Live blogging the Big Game (OMG I Just Want to Die)

10:42 What a day. I gave blood so I feel a little woozy. Yoga was no fun at all as I spent the entire hour twisted into some ungodly position trying (hard) not to fart out loud. We're down 21 at the half and the Tigers got pounded in The Opener. But, the Yankees lost, so, all in all, not a bad day.
10:44 Let's check CC Sabathia's line today for the Yanks in Baltimore, shall we? 6 earned on 8 hits in four and a third. 5 walks, too. Nice.
10:47 An MSU buddy called in from Texas at halftime and he was just mortified. I told him not to worry about it since we were probably the only two guys watching.
10:47 I saw Jud Heathcote sitting in the stands tonight. He was MSU's coach when the Spartans won it all in '79. I covered that team for a local radio station, often watching from on top of the broadcast booth at Jenison Fieldhouse. Great view but I was always a little afraid I was going to fall and die and ruin the game. Jud used to call himself "Julius Heathstrap", but I don't know why. I remember when I was going to State that the entire Varsity except two guys refused to play a game against Indiana. They claimed it was all about racial injustice but if memory serves that was the year Bobby Knight's team went undefeated and I remember thinking that maybe they didn't want to get hammered. Gus Ganakis was the coach and that turned out to be his last year. Jud became Spartan coach prior to the start of the next season.
10:58 I also noticed at the half that democommie was upset about people talking sports on my "Friday Musical Interlude" post of a few days ago. He said he thought it was supposed to be about music and culture. democommioe is so funny. Like I'd have any thoughts re: "culture". Ha, Ha, ha.
10:59 MSU cuts it to 16. Now we got 'em where we want 'em.
11:01 I was watching that 1979 NCAA title game (MSU v. Indiana State and Larry Bird) on the far-see last night and that was fun. A lot of Afro's. Really short basketball shorts, no shot clock and no three point line. Ah, memories.

Live blogging the Big Game (1st Half) 1st Add

9:59 Here's an interesting note about Detroit: It was announced last week that the school district will have to close 50 schools by next fall. Is that amazing? 50 schools closing. They are something like 300 million in the hole, the schools, that is.
10:00 I was hoping Izzo would have something up his sleeve for UNC and if he does he might want to think about breaking it out.
10:01 It's 40-20 UNC with 7:01 left in the first which, at least, has a nice symmetry to it. Big 10 Player of the Year Raymar Morgan is down after an elbow to the face. He already broke his nose in the tournament earlier.
10:09 I broke for a snack. Cubs win! Cubs win! K-Rod get his first save as a Met and they win, too. Congrats, people. Tigers trail 12-5 as they come to bat in the top of the 9th in Toronto.
10:16 I just noticed that since the Tigers had the best record in baseball on July 23, 2007 when they were 59-38 (.609) they have gone 103-125 (.452) since. That's if they lost tonight, that is.
10:18 Ooops. the did. Lost tonight, that is. The Tigers, that is.
10:19 UNC has tied the record (53) for most points in the first half of an NCAA Title game.
10:20 UNC has set the record (55) for most points in the first half of an NCAA Title game.
10:21 I was going to look up the record for biggest halftime lead in title game but now I don't have to. This is it. 21 points as we are down 55-34 at the break. Hey, I just thought of it: Biggest. Comeback. Ever! C'mon...who's with me. Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!

Live blogging the Big Game (1st Half)

9:42 We're getting killed and e-blogger just ate my last post during which UNC raced to a double-digit lead with all five starters scoring before the first commerical break. They are dominating us at both ends. it's 24-11 with 11:41 left in the first half. We're turning over and they are knocking down shots.
9:44 Well, it's Opening Night for the Tigers. They started Justin Verlander in Toronto tonight because as you know, you want your best pitcher starting The Opener for you. Verlander lost 17 last year. The Tigs were down 9-1 when I checked earlier. Verlander gave up 8 earned on 8 hits in two and two thirds. Nice. Tigers trying to come back, though. Down 9-5 in the 8th.
9:49 We're down by 18. 18!? The first half isn't half over...and now it's twenty, 31-11. We are on pace to be down by 40 at the half. I wish CBS hadn't put up that graphic about how MSU has never lost a Title game. Bad Mojo.
9:51 32-11 UNC with exactly ten to go in the first half. I think UNC is already in the bonus. They had, the Tarheels, 27 FT attempts per game on average and took over 200 more free throws than their opponents this season. Now it's 34-11. Finally Lucas hits a bomb to end to 10-0 UNC run. Summers hits a 3 and MSU is rallying...pulling to within 20. UNC is killing us on the boards. Killing us! They are much too much for MSU.
9:55 Ooops. 11-5 Toronto in the 8th. Commercial break with 7:33 left in the first and it's UNC 38, MSU 18. Yikes...

Live-Blogging the Big Game (pre-game)

9:07 Welcome to Detroit and the NCAA Mens Basketball Championship, the biggest sporting event in this town since Super Bowl Extra Large (XL) was held here a couple of years ago. The venue is Ford Field which was designed as a football stadium but which, since the Detroit Lions calls it home, lacks a football team, per se.
9:09 Interesting Ford Field Fact: A beer at Ford Field costs $8.50. Really. $8.50. I think the .50 is just piling on. Some hot chick is asking the North Carolina why the Tar Babys or whatever the hell they are called won't just kick MSU's ass by 35 points again like they did back in December and he says MSU has Goran Suton back and it's a big game and MSU will rise to the occasion and blah, blah, blah...
9:11 Another Interesting Ford Field Fact: When you go there to cover a football game and you get on the elevator and ask the attendant to take you to the Press Box she presses a button labelled "7". Seriously. You watch from the 7th floor. That way when somebody asks you how the Lions looked, you can honestly answer, "I really couldn't tell."
9:13: Tom Izzo, MSU coach, was just shown giving his pre-game talk to he fellows. He seems to think the Spartans have a chance. Izzo's coaching was what beat U-Con Saturday. MSU scored so many points in transisition in that game after spending the season scoring off a set offense. Izzo ran 'em to death Saturday. I heard Izzo say the other day that UNC averages 7 free throw attempts per game. That's amazing. What it says it to stop 'em you gotta foul 'em.
9:21 Did I mention I'm an actual Spartan? Michigan State is where I went to college...so when I say "us" and "we", I mean it and right now I am telling you that our basketball team can kick your football team's ass!
9:24 Game on!

Fpr All Big Games

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33426

Here's the best way to prepare for any big game:

You Will Suffer Humiliation When The Sports Team From My Area Defeats The Sports Team From Your Area

As you can see from the calendar, the game is coming up this weekend. I'm sure you are as excited for it as I am, as our cities are rivals and have been for quite some time. Your confidence in your team is high, but rest assured, you will suffer humiliation when the sports team from my area defeats the sports team from your area.
On numerous occasions, you have expressed the conviction that your area's sports team will be victorious. I must admit that every time I hear you make this proclamation, I react with both laughter and disbelief. "Ha!" I say to myself with laughter. "What?!" I say to myself in disbelief. How could you believe that your sports team could beat my sports team? It is clear that yours is inferior in every way.
When the sporting contest begins, the players on your team will be treated as though they are inconsequential. It will be remarkably easy for my team to accumulate more points than yours. There are many reasons for this, starting with the inferior physical attributes of the players representing your area. Strength, speed, and agility are just three of the qualities that the players on the team from your area lack. The players representing my area, on the other hand, have these traits in abundance.
I would not be a bit surprised if the individuals on the team from your area were sexually attracted to members of their own gender. That is how ineffective they are on the field of battle.
Underscoring your team's inferiority is its choice of colors. It is ludicrous to believe that your team's colors inspire either respect or fear. Instead, they appear to have been chosen by someone who is colorblind or, perhaps, bereft of sight altogether. The colors for my team, on the other hand, are aesthetically pleasing when placed in proximity to one another. They are a superior color combination in every way.
While we are on the subject of aesthetics, let us compare the respective facilities in which our teams play. While my team's edifice is blessed with architectural splendor and the most modern of amenities, yours is a thoroughly unpleasant place in which to watch a sporting contest. I know of what I speak, for I once attended a game between our respective teams in your facility. Let's just say the experience left me wishing that my car was inoperable that day due to mechanical problems, rendering it impossible for me to get to your area to attend the game.
If you need another reason why the sporting franchise representing my area is superior, look no further than the supporters for the two sides. Not only are the supporters of the team from my region more spirited, but they are also more intelligent and of finer breeding than you and the rest of your ilk. In addition, the female supporters of the team from my area possess more attractive countenances and figures than yours. Some of the women from my side that I have observed could make a living by posing for pictures for major men's magazines. The women who cheer for your team, I'm afraid, are far too unattractive to do so.
One of the more pathetic aspects of the team from your area is the fact that only people in your immediate area possess an affinity for it. By means of contrast, the team from my area inspires loyalty and affection in individuals who live in many other geographic locations.
To illustrate this point, let me tell a brief story: Recently, I was on vacation in an area of the country far away from my own, and I saw many individuals wearing items of clothing that bore the insignia of my team. I approached one such individual and asked him if he originated from my area. He said no, explaining that he simply liked the team from my area and had for many years. Interestingly enough, during this trip, I saw no clothing or other paraphernalia bearing the insignia of your team.
Do you still doubt that the team from your area is inferior to the one from mine? Just look at our teams' respective histories. In the past, we have defeated you on any number of occasions. Granted, there were times when your team beat my team, but those were lucky flukes.
The day of the game will soon be at hand. And no matter how hard you pray to a higher power or how many foam accoutrements you wear in support of the team from your area, your team will be defeated. We will win and you will lose. This is your fate.
Prepare for humiliation. It shall be upon you at the designated hour.

Live-Blogging the NCAA Championship Game

We will be Live-Blogging tonight’s Biggest Game Ever starting around 8:45pm EDT.  We’d get started sooner, but I have my first yoga (should that be capitalized?) class tonight.  In spite of this, I doubt I will be very calm.

Just by way of setting the scene, it has snowed today here in Detroit which is good because it keeps visitors to Detroit stuck in their hotel room where they will not be set upon by the zombie hoards who roam the streets at will.  (Seriously, DO NOT go off the beaten path in Detroit.  Shuttle busses, people, shuttle busses!  We do not have the highest or second-highest per-capita murder rate in the country because we haven’t been trying, you know!  It’s 70 times the murder rate in Toronto, by the way.  Yea!  The only difference between Detroit and New Orleans is that musty, mildewey smell.  And we didn’t even need a hurricane to destroy 85% of our city.)

The local TV stations have spent the past couple of days outdoing each other in predicting todays “blizzard”.  For snow predicitions I heard anywhere from 1-3” to 6-8” to Certain Imminent Death.  Just depends on who you want to believe, I guess.  As it stands right now, the snow is covering the grass.  Everything else seems okay.

Tip-off tonight is 9:21pm.  Please make of note of it and we will see you back here this evening.

Live blogging the Big Game (1st Half)

9:25 They gave Suton all day to shoot a 3 and it took it and made it so I hope NC gives us that all night. Green from NC just comes down and pours in a three of his own. Green slices in for a nifty layup and we're down 3-7. MSU turns it over twice and fouls Hansborough. U-Conn missed a boatload of FT's Saturday....Hansborough makes 'em both. 3-9. Finally, UNC turns it over.
9:29 Suton just offered up a brick from ten feet. We're nervous but Raymar Morgan hits from the right wing. UNC comes back and scores and then steals the inbound pass. MSU fouls. Damn UNC is good. 5-12 and we've only played three and a half. We're down 7 and they haven't even had a commerical yet. Make it 5-15 as they hit a three. Wow. Suton travels. UNC has hit 6 of 7 shots and all 5 starters have scored. 7-17 with 15:24 left in the first half. Looks like a blowout.
9:34 Opening Night for the Tigers. Let's check in with them, shall we? You want to start your best pitcher in the opener, right? The Tigs tonight sent Justin Verlander to the hill. He lost 17 last year. It was 9-1 Toronto a while ago...but now it's 9-5. In the 8th at Skydome which isn't, apparently, called Skydome, anymore.
9:36 back to the game. State down 12...steal...uncontested rebound...State down 14! Oh, my Lord God. It's already over.