Video: This is Sparta!

"Well, you know what the first thing I'm going to say is: 'Spartans! What is your profession?' "One of my favorite coaches in all of sports is Tom Izzo. There is something about the guy I've always loved. I would run through a wall for the guy. This next video is another reason why I love Tom Izzo. At Midnight Madness at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Izzo brought out none other than King Leonidas to pump up the Sparty crowd. Yes, Gerard Butler made an appearance in East Lansing and went into full character. Butler yelled at the crowd, "Well, you know what the first thing I'm going to say is: 'Spartans! What is your profession?' " As the crowd cheered Butler spouted off his famous line from '300.'



Incredible! Incredible from the stand point that Butler would show up on a college campus and chant lines from his own movie. Incredible from the standpoint that Izzo, know as a showman at Midnight Madness, could pull something like that off. I love Tom Izzo and Sparty.

(Video via The Only Colors)

Michigan State Defeats Notre Dame in Overtime on a Fake Field Goal, but Not Without Controversy

 The Notre Dame-Michigan State game had an incredible ending to a fairly dull game. With Notre Dame leading by three in overtime, Michigan State called a fake field goal and threw the game-winning touchdown. This was not without controversy though. As soon as the game ended, people pointed out that the play clock had expired and that Sparty should have been called for a delay of game. If you look (or click on it) at the screen cap above, the clock is indeed at 0.00. As Bubba pointed out, Sparty got the snap off 0.2 seconds after the play clock expired. Surly this game will be talked about on Monday and not just for Notre Dame losing on a fake field goal.

(Screen cap via Mock Session)

The Links

Gretchen Bleiler to finish off the week..... Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets were big winners after the NBA trade deadline..... Purdue managed to stop Evan Turner and beat Ohio State..... Syracuse survives against Georgetown..... Josh Cribbs and Cleveland might sign a new contract after all..... Do Tom Izzo teams get better as the season goes along?...... Martin Scorcese's new movie opens this weekend..... 'Harry Potter' author is being sued..... Don't buy tickets for Bruce Spingsteen on Ticketmaster

MillerCoors hates Beer Pong (Sharapova's Thigh)

Eric Gagne, one of my most hated Dodger players, returns to the Dodgers (True Blue LA)

Siblings get romantic at the Olympics (Deadspin)

Tiger, just tell us when your going to play again (Orlando Sentinel)

Why is the media so upset with Tiger Woods? (The Sporting Blog)

Advice to Tiger, just retire now (Jason Whitlock)

Spike TV greenlights a show that mocks Tiger Woods (Sporting Blog)

Lindsey Vonn credits success to really good ski poles (The Onion)

America's most miserable cities: No surprised Cleveland number 1 and Stockton, California number 2 (Forbes)

The dance that is sweeping across America (HHR)

National Championship Game: Michigan St. vs. UNC Live Blog

Well 64 teams have been widdled down to two and tonight Michigan St. and North Carolina will play for the national championship game.

Michigan St. will obvisoulsy be the sentimental favorite, but North Carolina is favored by most people to win tonight.

So who will win? We will see tonight.

The pre-game starts at 6PM PST/9PM EST. Please feel free to leave any of your comments.

Michigan St. vs. North Carolina: Who Do You Have?

Who: Michigan St. vs. North Carolina

Where: Detroit, Michigan

Why: For the college basketball national championship

Announcers: Jim Nantz and Clark "baking soda" Kellogg

Since my bracket is completely shot, I am not going to pick this game.

I want to see Michigan St. win because I want to see Tyler Hansbrough go his entire college career without a national championship.

But who do you have? Leave your pick in the comments......

Sunday Links

Well we get Michigan St., North Carolina Monday for the National Championship. While it's not the title game we expected or wanted, it still should be a fun game..... Durrell Summers of Michigan St. had the dunk of the tournament so far.... Ty Lawson did some gambling before the Final Four.... Michigan St. was just plain better than UConn.... Michigan St. is peaking at the right time.... Jim Calhoun is going to ponder his coaching future.... And a North Carolina cheerleader

- Michigan St. has destiny on their sides (KC Star)

- Michigan St. was up to the task yesterday (Detroit News)

- Villanova fell behind early and couldn't catch up (Philly.com)

- Could be the end of an era or end of a special season at UConn (Hartford Courant)

- Jim Calhoun's team is always looking up to the UConn women's team (NY Times)

- It's championship or bust for North Carolina (News & Observer)

- Make room for the Michigan St. bandwagon (Boston Globe)

- Will Courtney Paris have to pay back her scholarship? (The Oklahoman)

Final 4 Live Blog

Well we are here. It's Final Four weekend. The first game we get is the Michigan St. vs. UConn game, then we get the Villanova vs. North Carolina game.

Please feel free to leave your comments, and enjoy the games.

UConn vs. Michigan St. Breakdown

Who: UConn vs. Michigan St.
Where: Detroit, MI
When: Saturday, 6:07 EST
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Clark "Baking Soda" Kellogg
Fact: Tom Izzo and Michigan St. have reached five final fours in 11 seasons.
Fact: Jim Calhoun will not give a dime back!
No Thabeet, No Problem: Whenever Hasheem Thabeet gets in foul trouble, Stanley Robinson has stepped in nicely. Robinson is as much of a shot-blocking threat as Thabeet and he can be a better offensive threat.
Key Matchup: Travis Walton of MSU and A.J. Price of UConn will have to battle all night long. Walton shut down Louisville's Terrence Williams who was stronger and taller than Walton. Once again he will face off against a player who is also big and strong in Price. Walton will have to knock Price off of his game.
My Pick: I actually like Michigan St. in this game. They just wear out opponents. They faced a stronger and more talented Louisville team, who beat their previous opponent by 36, and they shut them down. It is what Sparty does. The other team will quit before Michigan St. Walton can shut down Price. Also Goran Suton is not your typical big-man. He will draw both Thabeet and Robinson away from the basket that will create scoring opportunities for Walton and Kalin Lucas.

The Links

John Calipari is excited to be at Kentucky.... Many Puerto Ricans victims of identity theft.... Youth soccer coach resigns via e-mail.... History of Aprils Fools Day.... Look for 'The Simpsons' stamps soon... And Nikki Ziering

- Bridget Moynahan isn't exactly happy with Giesele talking about her son (Page 6)

- A look at SportsCenter new makeover and intro (Awful Announcing)

- Kevin Blackistone doesn't want college basketball coaches to make as much money as possible (Fanhouse)

- Cutler already engaged in damage control? (PFT)

- Worst of the night in the NBA (Basketbawful)

- This former Florida player has his priorities straight (Deadspin)

- Sparty fans are not happy with Gus Johnson (Fire Andy Reid Now!)

- The guy who pulled over Ryan Moats, sure did want to become a cop (Busted Coverage)

The Big Picture is back from Arizona

- Untold stories of Wrestlemania (The Sports Hernia)

The Links

Sara Jean Underwood for your viewing pleasure.... Will John Calipari become the next Kentucky coach?.... Tiger Woods had a day yesterday.... Ryan Moats accepts Officer Powell's apology.... R.I.P. Lou Saban.... Seth Curry, Stephen's younger brother, has transferred to Duke, NO!!!!!!!!

- Jack Edwards is back (Awful Announcing)

- Worst of the weekend in the NBA (Basketbawful)

- Pitino suggests Kentucky looks at one of their native sons (Online Sports Guy)

- Missouri needs to pay Mike Anderson a top salary (KC Star)

- Even though they lost, Louisville still had an historic season (Courier-Journal)

- Michigan St. is headed back to the Final 4, their 5Th in 11 years (Detroit News)

- Blake Griffin wasn't enough for North Carolina (The Oklahoman)

- Why wouldn't Calipari leave Memphis for Kentucky (Commercial-Appeal)

- LeBron and Cleveland have their eyes on the best record in the league (Cleveland.com)

- Once again, Michigan St. shows how good they are (Indy Star)

Elite 8 Live Blog

Yesterday was sure exciting. Let's hope today is even better. We play the final two games to see who are the other teams to complete the Final Four.

Should be losts of fun. Louisville, Michigan St. starts us off. And North Carolina, Oklahoma finishes off the weekend.

Enjoy the games and feel free to leave your comments:

The Links

Wow! There was some great action in last nights games. The Villanova, Pittsburgh game video is at the bottom. That's all you need to see. The Missouri, UConn game too was exciting. UConn won, but they needed everything they had to beat Missouri. Let's hope today's games are just as exciting.

Megan Fox is a great way to start another college basketball mourning....

- Villanova is going back to the final 4 (Fire Andy Reid Now!)

- Even Jay Mariotti said last night's Nova-Pitt game was an 'classic' (Fanhouse)

- Anthony Grant is good fit Alabama, but Mike Anderson would have been better (AL.com)

- Sherron Collins should stay at Kansas, if he gets some help (KC Star)

- The Stanford women are headed to the Elite 8, again (SF Chronicle)

- There is a lot of similarities between this Nova team and the 85' team (Philly.com)

- Louisville should win, but Michigan St. won't go down without a fight (Detroit News)

- Jeff Capel was destined for greatness (The Oklahoman)

- A late collapse cost Pittsburgh a trip to the final 4 (Post-Gazette)

- It's time for Louisville to finish what they started (Courier-Journal)

Here is one of the best finishes in college basketball history:

Day 2: Sweet 16 Live Blog

Well we have already seen a coach fired today. Last night saw Duke get destroyed, and Pitt's tubby point guard Levance Fields become a hero. But we move on to the next 4 Sweet 16 games, to see who advances to the Elite 8. It should be a fun set of games. As always feel free to leave your comments.

Here is tonight's schedule and announcers, courtesy of Awful Announcing:
Louisville vs. Arizona (Indianapolis, 7pm)- Gus Johnson, Len Elmore
Oklahoma vs. Syracuse (Memphis, 7:30pm)- Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg
Kansas vs. Michigan State (Indianapolis, 9:30pm)- Gus Johnson, Len Elmore
North Carolina vs. Gonzaga (Memphis, 10pm)- Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg

My local affiliate is showing the Arizona, Louisivlle game and the UNC, Gonzaga game. But I am sure I will be flexed sometime during the night. Enjoy the games:

Breakdown of Today's Sweet 16 Games

Last night was an eventful one. Villanova made the whole country proud by giving Duke an ass-kicking. UConn ran away from Purdue. Levance Fields looks like he should be playing at the local YMCA, but he was clutch last night for Pitt. And Missouri's "40 minutes of hell" ran Memphis out of the gym. Today's games should also be as great.

Louisville vs. Arizona
Where/Time: Indianapolis, IN/7PM EST
Announcers: GUJO and Elmore
Cinderella?: I still refuse to call Arizona an Cinderella team. Yes, they are a 12 seed, but they play in a big-time conference in the Pac-10. They underachieved all season long, and they were given a favorable seed in the Midwest.
The Zone is Key: Louisville has to run their zone presser defense perfectly. They rotate four guards in-and-out of the game to keep their players fresh. They will have to keep the presser on Arizona to get the win.
My pick: If Louisville can keep the presser on Arizona guard Nic Wise all game long, they will beat Arizona. The Wildcats offense revolves around Wise and his ability to make plays. If the Cardinals stop Wise they will win.

Oklahoma vs. Syracuse
Where/Time: Memphis, TN/ 7:30PM EST
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg
Can the 2-3 zone stop Griffin?: Syracuse and Jim Boeheim have perfected the 2-3 zone. And it will be key to stop Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. They will have to double-team Griffin and force the other Oklahoma players to make plays.
Warren could be the key: Oklahoma's Willie Warren has to have a major role for the Sooners tonight. He is their best outside threat with the way he can penetrate to the hoop and his outside shot. He will have to keep the presser off of Griffin.
My pick: I like Syracuse in this game. Oklahoma doesn't have a real threat at point. While Syracuse has one of the best point guards in Johnnie Flynn. Syracuse's offense revolves around him and he is the best right now at penetrating to the hoop and kicking the ball out to their great shooters in Andy Ruatins and Eric Devendorf.

Kansas vs. Michigan St.
Where/Time: Indianapolis, IN/9:30PM EST
Announcers: GUJO and Elmore
Sutton vs. Aldrich: We have a classic match up between big men in this game. Kansas' Cole Aldrich versus Michigan St.'s Goran Sutton. Whoever wins the match up between these two, their team will win.
Collins is key: Sherron Collins has to play under control for Kansas. There are times when he plays out of control and Kansas will lose. Their offense revolves around him playing in control and distributing the ball.
My pick: I like Michigan St. in this game. They have more depth that can slow down both Collins and Aldrich. Kalin Lucas and Travis Walton are big time players that will be too much for the Jayhawks to guard.

Gonzaga vs. North Carolina
Where/Time: Memphis, TN/ 10PM EST
Announcers: Nantz and Kellogg
Lawson's big toe?: The health of Ty Lawson is still a huge concern for North Carolina. He was huge for them against LSU, but they will need a healthy Lawson to beat Gonzaga. He will have to defend Jeremy Pargo, who likes to drive down the lane for the basket.
Heytvelt vs. UNC: Whoever is guarding Josh Heytvelt will have a huge challenge. Heytvelt is athletic and strong in the middle for Gonzaga.
My pick: This was the hardest game to choose. Gonzaga has great scorers and UNC has depth. I have to go with UNC because they can bring Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller, and Larry Drew off the bench. UNC's depth will be a huge factor in this game.

All these games have the potential to be great. I expect all these games, except the Arizona, Louisville game, to be close.

It should be a fun night, and once again we will be live blogging the games.

The Links: NCAA Tournament Edition

Giorgia Palmas to start us off this mourning. Day 1 of the NCAA tournament was pretty generic with no upsets except Western Kentucky over Illinois. Hopefully today we will have some upsets. Or at least some compelling games.

- Cal was an epic fail, yesterday (SF Chronicle)

- Kansas' Sherron Collins must respond to the challenge (KC Star)

- UCLA may have had a down year, they are still tough in the NCAA tournament though (LA Times)

- American U. was this close to beating Villanova (Washington Post)

- A reserve guard was huge for Memphis (NY Times)

- Western Kentucky has done it again (Chicago Tribune)

- Butler couldn't overcome a jittery start against LSU (Indianapolis Star)

- Washington beat Mississippi St. in a complete team effort (Seattle Times)

- Xavier looks to exploit Portland St. weakness (Cincinnati Enquire)

- Many Harris was huge in Michigan's win over Clemson (Detroit News)

- Blake Griffin and Oklahoma won last night (The Oklahoman)

- Tubby Smith and Minnesota need better players (Star-Tribune)

- If Louisville doesn't shoot well, they could be done early (Courier-Journal)

- Even Ray Ratto said yesterday's games were boring and hoping today's games gives us some action (CBSsport.com)

- Jim Calhoun is out of the hospital and was at practice today (ESPN)

Here's the play where Blake Griffin was flipped on his back by a Morgan St. player:

The Links: NCAA Tournament Edition

Blake Lively is what we needed to start the NCAA first round.

- Allison Abbott is not a fan of March Madness (Fire Andy Reid Now!)

- Tubby Smith and Minnesota are glad to be back in the tournament (Rivals)

- The ladies of Louisville (Busted Coverage)

- Here's the Al McGuire dance to start you off (Searching for Billy Edelin)

- Todd Bozeman's past and present are in Kansas City (SF Chronicle)

- UCLA might not last long in the tournament, but USC will (LA Times)

- VCU and Eric Maynor have some unfinished business in the tournament (NY Times)

- Why does the Big Ten receive so much hatred (Indianapolis Star)

- Cal St.-Northdridge basketball team sure has gotten into trouble with the law (Newsday)

- Has Gonzaga gone from overachievers to underachievers? (Seattle Times)

- Michigan is looking just to get out of the 1St. round, Michigan St. is looking to reach the final four (Detroit News)

- Michael Jordan's son Jeff Jordan is playing in the NCAA tournament for Illinois (The Oregonian)

- Everyone is jumping on the Memphis bandwagon now (Memphis Commercial-Appeal)

- Luke Nevill's career at Utah (Salt Lake Tribune)

- Louisville should be the favorite in the tournament (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Actually Good Teams Playing in Ford Field Tonight

At 6:15 Pm tonight on ESPN, Michigan St. will play North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten challenge at Ford Field in Detroit.

All season long the poor fans of Detroit have had to endure the awfulness known as the Lions. Well at least they get to watch two teams that are actually good.

North Carolina is the number one ranked team and Michigan St. is the twelfth ranked team. Michigan St. is reveling in injuries right now, but they have a great chance of reaching the Final Four this year at Detroit.

North Carolina is also dealing with injuries. Tyler Hansbrough has been dealing with a shin injury and might not play tonight. Not that the Tar Heels need him right now. They are absolutely loaded and should be favored to win the national championship.

This should be a great game tonight and finally Detroit fans will get to see two great teams play at Ford Field.