Red Wings AMAZING performance, and thanks to Bob Cole

OK - now to NHL Hockey.  If anyone saw the same hockey game me and Big Bob were watching last night, you have got to tip your hat to Jimmy Howard, the goalie for the Detroit Red Wings.  That game was AMAZING, the Joe was erupting with noise, and the Wings are kicking the Blackhawks arse.  About ready to drive the Hawks out of existence, with a 3-1 series stranglehold.

The best part?  Listening to Bob Cole, the best hockey announcer alive, announce the DEE-TROI-AAAHHHTTT game for CBC. The NHL bypasses NBC or ESPN, and instead uses the Canadian coverage as the official stream for its games.  And, you can tell why, just watch and listen... Brings a tear to mine eye:

God forbid... #Hashtags on the football field??? What a disaster! Outlaw it!

Boy, is this stupid.  Eliminating hashtags on a football field?  Whatever for?   The NCAA Rules Committee rule states: "All other items, including social media designations such as URL’s and hashtags, are prohibited."


I guess the reason is that it can be viewed as advertising for Twitter.  This won't last, because you can't legislate behavior and people's willingness to use the most current technology.  Funny: the NCAA will allow institutions to post the NCAA logo, school logos, facility name, and corporate sponsorships... but not #NCAA or ncaa.org.  Someone from Twitter must have pissed off Mark Emmert.

It doesn't fit the edge of the Big Ten and social media... look here.

I think the Spartans should officially change their Name and Logo: "Michigan State #Spartans"

Man, the NCAA is logically unaware of the social norms. Love the post by Zac Ellis at SI.com:  "#dumb."

MSU in 2014, 2015, 2016+.... the good, the bad, and the ugly

OK, so the Big Ten announced its expanded schedules for 2014 and 2015, with the addition of Rutgers and Nebraska. Below is the Spartans’ schedule those two years, and a sneak-peak at non-conference games in upcoming years. 

2014

Aug. 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE

Sept. 13 at Oregon

Sept. 20 WYOMING

Sept. 27 EASTERN MICHIGAN

Oct. 4 NEBRASKA

Oct. 11 at Purdue

Oct. 18 at Indiana

Oct. 25 MICHIGAN

Nov. 8 OHIO STATE

Nov. 15 at Maryland

Nov. 22 RUTGERS

Nov. 29 at Penn State

2015

Sept. 12 OREGON

Sept. 19 at Western Michigan

Sept. 26 CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Oct. 3  at Nebraska

Oct. 10 PURDUE

Oct. 17 INDIANA

Oct. 24 at Michigan

Nov. 7 at Ohio State

Nov. 14 MARYLAND

Nov. 21 at Rutgers

Nov. 28 PENN STATE

What does this say for 2014 and 2015?  Love MSU hosting Michigan back-to-back in 2013 and 2014, especially  with Dantonio making the Spartans no longer a push over in the series... with the Doctor going 4-2 against scUM.

More interestingly…. 

The good

2014 makes for a great schedule for MSU.  In the Big Ten, MSU gets Nebraska, Ohio State, and Michigan at home.  Love the addition of Maryland and Rutgers in the Big Ten East division to the Spartans’ schedule which helps give the Big Green a breather.   If MSU is going to make a run for the title game, it’s gonna need to be in 2014 – potentially a Connor Cook senior year at QB.  But, in 2015…

The bad

The ’15 schedule is a flip of the ’14 schedule, playing at Nebraska, Ohio State, and Michigan is a murderer’s row.  Further, playing at Oregon will be nothing short of an arse whipping.  It will help the Spartans’ strength of schedule, but the ES was lucky enough to travel to Eugene the last two times MSU played at Oregon:  a 48-14 whipping in 1999, and a 35-7 shellacking in 1980.  Expect the same at Autzen Stadium in 2014.  Argh.  At least we get them at home in 2015… speaking of which…  

The ugly

Other than the opening game vs Oregon in 2015, why bother purchasing tickets?  CMU, Purdue, Indiana, Maryland, and Penn State round out an ugly schedule.  Only 11 games are on the schedule, so there is an open date the first week of September… expect MSU to fill that game somehow, someway.  Hopefully against a quality BCS opponent.

Jacksonville State and Wyoming in 2014…. in the Sagarin final 2012 rankings, Jacksonville State finished #133 out of  246 Division I football teams; Wyoming wasn’t much better at #121 (MSU finished #34).  On its website, MSU has adding Furman in 2016 (below) - which is also very ugly.  But, with the Big Ten going to nine conference games beginning in 2016, its' the ES bet that game will be dropped for a Big Ten opponent (Northwestern or Minnesota)… see a sneak peek of future opponents below.

2016

Sept. 3 at Alabama

Sept. 10 EASTERN MICHIGAN

Sept. 17 FURMAN

Sept. 24 NOTRE DAME

2017 ALABAMA, vs WMU
2018 vs. Notre Dame, vs CMU
2019 vs. Notre Dame, vs WMU

2020 vs. Miami-Florida, at EMU

2021 vs Miami-Florida

2022 vs. Boise State, vs. Notre Dame

2023  vs. Boise State, vs. Notre Dame

Prime Time BTN = Anything BUT Prime

OK, so the Big Ten Network is promoting its "Prime Time" matchup football schedule this fall, including a Friday, Aug 30, welcome of Western Michigan to Michigan State. 

A fairly pathetic schedule to promote.  Really, what is interesting?  Maybe BTN will be lucky to capture a Thunderstorm or Tornado in the Cowboys' 10-hour, 700-mile drive from Cheyenne to Lincoln.  Syracuse at Northwestern - maybe a 2-hour video of a student rendition of the Scopes Monkey Trial.  Vegas at Minny?  Hopefully it snows in August in Minneapolis.   Indiana State at Indiana?  Godforbid, the Hoosiers best shot is if Larry Bird stays retired, football, basketball, whatever.

Good grief.  Save the press release, but enjoy Big Ten football! 

BTN PRIMETIME SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)
Thursday, August 29

• 7 PM – UNLV at Minnesota

Friday, August 30

• 8 PM – Western Michigan at Michigan State

Saturday, August 31

• 8 PM – Wyoming at Nebraska

Saturday, September 7

• 6 PM – Syracuse at Northwestern
• 6 PM – Southern Miss at Nebraska

Saturday, September 14

• 6 PM – UCF at Penn State
• 6 PM – Washington vs. Illinois (at Soldier Field)
• 9 PM – Western Michigan at Northwestern

Saturday, September 21

• 8 PM – Missouri at Indiana

Saturday, October 19

• 8 PM – Wisconsin at Illinois

REGIONAL COVERAGE

Thursday, Aug. 29

• 7 PM – Indiana State at Indiana

Saturday, September 7

• 6 PM – Navy at Indiana