Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

A few weeks ago, I took my family to a Breakfast with Santa at a local restaurant. The food wasn't that great, but that wasn't our reason for going. We wanted the little ones to make ornaments, write their letters to you, and tell you what they wanted. While I was there I began to think it has been a long time since I wrote you. Last time I wrote you, I think it went a little something like this. "DEAR SANTA, FOR CHRISTMAS, I want the Hulk Hogan, Junkyard Dog, and Macho Man action figures. I also need a Nintendo with the Power Pad AND the Rock Em Sock Em Robots. Finally, a My Buddy would be nice too". Yeah, its been that long. You came through for me that Christmas, so maybe you can hook me up this time too.

My reasons for writing you this time are a lot different. I have a lot of what I want in my life right now, so I can't complain there. However, there are a few things in sports that I want to see happen, and I'm figuring since the "powers that be" can't or won't make them happen, maybe Jolly Ol St. Nick can. So, without further adieu, here is my Christmas List.

1. College Football Playoff- For years I've been irritated that College Football is the only sport I watch that doesn't end its season with a playoff/tournament. What we need is an 8-team playoff. My suggestion is keep all of the onlymomsjumpoffsgamblersandalumnicareyoureplaying.com bowls, but get those out of the way by New Years Eve. Have the Top 8 teams play at all of the BCS bowls(i.e. #1 vs #8 at the Rose, #2 vs #7 at the Sugar, #3 vs #6 at the Orange, and #4 vs #5 at the Fiesta) on New Years Day. Then, have the Final Four the Monday of the next week at one of those venues(rotate them each year). Then end it with the National Championship the third Monday in January. I don't think I'm asking for a lot with that one.

2. Mayweather-Pacquiao- I grew up in an era when the top boxers weren't scared to fight each other. Their pride wouldn't let them retire until they fought the dude that everyone else thought they couldn't beat. I wish that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would hearken back to that era and make this fight happen. Bottom line is, this will be the biggest fight of our generation. We haven't had our Thrilla in Manila. This is the closest we will get. Even though I know Floyd will mop Manny, I still want this fight to happen. It has to in order for boxing to still be seen as a semi-legit sport.

3. Tebow Talk Stops- ESPN2 might as well change the name of "First Take" to First Tebow. The talk about dude is incessant. I know he's a lightning rod, and an easy subject to discuss. However, I feel at this point we are going in circles talking about him. "He can't throw". "He's a winner". "He wears his religion on his sleeve". "You can't win with him just running". We have heard it thousands of times in the last month. Let's just let the dude play, and move on. Don't pump fake me with two non-Tebow related topics only to in the words of Steve Harvey "go right back to the mic". This is the Favrian style of reporting that bothers me about ESPN. (Just in case you're wondering, Favrian style of reporting is a reference to the CONSTANT AND NAUSEATING reporting that ESPN did on one Brett Favre. Just coined that term as I was writing this).

4. NCAA Changes- There are so many things about the NCAA that I want to change. One of the main things I think should be changed is the rule that a player has to automatically sit out a year if he or she transfers. Coaches make moves all of the time with no penalty, but if a player transfers they have to sit out? That is wrong on every level. There should be rules to hinder players from transferring recklessly, but the moment a coach decides he wants to leave a school, the players should have the option to seek out other schools too and play right away.

I guess that's all for now. I know you have a lot more letters to go through, so I don't want to take up too much of your time. I know these things are going to take time to happen, but I'm willing to be patient. Since the "powers that be", won't make them happen, take care of it for me Big Fella.

Thanks in advance,

Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr.(and I approve this message.)

p.s. I know I said I got most of all that I want, but if you don't mind, I'll also take a full-length chinchilla and a pinkie ring. That would be cool if you can hook that up too. Thanks.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Next Level

First off, I would like to commend the Michigan State Spartan football team on going 3-1 during the month of October. For those who don't know, they went to Ohio State and got a dominant 10-7 winhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB37zS_y8n8. Next, they manhandled the Michigan Wolverines 28-14http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD-BgLk_fKs. Following that, Wisconsin came to town for Homecoming, which ended with a "hail mary", and a 37-31 upset over the sixth-ranked Badgershttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPI366xTxnA. The game I want to focus on though is the last one against Nebraska, a game that the Spartans lost 24-3 and looked horrible doing sohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiYLzEwG16Y.

As a Spartan fan, that game was very frustrating for me to watch. I acknowledge the fact that it has to be hard to get emotionally high as you need to be four weeks in a row. Also, coming off of that draining win against the Badgers, you had to know there was going to be a letdown. However, to not show up and get bullied for four quarters is not acceptable.

I definitely feel that Michigan State is headed the right direction with the football program. Anyone who can't see that is blind as Stevie Wonder walking in a dark room. With that said, it is time for the program to go to the next level. Michigan State has only lost four games in the last two seasons. That is generally a good thing, but those four losses have all come in spotlight games on the road and neutral sites. They have also been games that the Spartans looked overmatched, confused, and subjugated in. To be considered an elite program you have to win those types of games on the road and on neutral sites. At minimum, you need to put up a fight and lose a close game. To go to the next level though, "moral victory" needs to not be in a programs vocabulary.

Michigan State is right there. They have proven to not be the "same old Spartans", by coming back to win games, playing through mistakes and penalties, and handling teams that they are supposed to. Now, they need to start winning games like they had in Lincoln, Nebraska last weekend. That was a prime opportunity to show they know how to handle success, and move past a big win. Instead they went out there and played four quarters of deer in headlights football.

The rest of the season offers two more road games, that I feel they should win easily. To be a program that goes to the next level, they have to beat Iowa and Northwestern on the road, win the Big 10 Championship game(if they get there), and win their bowl game. Is that asking a lot? Yes it is, however I feel the talent is there for them to do so. They just need to execute and play with the same intensity on the road as they do at home. It is time to prove on the field that they are ready to become an elite level program. Or else, I'll have to reluctantly join in with the people who are in the corner screaming "same old Spartans".

I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message.