I wanted to take a minute to say thanks to Drew Neitzel for proving me wrong and playing absolutely great in the Big Ten Tournament. His passes were sharp and his shot was true, but most importantly he played with a relaxed confidence not seen all year.
I railed on him hard in a previous letter to the editor, but I never stopped cheering for him. I took a lot of guff for my criticism from local homers and bulky bloggers who are better at boot-polishing than spelling.
The Spartans should be proud of the way they played, and the way they conducted themselves, despite being heinously robbed by the Big Ten Tournament of pre-destiny. MSU was not the only victim, as the referees tried to steal a game from Minnesota, too. Only a last-second miracle shot foiled the league’s evil plan of a Wisconsin-Indiana TV money bonanza. But the MSU team held the high ground, even though it had every right to scream bloody murder. Personally, I am sick of hearing about — dare I say it — the grossly overrated Ed Hightower, who is either the most incompetent referee ever or the most dirty.
Men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo once again showed why he is the classiest man in the country. Despite being punched in the gut by the league, his biggest regret was for how his players were robbed. I truly hope this injustice will galvanize this team into a wrecking crew, and will propel them through the NCAA Tournament. Don’t quit, guys … you have everything to play for, so go out and take what is yours.
In the meantime, it would be prudent for President Lou Anna K. Simon and Athletics Director Mark Hollis to demand a closed-door meeting with the league and read them the riot act. It won’t change any of the wrongdoings, but an official complaint needs to be made immediately.
Michael Blank
advertising, public relations and retailing graduate student
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