Michigan State Version – It’s Homecoming 2009 baby!!!

Go Green, Go White!

Victory for MSU!!!

Traveling for a week can really pile things up on a guy!  How does this pertain to TDB? Well I’ve got a PACKED DVR with tons of stuff to watch, including two episodes of “Top Chef“…hence the reason why no recap yet. Also, I can’t get the photos off my camera right now, so I can’t get my Fast Food Friday post up today. Plus, I’m leaving early today to head up to MSU for Homecoming.  Need to start that party early.

I should get back to a normal schedule next week as I’ll mostly be either sitting at my desk or sitting at home (I lead such an exciting life).  So let’s just plan on meeting up back here on Monday!  I’ll catch up on the stuff above plus have a little review of my dinner at Aqueous, the AAA Four Diamond restaurant at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, that incuded plenty of bacon!

Have a great weekend.  Go Green!

Sparty Edition…Go Green, Beat UofM!

Have a great weekend everyone, regardless of the outcome.

Oh football.  How I love to hate you and hate to love you!

Let me ’splain…

I was born and raised just outside of metropolitan Detroit.  As such, my professional football team by birth is, has been and will forever be the Detroit Lions.

I am also a proud graduate of Michigan State University.  If you cut me, do I not bleed green?!? (PS – I do)

So Saturday Michigan State plays uninspired and undisciplined while losing to Central Michigan and then today the Lions did what they do best…provide that faint glimmer of hope before monumentally failing!

Sadly, this weekend became one of those soul crushing, drive me to drink depressing weekends!  There have been so many before this last weekend and I am sure as the sun shines that there will be more in the future.

I tell myself each year that I will not get emotional, that these are just games, but that never works.

WHY? Why do you hurt me so?  You cruel, cruel mistress you!

At least I have my fantasy teams…oh wait, I was playing the guy who started Drew Brees!! The guy who threw for SIX touchdowns against the Lions…UGH!

When does hockey and basketball start?

Looking through my posts it came to my attention that I really hadn’t added much to my “Idiot” series of posts…after some soul searching, I figure now I should come clean, bear my soul if you will, to the 10’s of readers to this fine weblog (or blog as the kids call it) about a “small” incident that recently occurred.

Let me take you back to a few weekends ago when a little basketball tournament was happening in The “D”.  My friend Sam Singh who is finishing up his 16 month trek around the world (see his blog at www.singharoundtheworld.com) flew back to Detroit just because Michigan State was in the Final Four.  I picked him up on Saturday afternoon and we headed downtown to join in the festivities.  That evening, as we are all aware, MSU beat UCONN and they were now going to advance to the Finals on Monday.

That next morning (Sunday) and I had planned for Better Half to bring Lil’ Baird downtown for brunch with Sam.  “Uncle” Sam had not seen Lil’ Baird yet and Better Half wanted to also see Sam, so it seemed like a good plan.  Little did I know that Better Half had been working on a plan of her own. [Read more →]

“There can be only one!” – Connor MacLeod, The Highlander

Monday, April 6, 2009. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)

Well there you go.  The 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball season has come to a close and Spartans everywhere got a huge humbling at the hands of the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Ouch.

All through the day, you start believing, thinking “why not us”. Anticipation starts to build.  The venue looked great. There was a sea of Spartan fans. The noise was terrific during the team introductions.   The teams come to center court, the tip goes up, flash bulbs go off, the hair stands on your arm as the realization that you are at the finals. 

But then, in keeping with an automotive theme, the wheels came off.  Who were these guys?  This wasn’t the same team that beat Kansas, beat Louisville, beat UCONN?  Did the pressure of the moment just catch up with them?  I looked down for a minute and we were losing by 10.  Ouch!  The air came out of the arena.  Sure, there were fleeting moments where the crowd tried to will the team a bucket, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  Down 20.  I feel the anger start to build.  I’m cussing like a sailor.  Better half spent a fortune on these tickets and we’re getting our butts handed to us.  OUCH!

But then you start trying to rationalize things.  If they could just get the lead to 15, maybe get within 10 by half, just go on a small run…

I didn’t want to stay, but I did until 2:00 minutes left.  I just couldn’t watch another team, that team, hold up the trophy and celebrate on what became “our” floor.  I still have avoided media coverage from last night.  I’m just not ready for that.

“So we come, to the end of the road” – Boyz 2 Men

Tell you what though, I really do love my school and this team provided some great memories this year. Friends flew in from all over the country for this Final Four. We drank beer, did shots, sang the fight song, ripped on each other and reminded ourselves just how lucky we are to have each other. For that, I am grateful and I know I’ll look back and only see the great times.

I’m rambling, so I’ll stop.  Thank you Spartans!  Thank you Izzo.  You represented us well and provided a positive spotlight on Michigan all week.  We’ll see you next season!

GO GREEN! GO WHITE!

Michigan State University vs. the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

As if Spartans needed any more motivation…a little something to start the day!

How about a rendition of the fight song, feel free to sing-a-long:

Now, the 2000 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final:

and finally, that one song we are hoping to hear for the Green tonight:

GO GREEN!  GO WHITE!

Wow, just wow.

Three weeks ago I was in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament and as par for the course over the last five years, Michigan State won solidly on Friday and then blew it on Saturday.  I came out of watching that game wondering if we’d even make it out of the first round of the NCAA tournament.  That OSU lost was weak!

But something has happened to this team, and I think it’s name is Travis Walton.  I think he just grew stones and is absolutely refusing to lose!  Last night, we finally saw REAL HEART with this team.  Sure I picked MSU in my bracket to get to the Final Four, but I had them losing that game to UCONN.  I mean, Kansas – DEAD, Louisville – DEAD, UCONN – DEAD, Dean Wermer – DEAD (sorry, that’s from “Animal House“)…this has been a murderer’s row of games, not to mention that USC game as well.  With each victory, you can sense the confidence, the will, the heart growing…

Yesterday was a perfect day.  Weather was great!  The “D” was absolutely hopping.  So many familiar faces and old friends! I have NO reason not to believe that Monday will be just as fun.

I am so proud to be a Spartan today!  Win or lose on Monday, it’s going to be a fantastic experience.  I had the pleasure of seeing us win in 2000 at the RCA Dome and I’ve already got my tickets for this year.  I can’t wait to see the sea of green in that stadium, to get the chants started, to sing the fight song and hopefully cry like a baby when we cut the nets down and watch “One Shinning Moment” on the JumboTron.

GO GREEN! GO WHITE!! (GO IZZO!)

PS – Ate some great bacon today at Fishbone’s in Greektown.  They have a terrific brunch.  It was a little salty, but just what the doctor ordered after last night!

I know I told you yesterday I would tell you about the resort I went to this week…but that is being put on hold.

Why? Because I’m as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve.  The Final Four begins tomorrow in downtown Detroit and I CAN NOT WAIT!!!

It has been so hard to focus today.  My MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS open things up with UCONN tomorrow at 6:07 pm.  We had almost 30,000 people at Ford Field today just to watch the Spartan’s open practice.  The town is truly abuzz…I love it when it is like this around here.  Super Bowl XL was big, the MLB All-Star Game was big…but this…because MSU is in it…it just feels HUGE!

I am hearing from so many friends who are coming into town for this.  Earilier this week, I even held a Facebook Fundraiser for my buddy Sam Singh (SHOUT OUT) to fly him back from Kenya (his latest stop on his trip around the world, check out his blog) to get here for the Final Four!  I am happy to say we raised the money and I am picking him up tomorrow and headin’ straight to the “D”.  It is going to be an absolute blast!!  Old friends, our school playing for a championship and a bunch of adult beverages – GOOD TIMES!

Due to everything going on, I will not have a post tomorrow.  You can follow me on Twitter or through the Twitter update on the right side of this blog.  Just a heads up, most tweets will probably read like this:

“WHOOOOOOOO”

“Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey”

“Look who passed out”

“Your Mom”

“Why did I drink that?”

So enjoy! 

 

GO GREEN!  GO WHITE!!

Behold the POWER of “Bacon Sunday“!!! 

The team no one in the nation gave any chance to win just crushed the overall number one in the NCAA Tournament!! That’s right, my MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS are heading to the FINAL FOUR in DETROIT!!!

I couldn’t sit still the last 9 minutes of the game. We were over the limit putting Louisville in the bonus and just starting to build the lead…even up 15 under 2 minutes, I still couldn’t stand it. My finger nails are bitten to their nubs. WOW, just WOW!

I had the great opportunity to watch the Spartans in person win the 2000 National Championship and to even dream of having the same opportunity in my own backyard…goosebumps!

UCONN is next and that will be tough as hell…but PITT goes down, Louisville goes down, Memphis goes down…we can win this thing…why not?!?

GO GREEN!! GO WHITE!!