoff
I love the Kipper. I think he is the most underrated goalie in the NHL. Calgary's defense has not been very good lately, and yet Kipper still plays at an elite level. Kiprusoff has always been a guy I feared to run into in the playoffs, because he's a goalie that can take control of a series. Sadly, the team around him hasn't been good enough to make a run and this year is clearly no different. Kipper needs a new home, or Calgary needs to do a lot of fixing. But all the turmoil with the Flames right now, Kiprusoff has been the one consistent through the years and continues to play at an elite level.

3. St. Louis Blues: Jaroslav Halak
Halak first broke out with his stellar play in the Olympics for the Slovaks. Then he was the net-minder of that Montreal team that shocked the Capitals and the Halak has been outstanding ever since coming to the Blues. He has been one of the most dominant goaltenders in the NHL this season and is a big part as to way the Blues find themselves where they are. I absolutely love him, and I thought it was a mistake for Montreal to trade him, and he's proving me right (see number 23 on our list...) At 25 years old, Halak has nothing but great things in his future.

2. Florida Panthers: Tomas Vokoun
Vokoun is the goalie GM's dream of having. he is big, fast, great reactions, perfect positioning and has the ability to get a shutout every time he steps on the ice. if you dont get odd man rushes, powerplays, or people in front of the net then forget about scoring on the man. he was a beast in the olympics for te Czechs, dominant in nashville (except for when dasyuk shoots on him), and is the mold in which florida is building their team. his attitude in Wanting to rebuild the horrible team that is florida shows he veteran leadership and a desire to make himself better than he already is.

And the moment you've been waiting for... The Bearded Fellow and Tommy's number one starting goalie in the NHL...

1. Buffalo Sabers: Ryan Miller
Hands down easy choice for both of us, Ryan Miller is the shining spot on a very bad Buffalo team, alla Dominick Hasek. And Miller is about as dominant as the Dominator. SIngle-handedly won the US the silver medal, single handedly got Buffalo to third place, won the Vezna last year, Ryan Miller is the best goalie in the NHL, it's a damn shame he's on such a bad offensive team. But if the Sabers can get any scoring then they will turn their season around, because they are terrible right now. But Ryan Miller is for sure, the best goalie in the NHL

Goalie Rankings. 20-11

credit Real Clear Sports

You've seen the bottom ten, now it's time for the middle ten. These guys range from iffy, to serviceable, to solid. They're not the worst, but not the best. These guys make careers... on being completely average. Oh yeaaahhh....

Tommy and the BEarded One tackle 20-11 starting riiiiiiight NOW

20. Edmonton Oilers: Nikolai Khabibulin and Devan Dubnyk
The Bulin Wall is one of my favorite goaltenders of all time and I love how he's still a very solid goaltender at age 37, but frankly how long can he hold up? He's been fragile as of late, and like I said, he's 37. And Devan Dubnyk is not a reliable back up. If the Bulin wall goes down, then so does the Oil. The Oil better keep Bulin off the juice or else there season might go as the Bulin Wall goes behind the wheel... whoops... Don't drink and drive kids.

19. San Jose Sharks: Antti Niemi and Antero Nittymaki
These two are okay... sometimes Niemi is even good, sometimes... He wonwa cup... somehow. Anyways, these guys don't even come close to comparing to Evgeni Nabokov. Sharks with Nabby were a contender every year, sept Nabby plus playoffs equals questionable... The sharks with these two in net, has been less than stellar. They can recover, but these two aren't that spectacular.

18. Dallas Stars; Kari Lehtonen
A solig goaltender in Dallas, the former Thrasher has been plagued by injuries, Dipietro junior as Tommy called him. Dallas is one unfortunate injury away from a bad situation. But when he's healthy, Kari is average, solid, but average. His injuries and pure averageness put him at 18.

17. Pittsburgh Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury
Tommy had him much lower, but I didn't feel he was that bad because he has shown that he can be a dominant goaltender, but look at his 2010 numbers, horrifying yes. Marc-Andre has shown he's can be amazing, and he was the number one pick in what turns out to be an amazing draft. But Fleury quite frankly is not that good. He was amazing in the 08 09 playoffs but ever since he has been less than stellar, and this year, flat out awful.

16. Toronto Maple Leafs: Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson
Giggy is my boy and I think he's a good fit on the Leaf. Gustavsson has potential and is huuuuge. These two are a solid pair and a good fit in Toronto, but they're not great. They're solid, but not great. They're 16 on the power rankings that matter...

15. Boston Bruins: Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask
The best goalie in the NHL right now is Tim Thomas, his numbers are absurd right now. And Tuukka is going to be a great goalie in the future. But right now... Tim is hot but won't stay that way, and Tuukka isn't ready. That's why Da B's Dude are at number 15.

14. Detroit Red Wings: Jimmy Howard
We're at the point in our polls where these guys can go up or down interchangeably, but here at 14 we find our hometown favorite, Jimmethy Howard. Howard is a solid goaltender, and I think a future Olympian for team USA, is solid in net. SOmetimes he's great, sometimes he's iffy, but overall he's a good goalie. Not great, and not top 10 yet...

13. Los Angelas Kings. Jonathan Quick
I like how Quick made the olympics, was a 39 game winner last year. and this year has pressure of the #1 goalie prospect Jonnathon Bernier as his backup and he EMPHATICALLY made himself the starter. He came out flying and looks better than his great season a year ago

12. Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne
Seems like Nashville always brings up good young goalies, the scouting department is doing something right in Nashville. Pekka Rinne is nothing but solid. He gets the job done night in and night out and is solid all around. But he better watch his back, Andres Lindback is the next guy Nashville has seem to find, and is waiting for his chance. But for now, RInne is the man and a solid goaltender anywhere.

11. Colorado Avalanche: Craig Anderson and Peter Budaj
Craig Anderson is a solid goalie and Budaj a good back up. I'll be honest, I had these guys around 13 on my list, but like i said with Jimmy, these guys can shuffle either way. But Anderson is a good goalie and underrated. He carried the Avalanche to the playoffs last year. But with him out, for now, pressure is on Budaj to pick up the slack while he's gone.

NHL Goalie Power Rankings 30-21.

credit CBC for the picture

So, when talking with a friend of mine, Tommy Lorenz, we were chattin up sports late at night, we tend to do this from time to time. Good talks... Last night we got talkin about NHL goalies, and how we would rank them. We disagreed on some guys, but that's all good...

But it got me thinking... WHy not write my own blog about the NHL goalie rankings... but then I even got to more thinking... Why not collaborate with a friend for the first time on a blog? ANd that is what we're doing...

We've factored in guys who split time

Tommy Lorenz and Dave Cobb "The Bearded Fellow" Bring you... NHL Goalies, from Worst to First.


30. Ottawa Senators: Brian Elliot and Pascal Leclaire.
Both Tommy and I agree, that these two are just terrible goaltenders. At best they are backups, and they are the starting tandem. It's part of why the Senators are just an abismal hockey team. Congrats you two, you are the WORST starters in the NHL

29. Tampa Bay Lightning: Dan Ellis and Mike Smith
Shocking, pun intended, but these two are sadly not as good as the rest of the team. I love Tampa, don't get me wrong, they are way up there in my power rankings, but the goaltending just lags waaaaay behind. Remember when Dan Ellis was good? Yeah he's not there anymore. He'll need to turn it around for the Lightning to keep up this pace. Smith... he's just garbage.

28. New York Islanders: Rick Dipietro and Dwayne Roloson
What can you say about these two? Well first off Roloson is ancient, he's 40. Clearly a waste of money by the Isle. Dipietro is mind-boggling. He was a golden boy, starting in the Olympics, getting a 15 year deal. Going to turn around the franchise... 8 years and a boat-load of injuries later you have one of the worst starting goalies in the NHL. Too bad for the Isle...

27. Anaheim Ducks: Jonas Hiller.
"But Dave, he almost beat Team Canada!!!!!!!" That was the Olympics, get over it. Look at his numbers, they're not good! Tommy is adamant I put him here, I had him 25, but this is a middle ground, he had him 29. He fits the duck system terribly. He's not good. He's a flash in the pan type. Had his moment in the sun against the Sharks and in the Olympics, but other than that, he's no good.

26. Philadelphia Flyers: Sergei Bobrovsky, Michael Leighton, and Brain "Bobby" Boucher
First of all, why Boucher is still on an NHL roster, I have no idea. Second of all Leighton is hurt, but frankly is not good. Bobrovsky, okay you hockey elitists "LOOK AT THE NUMBERS!!!!" He has promise, I will give you that. But I'm not buying into it... yet. So right now, the Flyers goalie situation is a mess.

25. Atlanta Thrashers: Chris Mason and Ondrej Pavelec
This spot was literally a coin toss between 25 and 24. Like I literally flipped a coin, it was heads. But Chris Mason is not very good. He plays full time with the Pavelec injury, which is hurting his numbers, but isn't a starting supposed to get the bulk of the starts? Chris Mason is not good... which brings us to the winner of the coin flip... Pavelec is back... so Pavelec, don't collapse anymore

24. Columbus Blue Jackets: Steve Mason and Mathieu Garon
I love Steve Mason, not because he's great, but because 10 rook shutouts is something special. But what since? Nothing. Does he have potential. Oh you better believe it, but sorry Mason, you need to figure out your issues and get back to that rookie season. Otherwise, there are more spots for you to fall on this list...

23. Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price
If you're wondering in Hab country if you kept the right goalie... you didn't. Young, full of potential, but disappointing every year. Starter to start, back up to finish, at least he's consistent. He needs a change of scenery, both Tommy and I agree. But his numbers are unimpressive, and he's been a let down. Halack is the better goalie, should have traded Price.

22. Washington Capitals: Semyon Varlamov
They guy that ran former MVP Jose Theordoe out of town, Varlamov is a bad goaltender. He has been the Caps Achilles heel in the post season and is the Caps weakness this season. Get them a goalie, and you have a Stanley Cup champion. Get them Varlamov, and you have more pissed off Capital fans wondering why Ovi can't do it all. Varlamov is trash, bottom line.

21. Chicago Blackhawks: Marty Turko and Corey Crawford.
Defending Stanley Cup champs tore up by the cap, so they weren't going to have a good goalie situation regardless of what happened. But Turko? He's my boy, but Marty Turko? Really? He's past his prime and past his veteran decency. He's just too old and doesn't have it any more. Crawford is not a viable solution if Turko fails, which he will. Chicago will ride on Turko... Be worried Blackhawk fans...

This is installment one, next we take on 20-11, get to the "Middle of the pack guys." But congrats to you guys above, you are not good at your job...

Without Billups, the Pistons Have No Leader

Look I'll be honest... I don't like the NBA and don't care about the Pistons. I want them to succeed, hometown pride, but I don't actively root and show my Piston fandom. Winter comes around and I'm all about hockey. I don't watch the NBA often, and I haven't done so yet...

But I don't need to watch the Pistons to know that they SUCK. And I can also tell you what they're missing: A leader. This team has no voice on the court. They have no unifying leader running that team. It's a mess. And who's gonna be that leader? Prince is too quite, Rip isn't the leader type, T-Mac is well past those days. Stuckey should be, but he isn't.

The team misses Chauncey BIllups. Chauncey was the glue that kept that team together. He's a leader on and off the court, and a damn good point guard. It's no coincidence that the team fell apart as soon as they traded Billups. I agree teams needed to be shaken up, but Billups? He was the wrong guy to move.

Chauncey was perfect in Detroit. He fit the team style perfectly, he was great for the city, he was a leader on the court, and one of the best point guards in the East. It was mistake to trade away Chauncey Billups. The Pistons won't be good until they finda point guard that can lead the team the way Billups did.

I don't really care about the NBA, but to see the Pistons in such a poor state is just shameful... They need something to change.

It's That Time of the Year Again in East Lansing

Michigan State basketball has officially returned. The biggest sport around this campus is officially here, and the Izzone is ready to let the nation know who's fans are best. And for the #2 team in the country, expectations are high.

The Spartans took on the powerhouse known as the Saginaw Valley State Cardinal in the first game of the season, well exibition, but it's the first game of men's basketball played, even though it doesn't count for anything, but they lost to Grand Valley State a few years back in one of these, so you never know...

But this game was, as expected, a blowout and a chance for everyone to get minutes. MSU destroyed poor little SVSU 88-44. It was close at one point, when it was 0-0.

Who looked good? Well besides the usual suspects of Kalin Summers, I was impressed by Draymond Greeen's shooting; he hit a couple threes, and the fact he hit one was impressive to me. I thought Keibler looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands, which will is a very good thing with Chris Allen off the team. For those of you that don't know, it's cuz he didn't go to class, well as it says, he "didn't meet obligations set by the team."

Most impressive part of the game was in the second half. A guy from near our section, you can tell from my picture were we (I and a friend, Molly if you're curious to the name cuz I know who would ask.) Anyways, the shot came from our left. It was a paper airplane. We were watching it glide down. We knew this plane was destined for glory. It looked court bound, but then we got sad because it looked like it was going to overshoot the court. But the plane banked off the backboard. As I looked for it to fall to the ground, I noticed it wasn't falling. It was in the net. The guy made a shot across the court from left to right on the picture, with a paper airplane. Believe it folks, it happened

But how much can you take from a Saginaw Valley game? (Freep article) Not too much, but if they looked bad, then everyone would be up in arms. But they looked good, as they should. They looked ready to start the season and a run at the National Championship.

But how will they fair this season? Will they get all the way to the National Championship? They are the number two in the nation to start the season, and that's fair. Personally, I think they are the best team in the country, and then Duke. Which then brings me to the matchup of the year, MSU plays Duke at Duke for the ACC-Big Ten challenge, that game is going to be crazy. I give the edge to Duke in it, only because they are at Cameron Indoor.

MSU has one of the toughest schedule in the country, and that's the way Izzo likes it. MSU will not run the table, they will lose, but that's the nature of college basketball. MSU will be a number one seed in the tournament, they will win the Big Ten, they will be in the final four, and I'm gonna say it right now, they will win the national title. They are my preseason pick to win the national championship.

Players to watch for the Spartans... Well there's the usual suspects of Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers. Draymond Green is going to have an increasing role with Raymar graduating and his mid-range game has improved. Delvon Roe will be a big part of this team, and I expect the freshman of Adrian Payne and Keith Appling to get some good playing time and I expect to make an impact.

But my Spartan to watch is a sleeper... Austin Thornton. With Chris Allen gone, Thronton's role is going to be much greater than last year and than what was expected going into this season before Allen left. Thornton started against SVSU, and, in my opinion, is likely to start in Allen's spot. Can't start Appling, not ready. You could run Korie Lucious but he would be better playing behind Kalin, rather than next to. Expect Austin Thornton to have a big impact this year.

Sparty On ladies and gentlemen, Sparty On.

Michigan State Exposed Against Iowa

Well the Spartans had a big game last Saturday, but it looked like they missed the memo. They did not show up to play in Kinnick. Am I surprised they lost? No. Am I surprised at 37-6? Absolutely. This is the biggest football game in the last 50 years for the Spartans, but you couldn't tell by the way they came out and played.

Iowa dominated every aspect of this game. There is no positive nugget here for Sparty to hang his hat on. Michigan State was exposed as a good team having a magical season, instead of a real national championship contender. The effort put out in this game was absolutely pathetic.

Kirk Cousins's interceptions were mind boggling. Going into the game, Kirk had four interceptions all year. He threw three and they all were bad passes. On the first two, I couldn't figure out what he was trying to do. The first one, which was this ridiculous touchdown. It was double coverage, the route wasn't open, and he never took his eyes off the receiver. Uncharacteristic mistakes by Cousins hurt any chance the Spartans had at winning.

As inept as Kirk and the offense was that game, the defense was just as bad. I felt like I was watching Michigan. Terrible run gap coverage, no pass rush, and terrible coverage, all the qualities of the defense in Ann Arbor. Greg Jones, Who? Exactly. He was no where to be found that game. Ricky Stanzi made him miss on a tackle while on the run... that's embarrassing. Another play he just stood there hesitating til he got blocked, and then how bout his coverage on that wheel route by the running back? Yeah that was quality coverage... but not really.

MSU was in the spotlight, number five ranked team in the country, undefeated, last real test of the season, cinderella story, here at a Augusta... But it struck midnight as the cliche goes. What makes me angry and should make Spartan nation angry is that they didn't even show up. They didn't play their hearts out and lose a close one, they took Saturday, October 30th off. They were unprepared and it showed. It was just pathetic.

Good news is Rose Bowl dreams are in reach. If Wisconsin, Iowa, and MSU win out, Sparty's in the Rose Bowl. If Wisconsin, MSU and OSU win out... I have no idea who's in it. The tie breaker used to be longest Rose Bowl drought, which would be us, but I don't know if it's still done that way... Regardless, if Sparty wins out, they should be Rose Bowl bound.

Happy Birthday Bearded Fellow

Okay, well this isn't my birthday, but the Bearded Fellow Persona was born today. On this day one year ago I posted my first blog, it was about the first Brewer's Bruin encounter... Which was the Iowa game last year, kinda funny how that works out...

I just want to say it's been a great year of blogging, the blog has skyrocketed into something I never thought it could be. I have people reading it that I have no idea who they are, people retweeting my posts on Twitter to thousands of their followers, hell I've had people retweet the retweet. It's just awesome to think about how many people could have read even one entry of the Bearded Fellow.

I started this blog at the encouragement of my freshman journalism professor. He told me blogging is a great way to get my name out there. When I started, I struggled to blog anything with regularity, I was looking for those weird stories.
But then when hockey season came around, I started posting about the Red Wing games. I had avoided simple game recaps for the most part because I was looking for the strange stories to get noticed. But then I started to just post about Wings games and how they're doing with some extra stuff on the side. And that's what really got my blog rolling. I got hooked up with Spartan Edge and they still have my blog posted on their website, and more and more people started reading the blog.

This thing is bigger than I ever expected it to be and it's all thanks to you, the reader. Without you guys I would not have kept at it. But it's great to see that 62 people like my blog on Facebook. Sure small number, but I expected to have 20 tops on the page. This blog is much greater than I ever anticipated it to be.

But anyways, for the one year anniversary of the Bearded Blogger, I feel it's necessary to do something special... But what? I could repost some of my personal favorites, and ask which one you guys think is best... I could ask y'all what you guys like about my blog, what topics do you, the people, like most out of me? My hockey stuff, my NFL stuff, my college football stuff, my random stuff, you guys get it... Or I could ask if you guys think I'm just full of shit... which is probably true but that's okay, you keep reading...

I think I'm just going to ask you guys one thing... in the comment box, right down there, leave me some honest feedback about my blog. Stuff you like, stuff you don't like, my skills as a writer, or lack thereof. My opinions, if you think I know my stuff or I'm just full of it. Let me know what you, the people, think of the Bearded Fellow on Sports, I would love some feedback to let me know how I'm doing or what the people want, so please, I implore you, leave a comment, it's not that hard...

On a final note, I just want to add that I love you all for reading and following, and I hope you all continue to read and follow my blog as I go for year two of the Bearded Fellow on Sports.

So This is Justice...

I don't know if you guys have heard about this or not, the only thing I know is what I heard on 97.1 yesterday during the Valenti and Foster program. It was a story about a cheerleader at a Texas high school who was kicked off the cheer squad.

No big deal right? Happens all the time, right? Wrong. The reason she got kicked off the squad wasn't anything like grades or behavior related, none of that. She was kicked off the squad for refusing to cheer the name of a particular player, Rakheem Jamal Bolton.

Why would a cheerleader refuse to cheer for a player, doesn't that defeat the purpose of a cheerleader? Rakheem and two other males were accused of raping her. Her claim was that the three men took her, locked her in a room, and sexually assaulted her at a party. Other party goers tried to get in the room but they couldn't. When they did, two of the three men, one of which was Rakheem, fled out the window. Why the third didn't, I have no clue, maybe he's just dumb, fat, or slow... or all the above. But all three plead guilty to assault charges (not sexual assault). Rakheem was sentenced to a year of jail but got out early and was put on probation... What a load of crap if you ask me...

When asked about the whole "rape thing"... excuse me, "alleged rape," by a local TV station, Rakheem said, "I feel like it was just a misunderstanding.” Misunderstanding? Dude, No does not mean Yes...

Well this kid's out of jail, he's back at the high school, he's playing basketball for them. He's living life like nothing happened... Unfortunately for our cheerleading friend life wasn't so simple...

This is the part of the story that I get pissed... So before the whole getting kicked of the squad thing happens, the school tells her two things: She should avoid cafeterias, and she can't participate in homecoming. Ummm school, I think you're disciplining the wrong person. That's a joke. She's the victim in this story and you're telling her to avoid the caf and telling her she can't be apart of homecoming!?!? How messed up is that?

And now she's being kicked off the cheerleading team... She got kicked off the squad for refusing to cheer Rakheem's name when they were doing a cheer roll call or something, some cheerleader thing. She refused to cheer the name of the man who raped her and SHE is getting kicked off the squad.

This story just angers me so much. I don't know the talent level of this kid, but I'm guessing by all this special treatment he's probably a star. But regardless... this story just disgusts me. The kid should still be in jail, he shouldn't be on the basketball team, and he shouldn't be at that school. Why the girl who's a sexual assault victim gets treated by the school the way they did? I have no idea, it just makes zero sense to me and it angers me so much.

And a reminder guys... No does in fact mean No, and be careful, one slip up could haunt you for the rest of your life. Also, sexual violence and rape... it's not cool. Despite what Gingers in the Northeast Region say, it's not cool, it's not funny.

I just wanted to bring this story to all your guys' attention, I feel it's a story that needs to be known.

The Bearded Poll

So we're eight weeks into this amazing college football season, and things are messy like they usually are in college football. The number one team has lost three straight weeks, could it be four? I wouldn't be surprised at all... But one thing everyone likes to talk about is these silly, meaningless, BCS polls, and since I am the Bearded Fellow, it's time for me to share the only poll the matters... The Bearded Top Five.

Number Five: Michigan State Spartans
Never in my life did I think I'd see this, but MSU is a national championship contender folks. Kirk Cousin's is the most underrated quarterback in the country, he doesn't make many mistakes and he's got a solid arm. He sells the play action better than anyone in the country, combine that with MSU's ground game, which is always a threat, you got yourself a dangerous offense.
The question, as always, is the defense. It's very solid against the run, and has been much better than expected against the pass. The key is adjusting to the loss of Rucker, but Denard has stepped in and played very solid. The Spartans have the game of their season against Iowa at Kinnick this Saturday, if they win, they should finish 12-0.

Number Four: Texas Christian Horned Frogs.
Gotta love the Horned Frogs, they are scary good on defense. Number one in the country in points against, allowing only 9 points a game. Andy Dalton isn't a spectacular or flashy quarterback, but like Cousins, he gets the job done. The TCU ground game is one of the best in the country with the combination of Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker. TCU has an easy road ahead of them but face a tough game when they take on undefeated Utah on the road later this season.

Number Three: Auburn Tigers
But Dave, they're number one?!?!?! Not in my books. Auburn looks fantastic, Cam Newton has been unstoppable. He is there offense. He has put up absurd numbers both on the ground and threw the air. (Seems like I said this about another quarterback this year... hmmmm) Cam is a monster. He's big, he's fast, he's impossible to stop. But he's also the reason the Tigers aren't my number one. If a team contains him, then they will lose. That defense is terrible, it's not very good. Auburn still has to play Bama and the SEC title. If they can make it through that undefeated, then obviously they deserve to be in the Nation Championship. I just don't think that defense is good enough to get through the rest of the SEC, although Cam Newton has the Heisman Trophy won in my books.

Number Two: Boise State Broncos
I love Boise, always have. I loved back with Jared Zabranski and Ian Johnson before they played Oklahoma. I loved the BCS giving them a chance to play against Oklahoma, and I love them being put as number three to start the season. People are finally respecting the Boise State Broncos. They are a legitimate team. They can match up in a neutral site, one game situation with any team in the country. Could they run the table in the Big Ten, or SEC? Probably not, but they can beat any team in any of those divisions. Kellen Moore is a Heisman trophy candidate and a terrific quarterback. Titus Young and Austin Petis are two of the best wideouts in the country and the best wide receiver tandem in the nation for sure. The defense is rock solid and the offense is dynamic. Boise is a legit team folks, just accept it... Although, I do think their record IS a product of their schedule, but that doesn't mean they can't compete with any team in the country, and they can.

Number One: Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are something else aren't they? I have yet to see an offense as dynamic as theirs. They put up points on everyone. Darron Thomas isn't the best quarterback I have ever seen, but he is a tremendous athlete and fits the Oregon system perfectly. The defense is a little questionable, but it's better than Auburn's, in my opinion, and it's been solid thus far. But that offense can out score any team that lines up against them. LaMichael James is a fantastic running back, the most dynamic runner in the country. He is faster than any other running back in the country, and is the playmaker of that offense. That offense is why Oregon is my number one.

I will say this... there may be seven undefeated teams, but there is no team in college football that I can honestly say is great. If I have used "great" to describe any of these teams as a whole, I apologize for deceiving you. These teams are all good, and they all have aspects that are great, but are these teams great? No. Alabama last year was great. 97 Michigan was great, That Tebow team, I believe 08? When he had his speech, that team was great. These teams aren't great. They all have flaws, they all have that question mark. Great teams, in my opinion, don't have that question mark. They are above and beyond better than their competition. These teams, I wouldn't call em great, I'd say they're good, they're very good, but I can't honestly say that any of these teams are "great,' I just can't do it.

Spartans Leave Michigan and Get it Done

The Michigan State Spartans left the state of Michigan for the first time all season and took care of business against the Northwestern Wildcats 35-27. But it sure as hell wasn't easy for the Spartans as they were down 17-0 at a point in the first half. If it weren't for a fumble at the one by Northwestern running back Jacob Schmidt it coould have been 24-0.

The Spartans struggled mightily in the first half, being dominated on both ends of the ball. MSU could not run the ball but kept trying. Cousin's had four passing attempts in the first quarter, and the Spartans failed to convert on two 3rd and 1's. MSU's ground game was non-existant along with the rest of the Spartan offense. Northwestern controlled the ball and controlled the game.

The Spartans got a touchdown before the end of the half when Kirk Cousins found Mark Dell in the back of the endzone on a first and goal play from seven yards out with about three minutes left in the half. MSU had finally put together a drive and was looking for any kind of momentum going into the second half.

MSU scored the next TD when Benny Fowler scored on an end around for 22 yards. MSU had cut the deficit down to three 17-14. Northwestern scored the next touchdown to go back up ten going into the 4th quarter.

Critical point, MSU down 10, early 4th quarter. MSU has a 4th and 6 inside Northwestern territory. Conroy would be kicking about a 50 yarder into the wind, so field goal was out of the question. What would Coach Dantonio do? After a timeout, MSU lined up for a punt and took an intentional delay of game, to give the punter Aaron Bates more room to work with. MSU, appeared to be punting, which the announces and myself, felt was the wrong decision.

I was watching with my friend, and just before the snap, he shouts "Man up Dantonio! Go for it!" Well, Bates took the snap, and did not punt it, he threw a jump ball up for Benny Fowler who benefitted from his man not paying attention to the ball. He jumped up and made the catch for the Spartan first down. Another bold fake by Dantonio pays off. The next play Cousins finds Dell for their second touchdown connection to cut the lead down to three 24-21.

Northwestern answered the MSU touchdown with a field goal to go up 27-21. MSU then had a pressure drive, down six late in the game. Cousins led a great drive down the field that culminated in a touchdown when BJ Cunningham made an acrobatic catch off a deflection to give MSU the one point lead 28-27.

MSU then sealed the game on a Edwin Baker touchdown run to make it 35-27.

This was a huge win for the Spartans. Northwestern is a better team than people give them credit for. They are efficient and good at what they do. Persa is a solid dual-threat quarterback. This was a good road test for the Spartans and they overcame the adversity of having no running game and being forced to throw it.

Now the Spartans go on the road in the biggest game of their season to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa has the best defensive line in the country, and Kinick is one of the toughest stadiums in the country. I have to give my edge to Iowa. Stanzi is a much better quarterback than he was last year, and Iowa at home is tough to beat.

But if MSU can pull it off... Rose Bowl or even National Championship dreams are that much closer to reality.