I was watching the San Antonio versus Phoenix game the other night and started laughing to myself - in reference to the Suns' performance, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. While Quentin Richardson is jogging back on defense, tapping his fists at the corners of his forehead, Manu Ginobili is flying past him for a layup.
As the defending world champion Pistons competed Monday night in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, local bars and restaurants also competed to draw the largest crowds. With most MSU students gone for the summer, bars and restaurants are experiencing less business, so they've turned to things such as high-definition TVs to lure people into their establishments, said Aaron Weiner, the general manager of Buffalo Wild Wings, 360 Albert Ave. Retired East Lansing resident Allan Harwitz said he heads to Buffalo Wild Wings on game nights because of the big screens. "I am here every time the Pistons play because the TVs here are huge," he said, while waiting for the game to begin.
The MSU Men's Golf team missed a chance to compete at the NCAA Championships, after finishing 13th in the Central Regional Championship this weekend at Notre Dame, Ind. The Spartans were one of 12 teams to have their first round delayed Thursday by thunderstorms, which pushed back tee times three-plus hours.
The Women's Golf team didn't expect to win an NCAA title this season, but what they did do is gain valuable experience at this year's NCAA Championships at Sunriver, Ore., where they finished 17th out of 24 teams. "It was a great spring," head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said.
The MSU baseball team finished its season with a win, after dropping the first three games on the road at Northwestern this weekend.
The MSU Women's Tennis team handed out its end-of-season awards Tuesday, after an 11-12 season. The Spartans named sophomore Sarah Andrews the Most Valuable Player in 2005; she finished the season with a record of 20-11.
The MSU Men's Track team finished 10th at the Big Ten Championships this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio. On Saturday, senior Julien Williams leaped 25 feet 1 3/4 inches in the long jump, which placed him second overall and earned the Spartans eight of their 33 team points.
The MSU baseball team was victorious on Tuesday afternoon, defeating Central Michigan 11-0 in Mount Pleasant. The Spartans (21-28) got two-RBI games from four players: sophomore shortstop Troy Krider, freshman designated hitter Tony Clausen, sophomore catcher Kris Morris and freshman second baseman Steve Gerstenberger. The Spartans finish their season this weekend, when they travel to Evanston, Ill., to take on Northwestern in a four-game series beginning at 3 p.m.
The MSU Women's Crew team finished sixth overall in the South/Central Regional Sprints at Oak Ridge, Tenn. The first varsity eight had a bad day, placing sixth in its final race.
There's no question that the MSU baseball team was going to "take some lumps" this year, as freshman center fielder Ryan Sontag put it. With five games remaining, a team that has 15 freshman and nine sophomores is getting better and has a 20-28 overall record and 9-15 in Big Ten play, good for ninth in the current standings. "We're just looking to get some more at-bats before we go to Northwestern," said MSU manager Ted Mahan.
The MSU women's golf team opens play at the NCAA Championships at 9 a.m. today at Meadows Course in Sunriver, Ore.
Lansing - Down one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Lansing Lugnuts finally broke through against Wisconsin starting pitcher Jason Snyder, scoring three runs en route to a 5-3 win Monday night. "We do give up runs early, but these guys come back.
The MSU softball team won the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 8 seed last season but were unable to duplicate that result again this season.
The Spartans split with Penn State after dropping the final game in a four game set, 3-2, to the Nittany Lions at Kobs Field on Sunday. The Spartans (20-28 overall, 9-15 Big Ten) scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by left fielder Ryan Basham.
Coming off a sweep of a doubleheader against IPFW on Wednesday, the MSU softball team will head into the weekend with four big games to close out the Big Ten portion of its schedule, with two games against No.
A 20-year-old MSU student and football player was arraigned Wednesday on charges of drunken driving and unlawfully displaying a license, court officials said. Stephen Reaves, a sophomore who was backup quarterback for the MSU football team in fall 2004, was arraigned on the two misdemeanor charges. The maximum penalty is 93 days in jail and/or $500 per misdemeanor charge, Assistant City Attorney Tom Yeadon said. MSU Associate Athletics Director John Lewandowski would not detail what action will be taken. "Coach Smith will take appropriate disciplinary action - we are not going to air our dirty laundry in public," Lewandowski said. Reaves was previously charged with a minor in possession and a prohibited alcohol charge. Reaves is the fifth football player of the semester to appear in court. Last season, the Tampa, Fla., native played in five games, going 23-for-58 with 331 yards with two touchdowns.
The No. 21 MSU men's golf team hopes to conclude its regular season the way it started it - on a winning note. MSU head coach Mark Hankins credits much of the team's success to his five starters. Seniors Jimmy Chestnut, Andrew Ruthkoski, sophomores Mitch Pierce and Matt Harmon and freshman Ryan Brehm are the Spartans' starters that have been able to come through shooting low numbers this season, Hankins said. "I think in the past we've had two, three, maybe four guys, but we actually have all five guys that can really shoot a good number and when you have that it really makes you a dangerous team," he said.
From the triumphs of titles to the heartaches of defeats, MSU sports teams rewrote history, hung various banners and gave fans countless memories.
Today's MSU baseball game against Michigan at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing at 7 p.m. will feature a "Study Break Special" at $1 for MSU students, faculty and staff with an MSU identification. In addition, MSU men's basketball players Tim Bograkos and Andy Harvey will throw out the first pitch. The Spartans are coming off a 9-8 comeback win against Central Michigan on Wednesday.
So here I am, writing this on the last day of my time here at The State News, the last minutes before the deadline hits, and it hits me. I am no longer going to be a student at MSU.