In the Midst of the Madness
Submitted by Paul Mercier on Fri, 04/03/2009 - 18:59
Another winter has basically come and gone-well, except for the expected snowfall on Monday- and here we are in a wonderfully familiar spot: the Final Four. Except this time the Spartans will play in front of what will hopefully be a mostly Spartan friendly crowd. And as I sit here on the eve of one of the biggest sporting events in the country, I can’t help but to revel in this year’s success and appreciate just how much these Spartans earned this spot-no matter what tomorrow’s outcome.
When we look at the adversity that this team faced: an injury plagued Suton; an unhealthy Morgan; a blue chip freshman that needed severe knee surgery, and another near brutal non-conference schedule, we can see just how hard coach Izzo and his team worked this year. Many picked MSU to be good at the beginning of the year, however, as the season progressed, few thought that they would actually make it this far.
“Analysts” said they weren’t quick enough, they played boring basketball, or that their guards were turnover machines. Yet when the time came to be solid-tournament time- this team stepped up, and they’re not done yet.
On a rainy weekend in Detroit, the Spartans now find themselves thrust into super-celebrity status as they head to Ford Field. Thousands of college basketball fans will pour into the streets of one of the most economically challenged cities in the country, and coach Izzo will lead his team into their toughest battle of the season. Maybe the stars will realign for the team as they play on the 30th anniversary of the most watched game in NCAA basketball history, a game that featured two of the greatest to ever play the game. Those two stars will be in attendance this weekend, and I know at least one of them is pulling for the Spartans.
So, as many of us find ourselves in the midst of the madness this weekend, emotions will be on high, nerves will be shot, and excitement will be in the air. Let’s just hope the Spartans can harness all of these things and live to play another game with snow on the ground.
