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Sports

BASKETBALL

Izzo still concerned about crowd

Ethan Conley
December 5, 2006

Tom Izzo wants more from you. The MSU head coach is looking for better crowd support. He said before the season he was worried that fans have become numb to success because of the team's recent history of Final Four appearances, and his concerns haven't been helped by sparse crowds at MSU's first few home games. "I hope we're not getting fat and sassy," Izzo said. MSU has reported a sellout in each of its seven home games thus far, but plenty of empty seats have been visible in both the Izzone and the regular-seating sections.

FOOTBALL

Dantonio, new staff on whirlwind recruit trip

Ethan Conley
December 4, 2006

Mark Dantonio is wasting no time in his effort to turn around the MSU football program. On Thursday, he penciled four names into his coaching staff: offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, defensive line coach Ted Gill, offensive line coach Dan Roushar and tackles/tight ends coach Mark Staten, who also will serve as recruiting coordinator. On Friday, he named three additional position coaches: secondary coach Harlon Barnett, linebackers and special teams coach Mike Tressel and quarterbacks coach Dave Warner. All seven worked under Dantonio at Cincinnati. "When I first found out and knew that there were possibilities about coming to Michigan State, the first thing I did was check with our staff, in terms of where they would be at with everything," Dantonio said Friday.

SPORTS

Broken nose? No problem

Joey Nowak
December 4, 2006

Senior forward Katrina Grantham played Sunday's game with a protective face mask after suffering a broken nose when she collided with senior guard Victoria Lucas-Perry in practice Saturday. "We almost lost two players before this game," MSU head coach Joanne P.

ICE HOCKEY

Special teams struggles limit Spartans to split

Eric Fish
December 4, 2006

The story of the season so far for the No. 12 Spartans has been inconsistency of play and inability to carry momentum from game to game. After splitting a home weekend series with Ohio State, the Spartans aren't any closer to solving those problems. Following a 4-1 win against Ohio State in the series opener Friday night, MSU gave up two shorthanded goals and two power-play goals in a 4-1 loss Saturday — the Spartans' first regular-season loss at Munn Ice Arena this season. "I was hoping we would take a step (Saturday) and take the game to them," MSU head coach Rick Comley said. "I didn't see that." Friday's contest could have been called The Tim Kennedy and Chris Mueller Show.

BASKETBALL

Trannon out, others step up

Joey Nowak
December 4, 2006

Bradley's four-guard lineup Sunday normally would have meant extended minutes for senior forward Matt Trannon, whose versatility has helped neutralize smaller post players in the past. But Trannon didn't play a single minute Sunday and won't for the rest of the season — head coach Tom Izzo announced Friday that Trannon won't return to the basketball team and instead will prepare for the NFL Draft. Trannon averaged 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds a game last season and was one of MSU's best defenders.

BASKETBALL

Spartans bounce back with win

Ethan Conley
December 4, 2006

Tom Izzo wasn't particularly happy with any of his players following MSU's loss to Boston College on Wednesday, and sophomore forward Marquise Gray was responsible for a large part of the coach's ire.

SPORTS

Monday musings

Tom Keller
December 4, 2006

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was fined $10,000 for extending both middle fingers toward Georgia Dome fans after getting booed at the end of a 31-13 loss last week. Vick apologized in a statement, saying, "I guess I misinterpreted how to do the Dirty Bird." The Houston Texans gave a tryout last week to Justin Gatlin, the former gold medal-winning sprinter who was banned for eight years because of a positive testosterone test. Scouts liked Gatlin's potential, but team officials are concerned about the impact of him having to give a urine sample in every huddle. The Lincoln University men's basketball team scored a Division III-record 201 points in a win Saturday. Lincoln's players said it was the easiest time they had scoring since they convinced some freshmen girls they were headed to the NBA. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Troy Williamson claims he was struck in the face last week while at "Sharperpalooza" — an annual birthday party held by teammate Darren Sharper. Police have only one suspect: Frank "The Tank" Ricard, also a suspect in last week's mysterious mass streak through the quad and into the gymnasium. Ohio State football head coach Jim Tressel didn't vote in this week's final USA Today coaches poll in order to avoid controversy about who he wants his team to play in the national championship game. Strangely, poll directors received one unmarked ballot with the words "Ohio State should play Boise State" scrawled in crayon. Former 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey purchased partial ownership of the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, last week. Lachey said he would have the club turned around in just one night (una noche).

ICE HOCKEY

WEB EXTRA: Goebel returns to East Lansing as Buckeye

Eric Fish
December 1, 2006

It will be somewhat of a homecoming for Ohio State junior forward Tommy Goebel when the Buckeyes invade Munn Ice Arena on Friday and Saturday for a two-game series. Goebel donned the green and white at MSU for two seasons, from 2003 to 2005, before transferring to Ohio State following his sophomore year. In his freshman season at MSU, Goebel earned a spot on the CCHA All-Rookie Team after scoring 15 goals and tallying 32 points.

FOOTBALL

7 Cincinnati assistant coaches resign, likely headed to MSU

Steve Highfield
November 30, 2006

Seven members of Cincinnati's football coaching staff have resigned on the heels of former head coach Mark Dantonio's departure and are likely to assume a role on Dantonio's staff at MSU. Tom Hathaway, Cincinnati's assistant athletics director, confirmed the resignations Wednesday afternoon and said the coaches will return to prepare and coach Cincinnati in its bowl game. The coaches who resigned are: • Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell • Tight ends coach Mark Staten • Defensive line coach Ted Gill • Linebackers coach Mike Tressel • Secondary coach Harlon Barnett • Offensive line coach Dan Roushar • Quarterbacks coach Dave Warner Defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi, Cincinnati's interim head coach, told the university it has until Dec.

SPORTS

Athletics spending in complicated debate

In the college world, it seems like athletes are treated like royalty. Drew Stanton and Drew Neitzel sightings on campus are a bigger deal than students seeing a celebrity in East Lansing.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball team preps for NCAA Tournament

Joey Nowak
November 29, 2006

The MSU volleyball team is packing its bags for California's golden coast. And if things go well, the Spartans could soon be in Hawaii. But it won't be a vacation. Rather than taking their game to the beaches, the Spartans will hit the hardwood against Utah (27-3) at 8:30 p.m.

FOOTBALL

Word on the street

"He seems to be the right fit for us at this point because we need someone with defensive experience.

FOOTBALL

Star recruit likes Dantonio, but is it too late?

Laura Collins
November 28, 2006

When Keith Nichol was offered a football scholarship by former MSU head coach John L. Smith two years ago, he didn't toil over the decision for six months like most recruits — he accepted the offer right away and planned to play for the Spartans in 2007. Since the Lowell High School quarterback's decision, it seems like everything in the MSU football program has changed.

FOOTBALL

Cincinnati matched MSU's offer, but coach wanted more support

Tom Keller
November 28, 2006

Mark Dantonio's salary just doubled, and then some. But if you think his decision to become MSU's third football coach in five seasons was solely about the money, think again. Several Ohio media reported Monday that Cincinnati had offered to match MSU's $1.1 million contract, but Dantonio went with the Spartans anyway. Why? One likely reason: Institutional support.

FOOTBALL

Front & Center with Becky Dantonio

Steve Highfield
November 28, 2006

Newly named head football coach Mark Dantonio and his family — wife Becky and daughters Kristen, 14, and Lauren, 12 — are returning to East Lansing after leaving in 2000 for Ohio State. During Monday's press conference, Becky wore a necklace from the Spartans' 2001 Citrus Bowl appearance, for which her husband was MSU's defensive secondary coach and associate head coach.

FOOTBALL

Caulcrick, Thornhill had say in coaching search

Tom Keller
November 28, 2006

Many MSU players were upset that the university didn't inform them of John L. Smith's firing last month until after an announcement had been made to the media. MSU officials didn't want that to happen again. So, the day before the Spartans played Penn State, Mark Hollis, senior associate athletics director and one of the lead directors of the coaching search, met with junior linebacker Kaleb Thornhill and junior running back Jehuu Caulcrick and asked them what the players were looking for in a new coach. While neither player would reveal what he told Hollis went wrong during Smith's tenure, both appreciated their input was sought. "I just want to thank (the administration) for involving us, letting us have a say in what we thought would be beneficial for this program," Thornhill said Monday. Caulcrick said Dantonio will be a players' coach like Smith — albeit a more hard-nosed one — but one who should help address the problems the players saw with the program. "Thinking about all the stuff that we mentioned to him that we needed," Caulcrick said, "Coach Dantonio is the guy that we were talking about."