More previews of the Michigan State - Central Michigan contest (see the previous post as well): College Football Network/Scout (MSU 37-13), SpartyMSU (MSU 34-6), ESPN/Adam Rittenberg (MSU 37-17).

Also note: if you are coming to the game on I-496... well, MDOT says it's best to avoid it: "Motorists going to the Michigan State University football game in East Lansing on Saturday, Sept. 12, or motorists commuting into Lansing on Monday morning are strongly encouraged to seek an alternate route to their destination. Alternate routes include I-69 to US-127 to I-496, I-96 to US-127, and M-43 (Saginaw Street)." MDOT = dummies.

HUBERT THOMPSON RULED INSANE

Here's a strange, sad story out of Illinois about former Spartan gridder Hubert Thompson (pictured at right): "An Illinois judge on Thursday ruled Hubert D. Thompson was insane when he hurled 66-year-old James Malone to his death March 30, 2007. Thompson will be confined to a high-security state mental institution and receive treatment."

You may recall Thompson playing for MSU in the 2000 Citrus Bowl -- actually, being ejected from the game for fighting with a Florida offensive lineman. According to the AP, Thompson also attended a New Orleans Saints mini-camp, "but was cut for starting a fight over use of an exercise bike." Going back to the archives, you wonder if you can make a correlation of his mental state with his academic troubles as an underprepared student. In a 1998 press release, Thompson was ineligible to play for the Spartans in 1998 because he "did not meet the NCAA's satisfactory academic progress requirement for eligibility and competition."

NO MORE HOCKEY CHEER

Finally, the ES wants to say "Thank you idiots" to the students the last 10 years who decided to yell "Fuck (opponent)" before "Let's Go State" when the band played the MSU Hockey Cheer. So now, MSU administrators have eliminated it. Michigan State admins have been warning for years that the day will come for changes to be made in order to produce a little more civility at football games. Hey, the ES is all for a good time, but I've heard plenty of complaints about this and it is unnecessary. So, this was an easy decision - just eliminate it and play another song. Now, the hockey cheer is GONE. Thanks. My guess: give it 4-5 years, and when the next generation of students comes in, no students will remember and maybe MSU admins will bring the Hockey Cheer back. Sigh.