CBS Guys Like MSU

Just ask Ed.

I'm always ranting about how biased the sports reporting is on TV. The baseball announcers from teams other than my Detroit Tigers can't compliment a good play by the opposing side, i.e., my Tigers. They don't call the pitches in detail. Was it a fast ball inside? Did the pitch graze the batter's belt buckle? Don't tell me that it was just a pitch. Give me a description of what just happened.

Football announcers are not too much better in my book, although we saw so many games at MSU, in the stadium, this year, that I can't say too much about the announcing.

Then there is basketball. Wow.

This year's Spartans started out great and then got hit by a wave of injuries. Things were not looking too good for the East Lansing bunch, especially when the tide turned for Michigan and they beat us twice. Anyone announcing those games pretty much was starting to dismiss the East Lansing team as a has been for the basketball year.

Then came the Big Ten Championships last week in Indianapolis. State pulled off an upset and took the tournament. Coach Tom Izzo, in an interview before the championship game, said that there were two good things about Sunday's game. First, MSU was playing in that final game. Secondly, we got to play Michigan.

The Spartans plowed through Sunday's game. Travis Trice's underhand layups (is that what they call that shot?) were a thing of grace and beauty. Adreian Payne, truly a pain in the butt for the Wolverines, and Keith Appling played like the senior starters that they are, and Brandon Dawson, well, Dawson was awesome.

On the CBS Selection Sunday broadcast, just after the Big Ten Championship game, I figured that the Spartans wouldn't place too high and that there wouldn't be too many good words for them. After all they had lost a lot of games in the latter half of the regular season. And I figured that the CBS guys would like Michigan over Michigan State.

When all was said and done, the Spartans ended up as the Number Four seed in the East division. Not bad.

But the telling comment that warmed every Spartan fan's heart is contained in this snapshot of the CBS guys' picks for the Final Four. MSU, along with Florida, got picked by all three commentators.

Very cool, Clark and Seth and Doug of CBS. If there is such a thing as a team peaking at the right time, you, along with lots of others, are starting to get the picture of a very capable, well rounded, well coached, and motivated MSU basketball team.

My bracket sheet is filled out and I am scheduling myself to be near a TV as the Michigan State men's basketball team marches right on through March's madness into a national championship in April.

This fan says, "GO STATE!!"