Michigan State Football Time

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College football has been in swing for a little bit of a month now, but this week’s Michigan State victory over Brigham Young University has woken me from my blogging slumber. It wasn’t exactly a good game. The Spartans ended up losing 14 to 31. Our standing has now shifted from 2 and 2 to 2 and 3. That’s our third loss in a row!

Mark Dantonio being the sport he is recognizes the predicament and is pushing for the team to rally through, “We should handle ourselves with conviction and with those things we need to do to turn this thing around.”

But when your favorite college team is doing poorly, that just means that it’s time to be a more vocal fan. It may be 3 hours from Traverse City to East Lansing, but hopefully the Spartans will be able to hear ol’ Timothy Evans cheering them on.

Come on Dantonio! Let’s go Spartans!

Timothy Evans

Former Michigan State Spartans Go Back To Inspire Youth

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MSU FootballVisiting your alma mater can be a beautifully nostalgic experience. That’s just how 14 former Michigan State football players felt when they revisited MSU in order to help out with Michigan State’s annual one-day camp for high school seniors. These former Spartans are all currently NFL players, and they enjoyed going back to their alma mater to reminisce and to see how the school has changed.

Former Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton was in awe of the Spartan Stadium’s recently renovated north end complex. Stanton is set to begin his 10th NFL season, so he has been away from his Spartan playing days for quite a while. He even had to introduce himself to some of the younger alums at a donor golf outing, which was arranged by men’s golf head coach Casey Lubahn. The event took place the Country Club of Lansing, and the benefits went to Lubahn’s program.

Drew Stanton, who is now an Arizona Cardinals backup, departed from Michigan State football in 2007, the same year that Mark Dantonio became the head coach. Stanton attributes the upgrades of the facilities largely to the success of the team. The Michigan State Spartans are currently coming off of their second Big Ten championship in three seasons. Stanton emphasized that while he loves the new facilities, what he enjoyed most was the environment at Michigan State.

This is the second year that head coach Mark Dantonio has invited former MSU players who have professional experience to his camp. The players all had positive things to say about the camp and how the campus has changed. Cornerback Trae Waynes was lightly recruited in high school, but thanks to his performance at the senior camp, he was able to move to the top of Michigan State’s wish list. In 2015, Waynes was the No. 1 draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings. The camp is important to Waynes because he didn’t have many offers when he was coming out of high school, and through the camp, Waynes earned his scholarship. Waynes says that alumni coming back to the program is a representation of how much the program meant to them. Dantonio is grateful for this team of ambassadors for his program.

Dantonio expressed his admiration for the success of these former Spartans in the NFL. He was very excited to have them participating in the camp. Dantonio is very proud of their athletic accomplishments, but he is especially proud of the people they are.

Second-year NFL linebacker Taiwan Jones told the young people that MSU prepared him to compete for an NFL roster spot despite being an undrafted free agent. The result? He joined the New York Jets. Jones came back to the camp because he wanted to have a positive impact on the lives of the children.

Tight end Garrett Celek also came back to inspire the high school seniors. Celek has just finished his best NFL season since joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 as an undrafted free agent. The message that he wanted to convey to the youth is not the incredible talent that Michigan State is able to attract, but rather what the Spartan coaches can do with the talent that they have on hand.

The experience was beneficial for both the alumni and the high school seniors. The NFL players were able to experience nostalgia at their alma mater while passing life lessons onto young people who look up to them.

Anthony Mantha’s Maturity

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Hockey Puck

Anthony Mantha first became recognizable in the National Hockey League at the young age of 18 years old. It was at that age that he stated he was ready to be drafted into the Detroit Red Wings. Three years later, he finds himself on the rink with the Red Wings. Those three years of preparation were exactly what he needed to mature enough to become a Detroit Red Wing.

The man stepping onto the rink now is an incredible asset to the team. Not only is he a good athlete, and an overall phenomenal hockey player, he is also not afraid to go after the puck. Mantha was put on the ice with this team at an important point in the season, and has already helped the Red Wings celebrate a victory. He is confident in his offensive tactics, and uses his bulky frame to intimidate players on the opposite team as he makes his way down the court.

If he had been let onto the ice with the team when he initially desired, Mantha may not have been the same asset to the team he is today. He was gunning for a roster spot in 2013, but suffered a broken tibia and had to spend a couple of months away from hockey. This was a setback that only made him a stronger player. However, another blow to his ego came when he switched from playing with the juniors to playing against seasoned athletes. He realized, as many do, that the two were starkly different. He found a whole other level of maturity against the older hockey players, and that threw off his confidence a great deal. The public became less convinced that he was worth the investment, for one, and even some executives lost confidence in him.

Thankfully, Mantha was able to overcome this adversity and come out a stronger, more confident hockey player. Instead of giving up, he used the criticism of others to become a more aggressive player and push himself forward.

The Red Wings picked him up in 2013 and have closely watched his performance since then. It took him a little bit of time to fully cultivate his confidence on the rink, but he now goes after the puck with abandon. This is a trait that is common to players who are new on a team, as more time on the rink has team members hesitating due to potential consequences of their actions.

This, of course, does not mean that Mantha has it all figured out. He needs to work on his defensive maneuvers, as well as learn that there are consequences to all of his actions. Some risks may not be worth the entire game. However, I truly believe that this was the right time to let Mantha out on the rink with the Red Wings. He believes in himself, and knows how to train to be a hockey pro and, therefore, is an incredible asset to this already amazing team.

The Detroit Red Wings Struggle

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Hockey

Anyone who has been following hockey season with the Detroit Red Wings knows that the team is not doing so well thus far. This is concerning, seeing as their season is almost over. They are ¾ of the way through, having only 22 games left to play, and have hit something of a road block. Namely, in their past two games, they have only scored 2 points.

The Red Wings are not showing their concern publicly, calling these two points something of a step in the right direction. The good news is that they still hold the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. Trepidation, however, grows at the realization that many teams are not far behind. This basically means that every player needs to be at the top of their game during every game from now on. There is no room for mistake, as one misstep could cost the Red Wings their entire season. The Red Wings have a long way to go, but that’s not to say our boys haven’t been trying.

On Sunday, the Red Wings faced off against the New York Rangers. It was a tough game, but goaltender Jimmy Howard seemed to be back on top of his game. Having suffered a 9 game losing streak, it was great to be able to see the old Jimmy Howard return. He made 29 saves during the game, and prevented any further points being scored against the team. I hope he continues this performance for the rest of the season.

While picking up their defense is an admirable tactic, the Red Wings really need to focus on offense. Scoring 2 goals in 2 games is surely a step in the right direction, but it is not what the team needs to really come out on top.

So, what should Detroit Red Wings fans be on the lookout for in the future?

The Red Wings will meet with Columbus for the first time this season on Tuesday (there are two more games with Columbus to go,) which could bring in some very necessary points for our team. Another interesting thing to keep track of is if the second line is kept intact, or altered to fit the format of previous weeks. It is no secret that Nyquist and Tatar have been struggling for over five games now, so perhaps splitting them up is the best course of action. Another thing that we’re all looking forward to is next Friday’s Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche game. It will be a rematch between former (or perhaps still current!) rivals, and no doubt quite thrilling.

The hockey season is almost over, so let’s hope the Detroit Red Wings strengthen their defense and have a great rest of the season!

Michigan State Falls to No. 11 in Associated Press Top 25

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A season that started off great for the Michigan State Spartans, is now facing issues as Michigan State men’s basketball team loses back-to-back games. Despite the two losses, the Spartans record (16-3) is still significantly better based on the Associated Press top 25 poll.

The Spartans were number one in the country not too long ago, but, once acquiring two losses from Wisconsin and Iowa, they fell to the No. 11 seed. Losing these two previous games was not only a big deal for the team’s ranking in the Associated Press polls, but for the team’s conference ranking.

Michigan State Spartans, are ranked 7th in the Big Ten Conference with a 3-2 record. They are the only ranked team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, that aren’t ranked in the top 5 of the Big Ten Conference. You can see the most current results of the Big Ten Conference in this chart.

Chart

It is still too early in the season to determine how the rest of the season will play out for the Michigan State Spartans. They are going to need their star players to step up and play to the best of their abilities when playoffs and March Madness comes around. They still have the opportunity to win a couple of games and get back to that No.1 seed in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

You can check out the standings of the Associated Press Top 25 here.

Standings

The Spartans have another big game coming up against the Maryland Terrapins, who are ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 3 in the Big ten Conference. As you can see, the Terrapins are ranked better than the Spartans in both standings, so the Spartans desperately need this win to stay relevant in their conference and the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

If you’re interested in more information about the Michigan State men’s basketball team, you can check out this link here.

Michigan State’s Jack Conklin Maintains Focus

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Timothy Evans Traverse City

Any fan of the Michigan State Spartans has to be ecstatic. Our team is often looked down upon, but they were able to prove themselves in the 2015 Cotton Bowl, in which they made a fourth quarter comeback to win the tournament and set a few Cotton Bowl records. Now, the Spartans are being pitted against Alabama in the playoffs, amidst a slew of negative critics. A lot of anti-Michigan State fans are complaining that the Spartans should not have the chance to face Alabama.

Jack Conklin, a Michigan State Spartan, views this negative feedback as a delightful challenge.

Conklin is a junior at Michigan State University, and a left tackle for the Spartans team. He is already being looked at as a potential first round NFL draft pick, but he is not letting that affect his mentality about the playoffs at all. Rather, it is making him more focused on beating Alabama, because he does not want to lose focus and let down his team. His future is an uncertain one, and he is completely okay with that. He views getting to the national championship as the most important thing in his life right now.

Of course, Conklin has a reason to be of this mindset. The Michigan State football program is where he grew into the championship player he is now. He began as a walk-on, simply for a scholarship, and went on to become one of the best players on the team. Surprisingly, Conklin likes that he started as a walk-on. He says it makes him appreciate his position and his team all the more. He was all but dismissed by the recruiting services, but put his best foot forward despite, and became a valuable asset to his team.

Conklin is still in the mindset that he has to prove himself, and this has spread to the rest of his team. Now, the Spartans are excited to face off against Alabama in the playoffs because it will give them yet another chance to prove themselves as a team. The offensive line, of which Conklin is a part, is especially excited to show Alabama, and the people who don’t think they deserve to face Alabama, what they can do.

This New Year’s game at 8pm on December 31st will be Michigan State’s 26th appearance in the Cotton Bowl. For four years in a row now, they have won a school record, so there is a high chance they will win this championship game as well. Their quarterback Connor Cook, who has been recovering for some time from a shoulder injury, is supposed to be in tip top shape for the game, and the entire team is completely focused on the win.

I believe this is going to be a Cotton Bowl to remember for our Spartans.

Welcome

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Welcome to my health, fitness, and sports blog. Be sure to bookmark this page for future updates.