Well, we definitely handled our business tonight. We played a young and tired team at home, and we destroyed them, like a veteran team should. It's really hard to get any sort of feel for how are team has responded since the UCLA loss because this was such an easy win. Here are the things I took away from this game though:
~Suton was nothing short of amazing in the first half. I read about his stats against Oakland last game, and it looks like he's followed those up nicely tonight. If he can become a consistent, low post threat, that makes us all the more dangerous. I especially liked his hustle tonight. He was running the fast break, crashing the boards, and stripping people. I really liked the shot he had that was blocked where he chased down his miss and threw it off an N.C. St. player. Great hustle from the big guy.
~ I love how Izzo chewed his team out with five minutes left in this game. You do not want complacency to sink in with this team at any point. It wasn't okay after five minutes against UCLA, and it's not okay with five minutes left against N.C. St. You go hard for 40 minutes, then you rest. That's why Izzo is the best. He knows this team is good, but he wants them to be great. Hey, me too.
~ It is awesome to watch Drew Neitzel when he is in his groove. Every shot he takes you know is going to fall. It makes me very happy.
~ The freshmen are still making bonehead plays, and that's going to happen all year. It seems with every big shot Allen makes, he takes one terrible one. With every fast break layup Lucas makes, he commits one unnecessary turnover. Summers is the same way (although I really liked his reverse and-one play). Take the good with the bad I suppose.
Good win. There are only two games upcoming that I worry about: at Bradley and Texas. Bradley could be a trap game, and Texas, well Texas is #8 in the country- enough said. The Texas game is at 6:30 on the 22nd...the day I drive back to Michigan.
So whose house we watching that one at?
~Mikey D
Okay, because I spend way too much time with fantasy (much in the way Adam does researching MLB player salaries =) ), I always think it's fun to look back on the team you started with, and compare it to the team you have now. You always feel so optimistic on draft day that the group of guys you drafted on your team will take you all the way to the championship. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the group of guys you started with vastly changes over the course of a year (well, for us owners who make a lot of changes). I always find it interesting to look at the guys I started during a given week that I had no intention of starting at the beginning of the year. So I came up with my own, "I Started Who?" Team for 2007.
QB~ Trent Green
QB~ J.P. Losman
Preseason Starters: Drew Brees, Marc Bulger
I cannot believe I actually started a Miami Dolphin this year, much less the QB, and much more less, one that threw his head into the knee of a 300 pound D-lineman. J.P. actually worked out for me, but 9 out of 10 times it's a bad idea to roll with any Bills QB. Kevin, your point is right on this year, fantasy is all luck.
WR~ Kevin Walter
WR~ Andre Davis
WR~ Nate Burleson
Preseason Starters: Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, Javon Walker
Could I even name Kevin Walter before this year? Nope. I tried to take advantage of the absence of Andre Johnson, and did alright picking up Walter and Davis. Burleson made this list as well, because with Wayne, Fitzgerald, Walker, and Evans, I didn't think I'd ever need the 4th wide receiver for the Seahawks. Thank you injuries and bye weeks, because I had Mr. Burleson in my lineup for two weeks. Icky.
RB~ LaMont Jordan
RB~ Clinton Portis (Week 4 and after)
Preseason Starters: L.T., Maurice Jones-Drew
I started the year with Tomlinson, M. Jones-Drew, Portis, T. Jones, C. Benson, and J. Norwood. I hoped two would emerge as cream of the crop starters, but it took awhile for that to happen. Jones, Benson, and Norwood proved to be crap. Tomlinson hasn't been great, but he's still been good. I gave up on Jones-Drew too quickly (my bad). Portis was my surprise in how well he's played, but also the fact he's not injured yet! I thought I could use him for a few weeks, but he'd break something and be out for the year. Surprisingly it's week 12, and I can still roll with Portis. Jordan also made this list for his first few games where he actually did well, which nobody thought would happen after last year.
TE~ Owen Daniels
Preseason Starter: Antonio Gates
Once again, who? My bye-week filler for Gates. One and done for Mr. Daniels.
K~ Mason Crosby
Preseason Starter: Jeff Wilkins
He did well for Adam's team, so I put him in the silver and black and he's done alright for me. I was quite angry at the Packers for getting rid of MSU alum Rayner, but he's with Chiefs now, so all is good.
DEF~ Houston
Preseason Starter: Minnesota Vikings
My fourth Texan to make the list. One of those bad decisions I'd like to take back. No wonder I started the year so poorly.
I don't know, I just think it's cool to see guys you've never heard of or dreamed of playing on your fantasy roster. I just made my 50th move of the fantasy season, which is what brought about this list.
Funny, and I'm the one who's so resistant to change...
~Mikey D
Okay, I've calmed down and I'm ready to write about this now. I actually took notes during the game because I'm a giant dork (and it helped me stay awake in the wee hours of the evening).
~Kevin Love was the best player on the floor. We have a collection of good/very good players, but that guy changed the entire complexion of the game. He's raw, but he kept UCLA in the game in the first half.
~I was intrigued by Izzo's comment that Allen might be the next Shaun Respert. I remember the last guy that got compared to Respert, and that was none other than Chris Hill. Hopefully Allen's MSU career finishes a little stronger than Hill's, and he lives up to the Respert compliment.
~I swear, if I see Kailin Lucas dribble back to midcourt and into another trap I will punch him in the face. I do not care if he's a freshman. How are you that stupid to do that over and over again?
~Well, Naymick, Suton, and Ibok did what they do best- pick up a crapload of early fouls. Some things will never change.
~Speaking of things that will never change, Marquise Gray's game looks just about the same- he can dunk and snarl a lot. At least he kept his fouls to a minimum.
~Tom Herzog sighting! Well, it was a sighting when he wasn't standing sideways. He must be the skinniest guy ever. Seriously, he makes Shawn Bradley look like Shaq.
~Drew Neitzel confirmed what I've always thought about him- he cannot defend. I kept a running tally of Neitzel defense lapses, and I counted 5. That's not what I want from my senior leader. Allowing the pass under the basket on an inbounds? Unacceptable. He also did not fight through screens and seems to get out-physicaled by the opponent's stronger guards. Those big 3's that UCLA hit? Yeah, those were Neitzel's guy running away from Neitzel for the open looks. Not impressed.
~UCLA was in the bonus at the 11 minute mark in the first half. Again, unacceptable. I think we all agree that MSU completely owned UCLA in the first half, especially the first five minutes. The only thing, and I mean only thing, that kept UCLA in the game was free throws. I know we went to halftime with a double digit lead, but that lead could have seriously been closer to twenty, rather than ten.
~I can accept the freshman mistakes. They are going to make some bad passes, force things they shouldn't, etc. (although Kailin Lucas pissed me off). What I cannot stand is mistakes by veterans. Raymar's ill advised pass late in the game. Ibok trying to drive to the basket for a bucket. Both Suton and Neitzel giving up looks underneath the basket on inbounds plays. Miscommunication between defenders where both guys end up guarding the same guy. Travis Walton being careless with the ball late in the game when we needed him to protect it. I know it's early, but these guys have played together for over a year now, so I expect a little improvement off last year's team. Get it together, vets.
~Poise. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Everybody knew UCLA would make a run in the second half. To let UCLA come back and then to look so rattled and confused is an utter shame. Bad decision after bad decision led to our demise. I would have liked to have seen the same intensity out of the fellas throughout the game. Even if UCLA went on a run, I still wanted our team to be physical and rebounding like crazy. We looked like lost puppys running around in the second half.
~23 offensive rebounds for UCLA. Don't make me ever write that sentence again, MSU.
~10-10 freethrows in the first half. I like it. Even the freshman look like they can knock them down. When teams put us on the line, they will pay. Now if only we can get to the line more than we send the other team...
Just from the tone of this post, you can probably tell than I'm really disappointed with the outcome. Had we won last night I would probably point out more of the positives (from the first half mainly), but the bottom line is that we didn't. I saw glimpses of greatness, and glimpses of the same old, same old. As a fan of MSU basketball, that is frustrating. So I went to bed last night feeling equally disappointed and frustrated.
At the same time I think about this team now compared to last year's team at this point, and there really is no comparison. UCLA would have destroyed us last year. We wouldn't have had the talent and players to step on the court with UCLA and really take it to them the way we did in the first half. The thing that is tough for me personally is realizing that this is a long season. The team we watched last night has ample opportunity to fix its mistakes and develop its own identity.
Do I think we'll allow 23 offensive boards ever again? No. Will two inbounds plays result in easy layups again? No. Will two defenders ever chase the same guy leaving another unguarded? No. Will we finally figure out how to withstand runs from an opponent and hang on to win basketball games? Time will tell. But I'd like to say yes.
~Mikey D
I am too upset right now to even discuss this game. I will share later.
The only thing I will say is that this game was definitely a tale of two halves:
1st Half: This is the team MSU could be- one to be reckoned with.
2nd Half: This is the team MSU still is- frustratingly mediocre.
~Mikey D
Oye, I hate when it feels like I haven't posted in awhile. School has kept me terribly busy, and I kinda hate it. Being the lazy son of a bitch that I am, anything that keeps me from doing what I love (blogging, video games, television, master-, well, you get the gist) by making me do real work makes me unhappy. So boo school.
I was down at the inner harbor in Baltimore this past weekend with Grace. It was a good time. We went down to the ESPNzone for lunch and the UofM/OSU game. I was thoroughly disgusted with Michigan's performance (I was hardcore rooting for the Wolverines) against the Buckeyes. You could have slapped some green and white jerseys and a big 'S' emblem on the helmets, and I could have sworn it was MSU against OSU all over again. OSU running the ball like crazy mother fuckers? Yup, check. A non-existent passing game? Check. Absolutely no running game? Gotcha. Seriously, the Wolverines looked awful. They were lucky that the final score was only 14-3, as OSU did not have to sit on the ball for the ENTIRE SECOND HALF. I'm guessing it was Ohio State's gift for Lloyd Carr- another loss, but a respectable score. Have a nice retirement, Lloyd.
ESPNzone. We ate at the restaurant, and I have to say I was a little disappointed. We started with an order of nachos with queso (can't go wrong with that, right?), and my only request was no tomatoes (because they're fucking disgusting) on the top. Sure enough, my request was denied. I spent the next half-hour picking through tomatoed nachos while watching Chad Henne sail pass after pass over his wide open receivers. Good times. My lunch (the BBQ smokehouse burger) was devoid of everything that a burger should have- lettuce, pickles, onions. It should just be assumed that every decent burger should include these things. I should not have to request half the shit for my burger. Maybe that's just me though.
I did like the arcade though. I loved playing the 'Supershot' basketball game. That's the game that has the moving basketball rim, and you have to make as many buckets as possible in a certain amount of time. I have to toot my own horn, because I'm pretty damn sweet at that game. There were six games next to each other, and they'd have competitions between the six players. During my fifteen minutes of playing, I did not lose once. In fact, I smoked every opponent that played against me. By smoked I mean I would have 80 points, while they'd be in the 30's. As I told Grace, it's all about having the competitive spirit, being in the zone, and being just damn good. Toot toot!
All around the Baltimore harbor there are trash cans with the label "litter" on them. This bothers me to no end. What's supposed to go in these trash cans? Trash. Can litter go in them as well? Sure. But let's say I have an empty pop bottle and I want to throw it away. Should I throw it in these cans marked litter? Or should I drop it on the ground, making it litter, then come back and pick it up and put it in the litter can? Of course the word litter sounds nicer than trash (I think), and I'm pretty sure that's why they're labeled that way. But still, not all trash is litter. It just irked me seeing one of these trash cans, excuse me, litter cans, every fifteen feet. I can already picture Grace shaking her head going, "Of course something stupid like that would irk you..." Damn straight.
I know I haven't pushed Michael Crabtree in awhile, so lets look at his stats with a game to go:
125 Receptions
1,861 Yards
21 Touchdowns
Not too shabby. Heisman esque? Probably not, but his numbers are absolutely ridiculous for a freshman. The surprising part about his season is that he hasn't struggled against the teams we all thought he would- Texas and Oklahoma. Against Texas he had 9 catches for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. Against Oklahoma he had 12 grabs for 154 and a touch. The only teams to keep him under a 100 yards receiving were Baylor and Missouri. Other than that, he's fucked up everyone he's played, including the big boys. The kid has skills, and since I don't see one clear unanimous Heisman winner out there, Crabtree still gets my vote.
Michigan State basketball is 2-0. I haven't seen any of their games, but I've been reading up on each afterwards. I'm really curious to see a game live now, because it looks like these freshmen, Allen and Summers, are for real. They've been getting minutes, and they're producing. Come tournament time, if these guys can keep producing and have gone through their "growing pains", then we could be a dangerous team. Anything that can alleviate the pressure on Neitzel being the only dominate scorer on our team is a good thing. For the first time in awhile I am excited about the front court. Morgan, Summers, and Gray- that's a lot of energy and athleticism. Having Naymick and Sutton there gives us great depth and experience. I like it. I think this team has a lot of potential, and I think once everybody finds their place and knows their role, this team could be damn good. So my prediction is a couple close games against some teams we shouldn't be that close to, a couple losses to some teams we should probably beat, a big run to start the Big Ten season, at least a sweet sixteen berth, and who knows the rest. I would not be shocked to see this team in the final four, but I'm not going to go their yet. I want to see them live first.
I saw a little bit of the Pistons/Lakers game last night. I have a very uncomfortable feeling about this team. It feels like this is the year the rest of the East catches up with us. Anybody else get that feeling? Rip doesn't seem to be as dynamic, Rasheed and Chauncey are older (and Rasheed is still our only low-post threat), and Tayshaun, and I hate to say this, doesn't seem like will ever be that guy we can count on to step up in a game when we need him to. It just feels like Detroit is in this awkward transition phase trying to infuse the youngsters (Maxiel, Johnson, Stuckey) while still giving enough minutes to the deserving vets (Billups, Hamilton, Wallace, McD). What does anyone else think?
Grace and I have to bring a vegetable platter to Thanksgiving at her brother in law's house. We got broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber. I also got green olives. Aren't olives a fine addition to any vegetable platter? I think so. I would like to eat olives. Grace just looked at me funny when I suggested them. Olives seem like a wonderful compliment.
Okay, when I start talking about vegetable platters I know I'm done. Good long post. Football day today, and I'm going to enjoy it. Hollllllllla!
~Mikey D
Apparently we should just expect the freakiest injuries that will sideline Joel Zumaya for half a season for the rest of his time here in Detroit. Guitar Hero one year, moving during wild fires in California the next. I'm fully expecting to read the ESPN.com article halfway through next season: "Joel Zumaya out after pulling tendons in his pitching arm after jacking off carnie on ferris wheel ride." It's practically inevitable.
Edgar Renteria. Love it. He upgrades the defense at short (I have a sneaking suspicion that Neifi Perez isn't coming back...call it hunch), as well as the offense. You figure he is basically replacing Sean Casey's production (I doubt he'll be back), which was little to none, so it's an automatic upgrade. Adam made a great point about Renteria's time in Boston and how unsuccessful it was. That makes me worried that this guy is just a productive NL player, but can't cut it in the AL. I hope there's less pressure in Detroit for him to deal with, as well as a line-up with even more protection around him than Boston boasted. Also, he has a great relationship with Jimmy L, going back to their days in Florida. Personally I think he'll fit right in.
On ESPN.com, Buster Olney listed the odds of potential suitors trying to land Alex Rodriguez. Number two? The Tigers. At first I was completely against this move, because I hate A-Rod's character and there's no way in hell I'd want our team to spend 25-30 million on a single player. It feels like we'd be selling out and selling our souls to some evil devil. But after taking a look at our potential line-up, it's tempting:
CF- Curtis Granderson
SS- Edgar Renteria
RF- Magglio Ordonez
3B- Alex Rodriguez
DH- Gary Sheffield
1B- Carlos Guillen
C- Pudge Rodriguez
LF- Marcus Thames
2B- Placido Palonco
Good luck trying to get through the middle of that line-up. I'd be worried about our team defense though. Can Guillen cut it at first? Is Thames going to be the guy in left, and if so, can he show a little mobility? A-Rod is a downgrade defensively at third over Inge. Can Renteria and Polanco develop a chemistry as a double play combo. It's a lot of pieces, and I just want to see them fit together on the field.
As always, pitching will be key for us. Lucky for us, our starting rotation is set already, with Verlander, Bonderman, Rogers (assuming he comes back), Robertson, and Miller. These guys need to step up like they did the year before last. They all had a difficult time last year, and I wouldn't say any one of those guys pitched to their potential consistently. It was frustrating to watch as a fan. Hopefully with the long winter and rest they will be good to go. I'm counting on it.
The thing that is our biggest weakness is our bullpen. To me this isn't fixed through free agency. The good relievers are usually locked up by their teams. It's the mediocre ones that get tossed into the free agent heap and get ridiculously over-priced contracts by desperate teams. I hope we are not one of those desperate teams. With Zumaya's injury (again), as much as I hate to say it, we need Todd Jones back for a little- and this is probably the wrong word to use with Todd Jones- stability. I am hoping that Dombrowski, if he hasn't traded them all away, has some good, young, hard-throwing rookies down in the minors that can step up (a la Jaba Chamberlain, and Zumaya two years ago). Rookies that the rest of the league haven't seen yet and haven't picked up on. Rookies that can come in and baffle the league for the next year or so. And will the real Fernando Rodney please step up? I still can't figure out if this guys is good or terrible.
Curt Schilling listed the Tigers on his list of teams he'd be willing to go to. Seemed like half the league was on the list, but whatever. The only way I see the Tigers bringing in Schilling is if they move him to the bullpen role, which I totally wouldn't mind, because again, that's our weakness. But if they bring him in as a starter, I'll be pissed. One, he's not the Schilling of two years ago. Two, I don't think he can be depended on for a whole year. That being said, whose spot in the rotation will he take? Probably Andrew Miller's. If Schilling probably won't make it through an entire season healthy, that means Miller is going to be going back and forth from the bullpen to the starting rotation. That's the last thing I want for a young starter to do. Schilling=bullpen help.
Please tell me you heard this. The Toledo Mud Hens were the first official team to make A-Rod an offer. If you haven't, read this: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3090231
Funny as hell.
~Mikey D
